A writing retreat… on a cruise!

A week to work on your writing project,

with me by your side,

while crossing the Atlantic on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2,

from NYC to Southampton, UK

September 3-10, 2025

What could you accomplish if you had a whole week devoted to your project?

Get writing done while traveling and having everything taken care of for you!

Queen Mary 2: crown jewel of the Cunard fleet, the world's most luxurious transatlantic liner welcomes you with her legendary style and elegance.

Embark on a writing experience like no other, with straight-up publishing and craft advice surrounded by remarkable craftsmanship in the elegant staterooms and sumptuous restaurants and bars. Explore grand public spaces and find your secluded writing nooks.

Enjoy the indulgent on-board spa, order room service 24/7, revel in enthralling entertainment and live music, laugh and think in daily trivia quizzes, or simply relax with a book in the largest library at sea.

A week of dedicated work on your nonfiction book or proposal…

While crossing the Atlantic on a majestic and luxurious ocean liner…

With your book coach by your side…

Get a month’s worth of work (or more) done in one week!  During six days at sea, you will work steadily on your book proposal or writing project with me by your side and alongside a small group of similarly focused writers! You will have daily meetings with me, and unfettered time for researching, writing, reading, and enjoying.

Event fee ($1200) + Stateroom fee ($1515-$2085 per person
based on double occupancy)

Event fee includes:

  • A pre-trip 1:1 call to scope and create a custom plan of work

  • Project development, mindset, and planning tools

  • A daily 1:1 feedback-and-next-steps session during the 6 at-sea days of the cruise

  • A 1:1 post-trip call to evaluate progress and next steps 

  • Spontaneous co-working sessions and social time

  • Value-added bonuses to come

Stateroom fee includes:

Not included (but our dedicated travel coordinators can assist and provide discounts where available):

  • Airfare

  • Hotels pre/post sailing in NYC or Southampton

  • Transportation to/from ship/hotel/airport

  • Travel insurance

I love the adventure — and stillness — of a cruise to get writing done.

Amy Goldmacher is a traditionally-published nonfiction author and Author Accelerator certified nonfiction book coach. She has coached writers from book idea to polished, pitch-ready proposals and manuscripts that get agents and book deals. You can find her work on JaneFriedman.com, The Brevity Blog, Pipeline Media Group, and The New York Times, among others. She can be found on social media at @solidgoldmacher.

Amy holds a PhD in Anthropology and spent 20 years in information architecture (IA), user experience (UX), and design. Prior to that, she worked at an academic publisher in editorial, marketing, and sales departments which provided valuable industry experience. Now she writes and coaches full-time.

FAQs

  • Updated information and booking details coming mid-January.

  • Between 4-8 writers. This is a small group so that there is plenty of 1:1 time, plenty of time to work independently, and a manageable social group size.

  • We'll meet up as a group on the ship the first evening and have a group dinner. Daily, we'll meet as a group for a short session after breakfast in the morning and schedule co-writing time/locations and plan to meet for dinner or other events if desired. I'll have daily 1:1 appointments with each writer, and you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the ship’s amenities, restaurants, activities, and entertainment — and of course, you'll have plenty of time to write! You will have a custom plan of work that we will have designed together before the cruise.

  • There are a limited number of solo interior cabins, as well as double-occupancy cabins at just slightly less than double-occupancy price. You can discuss your options with our dedicated travel coordinators once booking opens in mid-Jan.

  • Please email me your question(s) at amy@amygoldmacher.com or use the contact form.

What do you need to go on this cruise writing retreat?

  • You DON'T need a degree in writing (or anything else!)

  • You DON'T need previous publication credits

  • You DON’T need a manuscript in progress (but you can have one!)

  • You WILL work on your writing project

  • You WILL get a session with me before and after the cruise for planning and progress tracking

  • You WILL have sessions with me during the cruise (and social time!)

  • You WON’T be reading and providing feedback on others’ work (though there may be discussion of topics pertinent to the group)

  • You WILL have an unforgettable experience!

Landlubbers, if you’d rather not be on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic while working on your nonfiction book or proposal, click below for ways to work with me on terra firma.