Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Review

Second Transatlantic, as Great as the First

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Queen Mary 2 (QM2)
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maina
First Time Cruiser • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Oct 2014
Cabin: Balcony, sheltered

This was our second ocean voyage ever and second transatlantic crossing on the QM 2 (voyage M423, 10/8-10/16). Previous voyage was 7 days eastbound, and we decided to try westbound this time, with the advantage of time changes resulting in five 25-hour days. We were just as pleased with the the QM 2 this time as we were on our first trip two years ago. We had Britannia grade sheltered balcony cabin on deck 5, somewhat aft of midships. Our excellent cabin steward Tatiana took good care of us and our cabin.

We had first seating in the Britannia restaurant at a table for 6. We had very good table mates, and all of us showed up for dinner every night and had wide-ranging conversations. We had many of our lunches in Britannia, and one breakfast, and each time met interesting, or at least congenial people. On this trip we did eat more times in the Kings Court buffet than we had on our first trip--most breakfasts and a few lunches. The food in Britannia was varied and generally quite good. We especially appreciate the modest portion sizes, which allow you to have an appetizer, salad, main course and desert without feeling stuffed. They are very flexible in Britannia, and if you choose to have several appetizers and no main, that's fine; in fact, I suspect it would be fine if you wanted two main courses or two desserts, though no one at our table did that. The Kings Court generally had a lot of the same main courses and appetizers as Britannia, and a lot more besides. In spite of criticisms of Kings Court, we found the food to be quite acceptable; the service was good; and on this voyage we never found it to be crowded.

We took advantage of a lot of what the QM 2 has to offer: lectures; concerts; music in the bars; shows by the Royal Cunard dancers and singers; performances by RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts); the wonderful library; and many of the nice public spaces around the ship where one could just sit and read, converse, or gaze out at the sea. This time I tried out a massage in the spa (heavenly) and also participated in trivia contests in the Golden Lion pub. Wanted to try ballroom or line dance lessons but couldn't persuade signif. other to do this--maybe next time! The maintenance and visual appearance of the ship were very good. It is scheduled to go in for a major refurbishment/overhaul sometime in the next couple of years, but for now it's still looking good. We saw a lot of work going on while we were onboard, e.g., painting, varnishing. There are new washers and driers since our previous voyage, and they are outstanding, with good capacity and free detergent; use of the machines is free, and the laundry rooms are well maintained and clean. Service was excellent everywhere, and people seemed to enjoy their jobs. Embarkation in Southampton and disembarkation in Brooklyn went smoothly and efficiently.

Cabin Review

Balcony, sheltered

Cabin BC

This cabin, a sheltered balcony, is somewhat aft of midships. The location is excellent in terms of accessibility to dining (Britannia restaurant and Kings Court buffet), and it was a very stable location to be in during several hours of force 10 winds and high seas that we experienced during our voyage.

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