After four cruises on similar sized ships on different lines (H/A, Crown Princess, Carnival Miracle, and now the Cunard QM2), and all with similar stated offerings for the price, this is the most varied review I have written. A four- cruise history puts us still in the neophyte category of cruisers. And despite what follows, we had a good time. We have just completed a 4-night Labor Day get-away NYC to Halifax and the experience was a mixture of plusses and minuses. Cabins and overall service were a letdown; public areas a plus; food was good to OK, and the overall ambiance was definitely a plus for my wife and me. We traveled with two other couples, who had little or no cruise experience, and one set of infant twins who seemed to have a great time. (The kiddie facilities got high grades). They did comment on the small cabins, but all had a good time.

Overall, Cunard is reminiscent of, or actually probably still is, an old-World steamship line (my wife had sailed them long ago) with a real ballroom, large well-appointed restaurants, bars and lounges, which were intriguingly intimate, with a more staid, well-dressed and seasoned country club crowd, and a classic teak promenade deck that was straight out an old movie with real wooden deck chairs and cushions. This is a beautiful ship in and out, meticulously maintained, and well laid out with many elevator banks; very easy to master. The ride was rock steady - she cruises real well on her 30' hull.

Embarkation from Red Hook in Brooklyn (our second time) took more than an hour and a half - not staffed well enough (Princess took 20 minutes from the same terminal and that ship had 3600 passengers). Our friends had just gone out on QM2 earlier in the month and had the same experience. Read more