We undertook a Trans-Atlantic crossing on the QM2 to cap two weeks of touring in France and the U.K. We knew we wanted some recovery time, and to dodge jet-lag before school started--and we made the perfect choice. We are a family of four, with a daughter 15 and son 12. I'll try to cover details reflecting both the adult and family aspects of the crossing.
Embarkation: We arranged for a private transfer from London to Southampton, taking a recommendation from the Britain and Cunard boards here on Cruise Critic to include a visit to Stonehenge en route. We used Woodruff Chauffeur Cars, who made the transfer easy and were responsive to all our email queries. Stonehenge was about 90 minutes from London, and we spent about 45 minutes at the site. It was a further 45 minutes to Southampton, and we arrived at the pier just before noon. Embarkation was handled very smoothly, and we were on the ship by 12:30 p.m. We had filled out all pre-cruise forms on the Cunard Voyage Personaliser site, and this expedited our processing--just a quick passport and credit card check. We proceeded to have lunch at Kings Court, and were in our staterooms by 1:30 p.m. Luggage began arriving by 2:00 p.m., including one bag we shipped ahead using the White Star Luggage service with DHL. The shipped bag was in good shape, and enabled us to forward all evening clothes and shoes. We sent tuxes/jackets/trousers down to be pressed that afternoon, and they were returned by 5:00 p.m. the following day.
Accommodations: We had booked connecting Britannia Club staterooms on Deck 12, 12065 and 12067. We made extensive use of the balconies during the crossing, and very much enjoyed the open configuration. Despite the ship's speed during the crossing, we read and watched for whales and dolphins from the balconies on all but one day of the crossing--more on that later..... There was ample storage, and we were very impressed by the bathrooms--ample shower space and storage and good quality toiletries. We selected the Britannia Club category mainly to access the single seat dining feature in the Britannia Club section of the dining Room, and expanded a la carte menu. We found the location on deck 12 very enjoyable, just steps from the covered pool, hot tubs and Pavilion Bar. It was a very quiet area of the ship, and we enjoyed excellent cabin service--friendly, very thorough and well-timed to our schedule. Dining: After reading a range of comments in previous Member reviews of the QM2, we were uncertain about what to expect in the dining room. We found the food quality, service, selection and pacing of dinner to be outstanding every evening in the Britannia Club. Our waiter was friendly, professional and very attentive to our kids--they enjoyed dinner every night. We found the main menu selections very appealing, but mixed in appetizers, salads and entrees from the a la carte menu at every meal--all arrived hot, well presented and flavorful. We found the food quality and service comparable to main dining room service on Celebrity, and the extra-fee restaurants on Royal Caribbean. I was especially impressed by the wine service. We ordered a different bottle each night for dinner, and the wine steward was very knowledgeable about the vintages for every selection we considered. Her advice steered us to several new choices, and we found the wine pricing very fair--with a good selection of French and Italian wines. Given the relaxed pace of the schedule, our kids posed no resistance to dressing for dinner--our daughter enjoyed the formal atmosphere, and our son actually stayed in his suit for the Kids Club activities on several nights.
Excellent bathroom--very accessible and functional shower. Balcony was deep and comfortable for reading and watching the ocean. Location very convenient to Stairwell/Elevator Bank B.