Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,327 reviews

A Winter Crossing

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Queen Mary 2 (QM2)
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rafinmd
10+ Cruises • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Jan 2016
Cabin: Standard Inside

Background: I am no stranger to QM2, this is my 9th crossing on her but the first in the middle of winter. Queen Mary 2 was built to be a versatile ship designed to be used both for crossing the North Atlantic at will and also adaptable as a cruise ship. My experience with her as a cruise ship is limited and it is not one of my favorites in that role but is designed to thrive on Atlantic crossings. Weather on the North Atlantic is always variable but especially in winter and we had heavy seas, strong winds, and cold temperatures, but QM2 is built to handle all with ease. There was not much chance to sit outside but plenty to do inside.

Staterooms: As on most of my QM2 voyages I was in an inside stateroom, and most of them are pretty similar. Room 5045 is forward to midship and was compact but comfortable. Storage was good in the cabin but a bit limited in the bathroom. All Cunard rooms except for the Grills have only a shower, but no tub. The room was equipped with 2 UK and 2 US outlets at the desk, and a 3rd slightly obscured outlet behind the TV. QM2 has generous public spaces inside (and out, although the outside spaces didn’t get much use in January), and the cabin was more than sufficient.

Dining: 85% of QM2 passengers dine in the Britannia Restaurant, a grand 2-level space midship, low to the water for maximum stability. There are 2 fixed dinner seatings: 6PM and 8:30 PM. The food was excellent and service was personal and attentive. There is open seating for breakfast and lunch, except that lunch is not served on embarkation day. There are 3 smaller restaurants for those in the highest level cabins. Britannia Club is in a small room in the corner of the Britannia Restaurant; Princess Grill and Queens Grill are located on deck 7. Passengers in those top 3 restaurants have a fixed table with the same waiters for each meal but may arrive and dine at any time within about a 3-hour window for each meal. The menu choices get a little wider with each successive level of restaurant but the base Britannia dining starts at quite a high standard.

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Standard Inside

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