Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Review

First Time Blue-Water Cruise

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Queen Mary 2 (QM2)
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Sky King B-47
First Time Cruiser • Age 90s

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Sail Date: May 2009
Cabin: Balcony, sheltered

This voyage was a first for us.  Though my wife and I (in our 70s) had been on two river cruises in Europe, we had never been on a Caribbean cruise or an Alaskan cruise or any other kind of blue-water voyage.  We decided to celebrate our 52nd anniversary with a Transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2, followed by a few days in London.  AAA was very helpful in getting all the pieces together for us.

I apologize if the following narrative seems tedious.  The experienced traveler should stop reading right here, but I will address the things that we (being rather inexperienced) wished we had known beforehand.

Since we were starting from New Mexico, we decided against a cross-country flight and boarding the ship all on the same day.  That turned out to be a wise choice.  The last hop from Dulles to JFK was a late-afternoon disaster, with air traffic delays that kept us in the aircraft on the Dulles ramp for nearly three hours before takeoff.  The transfer from Dulles to the nearby Holiday Inn Express was a short ride.  We were ready for a late dinner but found that there were no restaurants within walking distance.  It took a cab ride to get us to a very nice Italian restaurant, so the evening was saved.  Next time we will be more careful to check local amenities.

Cabin Review

Balcony, sheltered

Cabin BC

Room accommodations highly satisfactory in all respects.  Private balcony (on Deck 5) very nice but underused because of the weather.  Room was right across the hall from the heavily-used laundry room, but not a sound could be heard once the room door was closed.  Bed very comfortable; no problem getting to sleep.  We asked for the duvet on the bed to be replaced with U.S. style sheets and a light blanket, and our request was quickly granted.

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