This was our 2nd Cunard cruise this year, the first being in April on the Queen Elizabeth and could not have been further from the experience that we had on the QM2. I do not want to be a bore but the QE was exceptional in all but the disembarkation experience, so we were really excited by the QM2 no one more so than our 10 yr old son.
Embarkation was smooth and welcoming, with carols being sung by the tree in the main lobby and luggage arrived at the cabin as we did. The card and champagne welcoming us back were lovely personal touches. On closer inspection our bathroom failed our 'clean' test, but I consider myself fussy. Even so the faults were rectified gradually and the cabin staff were lovely. The cabin was fine, roomy and comfortable even with the extra sofa bed.
The Britannia Restaurant experience was mediocre, this was a Christmas cruise with 170 children so we were seated at a table of much older people all of whom made it clear that they were not pleased to be seated with a 10 year old! After a 'tip' we were moved but had to sit in a dingy corner on our own, somewhat of a defeat of our objective for choosing this cruise. We discovered that the information given on the booking forms is not passed to the dining room - surely essential when planning table seating? It was the attention to detail last time that made us book this cruise but it is the lack of it and lack of empathy this time that will stop us from doing so again.
Deck 4, enclosed balcony double cabin. Great if you worry about motion sickness as you barely feel motion. Cabin it self was a reasonable size and nicely furnished. I found the chunky TV a bit cumbersome and it took up too much of the limited desk area. The bed was very comfy as was the sofa bed that ensured that our son slept like a baby. The bedding and linen was all new and welcoming. The balcony is fine as you are sheltered from the elements and meant that we could enjoy the view even in tropical downpours. also you have privacy from others. The bathroom was a reasonable size (much bigger than Queen Elizabeth) although cost cutting with the shower curtain made things a bit! The cleaning was not fantastic, the floor of the shower and bathroom gully were quite disgusting but this was rectified. Toiletries were good quality and replenished regularly.