We just booked this at the very last moment as it was sailing from Cape Town to Southampton and were delighted there was space. This was our first Cunard experience, but I think virtually all other passengers were long-time fans of Cunard. I really cannot find anything to complain about. Check-in was professional and we received our suitcases relatively quickly. The cabin was a decent size, as was the wardrobe and small balcony but perfect for two. We chose late dining and never once had repeat food. It was excellent, as was the service. We mostly had a late breakfast in the Lido where the choice was as good as I have ever had in a top Hotel. Lunch we occasionally took in the dining room, but there were so many opportunities to eat we had to choose between lunch or afternoon tea. We ate in the dining room every night. Talks were excellent, particularly Ian Brown and John McCarthy. Entertainment was mostly professional, bar staff were attentive. The daily quiz was a daily challenge. If I were to have one gripe, and I really shouldn’t, the drinks were expensive. But that’s nothing in the scheme of things. Really, it was 17 nights of pure joy. It’s not a cruise for youngsters, the dress code is jacket for gents every night, and formal on four nights, but there’s something very pleasant about a dress code. Well done Cunard - we will be back. Read Less

This was our 5th Cunard cruise and second on QM2. The cruise was 3 weeks from Dubai to Southampton transiting the Suez Canal which we had never done before, this and visitng Petra was the main reason we booked with Cunard as our travel agent had a pre cruise offering of a South Africa trip 3 days 2 nights travelling on Rovos Rail from Petoria to Capetown and 2 nights in Cape Town before flying to Dubai for 2 nights so this was the main reason we booked with Cunard. There were just over 350 passengers doing the whole world cruise and we were told that's half the number there usually is, the remaining passengers like us were doing segments. Embarkation in Dubai was well organised and fairly quick, we were on board by 12:30pm and we made our way to the Kings Court for lunch which at that time was very busy but we did get a seat. Our cabin was available by 1pm, we got one suitcase quite quick and unpacked but the other didn't arrive until just before the boat drill however we managed to unpack in time for dinner. We were first seating in the Brittania Restuarant at 18:00, a bit early but the later sitting was too late for us. We had asked for a table for 2 which we got however these tables are so close together they are tables for 4, our table was 350 was not in a good position in the restaurant and I wouldn't recommend it. Food is always subjective and in my opinion the restaurant food was neither great or bad just mediocre , it was always presented well and was piping hot however not very inspiring. The waiters were always very busy but they were attentive and helpful. The food in the Kings Court was good, plenty of selection at breakfast and lunch, we had dinner a couple of times and we were surprised at the selection and the good quality of food available in the evening, it was very popular with guests who wanted casual dining. We had dinner in the Verandah Restaurant which was a nice change but not worth the $49 each to dine there, only 2 other tables were booked when we were in, I wonder why! There was alternative dining set in an area of the Kings Court and this had 5 different menus which changed every week there was American, Asian, Mexican, Italian and Indian, we ate there on one occasion and the food was very nice, there was an additional charge of $19.50 each for the privilege. Alcohol and mixers/soft drinks in the bars were very expensive especially when there is an 18% service charge on top, you also have to buy water, yoj an get it by the glass from a dispenser in the Kings Court, water is complimentary on a number of cruise lines and hotels bit not on Cunard. We purchased good wine ashore to drink in the restaurant and paid the corkage fee of $20 which was more cost effective. Service in the main was good and the majority of staff were friendly and helpful however there were some staff who were quite sullen and gave the impression that they didn't want to be there, this isn't White Star Service, in addition there was no interaction with the officers and passengers, we only saw the Captain on two occasions during the 3 weeks on board, at the welcome on board party and the loyalty club party. There are free laundries for passengers to use on each deck, there were always queues of people trying to get a machine, there were 4 each washing machines and dryers and they were constantly busy, this is not a nice place to be as people get quite annoyed and I witnessed a few arguments e.g the same passenger using 2 washing machines a 2 driers this tends to frustrate people. We had booked trips through Cunard to Petra, Herculaneum and Rome, although expensive they were good, well organised trips with excellent guides so felt they were good value for money. The celebrity speakers, Antony Horovitz, Sally Gunnell, a retired customs officer and forensic scientist which unfortunately I don't remember their names were all interesting The theatre company was okay and we enjoyed most of the guest entertainment especially the Barricade Boys, Mike Doyle and Kev Orkian Disembarking in Southampton was quick and easy. Would we travel with Cunard again, possibly if the price was right but there are other cruise lines out there who offer a superior service and are much better value for money. Read Less

Cruised from Dubai to Southampton from the 19th.April-10th. May ----had a sheltered stateroom -4021-which our steward , Dayle , kept immaculate , there wasn't anything that was too much trouble for him even supplying us with fresh milk daily rather than using sachets of milk. The Stateroom was very good with plenty on storage and where we were situated was very quite , no noise from anywhere and the sheltered balcony at first being a concern was in the end great, I would recommend . We had late seating in the Britannia restaurant . The food was excellent every evening and plentiful [ I cant understand when I see reviews saying the food is not good ,I'm sure people don't eat better at home !! ] also we had lunch some days in the Britannia and it was equally as good . The Kings Court was also very good with plenty of choice and variety . There was one very bad thing that I picked up on , the so called baked ham offered as a carvery was a vacuum packed ham that had been baked of not a baked gammon as one would expect from Cunard , I'm speaking as one that worked in the meat and food industry all my working life. All other areas for food such as the Carinthia Lounge and the Chefs Galley also very good . The Boardwalk Café a complete waste of space as was the whole area of the deck around the café with no shelter and at times the temp. was in the 40's where we were. Evening entertainment was very good on the whole ,as where most insight lectures and afternoon concerts . One thing that did concern was on the last two evenings on board we where told that the ships resident dance and vocal entertainers couldn't perform because the stage lift didn't work and couldn't be fixed---well the rumour was this wasn't the case and the dancers were under rehearsed and the second rumour was employment issues with the staff ???------I personally believe that there wasn't a problem with the stage ?? . Service I found throughout the ship was excellent although some staff could smile a little more especially security staff.----My main concern with the QM2 is the layout of the ship , one does compare and the layout seems odd when comparing with both the Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth , the pool areas have no shade not many tables around and don't seem as part of the main ship--I hope that makes sense , I'm not a ship builder so maybe it's because the QM2 is a liner and not a cruise ship.---Still had a fantastic time , enjoyed every day. Read Less

This is our fifth cruise on the Queen Mary 2 and this last trip was 63 days long and I really think they have lost sight on what sort of ship they are trying to have. Refinement seems to have disappeared and has been replaced with indifference. There is no contact in Sydney and speaking to someone in the Phillipines about a problem in Brisbane could not be resolved as the person on the other end of the phone was clueless where Brisbane even was. We were promised to be emailed on two occasions before we left in March and are still waiting. The food and service was anywhere between 2 to 10 out of 10 and not consistent. Queuing to get off the boat took hours and many people had walking sticks. I could go on and on with the problems we had. We used to love being on the Queen Mary but many of the staff could not have cared if they served us preferring to chat amongst themselves. Others bent over backwards to help. We missed Darwin because of a cyclone which was totally understandable but then missed Bali because of a religious holiday. Surely they knew about it before they worked out their itinerary. We also missed Naples and Brunei. We have also booked for this August on the other two Queens so at least our expectations are very low. They are now not sure if they can cater for my gluten free diet although we are now platinum members- over 100 days with them- so am hoping I do not get sick. There is no one to contact. They have our tier wrong on our personaliser and have told us for 4 weeks that it has been fixed. Still not fixed. Their idea of telling us things we want to hear rather than fixing things is unreal. There is no attention to detail. Very dissatisfied especially considering the cost Read Less

We made a atlantic crossing 2016 with Cunard QM2 from Hamburg to New York. It was New York fashion week theme 9 day cruise. The Programm and Food was excellent. Our cabin and restaurant was Princess Grill Category. We were very happy with this cruise. Unfortunately this last Cunard cruise was not up to our expectations. We had again a Princess Grill Suite. Eating and dining was not very good, princess Grill menu started repeat itself after 10 days and the quality wasn't always there. Dining experence was dissapointing. Kings Court buffet was only cantine quality! Passangers were mostly very old and the programm also up to them. This was also very dissapointing. A part of the cruise route was very strange: Adelaide to Melbourne and then back to Kangaroo Island and once again back to Melbourne! Cunard want only fill the ship with maximum amount passagers! Cunard is very creedy with the pricing. Internet is lousy, slow and expencive. All the drinks and wines are too expensive and Cunards adds still 15% service fee. Summary Cunard QM2 cruise in Princess Grill category was not enough value for money and not up to our expectations. Read Less

We chose this cruise to experience the Suez Canal and for that the cruise was very successful. How did I rate the cruise overall - average I suppose? The food was good, especially buffet breakfast and lunch, loved the stir-fry and Thai noodle soup. The Kings Court always felt crowded, unless you dined early or late. The ship must have had over 2500 on board, but apart from the buffet and the rush to find a seat at the theatre, this huge number was managed well. We enjoyed most of the shows, but some of the seats available were only suitable for children with small posteriors!! During our first week, out of Dubai the meat quality provided in the Britannia restaurant was poor, somewhat dry and tough to eat. We had a table of eight and after a couple of days the other six table companions left us to have their dinner in the buffet, they preferred the quality provided in the Kings Court Buffet. So, for two weeks we were left on our own on a large table of 8. After the first week, the meat improved. The service in the restaurant was always to a high standard and Ryan & Jarold looked after us very well. Sunbathing on the deck could be an issue sometimes. Some of the wooden deck chairs on the Promenade Deck could not be adjusted and those that could were often reserved, sometimes for long periods. This was discouraged, but nothing appeared to be done about it. We always abandoned our chair when going to lunch, but we often appeared to be the exception. For three days, the chimney blew out specks of soot, this landed on sunbathers on the top deck and bathers reported staining issues. I reported this to the Pursers office and was told ‘We know’! During the first week, the ship suffered from Norovirus and restrictions for serving food etc. were put in place. This was generally handled very well and the virus restrictions were eventually successfully lifted. My partner was poorly on the last day after catching a tummy bug, given some prescriptions by the medical centre to help us travel home, hopefully avoiding any embarrassing incidents!! We were offered to be escorted off the ship. I thought this would help us get away promptly to catch a taxi to the station - wishful thinking. We were escorted off the ship and at the bottom of the gangplank told 'Have a safe journey home' We then had to find our case, queue for 20 mins for a taxi, all with a wife struggling to get around. So not a good end to the cruise really? So, the cruise overall? We enjoyed our holiday, We have never not enjoyed a cruise before on any ship or cruise line and we have been lucky enough to have enjoyed 28 cruises, including with Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Royal Caribbean , P&O, Tui, Celebrity, but this proved to be perhaps the least enjoyable. A shame, because in many ways Cunard and the crew try very hard to put on a good show. I still believe three classes of passenger is old fashioned, it is restrictive and reduces freedom to go anywhere on the ship, also reduces space available to Britannia class passengers. I suppose Cunard is trying to provide a different experience, their choice of course. Yes we enjoyed our cruise again, but.... Read Less

Chose this cruise across the Indian Ocean as it visited lots of places that we had not seen before. Also, it was in the sunshine! Great cruise, super service and everything was spot on. The food quality was OK but not 'special' as we expected from a premium cruise line. The amounts on the plate were quite modest but that was OK with us as we are not big people. However, the price of drinks was a bit 'rich' and then a further 15% added for gratuity each time was a bit too much. The bars emptied quite early! We opted for a City stay in Cape Town, post cruise, which included a programme of tours and meals etc. However, our Hotel was changed and the new Hotel know nothing about any tours etc. We, therefore, paid for our own, including a taxi to the airport for our flight home. Have written to Cunard, requesting recompense but no response at all! They will shortly be receiving a Small Claims Court summons!! Read Less

We have cruised before many times, an expensive error was assuming QM2 & Cunard would prove an upmarket ship&cruise,although the entertainment average,the food in the Britannia Rest.nothing short of a disaster @ all times many cold meals replaced on request only to have the same again,some tables all meals sent back ,dress code for the Australian Port of calls dubious¬ policed, sad for passengers who having travelled a long way to see their cruise become little short of a Hop on/Hop off joke, not quite what was expected for the premium paid!,some staff surly, possibly because of the long hours worked&distances covered,The bistro food ok, providing you like cakes & again most hot food, cold on collection,In the restaurant I actually saw a tray of toast delivered to a serving station &of course stone cold before serving!May I suggest Cunard employees irrespective of postion read your advertising in the brochure supplied on booking of the cruise,If this line is the pinnacle of the Carnival Group god help the rest.Nothing unique or wonderful, we dressed to fulfil our part of the bargain, sadly you did not keep yours. Read Less

Have been on 3 previous cruises that we loved. This time, boarding was slow, crew were morose for half the cruise until a few became friendly. Ship had been refitted, and in our opinion, whilst still great, was not as good as before with the changes. Entire drink menu mixers were changed so that drinks you previously liked, now were terrible with no option to have previous mixes. Restaurant services just did not meet the standard of previous cruises at all. Really unbelievable how bad it was in comparison. Ship advised SA tax clearance would take place on ship, and it didn't, so we lost about $500 in tax refunds, when we could have sorted it ourselves had we known. Bottle of wine in cabin, was half size for the first time ever. Silly I know, but really, with what they pay for wine? I saw that as penny pinching compared to previous cruises. All cruises on Cunard prior to this,would have been a 5 star from me. Not sure where it's headed. Paid full price, and doubt I ever will again Read Less

One of the things you have to remember about joining a Cunard Round The World Voyage, is that the people who can spare the time and money to take a trip like this are likely to be retired and spending the kids inheritance. This means that many of them have had decades to perfect their rudeness. On this, my third Cunard cruise, I was amazed at the sheer number of bad mannered people with sharp elbows determined to be first in any line up. It was I admit the first time I had seen a woman use her husband in a wheelchair as a battering ram to get a window seat in the buffet. However it was not the first time and not unexpected when passengers “booked” chairs on deck with hats, books, towels etc. despite signs asking them not to. I would have loved to see the threat of possessions being removed to the purser’s office carried out. I am sure that the staff must take courses in how to deal with the rudeness of guests who for some reason think shouting at a waiter is the way to go. When one gentleman not looking where he was going fell over a waiter, he compounded the act by swearing at him for being in the way. And it is no use telling people not to video the shows in the theatre if one man repeatedly does so in the front row of the balcony. So enough about my fellow passengers, most of whom I must admit did not treat the staff as second class citizens. What about the Cruise itself? The food was excellent. Probably the most imaginative menu I have seen so far. One recent review complained about precooking food. Exactly how did that reviewer expect 2000+ guests to be fed? Individual portions cooked to order? It was all well cooked and often beautifully displayed. However, where it all went wrong was in the management of staff. Waiting 20 or 30 minutes for that first cup of coffee at breakfast never puts me in a good mood for the day. Nor does a wait of 40 minutes for my starter while watching other tables having their main courses cleared and desserts served at dinner in the Britannia Restaurant. Complaints resulted in little or no improvement, and on one occasion I actually left after the 40 minutes and went to the buffet. Profuse apologies from the Maitre d’ in my section resulted in improvement for three days during which time we hardly had time to finish a plate before it was cleared. However on the last night at sea, was it really a good idea to have me as the only person on our table who did not get his desert? For the first time ever, I did not tip the staff. The problem obviously was with management. On one evening we were treated to an officer I took to be the reserve captain sprawling at a table and entertaining two obvious VIPs. A pity he could not be bothered to introduce himself to the people next to him. Nor did he take the slightest notice when a wine waiter and food waiter managed to push past either side of a lady with a walking stick right in front of him rather than waiting a few seconds for her to pass. Obviously the crew had no control over the Norovirus outbreak, but I felt that it was treated efficiently and did not spread out of control. Staff cleaning efforts must be complimented. One of the problems in having so many people isolated in a tin can at sea, is that infection can spread like wild fire, that it did not is entirely down to the staff. Oh yes, several of us got a cough or cold. Not surprising, and calling it the Cunard Cough is merely facile. What was surprising was that the entertainment staff made no attempt to provide additional amusement for the passengers incarcerated for eight days at sea, due to not being able to visit Salalah and Jordan. In fact the on board entertainment was abysmal. The jazz trio, solo cocktail jazz pianist and the professionals in the bands were excellent. Visiting artists with two exceptions were not even third rate. I am sure I was not the only one thinking Hi De Hi whenever the entertainment director walked on stage. And only three Cunard singers and dancers shows in three weeks. Were they on a work to rule? When we did at last manage to get a couple of Captain’s cocktail parties, was it really a good idea for the entertainment staff and other officers to stand around talking to each other? I was always taught that the staff’s function at occasions like this is to circulate, talk to the guests and even, shock horror, encourage them to talk to each other. Good management in the entertainment industry is all about the customer, not the bottom line or tick boxes. You are better than this Cunard. Get your act together. Read Less

This was the last leg of a world cruise by the QM2 and we were sailing from Dubai back to Southampton through the Suez Canal. We had a ''Sheltered Balcony'' as the balconies in the Staterooms(Cabins) on Deck 4 are in the hull of the ship. Picture will explain. These balcony's aren't great and need a bit of a lick of paint. The Stateroom was fine, plenty of room with a small settee and table, not much smaller than an average hotel bedroom. If you want bigger than that on a ship you are talking serious money. The shower room was disappointing with an ill fitting shower head and not much room. The water was always hot so no trouble there. A great bed. The TV was poor with a terrible picture and sound. There was a small fridge and you could drink your own alcohol in your cabin. You just couldn't drink it by the pools or on the deck. The pools were fine if a little small but you could always get in them, not too busy. Great deck games that my wife and I played lots of days. The also had a golf simulator which we used quite a lot. Dave & Tom who ran the sports centre were very helpful and gave great service and help with all the activities. The entertainment was 1st class with lots of big names in the shows. You could dance every night in the ballroom or in the late night disco. The food was fantastic and you could have anything yo wanted really in both the self service and sit down dinning rooms, the King's Court and Britannia. The ship is huge and you can always find a quite spot to sit and read somewhere. The staff were very helpful and attentive throughout the ship. The reason we booked this cruise was the choice of excursions offered in the advert. Unfortunately a few months after booking Egypt was taken off the itinerary. They replaced that with Aqaba/Petra in Jordan, which would have been OK. However no sooner had we got on board before they cancelled our trip to Jerusalem because the Israeli authorities decided that because it was the Feast of the Passover, they could not accept anymore tourist in the morning. Our first excursion was Muscat, which was organised very well, it was a good day out. After this thing got nasty, a bout of Nora Virus ran through the ship affecting 400 hundred passengers at one point. The port of Salalah in Oman wouldn't let us disembark, and Jordan did not even want us in their waters! We were unable to get off the ship for 9 days, the next time we got off the ship was Limassol on Cyprus. The crew worked very hard to stem the tide of the virus and eventually the got it under some kind of control be the time we reached the Mediterranean. The rest of the excursions were fine but we explored a few places on our own too. In general I would say the price of drink on board was horrendous, it did stop people buying each other drink and I noticed there were very few passengers drinking at any of the shows or functions. The average age group of the passengers I would say was about 70yrs old. This was a very old crowd. It was like a floating old folks home. Cunard and the Queen Mary 2 obviously try to make the sailing experience a bit elitist and snobbish with their dress code being a bit too stuffy for the 21st century. I don't know how they'll keep this standard up as about 50% of the clientele will be gone in a couple of years and the younger generation won't accept sitting with a jacket on in an English themed pub, on an Informal night! All in all very disappointing, we were not even offered a glass of wine to compensate for our missed trips and disruption to every day cruising by the virus. Cunard could have done more I feel. I wont sail with them again, might not even cruise again! There was a lot of preparation for bigger jobs and maintenance going on around the ship all day every day, banging and clanging, not right. The whole ship is very tired and it is going in for a refit in August I believe, not before time. Read Less

Passengers not allowed on observation deck; poor food quality, quantity and choice in Grills’ restaurants; fitness centre not up to UK safety standards; and rip-off prices for shore trips. All these on a cruise from Dubai to Southampton on Queen Elizabeth in April/May 2016. In the last four years my wife and I have completed 11 Cunard cruises including five on Queen Elizabeth. This one is likely to be the last we make on that ship. On the four previous cruises on QE there has always been access to the open observation area at the forward end of deck 9 for any passenger to take video and photos of entry into ports, etc. But on this entire cruise it was closed to passengers except for transiting Suez Canal. Three of the ship’s officers, including the captain, gave me different and contradictory excuses for it being closed. None of them were credible. The access to this viewing area - the only open forward-facing space for passengers - is from doors on the port and starboard sides of the fitness centre. Both were marked ‘Emergency Exit’ but both were locked. Asked why such doors were locked the fatuous excuse given by senior officers was that the doors were not an exit from the fitness centre onto the open deck, but were from the open deck into the fitness centre (as they could be opened manually from the outside). Asked how a person could get outside when the doors were locked produced silence or a quick change in conversation. No credible reason was given for the viewing area being denied to passengers or for the emergency exits being locked When I wrote to Cunard HQ with details of the matter - with names, dates and photos - the response from Customer Services was that if the captain decided to close that area that was his decision because he was in charge of the ship. They declined to reply in writing. Dissatisfied with being fobbed-off, I referred the matter to a director of Cunard. His response was that the area ‘is not an advertised passenger area’ and its opening is at the captain’s discretion. But no reason was given for it being closed and no comment was made on why emergency exits were locked. My request for an assurance that the deck would be open on future Queen Elizabeth cruises - and the identical Queen Victoria - were ignored. So passengers should be aware that if they sail on these ships their access to the deck in question is at the whim of the captain. My frequent visits to the fitness centre to check the doors showed that it did not meet UK safety standards. Bearing in mind almost all passengers were pensioners, no assessment was made of a person’s fitness to use the equipment, no training was given in its use and there was no continuous supervision. Anyone could walk in and use mechanical equipment or weights. One of the two trainers admitted they were not supervising all the time due to personal training commissions, taking classes and meal breaks. He accepted that a person could die if suffering a heart attack or stroke when using the gym on his/her own with no-one to call for assistance. The quality, quantity and choice of food served in the Princess Grill has deteriorated over the past year. The dining room staff said it was due to the menus being dictated by Southampton HQ instead of on-board ship and - like our cruise on QE at Christmas - said there was nothing they could do about it. Many items did not match the menu description; many descriptions were obscure; quality was often poor; and several meals were sent back. Vegetables seemed to be in short supply or pathetically small or both. Food in the Lido buffet was far better than in the expensive Princess Grill. As usual, all shore excursions were at a high price. For example, a day trip from Aqaba to Petra was $217 each. So for each 50-seat coach Cunard was raking in over $10,000. And, in Istanbul a private minibus (of unspecified seating capacity) could be had for $1,000 for a tour of some tourist sites for a day (8.30am to 5.0pm). Lastly, the ship’s itinerary listed Salalah, Oman as its second port of call. But QE did not go to Salalah but docked at the container port of Raysut over 20km to the south. Cunard provided a shuttle bus only from the ship to the dock gate. Getting to Salalah was a $100 taxi ride. And for the return journey the taxi drivers wanted even more cash. Read Less

I mostly agree with the points raised in previous reviews so will not repeat them but will add a few more. The good first Roy walker, Kelly Holmes and some of the speakers were good. Tom O' connor was quite good but past his best Some of the shows were good but others not to our taste Cabin steward did his best but cabin shabby and sheltered balcony not clean clumps of hair and dirt in the corners. Vibz band were excellent a highlight of the voyage Now the not so good No welcome aboard parties until we had been on board for 11 days .the reason being they did not want so many people in the same space at one time because of the Norovirus. Yet the theatre was full as was the buffet and the ballroom most evenings. Just another cost saving. At least 50 % of the people round the pool areas had bags from other cruise lines RCL princess HAL etc. Noone had a Cunard bag. I metioned it to an officer and she said Cunard bags were more expensive and they believe once you have travelled with Cunard you will come back. Sorry NO. The only shade round the rear pool areas was for people already killing themselves by smoking. Drinks far too expensive if they were cheaper we would have bought more. Phone in cramped cabin was on the dressing table and could not be moved hard luck if you were ill in bed . TV was too small, sound quality was very poor no information about what channels were available and it took 5 days to get a list of what films were being shown on the 2 film channels. Connecting door did not fit we could hear our neighbours talking about what to order for room service breakfast. I stuffed the gaps with the papers we got each night and this helped. Pillows very lumpy I asked for a replacement and that was just as bad. No officers seen by us anywhere on the ship until day 14. Entertainment director needs to retire he has no personality and his morning show was dire, his staff were good and they should have been the customer facing person not him. First show Viva Italia by the singers and dancer was excruciatingly embarrassing the cast were good but the choreography was terrible. Food was tolerable nothing exceptional. Service was patchy some days we waited over half an hour between courses. After the main course the waiter came and swept the crumbs off the table onto the floor or our laps, very odd, on other ships they have swept the crumbs onto a plate not the floor. 6 pm dining was too early and 8.30 too late no anytime dining for lower class passengers. Ship has no heart no central area where people get together you have to sit in a bar. The ship is dead by 8.30 people are either in dinner or in the show or in bed. Conclusion. If you want to sit inside ,read, play board games ,listen to string quartets, go to lectures and go to bed at 9 pm then this is the ship for you. Cunard have a problem when the older passengers no longer are able to travel. All the younger people we spoke to on the ship said they would not travel with Cunard again. The only fortunate part was the weather from Dubai to Turkey which was wonderful. I will not be going with Cunard again. Read Less

We had heard how wonderful Cunard were and how much better than all their rivals. We should have seen a red light when our first two encounters were being told to board a few hours later than planned due to novovirus being rampant on the boat and that the boat was no longer calling at Sharm el Sheik (on our itinerary). This was our 16th cruise in 5 years and we were both so looking forward to the experience. However in every department in which we had been led to believe that Cunard excelled, they failed. Now being able to make the choice, give me the honesty of Thomson's any day. There was a deeply unpleasant smell of sewers and drains on the Lido deck, with lots of flies outside the lavatories by the burger kitchen. Why it was necessary to be painting parts of the Lido deck during the Suez transit was beyond me, also cleaning the windows of the Brittania restaurant during dinner service, and why close the pool all day when the boat was in port at the extremely hot Cochin, also shutting off one set of stairs between 9th and 10th decks for painting for the best part of three days. The food was seriously not good, with most things very salty and the meats being bad cuts and tough. The excursions were a complete rip-off. I booked three for about £450....the first being in Vietnam....after three hours we were still waiting, whilst being told by Cunard staff to keep 'cool and BUY bottles of water @ $1 each. We gave up on this outing. The second one was Muscat, where and when we were dropped at three different locations from a coach to be on our own for about 45 minutes at each (£120 give or take)....and finally Wadi Rum, which was a bit of burnt chicken in a tourist trap, again over priced, and where the guide on the coach refused to drop us in Aqaba (where the boat had shuttle buses taking passengers to) and a Cunard employee on the coach refused to help or call the boat to seek permission. In Dubai, a woman in a position of authority with the boat entertainment was handing out transit cards, and we asked her details of the shuttle bus return times...and she told us she had no idea...'ask the driver'. She was also soon to do a 'live commentary' during the transit of the Dardanelles, none of which could be deciphered due to her mike. The entertainment...not good! The choice of films was odd...the best and most recent were shown on port days when no-one would attend. The screening of 'Suffragette' broke down three times, and one film never even began, but it took a member of the audience to find out that the film would not be shown. For the entire cruise, the left hand side of the screen was completely covered by a yellow and green blur. The captain of the boat kept telling us how honored we should feel to be on a boat bearing its name in the year of the Queen's 90th birthday. No mention of us having had to pay Cunard for 'the privilege'.....oh, well. I wish I felt differently because the awful thing is that I had already booked another Cunard cruise for later this year. Read Less

This was our 3rd time on QM2 as we enjoy the ship so much, we prefer the refined elegance and the ship itself more than the theme park gimmicks of other Lines, (I am a great fan of the tradition and romance of the great Lines of the past). Embarking was a breeze, had to walk a few steps from the temporary tent to the gangway, a nice touch was the white gloved bell-hops posing for a photo before walking up the gangway. I knew the ship inside out and obviously researched our stateroom location well in advance hence finding our way was no problem, I dont know why some people moan about not being shown to their room, I mean are you 5 years old? It was first time in a sheltered balcony (previous time was in a glass front, deck 11) and we were very happy with it, I was aware of the issue being the height of the opening and thus it was not a disappointment. It was great to have access to the wind and sun and for the price we paid, it was a steal. Overall the service was its usual high quality, food superb, possibly the standard was better in kings court for some dishes (lamb cutlets!) , we used to get pre-dinner snacks from KC and take back to our room to go with wine or two. Then to Commodore club for a martini and then the fabulous dinner in Britannia. The weather was a little up and down and one odd thing I have not experienced previously was the kitchen exhaust fumes swirling back onto the pool area out the back, lasted a few days and must have been a following wind. Luckily it was ok for the King Neptune crossing the equator ceremony which the wife and I took part in, a lot of fun! During the force 8/9 gale, QM2 was a stable as ever which is one strong reason we like travelling on her, plus it is about the ship and I like to try to appreciate what it was like back in the 1930's hey day of great Liners. While she is showing some signs of tiredness, this is to be expected just before a major refit. Loved everything about her (apart from the fumes a few days), and despite 16 days on board we still did not do everything we wanted, I was certainly keen to go back to the high tea, it was so cool, but alas other eating/drinking seemed to always take priority! We only did 1 organised excursion, that being Shanghai which was reasonably good, now having been there once I would do it myself next time. At Kota Kinabalu we took a local ferry to an island in the marine park, all very good except for the terrible garbage in the water, pretty disgusting. At Cairns it was torrential tropical rain so we didn't get past the yacht club where the tender dropped us (Yorkey's Knob), we had visited it before and was nice to have another few hours there drinking and catch up with the club's manager again. We did a tour of the galley and loads of seminars and shows, all fantastic. Getting off in Hong Kong was perfect, we were up at 4am to watch the amazing arrival and after breakfast, walked off at 7am with our bags and no queues, straight into a taxi and off on our sightseeing tour. Already looking to get back on board next year! Read Less

I had never travelled QM2 before and found a balcony cabin on a cruise travelling to Sydney at a reasonable price entry point. Found the ship to be tired with very uneven floor surfaces including holes that were a trip hazards, especially in the casino. . I was very surprised as I expected top quality. I have cruised approximately 18 times prior, and had upmost expectations for the QM2 I assume these will be attended to with the refurbish . I found the food excellent , staff great and the activities and entertainment to be of good quality. I did watercolour classes that ware excellent and I would recommend. I did find that the activities needed to be adjusted for a younger age bracket, I am in my early 50s and felt I was being sent to bed at 10.30 at night. I also would suggest that they had a dance venue for those of us that like to shuffle together and are not of the dance quality that the ballroom commands, yet too old to enjoy disco. Overall I enjoyed the cruise Read Less

The many hours travelled from Melbourne to Valparaiso to join the ship were rewarded with a relaxed,first few days on board.Our cabin 6092,hada sheltered balcony and was excellent.Cleaning staff were very thoroughand welcomed us by name throughout the voyage.We soon discovered that QM2 offered a quieter,more reserved style of cruising,which suited us fine.However,while we were firstly happy not to have the obligatory Calypso band on deck,after 16 days we kind of craved it! We found lots of nooks and crannies to sit and read inside,but were disappointed that the outside areas were limited to mainly just deck 7.Deck 6 had a small area with a pool and deck chairs.Upper deck had plenty of space,but no deck chairs,just a lunchtime cafe.The observation deck at the bow was excellent for viewing,but again,no seating . The theatre shows at night grew to be more interesting,with magicians,comedians,acrobatic shows and themed groups-Beatles and Jersey boys.Sadly to say ,much more enjoyable than the shows the ships singers and dancers put on.We dined in the dining room every night (except one when we were ashore.)Totally enjoyed the food,the service,excellent wine list and our waiters were delightful.The meal sizes were elegantly small,but a mention to our waiters and an extra serving was added with no fuss.The shine of formal nights lost its lustre after about the 6th one-total of 9!-but we still participated,as did our 4 table-mates.We usually ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet,but did venture to the dining room for lunch when the menu suited us. Trivia was a staple pass time at the English pub - it was on morning,noon and night-all good fun! Karaoke every 4th or so night as well and a guest talent show one night.Lecture subjects were diverse and frequent,we sat in on 3 or 4.Afternoon & night time movies were varied and enjoyable. We only did 2 shore excursions booked through Cunard and both were very good,with informative guides and ran on time. We enjoyed our 22 days aboard and if the itinery suits,would have no qualms about cruising on QM2 again. Read Less

This was the first half of the 2016 world cruise. The main problem was the entertainment staff. There was very little organised activities, and those that were were aimed at 6 year olds! These included a craft activity of making rubbings of a dollar to remember you had been to the USA. Initially there were in excess of 50 plus wanting to do a craft activity, at the end of the leg there were three - the same activity was repeated every leg of the cruise. There was so little to do that hundreds wanted to join the beginners Bridge class, but obviously they could not take that number. Likewise line dancing and ballroom dancing classes. There was ONE film in the afternoon of the first leg - Crocodile Dundee, 30 Years old!!! In the evenings the Dance Troupe were not considered up to standard to do a public performance. In the theatre at night ships officers, entertainment staff, ON CALL medical staff were all taking seats while passengers stood.The publicised details of lecturers, etc, bore little resemblance to who turned up. The biggest disappointment was the failure to honour the time spent in the ports of call. Booked ships tours were given preference, resulting in one case with us only being allowed off for 2 hours. We queued for an hour at San Francisco to get off and then were told the mooring was insecure and we could not get off. A day of cruising through the New Zealand Sounds was completely missed out, and the other was done in the dark. We could list a problem at most of the supposed ports of call. At Port Canaveral we had to go through immigration off the ship, and then wait in a freezing cold room with nothing to drink or eat, for five plus hours. On complaining we were told it had taken over six hours on other occasions. Staff were repeatedly rude to passengers. However the Indian and Philippine staff were brilliant. We paid £14,000 for this cruise and have been promised £700 of a future cruise! DO NOT go on Cunard. We have, over the last fifteen years, been on most cruise lines - we have NEVER experienced anything like this before. Beware of financially supporting Maitre'd whose wife supposedly has cancer. You will find it is part of a scam with Carnival/Cunard/P&O staff. Read Less

Having cruised 34 times before Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, I can offer a perspective on how QE compares to other lines. Our embarkation at Southampton was smooth. No issues with luggage or transport to pier. The layout of the ship is great. Seating in the dining room for the evening is by table assignment at an assigned time. Cunard requires a dark suit or tux for formal nights for the men or a sports jacket for the casual nights. As we had about 17 formal nights, this was far too many nights to dress up on vacation. Menu is lacking in the dining room. Each night the menu has four entrees to choose from and small in size with hardly any vegetables. For a 42 night cruise, the menu repeats itself and with only four items to select again, it didn't meet our expectations for white star service. QE had many activities going on everyday and their evening entertainment was superb. In fact, it was the best entertainment we have had in all our cruising. Our Cabin was adequate for a veranda stateroom, but our cabin steward was the worst we have ever had. For the first three days of our cruise our room was never ready until 1:30 pm and we would leave our stateroom in the morning at 830am. We have never experienced such poor service. We were told that the stewards have 18 rooms to clean every day seems like too many rooms. Our steward kept forgetting to change the used glasses in our room, providing fresh face cloths, laundry slips, no ice in the ice bucket. Charging $20 to our dining companions to unscrew a wine bottle that had been given to them. I understand previously ships charge for corkage fees, but really to unscrew the bottle...quite insane in today's environment. Also charging for bottled water is another grievance I have. If you don't buy the bottled water, then you have to drink desalinated water from the tap??? Is this any way to treat your passengers with white star service? This particular cruise catered to English guests...many of the guest lecturers were about events in England along with the entertainment. Shore excursions are rated like many other cruise lines, some are good and some are very bad. Disembarkation was great! Very smooth. Fitness and spa were adequate. Excessive costs for pedicure and manicures without the newest equipment? Had a treatment from the doctor on board and they charged me a gratuity fee?? Since when do you pay a doctor a gratuity fee...another way for Cunard to make more money off their passengers. We had the neurovirus on our ship. I believe Cunard could have avoided this issue if they instituted a better sanitation process with their oncoming guests at Cape Town. While traveling with Azamara when we board the ship the first 24 hours, they serve the guests in the buffet restaurant to avoid any virus issues and we never incurred a problem. Not sure we would travel on Cunard again given the disappointments that we incurred. Read Less

The ship was cold 18-19 degrees - staff didn't respond until the last few days of cruise and then temperature rose to other extreme 28 degrees. Passengers all developed illness whilst on board. Some staff were very good but generally staff needed customer service training. The ship ran out of basic supplies like cough medicine, hot chocolate, berries etc which meant passengers had to buy their own at various ports. Some of the fruit on display was rotten and they commented " it just discolouration". Not enough spoons to stir drinks - had to use forks instead, Queues to get off the ship at ports poorly organised (2.5 hour wait at one port). T shirts got burnt through soot coming out of chimneys on two occasions. To cap it all I tried to call Cunard to provide comments and they weren't interested - they asked me to hold the line while transferring me to someone more senior and following a 15 minute wait I was cut off. Worse cruise I've ever been on. Only thing I enjoyed was the Bridge classes Read Less

1. I was let down by the booking agent, but accept that was not Cunard's fault. 2. My cabin should have had a Queen bed......it had 2 single beds. When I pointed out the booking the beds were just pushed together leaving a very uncomfortable ridge in the middle. 3. Advice was to stow bags under the bed....on doing so I found socks from a previous passenger! And realised the carpet was none too clean either. I reported this to the purser's office, returning the socks of course (the officer's face was a picture!). I was told the deck supervisor would contact me. This never happened. What did happen shocked me. The following evening on my return from the dining room the cabin steward saw me in the corridor and shouted at me in front of several other people. He told me I should have reported to him first, and now he was in trouble, etc, etc. I kept quiet and walked on to the cabin. 4. For the next 4 nights I had no turn-down service. Then just as I was about to go to bed on the 5th night following this the cabin phone rang and the steward demanded to know why I had changed my dinner time and not told him......I had been on first sitting from the day of boarding! 5. I did think of going back to the purser's office, but was afraid of repercussions from a man who had access to my cabin. 6. The shower area had cracks and grey discolouration. The shower curtain had pulls in the fabric. Sheets were changed once in the 22 days voyage, and the second set had some small holes in them. 7. In contrast the dining room was great and food was good apart from breakfast where service was slow and food often cold. 8. In all, I enjoyed the trip because I was determined to do so, but that was despite the poor service and accommodation. 9. I have tried to contact Cunard direct on many occasions with no success and therefore resorted to this report. Read Less