Booked cruise to come through the Suez which did not disappoint however on landing from flight from UK we were taken to a hotel for breakfast as we were told we cannot board ship til lunchtime. There were 1400 passengers boarding in Dubai!! Approaching the ship is a fabulous sight but when you get on board it is evident it needs a refurb.Our balcony stateroom was ok but rusting pipes on balcony did not look nice,Found all staff to be efficient, helpful and understanding but had initial issue with Brittannia dining room getting a decent table for 2 but eventually got one.Used dining room for breakfast also and the maitre d’ had the annoying habit of giving us a table for 2 where we had to squeeze past another table to get to it when there other more suitable tables free.Food in dining room was excellent and all waiting staff were very helpful.For dinner you are allotted your table for the whole of the cruise which was fine.If you don’t like to be served food you can use the Kings Court self service restaurant but can be a bit of a bun fight trying to find a table and only the brits queue. Prices on board for drinks and speciality coffees horrendous with 15% surcharge.Evening entertainment was very good and the guest on board speakers had good attendance - particularly John McCarthy and the group called The Rewind Project.On board daytime activities very varied and found on deck 2 where there are games and puzzles for those who like a quieter place.Golden Lion pub too small for quizzes. We treated ourselves to a dinner in the specialist Verandah Restaurant at a cost of $39 each but what a rip off.We were told all about the type of steak on offer and had a choice of steak knives presented to us in a box- well what ever next.Food was fine but served on huge plates which made the quantity of food seem small and as the place was very underused we were constantly being asked is there anything else we needed and are we enjoying the food . It felt as though they needed the table for the next sitting.Needless to say we only went there once. Overall cruise was good with stop off points of interest but the cost of tours was high and when on board using their credit card system you seem to forget everything comes with a 15% surcharge and then the suggested tips . Be warned keep an eye on your daily spend. Read Less

This was our first sailing on the Victoria and it really is a most impressive ship . We had booked Balcony Club as we prefer the availability of dining when we choose . Shortly before leaving we upgraded to Princess Grill and considered the larger suite and good sized balcony well worth the extra cost . We were not , however, impressed by the Princess Grill dining room . It is large and caters for well over 100 people and is thus not an intimate venue . It compares unfavourably with the Club Balcony on the Elizabeth which ( on our earlier cruise) only catered for about 50 people . The waiters ( dedicated to a group of tables ) were polite and charming and very willing to please but on occasion did not notice when the plate was not as ordered. I could not fault the menus – 5 courses for Dinner and Lunch . We don’t have hearty appetites and never ate lunch there preferring to use the casual Lido restaurant where there was always a large range of different types of food where we could “graze” from the self service buffet . Even though we had the onboard spending allowance ( much of which was taken up by the automatic daily charging of staff gratuity charges of $27 ) I found the wine pricing exorbitant. In the restaurant a bottle of Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc had a basic price of $40 which was not too bad seeing that , tax free , in the UK it would be about £20 (c $26 ) . However a corkage charge of $25 was then added and ,on top of that , there was a service charge of 15% bringing the total up to $ 74.75 . I refrained from any further purchases there . Quite a number of people to whom we spoke also complained about drink pricing policy on the ship . The air conditioning throughout the ship was set low This was affecting the ladies, especially as they had to dress accordingly . A number complained that they had been unable to wear dresses which had been brought especially for gala nights . Perhaps this was a factor in the ship seeming deserted after 10pm . People were more comfortable in their suites. As regards the excursions we found these to be very well organised by Cunard staff as far as getting us off the ship was concerned but they varied in quality from place to place just as was mentioned in Cunard’s publications . They are dependent on local companies whose employees seem often to be students doing casual work . For example , in Mauritius , we had an early start one day and visited a charming old French colonial villa where we were given a bottle of water and offered a couple of very small deep fried battered vegetables . We then drove a long distance to an old sugar plantation factory which had been converted into a museum dedicated to the local spice industry. Here we were led around every section which , because of the time involved in slowly following other groups of visitors, we found intensely boring . It was over by around 2pm and there had been no allowance for lunch and we still had another town to visit . What was annoying was to find that the factory had a very pleasant outdoor café facility of which we were totally unaware and unable to use as we were then driven off for another 2 hours unfed, and with no opportunity of buying a snack anywhere , until we returned to the ship. Our cruise was part of the Victoria’s World Cruise and covered Singapore to CapeTown . When we boarded it was clear from the amount of coughing noted that there was a “bug” in situ . This was clearly recognised by the Medical Centre which had a prominent notice saying that they did not prescribe antibiotics for this bug which they said was a Cold/Flu infection . They admitted it was virulent and could take up to a month to clear completely . My wife caught this after a week aboard and was prescribed only basic cough medication and paracetamol. She saw the doctors twice and , it not improving , was then told that that was the only medication that they could/would prescribe . Her condition worsened and , when we disembarked in CapeTown , she immediately saw a doctor who diagnosed acute bronchitis and prescribed strong antibiotics and steroids and certified her unfit to fly ( we were due to leave 3 days later and this had to be extended by a further 3 days ) . We thus incurred considerable extra cost and had no opportunity of making the most of our time there . Regarding the entertainment (in the magnificent theatre) there were very good lectures during the day e.g. antiques , topical history and politics and regional cuisine but we found the evening shows and performances mediocre . All in all this was a rather like the proverbial curate’s egg – good in parts . For us however it was a disappointing cruise . Read Less

We joined QM2 at Singapore on a section of her world voyage. Embarkcation was reasonable enough and were soon at the Kings Court for a light lunch. Our cabin was an obstructed balcony on deck 7 - a spacious cabin well turned out although we did have a problem with a leaking toilet for 2 days at the start of the cruise. Our cabin stewardess from South Africa was excellent - nothing was too much trouble. Food in the Britannia Restaurant was very good ( much better than our Celebrity Cruise last year ) the waiters were attentive and catered for our likes. However, the price of drinks/wine on board was eyewateringly expensive so only glasses of wine were sometimes consumed at dinner. The food at the Kings Court self-service restaurant was very good but finding a table was like being in a motorway service café! The entertainment onboard was mixed but special mention of a guest speaker - Malcolm Nelson, a retired Senior Customs Officers at London Heathrow Airport. His seven talks were unmissable and this was evident by the number of people attending in the Royal Court Theatre. We booked five Cunard excursions pre cruise - generally good but some days tiring! Dress code was mostly adhered to but come on Cunard - surely a jacket every evening for dinner is a little outdated! compared to P & O, Princess & Celebrity. Read Less

We chose this cruise to visit Vietnam and Hong Kong and finish with a stint in Singapore. this segment was 22 days. - we were medically disembarked on day 18. Please read on to the Cunard Cough Embarkation was so smooth and took just minutes. The Cabin 8114 was clean, comfortable and the steward wonderful. Dining in the Lido Buffet offered a wide variety of choices of excellent food. Unfortunately the furniture in the Lido needs a very good clean and the chairs were very grubby and the salt and pepper shakers were the main source of germs. The main restaurant was very disappointing. The offerings were average at best and the service was not up to the food and service standard that we experienced on the Queen Elizabeth a few years ago. Mock cream was offered with desserts. MOCK Cream!!!!! when you can get fresh whipped in the Lido buffet - that was not logical, fine dining Vs buffet and we got mock cream. Might sound picky, but the rest of the food followed suit. The entertainment nightly and offerings during the day were very good. Excursions were well managed, Tender ports took forever to get off, so get down early if you are doing a self-tour as these leave after the excursions. MEDICAL CENTRE - excellent service for all those who became sick, and those with the dreaded CUNARD COUGH. Yes, it has a name, This cough is a virus and was rampant on our cruise. It put too many passengers in sick bay and resulted with us getting pneumonia and having to leave the cruise early to get specialised hospitalisation and treatment. Many passengers didn't like getting treatment on the ship as their travel insurance was not top notch and they didn't want to pay, therefore they coughed and coughed and gave it to many others. The doctors and medical staff we give 1000%, we would not be here writing this without them. Yes our travel insurance paid up but we were very honest with them and took out extra and got their approval to cover pre-existing conditions. Would we go again - no, we felt the overall standard on this cruise was not what we enjoyed a few years ago, and on review we will not take the health risks. Read Less

We are in our early 60's and fit and healthy. The Cunard line represented to us elegance, fine dining and an association with the Grand Queens of the Sea. Though there were some good points to the ship including the Common Areas, the Afternoon Tea, Library and some entertainment, the rest of the experience left a lot to be desired. We were in Cabin 6123 Starboard with balcony. We were assigned Britannia early seating. The main food options available are the Britannia Restaurant on Decks 2 and 3 and the Lido Restaurant on Deck 9 which is the main outdoor activity Deck on the ship. The Lido has very poor quality food - think Cafeteria style - with little flavour and no fresh produce, only cold storage items. The Lido restaurant itself looks like an Aged Care Facility with boring pastel shades and Ikea style furniture. The Grill bar out near the pool area again has no decor - just a plain service counter with precooked burgers and battered fish, but mainly batter, available in hamburger buns - just awful. The Britannia Restaurant is the formal dining offering where jackets for men at Dinner are mandatory and where waiters and a Sommelier in attendance. The menu changes daily but hardly any of the dishes were recognisable as chef quality. Some of the dishes were a mystery with the most ridiculous additions that did nothing for the hero of the plate - either fish, lamb or beef. What is the Head Chef thinking? We brought on board our own wine from Australia as we had the foresight to check out the wine prior to boarding. This was a good move, and though we paid $20 US for every bottle opened, at least we got to drink good wine at a reasonable cost. Our sommelier, Roberto was excellent and had a thorough knowledge of wine and his service was impeccable - thank you Roberto. All drinks are expensive on board the ship and you pay in US dollars - add to that a 15% surcharge plus gratuities every day. We did eat at The Golden Lion a few times, and the pub meals were good and at a standard of most pubs in England. The Daily Programme was nothing short of tedious and repeats of the same thing every two or three days. Think trivia challenges. The Gala Evenings (7 in 24 days) were of no consequence. We all put on our finery, went to dinner, went to the show, then came back to the Queen's room and watched a dozen or so of people on the ship who could ball room dance - there was no allowance for any type of other dancing as the floor was taken with Fox Trot, Samba etc. with couples swirling around the whole dance floor. Why have a Ball? Nothing was done to include the 90% of guests in more modern dancing or being part of a 'ball atmosphere". There was dancing in the Yacht club. However, this venue was as dead as a door on the few occasions we visited. 'Under 30's' are scheduled for 10.30 pm (the only under 30's on board are crew) and there's a disco on from mid-night. A 'Beatles' band joined the ship for the remaining 4 nights with the band playing in the Queens Room on the last night and everyone got up and danced and had a great time - the only one night throughout the duration of the 24 days. The lectures - some were interesting and others were terrible - a right royal buffeting of Princess Anne, and World War II British lectures on how the war was won (don't mention the war!) with over 350 Germans on board - goodness know how well that went down with the Germans.... The ship has apparently had an upgrade, but you were hard pressed to tell. We spent a large amount of time on the back verandah near the swimming pool and the condition of the decks, pool surrounds, and rusty areas needs to be attended to immediately. At times, the belching of the smoke from the funnels created great piles of soot deposits which spoilt our clothes and left us covered in black spots - unhealthy to be inhaling too... The windows on the ship always seemed to be dirty so if you were sitting in the Britannia looking out to sea, there were rust and salt encrusted streaks in your vision. The Tender service process was terrible. We managed to finally get ashore at the Whitsundays at quarter to twelve after having milled about in the Queens room with hundreds of people waiting to be called for the Tender. People who had booked tours that day, ended up not doing a different tour because of time constraints. The same process for every Tender port ensued and although there was some improvement in the process, the queues and delays were very frustrating. Oh, and to top it off, and notwithstanding the crew's best efforts with hand sanitisers, a flu like bug went through the ship which had people coughing incessantly. Difficult to stop once it starts. Perhaps food handling in the kitchens needs tighter control given we observed on one occasion when the kitchen doors were open one of the 'chefs' coughing into his hands then handling food without washing and sanitising his hands. Read Less

× I awarded my cruise of 2017 5 stars no problem × I struggled to award 3 stars on this cruise, just 2 years later. WHY Pre embarkation × met at Brisbane airport by a Princess Cruises representative! × taken, without P C rep, to a local hotel who had no knowledge of us and were not expecting us × later driven to Cruise Terminal by an aggressive, unhelpful taxi driver. He even refused to lift our luggage into the boot Post embarkation and cabin × cabin as expected with helpful staff Dining x poor. Food never hot enough. Vegetables undercooked. Fancy menu not relecting what arrived on my plate x Lidl...sorry Lido, an horrendous dining experience. Gueste seen eating food from their plates on the way to their tables. Decor, plastic, pastel, ( un ) pleasant Entertainment etc x poor, particularly the ballroom catering for the minority not the majority x Service...excellent from x purser's desk x housekeeping x all maintenance crew Ports and Shore excursions x never leave anything to chance...book a private tour or research own Read Less

We booked a 50 day cruise with Cunard Queen Mary 2 primarily to visit Petra, Rome plus about 20 other countries. The cruise departed Feb 23 from Shanghai to April 14 in South Hampton. While boarding in Shanghai, I was bumped by a luggage handler and my knee was scratched. The scratch became infected by Feb 27 and I had to take antibiotics for the whole cruise, so we never saw any of the sights we intended. After the cruise, we submitted our claim to a Cunard cruise claims adjuster because I needed to continue antibiotics April 15 to June 12. The Cunard claim adjuster gave us a runaround and distorted facts to avoid paying any fair compensation. I wrote the President of Cunard asking to be treated fairly in compensation, and were emailed in return indicating since we purchased our cruise in the USA he could do nothing! I wondered why they are marketing in the USA if they cannot treat folks that book in the USA fairly in compensation. I must say the Cunard medical staff is excellent, but their onboard antibiotic selection is limited. The exercise facilities are limited for a person with a knee infection caused by Cunard. The pools are beautiful and clean, but someone with a leg infection can not use the pools or hot tubs. From the stern from the 11th floor or above, one can see 3 pools on 3 different levels. Dining room food is limited quality but good variety; and deserts are for a European palate. With my leg infection we were forced to do things we normally would not do, viz. painting, read and gamble. The casino has really nice folks working there and the odds aren't bad as my wife and I bot one several times. The art classes or lessons was a fantastic experience. On level 2 at the pursers desk or level 3 at the shops the central foyer is a classic 0 the flowers display is the nicest we have ever seen on any ship. Read Less

We were on the 21-day crossing of the Pacific from San Francisco to Sydney. We have been on 32 cruises on various lines and have sailed with Cunard many times before. We chose this crossing as a way to get us to our 2-month adventure in Australia. We were very happy with the transportation, but not too thrilled with the Queen Victoria nor the cruise ship features of this crossing. While we found the Victoria to have a lovely interior design, we couldn't help but compare her to the Queen Mary 2, which we prefer for her spaciousness and a couple of grand public rooms, like the Chart Room. The Victoria was very crowded with long waits for elevators and to disembark at ports. The activities and entertainment were aimed directly at most of the passengers who were very old retirees. There were almost no young people on board which is probably a good thing since they might have been quite bored. The most popular activities were ballroom dancing, dance lessons, and chair aerobics. Everyone was in bed by 11:00. Cunard, and especially the Queen Victoria, have defined their niche as nostalgia for the features of ocean-liner travel from decades ago. Thus lots of formal nights with a dress code strictly enforced, and very subdued entertainment. The food? Well it was cruise ship food with lots of dishes, like steak Diane, which pretty much don't exist on land anymore. We dined in the Princess Grill, which was OK, but I have a very hard time remembering any dinners in particular. Just dull. We tried the Lido buffet a few times but found the food like a school cafeteria. No complaints about the service. We were happy to reach Australia safely and without jet lag. But we were also happy to leave the ship and move on to our next adventure. We will return to Cunard and the Queen Mary in September for an Atlantic crossing, which will be fine since it's not a cruise, but I doubt if we will return to the Queen Victoria and the cruise ship style of Cunard. Finally I want to state that we did not get value for money. This cruise was very expensive, maybe because it was a segment of the popular World Cruise. We have traveled on a couple of luxury lines at much lower per person per day rates and received much more in various features. Still it was probably cheaper than flying first class to Australia. Read Less

The cabin D7017 is small and poorly appointed with a small dressing table, minimum storage facilities, particularly if a long voyage. The bathroom small but manageable however the shower cubicle is pokey! Television channels are extremely limited and there is no interactive channel. Frankly it looked rather 'tired'. Room service is available but our experience has been that nothing arrived 'hot'. Lukewarm seems to have been the best that could be managed. Public areas of Queen Victoria are comfortable and the waiter service excellent. Dining is tedious with a two seating arrangement at 18.00hrs and 20.00hrs. 18.00 rather too early especially if returning from shore excursions. The shopping on board was as appears to be the case with most cruise ships directed toward high end buying with selections of 'watches and jewellery' endlessly tedious. Bar prices are definitely high. Personally I wouldn't choose a Cunard ship again...there's far better value for my hard earned cash out there. Read Less

Boarded for the first leg of the World cruise, Southampton to Dubai. Embarkation was 2 1/2 hours; very poor. Ship was tired and dirty. Carpets were threadbare and stained. Entertainment was generally poor. Drummer was brilliant as was the trumpeter soloist and the juggler. Opera Boys did too much silly talking and not enough singing. Singers and dancers were far too loud; many left the theatre Food was very disappointing especially evening meal in Brittania. Tiny portions of tough meat and virtually no vegetables. Overall, food was monotonous and tasteless. Managing the guests for excursions was shambolic. The Entertainment Manager did not keep guests informed. I complained to the Hotel Manager who agreed with most of what I said and gave me a $150 credit. On return home I emailed Mr Palethorpe, Cunard Vice president, who did not reply. So I emailed Customer Services who also failed to reply. Cunard are trading on the past and have lost the plot. Read Less

The boarding experience was delayed as the ship was not berthed at its regular dock as it was undergoing maintenance. We arrived 2 hours earlier than requested on the ticket so weren’t surprised about inevitable delays. We were on board by 1pm after arriving at 11am but were asked not to arrive until 2pm so all in all very successful. Every cruise I have been on since 1992 I have encountered moaning whingers generally in the older age category. Sadly this cruise was no exception. Some passengers complained the portion sizes were too small, some passengers complained the ship was too big (I completely failed to sympathise with that one). How can you complain about an itenery which is printed in the brochure? Yes if to set out to look for things to complain about then you will find them. For me this trip was one of the most amazing in my life, highlights were visits to Corinth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Phuket, Colombo, Penang and most amazing of all Singapore. Lowlights were Goa which wins my prize for being the filthiest place on the planet and the Indian government force you to buy an Indian visa at great expense even if you choose to stay on the ship. The ship is now 15 years old and there have been some changes since the maiden voyage which I was lucky enough to be on. The palm court (possibly the least successful room on the ship) has been transformed into the Carinthia Lounge which now feels like a proper space befitting a 5 star hotel. It’s previous incarnation was a rather tacky Las Vegas styled theme of a palm court which failed to convince me. The kings Court buffet area has been redesigned although personally I preferred the original arrangement of 4 separate themed dining zones offering different cuisines. Also the 2 glass lifts that used to arrive here from the grand lounge have been completely removed which is a real shame. I suppose the intention was to increase seating capacity but to my mind it wasn’t worth all the expense to gain a few extra tables. The insights lectures were absolutely fantastic celebrity guest speakers included Michael Parkinson, Peter Snow and Reza Muhhamed alongside about 8 other guest speakers and port lectures. Subjects were wide and varied. Entertainment was excellent with the usual singers, dancers, musicians, cabarets, comedians and a group on board developing a musical called AmDram for production in London. With so many sea days I was concerned about having enough to do but the real challenge was prioritizing what’s I wanted to do as often I wanted to go to several events at the same time. Dining room service was excellent and food good, our waiter Caesar quickly learned our preferences and used to bring me 2 steaks every time I ordered after I asked once if I could have a large one (I think they now employ accountants in the kitchen to slice up the meat). The portion sizes are carefully controlled to minimize wastage which I don’t object to. If you are particularly hungry the top tip is to order a main course in lieu of a starter. The carpets in many areas have been changed. Foolishly a pale cream carpet has been fitted to many passenger cabins. Not surprisingly these show every spot of coffeee, tea or bodily fluids which inevitably end up getting spilled on them. I asked to have my carpet shampooed after arrival which helped although in reality it’s time to replace these carpets again and sack whoever authorized their installation in the first place. The main cabin corridor carpets used to be a deep beautiful swirling design of red, black and cream. Sadly these have all been replaced with something much inferior which reminds me of a printer that has run out of ink halfway through printing a page. Much more suited to a cross channel ferry than a luxury liner. I wonder if this is P&O management interference. It would be so much better to have the original carpet designs and quality reinstated everywhere (the accountant has been at work here too penny pinching I fear) The Queens Room remains beautiful and I opted to attempt to learn ballroom dancing in here (1215 on every sea day) These were very popular and I grasped the cha cha but failed at the quick step ! Outside deck areas are extremely generous and you NEVER fail to find a deck chair or sun bed in a quiet spot (deck 12 or 13 good for this) all decks are covered in teak and immaculately maintained. The deck chairs themselves would benefit from overhauling. Another stupid decision what to varnish these rather than to oil them. The cabins are a good size, ours 11137 had a glass balcony screen. Cabins on deck 4,5 and 6 are “sheltered” which in essence means solid steel below the handrail. I would have preferred a made to order facility in the buffet, this could easily be accomplished in the chefs galley perhaps noodles or Indian dishes prepared. At the end or our cruise in Singapore we very much wanted to stay on for longer. We had a great table of 10 in the dining room and it was sad to say goodbye. Read Less

We chose this cruise for three reasons: 1. it stopped at many ports/countries we had never visited, 2. we wanted to be away for much of the Canadian winter. 3. we've travelled on Cunard, QM2 in the past and enjoyed the luxury and amenities it has to offer. It's been 4 years since the shipped was refurbished, and while still beautiful, she'showing the wear & tear in some areas (carpet in the Grand Lobby Hall had pulled away and created a walking hazard, especially for guests who had mobility issues. The only port that was not satisfactory was Goa, India. It is a commercial/industrial port, not set up to receive the travelling public. The whole process for getting the VISA was troublesome, and the process to clear immigration was disgustingly long and poorly organized. You can't expect seniors to have to stand in line, some up to 2 hours, for Immigration Inspection. On-boarding 4 Officers to clear 2700 passengers was ridiculous! Suggest Cunard take this port off their itinerary, unless the India Officials are prepared to make better accommodations and arrangements. Also, the calibre of the lecturers was fantastic, especially Judith Hinchcliffe, the Forensic Odontologist. Her presentations were AMAZING. Also, Roy Hunt, who presented on the lives of legendary musicians, Berlin, Gershwins, Hammerstein & Sinatra was wonderful, taking us down memory lane Read Less

We selected this cruise specifically for the stability of the QM2 and Cunard's reported quality. We had never been on a long cruise previously and didn't know if we would even like the experience. In the event, we loved it and have indeed book further world cruises with Cunard for 2020 and 2021. You need to book much earlier than we expected to even get on one of their ships! All Grill Suites for both were sold out while we were still on the ship in April. We appreciated most of the shows, not all to our taste or to the same quality, but there was something for everyone and we certainly enjoyed over 80% of the performances. The Guest Speakers were a real highlight and most were exceptional. Although the tours were expensive, they were well organised and Graham the tour Manager did an exceptional job presenting and "selling" the various tours. Again, another asset to the business as he has a real wealth of experience. On the down side, there were rather more medical emergencies among the ageing guests on board than we had expected and we had to make a few non schedule stops to facility these. Cunard however handled these really well and we never missed a planned port of call or were late arriving. We also though a good number of people complained and moaned a LOT more than we would have expected. There appeared to be a sizeable cohort of "professional moaners" on board, which we found hard to understand given the luxurious surrounding, excellent food and simply magnificent service. I wouldn't care but it always appeared to be people less use to these things who complained the most. In short, we loved the experience, which certainly exceeded our expectations. Expensive? Yes, very. BUT who goes on a world cruise at this level and expects it to be cheap? Well done to all the staff on QM2. Read Less

We went on the worldwide cruise with Cunard in Jan 2019 and have vowed never to cruise with this company again. The ship was tatty and the furnishing were mediocre. Air con was cold throughout the ship and you could not turn this off in your stateroom. It would have been nice to have been able to open our balcony door but if we did this the air con went into ‘overdrive’ and dripped. I am sure that the air con throughout the ship did not help with the problem of the prevalent cough/cold that circulated - everyone we met had this and we also fell victim, myself twice with one occasion necessitating me having to stay in our cabin for 6 days to recover! Internet availability/connection was poor and expensive if you did not qualify for free wi fi (this was dependant upon your length of trip/previous cruiser as to whether you got some ‘free minutes’). Cunard organised trips were poorly thought out bearing in mind that the average age of the passengers was 65+. Some of the destinations offered coaches that were suited to the local ‘slight’ population and not to northern hemisphere population with no air con or PA system. Next time we will book with an independent luxury cruise ship which offers better quality and value Read Less

Part of a holiday which visited Golden Triangle in India before joining QM2 back to Southampton. First time on this ship. Last Cunard cruise was QE2 just before it went out of service. The cabin was well laid out but I did not want a sheltered balcony which is like a metal box cut in the hull with no view if you are sitting down. I was disappointed in the food in the restaurant but found the buffet good for breakfast and lunch. Drinks were very expensive. I always ate dinner in the restaurant and had good waiters and a very helpful Maitr d’. Some of the speakers had very interesting topics but I felt the presentation standard was poor when they read directly from a script or the screen in often a less than enthusistic manner and they made no attempt to engage with the audience. Exceptions were Anthony Horowich and Sally Gunnell both of whom gave excellent presentations. That was the standard I had expected. Entertainment was variable and not as good as other cruise lines. The professional dance couple and their dance classes were excellent and there was a good hardworking team of dance hosts. That certainly was a very high standard. Overall however I felt the ship was living on a reputation of a high standard which is no longer being attained. The ports and Suez Canal were interesting and the problem of not being able to dock at Naples was quickly overcome by tendering (very proficiently carried out) into Sorrento was definitely an added bonus. Shore excursions were well organised but rather expensive compared to other cruise lines. Overall I enjoyed my cruise but would hesitate to go on QM2 again. Even ‘Cunarders’ were saying the other two Cunard ships are better than their ‘flagship’. Read Less

Booked this cruise for two reasons, the itinerary and to see for ourselves if Cunard is what they say they are. The itinerary was great, Cochin excepted but we expected that. We had three complaints about this cruise, first of which was the visas for India. We had no plans to go ashore in Cochin but was told that we must have full tourist visas otherwise we would not be able to embark the ship in Singapore. Due to a lack of time we had no choice other than to use Cunards intermediary CIBT visas, at a significant cost to us. Due to a lack of communication it turned out the visas were not required pre cruise. We watched people board the ship who had no visas. Cunard have since agreed to reimburse us, but only because we complained. If you were on this ship and had a similar experience then complain, they won't contact you! Secondly the stateroom------ We were in 13024 which is a club balcony cabin. The room itself was very nice with a roomy balcony and was well maintained by the steward, thanks Salvi.There is tea making facilities in the room which is always a bonus. Further to the stateroom there is significant vibration most of the time which is apparent to both port and starboard. Theses staterooms were a recent addition made during the last refurbishment. Cunard of course are aware of this and I'm told by a guest services executive that they are looking at ways of factoring it into the brochure stateroom descriptions. Too little to late for us, Cunard got our money, my wife got no decent sleep. As a matter of interest the vibration has nothing to do with sea conditions as it was present when the ship was on its mooring lines. Finally, the food--------I was served raw ( yes you read it right, raw) chicken with bloody juices running from it! As you can imagine there was mayhem, the servers, maitre d, chef and executive chef all arguing amongst themselves as to who was at fault, with fellow diners looking on in disbelief. I left the dining room and went for a meal. The outcome of this was that I was not allowed to make a formal complaint at the pursers desk,I wanted a case number so that I could take the matter up when I got home but was refused and told to drop the matter.I was given a complimentary meal in the Italian specialty restaurant, special it wasn't. Since being home Cunard agree that we have had a shocking experience with the three complaints and have offered us 20% of the cost of the cruise plus reimbursement of the cost of the visas. Is this commensurate with the cruise experience ? The service in the dining room was, we found, fine. The food in general in the dining room was adequate, but no more. A bit hit and miss. The service in the bars was, at times dreadful. Gone are the days of being escorted to seat and waited on for a drink, like it used to be. More often than not I got my own drinks at the bar and carried them back to where we were sitting. Staff work hard enough but there just isn't enough of them. The experience made me that I was at home in my local Wetherspoons. The entertainment for us was a mixed bag with no hint of a wow factor. The two productions shows were very poor and most certainly the entertainment was geared toward classical recitals and ballroom dancers with some jazz thrown in. The resident orchestra was very good as was the dance band. All in all we found the entertainment to be low key and not to our taste. Some of the sea day lectures were good though, as was the planetarium. Shore excursions were robbery but they are everywhere. The price of drinks was also robbery but we have seen worse, can't remember where. In the end we were glad to get home. Would we cruise Cunard again? Highly unlikely. For the life of me I can't see any evidence of a White Star experience, perhaps it's reserved for the grills? As for us we will continue cruising but methinks we will body swerve Cunard in the future. Read Less

Itinery was part of a bucket list tour and expectations were set high to travel Cunard for the first time. We are platinum NCL travellers (smaller ships) plus experienced P & O and Royal Caribbean passengers having competed over 40 cruises.. We have never experienced such poor standard as our 36 days fromSingaporeto Southampton onQM2 . No management could spare the time to even acknowledge us. Only saw the Captain once at the welcome meeting where he simply smiled for a picture. Understand the not shaking hands but he could have use words to make us feel welcome. We have never been so long on a ship and not had any interaction with Officers. On the few occasions we encountered any officers they failed to even acknowledge our presence. Cunard well published dress code was blatantly ignored and staff failed to do anything about to. One evening I was came face to face with a passenger in hi pyjamas eating a plate of chips entering the theatre. Standard of dress is better maintained on a more casual ship. complaints about failure to maintain standard was not responded to by staff. Why did we bother to bring smart clothes for every evening ? 50% of the men is the theatre didn’t wear a jacket. In all our years cruising we have nevr seen fights over sunbeds until this trip. Policies were not enforced so people were frustrated. Everyone I spoke to was disappointed with the Cunard offer. Never again... any line but Cunard after this over priced cruise where we made the effort but others didn’t bother . The line just wanted to take our money . Read Less

We have sailed many lines and Cunard definately has a different feel to the American lines despite US$s used onboard and US owned. There was not the constanr push to buy packages and alcohol was even allowed to be brought onboard but only for cabin use. The so called formal nights started at 10pm. We had a 6pm dinner so a long wait for the formal. We didn't bother with them. The formal dining room food was very disapppinting but the buffet was the best we have had at sea. Gym area was not supervised and many people were using equipment incorrectly even when pt walked passed they showed no interest even if asked. To Cunards credit many shore excursione were competive with private ones, however if a tour was cancelled a 10% penalty was added to your onboard account. Book shore excursions early as prices increase closet to departure.Shore excursions were advertised for Cairo but never eventuated. Bed linen was superior quality but pillows were awful. We had to purchase our own. Not sure I will do such a long cruise again with many sea nights. Read Less

We recently returned from half world QM2 cruise Singapore to Southampton. Many good things about this 35 day cruise which, overall, we greatly enjoyed and for which the basic price (excluding on-board extras) was excellent value . Unlike some recent reviewers, we were very impressed with quality of food and staff attitudes in Kings Court buffet, which generally also catered well for vegetarians like me – better than the Britannia formal restaurant though food and service there were good too. We didn’t see any need to use the over-expensive specialist restaurants. Staff service and attitude very good apart from the odd misery-guts in the bars, the coffee bar and the tours office – interesting to note that these are particular venues for the perhaps excessively high prices that we found charged for on-board extras (our main moan on this cruise), so maybe they’re fed up with complaints! That didn’t seem to embitter the equally expensive but reliably cheerful photography staff though... Pool and games facilities are very good – though of course there’s always the danger that some selfish people will dominate them, as happened on this trip with the table tennis. As for venues, Kochi was a wash-out, due partly, apparently, to the Indian authorities’ cussedness regarding visas, but many of the others were brilliant – especially Langkawi island, Aqaba (where the Jordanian air force display team did a brilliant and moving display and fly-past) Sorrento (a late substitute for Naples) and Cadiz. We’d rather have had an overnight stay at any of these harbours rather than at flashy less impressive and very, very busy Dubai ( a series of traffic jams linking building sites and designer shopping malls...) Evening shows too dependent on musicals but some of the acts – Kev Orkian, the Barricade Boys, David Copperfield, the acrobats - were outstanding. House band too loud, though! The celebrity speakers were alright (despite a tendency to not show too much of the human being behind the celebrity), but the enrichment speakers – especially history and astronomy - were very good and, at times, quite stretching! Disappointed no drama workshops as on a previous QM2 trip, but very impressed that two of the Ents staff put on an enjoyable poetry show. Other extras – the ship choir, the summer fayre – were enjoyable and imaginative. Selection of movies patchy but again some were very good, even if the daily programme provided details for the wrong movie on a couple of nights! Nightclub facility and house band (Purple Haze) very good indeed, though see entry below re cabin. Afternoon Classical music concerts absolutely fantastic with a brilliant selection of artistes. The house string quartet also very good and fully deserved their award of an evening show in the main theatre. The library on QM2 remains a wonderful facility – excellent choice of reading matter and a lovely and restful place to sit and read or work even when not open on evenings and early mornings. We had occasion to use the medical service and were very impressed by its professionalism and efficiency. There seemed to be a lot of tension and conflict on board regarding use of the limited self-service laundry facilities on certain decks. Is this always the case on cruises, we wondered, or is it something about Cunard customers?! Read Less

It was a short 4-sea day transit from Hong Kong to Singapore rather than a proper cruise, a short segment of the World Cruise. It falls on the Easter long weekend, and several hundred people embark from Hong Kong for the short ride without a shore day. Cunard operates the most formal type of cruise, of all cruise lines. Every dinner is dressy, one night formal and three nights informal (jacket required) without a casual night. This appeals to some cruisers, as the experience is akin to Titanic days. Cunard aims to provide the old 'white star' service and on Cunard if this is not perfectly achieved it does convey the good old time atmosphere. This is the first time I cruised on Queen Elizabeth (having cruise twice and 33 days on QM2 the last two years) and I like the ship almost as much. It is a beautiful ship in Art Deco style. The simple Britannia cabin was not bad, having tea making facility not found on most ships. The dinner service is formal and the food is good for a big ship (though Cunard price is higher than other big ships). Restaurant service is professional. The buffet is very good and there was a great display of Easter eggs on the Sunday night. The buffet lasts until 2am. If not luxury (if not on Grill) it is premium. Activities include the acclaimed Queens Room high tea in the traditional manner, and its ballroom dances...all these you do not find in other ships. It is a very civilized ship that even has a book shop on it. It was a good short transit, and while I took only a small segment, it gives me the impression that if I were to take a full world cruise Cunard would be my choice. The ship somewhat achieve a combination of big ship facility with an air of intimacy. Staff courtesy was good except my chamber maid evicted me from my cabin at exactly 8:30, and I note that she evicted everyone in my row of cabins while not working on the rooms...the next embarkation is the next day. Another hiccup was that it took 2 hours to embark a mere few hundred from Hong Kong, probably due to the land agent. Overall I was happy on this shortest cruise I have ever taken. Read Less

Absolute thrill to spend 3 days on-bard the Queen Elizabeth from Sydney - Brisbane. Fabulous food, beautiful state-room. Stunning, commisioned works of art. Incredible/wonderful décor and design. Loved the Art deco style evidenced throughout the ship. A truly unforgettable experience. I walked the passageways for the three days transfixed by the surroundings. Every turn produced something extraordinary. A wonderful painting or sculpture, a beautiful dining experience, incredible inlaid timber, beautiful furnishing/furniture/etched glass alcoves. The ship was remarkably stable. Leaving Sydney Harbour on the night of our departure was unforgettable. With A Caribbean-style band playing and the Bridge and Opera House as a backdrop the experience was excitement plus. The only gripe I have is the waiting time to book for future cruises. We were on board for just three days and would have loved to have had the time to sit and plan another cruise before we dis-embarked. The Cruise section was open for a limited time each day with lengthy delays and long queues of passengers enquiring about further cruises. I had three visits before I was able to speak to a Booking agent. She gave us a fabulous deal on a 2019 cruise but the route/ports of call didn’t suit us. The Cruise Office on board the Q.E. had two only Reps. and with a short duration cruise we didn't have the chance to sit thoroughly explore further options. The Dining experience was outstanding. The stewards in both the Lido Buffet Restaurant and the Brittania restaurants were exceptional. The choice of food/quality/the diversity of meals/the freshness and range were superb. Sharona from Queensland Read Less

We also left San Francisco 2/5/18 for Sydney on Q2. The Itinerary was great, the Ship clean, and the crew professional. However, with a number of 4-5 day stretches at sea, one would expect some professional entertainment and varied daytime activities. During the day your choice was basically the library, a very small pool, or boring lectures. At night, the entertainment was dull and amateurish. To make matters worse, the food rarely varied, and was of poor quality-- both at the buffet and formal dining room. (e.g. how hard is it to make a decent cup of coffee and a good omelet?) You could hammer nails with the round pieces of hardened dough they were passing off as bagels. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and NCL are far superior on all counts. To make matters worse, by the time we reached Sydney most of the passengers were infected with the "Cunard Cough", as named by the physician we saw in Sydney who had his hands full telling passengers that codeine might suppress the cough, but the viral illness would persist for up to six weeks. (His prognosis was right on target). Finally, while the crew was very polite, many of the Brit passengers onboard were not. Many were particularly rude to Yanks, and thought nothing of lecturing all of us on the evils of America. A few were even disrespectful at the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Read Less

Have cruised Royal Caribbean HAL and Princess. This was our first Cunard experience. Ship was elegant but not glitzy. Service was excellent but very much “this is Cunard and this is how it’s done”. We thought the food was the best we have ever had on a cruise. Cabin was good but think it may have been slightly smaller than the other ships we have been on. Enjoyed the shows in the Royal Court. We were not a fan of the set dining times. We had 6:00 pm dining and missed dinner if you got back late from shore excursions or wanted to attend the sail away party. Synergy were very good but noticed that a lot of people left the pool area as soon as they finished. The pool area lacked atmosphere without music so think they could use the DJ when the band finishes. Overall we really enjoyed the cruise but felt they catered for the elderly guests Read Less

Read Less

Holiday of a lifetime planned for early in our retirement. Negatives - health and safety issues. 1) We question the practice of the same member of staff responsible for cleaning the cabin also being responsible for bringing coffee/milk new cups etc to the stateroom.i.e. the steward comes straight from cleaning the bathroom/toilet to delivering new cups/coffee/milk etc. This is not the fault of our steward who was friendly, helpful and attentive. More it is an organizational fault instigated by management and should be rectifed by them. 2) Many of the tables in King's Court are unstable. Not only does this make eating a meal somewhat unpleasant, but one table we sat at was so unstable that we spilt a cup of scalding hot coffee. Given the status and calibre of QM2 it seems unbelievable that this easy to solve problem had not been rectified by the end of the voyage despite a number of complaints from passengers. 3) The facilities at the guest laundrettes are woefully inadequate for the number of passengers -18 washing machines (when they are all working) for over 2,500 passengers. The numbers tell the story. The situation was exacerbated because the cost of having the laundry done by the ship was so high - at the cheapest it was two dollars per item. This situation bought out the worst in some passengers with angry outbursts and aggressive behaviour. Our suggestion that the cost (of having the laundry done by the ship) be brought down to alleviate the situation was rejected. Positives - 1) Stateroom was large, comfortable, well decorated and on a day to day basis worked very well. We loved the balcony which was spacious enough to sit out in comfort and afforded us some spectcular sights. 2) Ship was spectacular with a wide range of activities although we did find that many started too late in the evening for us at 9.45 p.m. Day time activities during days at sea were good - regular bridge, art lessons, craft activities etc. and some one off events including a passenger choir, line dancing and even a class where you could learn how to juggle. There were lots of famous and informative speakers giving talks and presentations. The swimming pools, games room, library, gym etc. meant there was plenty to do on board ship and most of these facilities were well run. However some of the teachers were not up to scratch - notebly the first bridge teacher we had at the start of the cruise, and the art teacher who was very knowleageable, but had a poor approach to her students and who could not actually paint very well. This opinion is based on the paintings done by her that she showed us to demonstrate techniques. 3) The staff on board ship were smart, attentive and generally efficient. Many went out of their way to help - the deck hand who climbed the ship's railing to retrieve my husbands hat, the World Voyage conceierge who was so much help when we had to go home early because of illness. Her assistance was of real value and we cannot thank her enough. The disembarkation was as effiicient, fast and as comfortable as it was possible to be given the circumstances. 4) The ship's shore excursions were varied and well organized given the very real constraints experienced in some ports, but we did find the cost of these to be high. We ended up using other cruise excursion operators and found these to be less expensive and more geared to our individual wishes. 5) Food was generally good, varied and there were a wide range of venues although some incurred additional charges.The Brittania Restaurant served lovely food - I can reccommend the ice cream!. We also took advantage of the free room service - breakfast on our balcony was particularly welcome on the days we went ashore on excursions. Overall we had a fabulous time, and were particularly impressed with the care taken by Cunard staff in difficult circumstances. Nothing was too much trouble when there was a problem,evident in the care taken of us when I was ill, which was second to none. The ship is magnificent, lots of stylish and attractive areas with the WOW factor. It attracted a lot of attention in virtually every port we visited. A trip to remember. Read Less