This was our first cruise away from the Queen Mary 2 which has taken us across the Atlantic on many occasions and to the Caribbean. Therefore on all our cruises to date Americans featured strongly. On this cruise the passengers were mainly Brits, which provided a totally different ambience from those we had been used to, more subdued and more restrained - we found the whole cruise rather down key. This was among the first cruises to adopt the new dress code, which was certainly not welcomed by many. These are our comments on various aspects of the ship:

EMBARCATION: No matter how long the queue embarcation invariably goes smoothly at Southampton, where years of practice have, no doubt, perfected the whole operation.

RESTAURANTS: The Britannia changes little, whether the QM2 or the QV. The standards are high, the service exceptional but, as always, the food is never hot, just warm. We were pleasantly surprised by The Lido, as we always thought the Kings Court a little like a works canteen. Floor to ceiling windows make The Lido an attractive proposition for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And the food is excellent, both for quality and choice. Read more