My wife and I cruised on the QE out of Southampton for 14 days. The ship was super and the ports were super! Over 35 cruises and this was one of the top ones for us. We had an Oceanview cabin and it was ok for an alternative to a balcony. As the weather was pretty cool but clear then a balcony would not have been of much use. The cabin was very nice and well laid out. The steward was excellent. The ships crew could not have been nicer and always smiled and spoke in passing. Seasoned and well trained. The Queens room ballroom was great for dancing in the evenings and dance lessons were held there for anyone on sea days. Orchestra dancing each evening was very pleasant for participants and onlookers. There was always an activity to do on the ship even when it was too brisk to be outside. The only ding on this whole cruise was the FOOD. Great ship, great crew, lousy food, except for breakfast. The dining room menu was not real appealing and the choices were usually a disappointment. Fancy names and descriptions, then bland and not tasty in fact. No alternatives dishes on the menu. No shrimp cocktail on the whole cruise. The steaks were tough and not edible. They need to fire the chef and ditch the menu and lean more toward other cruise line menus and preparation. Even the British guests were not pleased with the dinners. We ate in the dining room for breakfast almost every morning and I will say the breakfast there was very good. The lunches in the dining room were also ok. And, there is not much in alternatives to the dining room. the Veranda speciality restaurant was not appealing and was not busy ever. The Lido was just buffet food, except for the pasta made to order that was super. The ports were fabulous. St.Petersburg was a two day history lesson and was a highlight of the cruise. All the Scandanavian ports were real good.

We took an outside tour in four of the ports with a tour company called Alla Tours. While some of the passengers complained about the Cunard tours our could not have been better. Especially the lady guide (Paulina) in St.Petersburg. The entertainment was very good and nicely done. Tea every afternoon was very nice but again the food was not tasty, even the scones were like they were canned storebought. Most of the passengers were British and as we were Americans we found them to be warm and friendly.