Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Review

Queen Mary 2 - Splender of Autumn 2009

Review for Canada & New England Cruise on Queen Mary 2 (QM2)
User Avatar
lovetocruisenow
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Oct 2009

Just a little background information -- this was our (my husband and myself) 15th cruise. We've cruised on Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian previously. Since we've cruised 15 times, we obviously love cruising and have had many pleasant, positive experiences or we wouldn't keep coming back. We are experienced travelers and cruisers and cruising is my absolute favorite way to vacation. We've just started dancing (SOCIAL ballroom) and greatly looked forward to the "largest ballroom at sea". Also, I think when you say "Queen Mary 2", you are expecting an awesome experience -- much above "average" cruise lines. That part was somewhat of a disappointment. I think we set our standards higher BECAUSE it was the Queen Mary. Maybe, if you stayed in one of the "grills" you would have that kind of experience but staying in a regular room, even a balcony stateroom, you get pretty much the same experience you get on any other cruise line. I don't mean to say there weren't exceptional things about traveling on the Queen Mary 2, there were and here's a summary of the good and bad. There was no "ugly".

DRESS CODE - I added this category myself because I think it is worth including when you evaluate your experience. We were on a 7 night cruise. During that time we had 3 formal nights (tux), 2 formal nights (suit), and 2 elegant casual (sport coat), much to my husband's dismay. That's pretty dressy for what's supposed to be a relaxing cruise. Most of the passengers (probably 95%) I spoke with about the dress code said they would have preferred to NOT have to dress up so much. In fact, some people avoided the restaurant and other public areas at night because they didn't want to dress up. For my husband, the cruise would have to be super fantastic to balance out all the dressing for dinner. I only spoke to one person who liked the "dressing" for dinner every night. Most of the passengers who "dressed" stayed "dressed" all night -- the theater, lounges, etc. but, in general, passengers did not dress up as much as you see at the Cunard site online or in brochures.

EMBARKATION and DISEMBARKATION - The embarkation process was very good. We arrive in New York (LaGuardia)and were met by the Cunard folks (we purchased transfers that were very reasonably priced). There were just four of us and we had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle to arrive but then it was a quick (about 30 minute) ride to the terminal and right to the "front door". From that point our luggage was taken care of (which we received within one hour -- the best so far of any cruise we've been on) and we entered the terminal. There were a lot of people arriving at the same time and lines of people everywhere but everything moved quickly. We happened to get a trainee and our check in took a little longer than some others. Also, my room key didn't get activated correctly and wouldn't open our cabin door until the purser reactivated it for me. Within 30 minutes after entering the terminal, we were on the ship. We went to our room, dropped off our carry-ons and headed for the King's Court for lunch. I'd give the embarkation a 5 out of 5. The disembarkation was another matter. We were told -- verbally and in writing - to wait in the Champagne Bar and to be there by 7:45 am - we had an early flight. We were there by 7:30 am. About 8:10am I began to wonder why we hadn't been called and checked with one of the staff. At that time we were told (along with several other couples) that our number had already been called some time ago and that we were supposed to have been in the theater waiting. I produced our tickets and information, where in writing we were told to report to the Champagne Bar and we were told there must have been some mistake. We ran, and I do mean ran, to get off the ship, claim our luggage, get through customs, and find our bus/shuttle to get to LaGuardia. We made it on time and made it to the airport and boarded our plane, etc., no thanks to the disembarkation procedure. I would give the disembarkation procedure a 3 out of 5 and that's generous.

Cabin Review

Cabin B

CABIN 4155 - We had a "protected" balcony cabin on the 4th floor, starboard side, mid/back. The protected part means that the balcony is in the hull with a large opening - kind of like a picture window. This type of balcony worked well since it was October/November in New England. I think I would prefer the regular open balcony in warm climate but the sheltered balcony added square footage and made the room seem larger. The room was good size - about 210 sq feet plus the balcony with twin/king bed and a loveseat sized sofa. There was a good amount of storage - better than usual both in the room and bathroom. Unfortunately, there was just a shower, but it was pretty good size. There was no light in the shower and the curtain was opaque - not a good idea -- hard to see. The room was tastefully decorated and the layout made the room seem a little larger. The cabin was in an excellent location. One floor down to the dining room, ballroom, and theater and 3 floors up to the buffet - we were only a few steps away from stairs and elevators. Great room, little noise.

previous reviewnext review

Find a Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Cruise from $249

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.