Not being sure if we would enjoy cruising, we booked this weekend mini-cruise - QM2 Southampton to Cherbourg - to experience a little taste and hopefully whet our appetites for a longer trip in the future. As enthusiastic ballroom and latin dancers, we chose the QM2 because of its ballroom. There were many things that we enjoyed about the weekend, and a few that were disappointing.
Arrival processing was fast and efficient and the staff were friendly and helpful. On boarding the ship the first group of the ever present photographers snapped our picture (in front of the gangway entrance - not a great backdrop!. Then to our stateroom for a quick look around before going to the Kings Court for a bite of lunch. Kings Court, a self service restaurant, was a little confusing in layout, but the food was tasty and the staff cleared and cleaned the tables very promptly. We explored the ship for a while - it's very large and very gorgeous. The main public areas have beautiful murals and plush carpeting everywhere. Following the mandatory lifeboat drill, we went up on deck for the sail-away from Southampton to the sounds of the resident band who were really good.
Dinner in the Britannia Restaurant was tasty, though not remarkable, and the vegetarian main course was extremely small! Then it was off the to show in the theatre which was fantastic. On both evenings, the photographers were out in force and we felt it spoiled the ambience having to negotiate the obstacles of the photo sets (lights, backdrops and props) as we walked along the main ship walkways. You can buy (very expensive) copies of the photos, along with a dvd of the cruise if you want to.