Queen Mary 2®

great time minus a few things

May

Pros: Food and beauty of ship

Cons: embarkation check in nightmare

Recommended: Yes

Lets get the bad out of the way first. Cunard takes a 20 year step back in time when it comes to the check-in procedure. Had to stand in line for over an hour to get checked in. On other cruise lines this has been streamlined and never takes more than 5 minutes to get checked in. Once checked in, we stood in line another 20 minutes just to get to the escalator to the gang plank. Then held at the escalator, then stood in line again to finally get on the boat, while wheel chair after wheel chair passed us by. Overall, almost 2 hours to get on the boat once we entered the cruise terminal. Highly inefficient. Did not like the fact that could not have a reserved table in Britannia. Waiters either didn't understand English or were incompetent as they tried to bring us food that we didn't order and seemed confused and frustrated when we tried to reject what they brought us in error. On the first night I never got the appetizer that I ordered after a couple of requests and finally just gave up once they brought the main course. Water glass remained empty most of the time. No app and the website didn't work very well even with wifi. No entertainment listings, no ability to look at the menu. Very skimpy alcohol pours to the point that I refused to spend the money for a drink. I had a martini that tasted like water, my wife had a Cape Cod that had no flavor of vodka that tasted like sweet syrup instead of cranberry juice. Positives: Ship was beautiful. Beds were great. Room steward Nancy was fantastic. Food was very good but some nights not a very good selection in Britannia. Loved the Sushi in Kings Court. Loved the comedian Bill Caulfield and singer Ben Miller.

Queen Mary II Transatlantic April 28 - May 5, 2024

May

Pros: Good service, beautiful cabin on Princess Level, good lectures & concerts,

Cons: Specialty steak restaurant, which cost extra, was a disappointment. Filet was tough, more well done than ordered, and service waned at end of meal. Maitre d' apologized by saying they were busy.

Recommended: Yes

It was nice having our own dining room (Princess) where food and service were very good. The few times early in the trip that I went to the buffet I was disappointed. The line ran out of salad lettuce x 2, refills took a long time, the selection seemed minimal compared to other ships I've been on. I waited 15" to get a hotdog! The decor on the last Oceania cruise I went on was much more pleasing, tasteful and current.

Highly Recommend the QM2 Crossing

May

Pros: Relaxing, delicious food, large selection of interesting activities, helpful steward, nice stateroom, good evening entertainment , no jet lag when you arrive

Cons: You lose one hour every day - so not always enough time to do everything you want

Recommended: Yes

If you have the time, take the Queen Mary2 across the Atlantic. I hope to do it again soon.

first crossing

September

Pros: incredible ship and service. lectures tremendous, entertainment outstanding

Cons: internet service

Recommended: Yes

I know it is a big chunk of steel in the middle of the ocean where there are relatively few cell towers, but I purchased the top line internet service for two devices. I was never able to have both devices connected at the same time. The explain that they would limit access to 2 hours to reduce the amount of background activity from apps running without being used. That's reasonable, particularly when they said that if you were knocked off you simply had to log in again. The actual experience was the it could take 2 days to text a single photo. If I went to the internet I was frequently disconnected before I had completely typed in the url. That is an area of tremendous opportunity for improved service. that being said, I'd get on the ship tomorrow.

Atlantic Crossing

September

Pros: Wonderful experience. Polite and helpful crew. Many activities to choose from. Loved the balcony. Very clean and sanitary.

Cons: Long Line to embark onto the ship. veranda restaurant was fully booked.

Recommended: No

Best Vacation Ever

July

Pros: Superior programs, entertainment, food, and service

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

The transatlantic crossing from Southampton to NYC was absolutely the best vacation ever, and I travel extensively. If you crave a touch of elegance, beautiful classical music, high tea, extraordinary lectures and workshops, great shows, a bit of fun dancing as well folk music, art, fun trivia . . . I simply cannot include everything here . . . this ship and crossing will charm and delight you. My daughter and I will always keep these beautiful memories. Worth every penny, and we’re cost-conscious travelers. I cannot say enough good things about this ship and the crossing.

The Queen Mary 2

July

Pros: The decor, the service, the dining, the staff, activities, the shows. Everything was supurb.

Cons: The overall layout of the sihip was a bit confusing. IE:

Recommended: Yes

Overall......it was a wonderful trip and a great experience. Would and will do it again. Timing is critical if you want to go eastbound and westbound by ship, as it frequently does a westbound sailing, a cruise or two, then an east bound sailing and vice versa. SO depending on dates, you sometimes could do a crossing and return the same day, or do a crossing and not be able to do the return crossing for several weeks. Also would MUCH prefer if the ship docked at the Manhattan docks rahter then Brooklyn.

VOYAGE OF A LIFETIME!

April

Pros: BEAUTIFUL ART DECO SETTINGS, STAFF ARE MARVELOUS, THEATER PRODUCTIONS GREAT, LOVED MY TABLEMATES IN THE BRITANNIA DINNERS

Cons: CANT THINK OF ANY

Recommended: Yes

SO HAPPY WITH MY TRIP, BONDING WITH MY DAUGHTER

July 4th cruise

July

Pros: great staff

Cons: Issues with pool in spa that we pre paid for

Recommended: Yes

na

Transatlantic cruise

June

Pros: lectures, entertainment, music, bars

Cons: food

Recommended: Yes

The only thing that was not really good was the food. While it was good we expected better food in the Queens Grille. The dining room staff went out of their way to accomodate special requests but invariably the vegetables were overcooked and the special dishes like Sole Meuniere were just average.

My favorite ship I’ve cruised on

March

Pros: Extremely comfortable theater, lounges, poolside, deck seating and just all meeting areas. Great food and eating areas. Very well kept and friendly and helpful crew. Entertainment was all first class. The shore excursions were very good with well speaking and knowledgeable guides. Very interesting lectures and plenty of planned events everyday onboard. The atmosphere is very classy and relaxed. If you are looking for a different cruise experience from the typical ships then sail on QM2

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

There are no other ships that I could consider spending months on but this one. The most relaxing and wonderful vacation we have ever had. We will definitely sail on the QM2 again

QM2

November

Pros: Incredibly fabulous lectures

Cons: Closet too short for long formals - really not a big deal!

Recommended: Yes

A truly wonderful ship with superb entertainment of all types.

Queen Mary 2 back to back transatlantic Dec. 8-22, 2017

December

Pros: Queen's Grill dining room and penthouse (with two bathrooms), and lectures.

Cons: None.

Recommended: Yes

None.

Queen Mary 2 - December Crossing

December

Pros: Grand, elegant, full-service ocean liner

Cons: At times, can feel like a Carnival cruise ship in terms of service/beverages

Recommended: Yes

Canyon Ranch Spa, became known on board as the "Broken Ranch Spa." The spa is in desperate need of better personnel and facilities. She's aged-out.

Classic old fashion cruise

November

Pros: Very British culture atmosphere . Afternoon tea time is excellent .

Cons: Lack diversity on buffet selection. Average quality in terms of dinning menu

Recommended: Yes

There are not much variety of activities on board.

M616 Fashion Week

September

Pros: Service in Princess Grill, food were good

Cons: Royal Cunard Dancers and Singer shows were not very entertaining

Recommended: Yes

NA

Cunard QM2

June

Pros: Food, staff, cabin, public spaces

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

None

European Tour

May

Pros: Planning was exceptional. Details were thoughtful and concise.

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

Wonderful experience. The QM2 was elegant and majestic. We loved the hotel suggested by our travel guide in London, across from Kensington Palace and the Queen's Garden. All transfers and arrangements met and exceeded our expectations.

Sail with the British

January

Pros: The QM2 is a beautiful ship - best described as very British and very proper. Having booked a higher priced cabin we ate in the Queens Grill (single seating time of your choice) and that made a large ship much more intimate and enjoyable. All in all good but not great service - does not live up to expectations. A transatlantic crossing is a once in a life time experience for many of us and the QM2 is a great way to do it.

Cons: Too structured - too many formal nights - as noted very British and very proper.

Recommended: Yes

See pros and cons

Rudolf Bacich

November

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

It was.a great trip to cruise on the Queen Mary for our 60th Anniversary, and my Birthday. We also sailed on our 50th Anniversary. Maybe we will be able to sail on our 70th.????? Our cabin was situaited near everything close to get to, thanks to our Travel Agent. World Wide Travel. We took 2 Tours at Tortola and Amber Cove,which we enjoyed very much.

Great Crossing

September

Pros: Princess Grill was worth it. Very good food and service. Lots of activities.

Cons:

Recommended: No

Our second time on QM2 and it is a great way to cross the Atlantic = fun of a cruise and no jet lag on arrival in Europe.

What's not to like?

August

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Flawless. Loved the Spa.

CUNARD QUEEN MARY 2 /QUEEN ELIZABETH

September

Pros: WELL RUN...CLEAN STAFF EFFICIENT

Cons: SHOULD INCLUDE WI-FI...AND INCREASE COST TO COVER TIPS.

Recommended: Yes

LOVELY WAY TO TRAVEL...

Crossing Atlantic to Hamburg and Returned to NY

June

Pros: Overall Queens Grill was Excellent!

Cons: Our butler was disappinting require complains by us.

Recommended: Yes

Overall the trip was excellent except for some issues with butler.

TransAtlantic

June

Pros: Cabin/Entertainment & lectures

Cons: Food / Logistics

Recommended: No

Food quality is very uneven, more display then substance

New England Cruise

October

Pros: Comfortable Cabin, Excellent service, Pleasant dining Facilities, Basically good Itiniery

Cons: Food not great, Too many days at sea, Average entertainment

Recommended: No

A pleasant trip for us for good relaxation which was our intent. But there were too many days at sea, and one port was canceled for weather. But only one day was scheduled for Quebec city. On our previous trip to Quebec, the QM2 scheduled 1 1/2 days which gave everyone more time in this important port. (We notice that for this same cruise next year they have scheduled 3 days, which to me sounds excessive.). We were in the Princess Grill. The service was excellent and very pleasant, But the food was not as good generally as in the past. Our cabin was clean and very comfortable and our steward was excellent

Hamburg and Berlin

July

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Cunard are hoping to add land tours to it's repertoire. We sailed from Southampton and disembarked in Hamburg, the ship carried on up to Norway. We travelled by coach to Berlin where we spent 2 nights, we then returned to Hamburg for 2 nights before re-embarking Queen Mary 2 for the return to Southampton. The cruise and land tour were excellent, the staff were very friendly, helpful and knowledgable. The city tours were excellent. Hotels were good and in great positions. Although classed as 5 * in Germany, in my opinion they are not 5 but 4 *. Overall the trip was excellent, the sailaway from Hamburg was a real surprise as hundreds of boats formed a flotilla to escort us up the river with some 5 firework displays charting our course up the river.

Critique of the Queen Mary 2

May

Pros: simply superb

Cons: none

Recommended: No

Most fun I ever had

May

Pros: the march of the chefs

Cons: none

Recommended: Yes

Loved the lectures, theater, cabaret.

Perfect way to make a transition

May

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

We were making a transition between works seasons, and between homes (in the US and France.) Usually we make this trip in a hurry, but this year we used the occasions of my husband's birthday to go by way of this sea crossing. Everything was top-rate on the QM2. We quickly found new friends for meals, a great jazz combo for after dinner music, and danced until the late hours more than once. The staff was professional but warm, and our slight problems were quickly remedied. We could have lamented the weather, but it was standard for mid-May. This meant there was little time in the sun, but this was made up for by two moderate wind storms which just enhanced our sense of the sea and its beauty. We're already looking forward to our next ship-board vacation.