Cunard reviews

About Cunard

The atmosphere on a Cunard cruise is sophisticated — many passengers are retirees — and the focus is on high-quality daytime activities, including lectures, classes, and movies in real theaters. Cunard's onboard pub serves up fish and chips and features quiz nights, while proper afternoon tea includes a full orchestra and white-gloved waiters, who serve finger sandwiches and scones with clotted cream.

Top 5 Cunard Destinations:

Europe - Mediterranean

(104 cruises)

Transatlantic

(89 cruises)

Other (Asia/Africa/Middle East)

(57 cruises)

Europe

(47 cruises)

Europe - Western Europe

(43 cruises)

Top 5 Cunard Departure Ports:

Southampton (London), England

(179 cruises)

New York, New York

(53 cruises)

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

(51 cruises)

Barcelona, Spain

(34 cruises)

Hamburg, Germany

(33 cruises)

Expert review of Cunard

Best for

Anglophiles and those wanting to relive the glory days of ocean liners. Cunard's passengers are mostly seniors, but over holidays and in summer, more families seek affordable elegance.

Not for

Sea-day haters and those who get seasick easily — Cunard does more ocean crossings than any other.

We love

  • Daytime activities (including lectures, classes, and movies in real theaters) are outstanding, especially on crossings.
  • The Queen Mary 2’s planetarium is out of this world.
  • Cunard's large, wood-paneled libraries are the best at sea, with thousands of volumes and comfy leather couches that lend a clubby feel.
  • Traditional design hallmarks include wraparound teak decks and double staircases (for grand entrances) in the Britania Dining Rooms.
  • Proper afternoon tea includes a full orchestra and white-gloved waiters, who serve finger sandwiches and scones with cream.
  • Parents of babies 12-23 months old can have adult dinners thanks to Cunard's night nursery.
  • Passengers gather outside the Queen Mary 2’s dog kennel to watch the pooches being walked.

We could live without

  • The old-fashioned segregation of passengers according to their cabin categories means the Queens Grill and Princess Grill restaurants, a private lounge, and a sun terrace are only open to suite guests.
  • The lack of nightlife: After dinner, the discos are often empty, and the bars get a few nightcappers at most.

Cunard cruiser reviews

Ship Quality

4.5

Average rating

Service and Staff

4.5

Average rating

Cabin / Stateroom

4.4

Average rating

Destinations and Excursions

4.4

Average rating

Food and Dining

4.2

Average rating

Entertainment

4.0

Average rating

Onboard Activities

4.0

Average rating

Children's Programs

3.7

Average rating

Embarkation and Debarkation

4.3

Average rating

What cruisers say

  • petedowns says ...

    Really appreciated having facilities to make own tea or coffee in cabin now. Cleanliness is always good Read full review
  • daglove323 says ...

    Services in the Princess Grill were especially exemplary. Thanks to maitre Attila and his staff, Carmelo, Vincent, and Alceo. The sommeliers were also good.....Dejan and Bojan. Read full review
  • leighrivers2000 says ...

    On a scale of 1-10 it was a 15! We love the aft (wake) view and we had it. The room was huge. The only negative was that the huge jetted tub had no shower. The separate shower was what we used and it was just fine but the tub was never... Read full review

4 Cunard ships

Queen Anne

Price: $$$$
Ship size: L
4.2

Debuting in May 2024, Queen Anne will feature a number of Cunard signature spaces as well as introdu...

Sails to:

Europe Europe - Mediterranean Europe - Northern Europe Europe - Western Europe Europe - Western Mediterranean

Sails from:

Auckland, New Zealand Cape Town, South Africa Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida Hamburg, Germany Hong Kong Kiel, Germany Miami, Florida New York, New York Piraeus (Athens), Greece Rio De Janeiro, Brazil San Antonio, Chile San Francisco, California San Pedro (Los Angeles), California Singapore Southampton (London), England Sydney, Australia More

Queen Elizabeth

Price: $$
Ship size: M

Autumn 2010 will mark the beginning of a new age of cruising for Cunard Cruise lines with the all ne...

Sails to:

Alaska - Inside Passage Caribbean Caribbean - Eastern Caribbean - Western Other (Asia/Africa/Middle East)

Sails from:

Hong Kong Miami, Florida Seattle, Washington Singapore Sydney, Australia Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan

Queen Mary 2

Price: $$
Ship size: L
4.2

Queen Mary 2 is a remarkable flagship, and her style and elegance are legendary. Above all, it‘s the...

Sails to:

Canada, New England, New York Caribbean Caribbean - Eastern Caribbean - Southern Europe

Sails from:

Cape Town, South Africa Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy Hamburg, Germany Hong Kong Le Havre (Paris), France New York, New York Quebec City, Quebec San Francisco, California San Pedro (Los Angeles), California Singapore Southampton (London), England Sydney, Australia More

Ship size:

  • XL: 4,000 + passengers
  • L: 2,000 to 4,000 passengers
  • M: 500 to 2,000 passengers
  • S: Less than 500 passengers

Price:

  • $$$$: $1500 and up
  • $$$: Up to $1500
  • $$: Up to $1000
  • $: Up to $500

View all 4 Cunard Ships

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