Queen Elizabeth Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The ports visited were the deciding factor to book this cruise. We enjoyed the ports but the down side was the ship embarked and debarked approximately 750 passengers both in Hamburg and Kiel. This caused problems with Immigration when returning to Southampton and it also disrupted the flow of the cruise. Not so bad at Hamburg but in Kiel you had new passengers acquainting themselves with their surroundings while the other passengers had settled into a relaxing routine.

The ship is beautiful, food and service were great, entertainment disappointing. 

My friend and I recently took the 1 week Mediterranean Cruise from Rome - Florence- Monaco- Toulon-Barcelona-Rome.  While the Queen Elizabeth was a very nice ship, excellent appointments and amenities, excellent service, great food, I guess our expectations were of even more luxurious cruising than we had.  We have sailed Celebrity, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean and thought the Cunard would be at the top of the luxury lines.  We were disappointed.  There is definitely a "first class" for those who can afford it, the grill suites.  The rest of us were excluded from their restaurant, couldn't even take the elevator to their level 11.  Felt like we were back in the 1910's on the Titanic.  We love the formal elegance of assigned dinner time and seating, the formal nights, the diversity of passengers fit our "niche market" perfectly.  Many wonderful people from Britain, Canada, Australia, U.S., Japan, etc. 

We had a terrible experience when we docked in Toulon, France and I don't feel like Cunard handled it at all.  We did not have an excursion planned, it was a rainy, miserable day and most people stayed on the ship.  We took a cab into town, where at a local mall, a strange man came up to my friend, said something in a language we did not understand (not French) and made a slicing motion across his neck, suggesting he wanted to "behead" her.  He did it twice.  There was absolutely no security or police presence to report it to, we left immediately.  When we returned to the ship, I tried to report our experience to the purser and asked for the Director of Security to report this incident.  We were basically "blown off" and told there was nothing they could do since we were not on an excursion.  I understand you go ashore at your own risk, but we were not referred to someone in higher authority and our concerns for future passengers safety in this port were ignored.  It really scared both of us and left us with an unpleasant experience both in Toulon and Cunard's handling of our concerns. 

Our balcony stateroom was comfortable, attractive, but less areas to place personal items than on previous cruise lines we had sailed.  The entertainment options in the evening especially left a lot to be desired.  No one "folded towels like animals", there was no brunch with carved fruit like we have had on previous cruises.  We missed those luxuries and our expectations for Cunard were set too high for what we experienced.  We did get our money's worth as I bought our tickets on a discount site, but don't sail the Cunard expecting total luxury, at least the Queen Elizabeth.  I guess the Queen Mary is their top of the line ship.

Best cabins that I've ever had.  They were huge!  And this was an absolutely beautiful boat.  It does have the only ballroom afloat, so I would strongly suggest dancing lessons before the cruise.  It was a quiet cruise, and tended to appeal to an older crowd.  This is both good and bad.  Good, since it made for a quiet, relaxing cruise.  Bad, since all activities tended to be geared towards an older crowd.  Dining room food was amazing.  Buffet was average, with mostly British food.  Definitely an upscale cruise for a lower price.

We had a group of 2 couples on this cruise, all over or near 65. We had roomy (by comparision)staterooms with balcony.  Everyday there were many land tours or on board programs. At night, we were at the 6 pm main seating, 8:30 for the theatre show, 9:30 for the Queen's Ballroom and danced until midnight with a live band. During at sea days, we were busy with choosing what and where to eat on the ship, which program to participate and sun bath on the pool side. At the ports that we visited, there were well planned boarding procedure which were systematic,orderly, hassle and worry free,  and many times, the shuttle bus to city centre, or tender (small boats that shuttle between the ship and the pier) were free, and no long waits. The staff were always there to provide help. The passengers' launderettes were very convenient. We loved the Britannia Restaurant which provided very good food and good service. Lido (Buffet casual dining) was excellent.  The food were beyond our expectations. The desserts were different everyday, and everyone was remarkable. I took a Ship's Galley tour that visted the ship's kitchen, and took a photograph with the Executive Chef to show our appreciation. All the written guides to each port were provided with maps and detail information.  In summary: I loved this cruise, and recommend it.  My husband and I have cruised over 8 times with different lines, and by far this is the best.  Entertainment, food, housekeeping, tours, all deserved the top ranking 5 stars. We definitely will go again with Cunard.

All Cruises are great.  Please don't get me wrong, but this Ship, really caters to U.K. citizens, in most every way.My travelling companion, noticed how we were treated, once they realized we were Americans.   From the Shore Cruise Desk, and especially the Pursers Desk, to most every contact with personnel working on the ship.  Exceptions were my Waiter, Avish and assistent- Natalia, and my Cabin Stewards, Rey and Raul.  The ports were great,and interesting.  All places I had never been, and am glad to have seen, on this cruise.  The Queen Elizabeth is a Beautiful Ship, with that old-time British understatement of luxury. All in All, a very nice time.  I have been on many cruises, with many Ship Brands, and for a rating of 3, on a 6 star level, this was adequate.

So disappointing!Using your air connections, the layovers were horrible.  We missed Venice altogether.  then we found that the bulk of passengers were either Japanese or British (almost no Americans) which left us feeling " out of it". We were dismayed to find that these passengrs got much better "deals" as well.Was there no  other choice for breakfast besides eggs, tomatoes, and beans?When I describe the cruise as Brown,  I mean that to say that it was BORING.  We have been on over 40 luding two on cunard,and never experienced such boredom.  The entire ship was decorated in shades of brown.  Our cabin was so brownish that I had to order a bouquet of flowers just to add some color!  Cabin service was very good once we got a softer mattress to ease our hip pain. Onboard Activities reached a new level of boredom, and the shows were so poor (excepting the comedian ) that we walked out on two (singers) and fell asleep at another!  Even the crew  couldn't believe the lifelessness of this particular cruise.What happened?? Was it because the cruise was out of season?? We were really looking forward to sailing the Queen Elizabeth, but  were so disappointed.The bars and lounges were empty or closed early.  Then there were the ports.  Just huge piles of rock!!The excursions were overpriced and , although we took only the EASY sightseeing ones,  we found them barely interesting. Resorting to the spa for something to do, I was astounded to find that a dip in the indoor pool would cost $99.00!! On the upside, the food and service in the dining room were great.  The selections at the buffet were tasty and varied.The entire staff was excellent.

The first thing I noticed upon boarding was the ease ,efficiency, & extremely courteous members of the Cunard team that helped us to get on the ship without any difficulty. We were greeted upon boarding & our luggage was in the room within minutes of arrival. The staff was great., the service was 5 star, & the cleanliness & appearance was fantastic. The balcony room was much better than I had anticipated. The entire experience exceeded my expectations.

The two most frustrating events on a cruise are embarking and disembarking. Cunard handled them flawlessly. I loved the Queen Elizabeth - a grand ship with no neon, flashing lights, or loud rap music. The ship is done in serene colors and a lot of beautiful teak wood. Very relaxing and restful. It's a very sophisticated ship with activities for adults who don't want to see any wet t-shirt contests on board. It was perfect for me and my companion. I also appreciated the fact that we dressed for dinner - it made each meal special. Cunard is my kind of cruise line. You are handled with kid gloves. C

This ship demands high level. For example, tuxedos are expected at dinner on four of the nights. Other nights require men to wear at least a coat, and some times tie. No informal nights for dinner were allowed including the last night. The tours were well handled and the "help" were very good, going out of their way to insure that all details were taken care of. We especially enjoyed the lectures from well known people who knew what they were talking about.

Service at the Britannia Club was excellent. All the staff was very polite and well trained. The ship is beautiful and very well kept.

excellent!

Ship is wonderful the food exceptional but the service is somewhat below what I would expect from Cunard - earlier this year I went on NCL which (in my opinion) is far below Cunard but their service was better

not as luxurious as advertized.

We've been on over forty cruises and this was our second with Cunard. We booked a suite and purchased ship transfers from Cunard. We arrived at St. Pancras station as instructed by 11:30 am for the pick-up to Southampton. After walking throughout the station with our luggage with no representative from Cunard to be found anywhere, we went to the information desk and asked if they had seen anyone from Cunard and they had not. At approximately 12 (with the 12:30 pick up window closing) I called AA travel and they were unable to reach Cunard. I was finally able to locate the port number and called the ship. Almost two hours later at 1:50 a car arrived to pick us up. We arrived at the pier at 3:50 for a 4:30 sailing and were the last passengers to check in. It appears that Cunard did not make a pick up reservation or cancelled it. Being the last to board the ship when the mustard drill is taking place at no fault of your own after paying for transportation is not only stressful but not "white star service." Instead of remedying the situation, Cunard did nothing for their mess up. Had we not called over and over from the train station, we would have missed the ship (again, at no fault of our own).

We chose this cruise to celebrate a 'major' birthday and because the trans-Atlantic itinerary was exactly what we wanted. High Points: Comfortable Princess Grill cabin with outstanding room attendant--Michelle Delightful waiters in Princess Grill--Jay Jay and Nell Very good food overall Low Points: *Dull lectures--we have liked to learn more about the Azores, Madeira and Cadiz before we reached them *Appalling shore excursions---After being repeatedly reminded to observe COVID protocols on ship, we were herded into sardine-tin like coaches with no ventilation or social distancing--this was a real disgrace. And the guides and their scripts were very poor as well. *Drinks package is overpriced and not clearly explained. *Pre-boarding communications were very unclear, confusing and often contradictory *No real welcome on boarding or farewell on leaving the ship--a deflating experience indeed. Problems: *Exceptionally poor customer-service on land--it could takes an hour to get through and then another hour on hold to actually speak with anyone. This was NOT a luxury experience and Cunard should imperatively up its game here. *Unfriendly and unhelpful staff in Pursar's office and a standoffish and uninformative concierge in Princess Grill Cunard silos its different markets, so we probably overpaid compared to guests who bought their cruises in North America. So would we chose to cruise with Cunard again? Perhaps....

I stayed in room 8179 and was in a Queens Grill Suite. My last experience was three years ago in the Queens Grill on the QM2; we loved that experience and expect the same thing this time around. QE is nowhere near as grand as QM2 and should be priced accordingly. Our trip was not worth the money, and we will not use Cunard again in the future - so sad that Cunard that’s lost their classy edge and key differentiator. FOOD: The menu in the queen’s grill is fake and nothing special, and it is the same food served everywhere on the ship. For example, the lamb barley soup (or any soup) in the Lido buffet is same stuff as you get in the Grill restaurants. Same with everything else. What a ripoff for those of us that bought a Queens Grill suite. The queens grill breakfast and lunch are quite unremarkable; we ended up going to the lido buffet almost every day. Again, Cunard has lost its edge. Here are more examples for the false advertisement: • On July 16 they served me the worse “28-day aged USDA ribeye steak” I ever had. It was uneatable and one of the toughest pieces I’ve ever seen. Filled with uneatable tendons that could not be cut. It was clearly a Select Cut of beef and should never be served anywhere on the ship, much less in the the queens grill restaurant. I gave the beef a second and third try and it never got better. • The things on the menu sound fancy, but the reality is way different. Examples include: o “Thai sticky rice” that is just basmati rice (they told us they don’t have sticky rice but are not allowed to change any names on the menu. o “Miso Grilled Aubergines, sticky rice and pickled cucumber kimchi” was literally a backed slice of eggplant with a coffee cup sized lump of basmati rice (definitely not sticky or flavorful). Even the waiter was embarrassed to serve it and suggested my wife try something else. What a scam. o “28-day aged USDA ribeye steak” that was so tough and grizzly that it would never be sold in the US or pass USDA inspection. I was a butcher and know very well this is Select grade or worse. Shame on you Cunard. o One if the worse things that happened was the candy they served at the end of the dinner had a bite eaten from one of the pieces. So gross. Do not eat any unwrapped candy anywhere on the ship. It was likely served to someone else first. Unbelievably cheap and gross. o All “Risotto” was made with basmati rice! o The osso bucco was all bone and had no eatable meat. I went to the lido buffet after dinner to finish my dinner. o I checked the Veranda Restaurant menu and saw the best steak they served was a “prime sirloin”. I tried to get it in the Queens grill and they say no. The Veranda Restaurant is a $49 per person up charge and the sirloin steak is another $20 upcharge. No steak house in the USA even serves sirloin steaks because they are so cheap and tough. What a scam Cunard is pulling off. HIGH TEA: service is the Main Hall (for anyone on board) is much better than the tea service provided in the princess grill for Grill Suite Members. The P Grill is all the same stuff as the main hall things, except the things in the main hall are served fresh and warm; waiters continually come around with fresh warn food. In the princess grill you have to order what you want from a menu, then they run downstairs 6 floors and reserve it on a nicer plate. By then it isn’t warm/fresh. Bottom line, the tea in the princess grill is not very good and you should go to the main hall on Deck 2. So sad I paid for a Queens Grill Suite. ROOM: Room 8179 and any other room in the aft of the 8th deck sucks and is incredibly noisy and smelly of the ships smoke stake exhaust fumes. The noise begins with loud banging at 7:30 am every day as they position the pool deck chairs above on the 9th deck. After that banging of the chairs by the staff, then comes the banging and scraping of chairs from the people who use the chairs. Unbelievable that they offer these rooms as Grill Suite rooms. What a rip off. Special soaps and shampoos in the Grill Suite rooms are gone. Now you have big bottles of stuff with a push top. Cheap, cheap, cheap. COVID: Several hallways were blocked on each floor for covid and that made it hard to find our room at first. No issues after that and we heard they use the rooms for covid positive people and staff the come-on board for the first time (they were quarantined for 3 days). COVID protocols on board are dangerous, and I could not wait to get off the ship. They don’t monitor people that are covid positive, and it’s up to the people with covid to stay in their rooms. We saw people with covid at the purser’s desk asking for their rooms to be clean. Also, covid positive people leave their eaten food in the hallway and it sits there all day and night sometime. Totally sick, and Cunard should be held accountable for this mess. We rarely could use our balcony because so many people were on their balcony coughing and the wind blew in our direction (especially the day we went through the Panama Canal). SPA/GYM: Before we departed on our cruise the Cunard website for our cruise said we could buy a 20-day spa pass for $285. When we got on board it was $265 for 13-day pass (they said a new company just took over and they wouldn’t honor what the website said). Thank God we tried the spa before we bought a package for several days. It was terrible; dirty everywhere, almost no bubbles in the pool, and a two-person steam room available with only 5 hot stone chairs for people use. Worse thing about it is that you must schedule your session in advance (this is ridiculous). Also, the showers in the spa don’t carry conditioners for your hair and every shower was dirty and no one was there to clean. Also, no one ware their masks in the gym while covid was clearly everywhere on board. We also never saw anyone cleaning the Gym equipment. This forced us to only walk on the outside deck for exercise. The outside deck is much smaller the on the QM2 and this make it hard to walk with so many others trying to do the same thing. Dress Code: Worse thing that has changed is the dress code. Wearing jackets after 6pm, or formal wear on gala nights is not required or enforced and most people dress down (even in the grills). Very sad. Only a collared shirt is required now after 6 pm, and most only wear polo shirts. INTERNET: Internet was 30 per day for “premium streaming service” and 20 per day if you buy it for the compete trip. It was so slow it took 60 seconds for any webpage to load. I canceled it on day two. Again, false advertising, they said you could do video streaming and that it was 3 times faster than their normal service; what a bunch of BS. Later in the trip I repurchased it and had to beg for a daily refund every time it stopped working; they should automatically reimburse people if their service isn’t working. Total scam. Entertainment: Most of the evening entertainment was good. One comedian from the USA was terrible and totally bombed. Regarding the afternoon movies, on July 22nd, the movie in the main theater at 2 pm was grotesque; everyone walked out by 20 minutes into the movie. Shame on Cunard for hosting such grotesque trash in the main theater. It included a witch pulling out her own inners in front of a child and then showing this witch like child how to eat the inners on animals etc. SO SICK we left and nobody else remained. TOTAL INCOMPETENCE: The last week in our 29-day cruise they started charging us for drinks even though I showed them that I had a drinks package included and they were properly not charging me for drinks the first 22 days of the trip. Fighting with them daily over this totally ruined our trip. They even tried to tell me that the “drink package” on my documentation was only for water, and not alcohol. They finally realized it was their mistake and they got rid of the charges. Bottom Line: I want a refund for all the false and fraudulent advertising they sold me. Cunard has lost their way, and the leadership team onshore should be fired. They clearly lost focus of their Brand and are being run by their bean counters. So sad.

I stayed in room 8179 and was in a Queens Grill Suite. My last experience was three years ago in the Queens Grill on the QM2; we loved that experience and expect the same thing this time around. QE is nowhere near as grand as QM2 and should be priced accordingly. Our trip was not worth the money, and we will not use Cunard again in the future - so sad that Cunard that’s lost their classy edge and key differentiator. FOOD: The menu in the queen’s grill is fake and nothing special, and it is the same food served everywhere on the ship. For example, the lamb barley soup (or any soup) in the Lido buffet is same stuff as you get in the Grill restaurants. Same with everything else. What a ripoff for those of us that bought a Queens Grill suite. The queens grill breakfast and lunch are quite unremarkable; we ended up going to the lido buffet almost every day. Again, Cunard has lost its edge. Here are more examples for the false advertisement: • On July 16 they served me the worse “28-day aged USDA ribeye steak” I ever had. It was uneatable and one of the toughest pieces I’ve ever seen. Filled with uneatable tendons that could not be cut. It was clearly a Select Cut of beef and should never be served anywhere on the ship, much less in the the queens grill restaurant. I gave the beef a second and third try and it never got better. • The things on the menu sound fancy, but the reality is way different. Examples include: o “Thai sticky rice” that is just basmati rice (they told us they don’t have sticky rice but are not allowed to change any names on the menu. o “Miso Grilled Aubergines, sticky rice and pickled cucumber kimchi” was literally a backed slice of eggplant with a coffee cup sized lump of basmati rice (definitely not sticky or flavorful). Even the waiter was embarrassed to serve it and suggested my wife try something else. What a scam. o “28-day aged USDA ribeye steak” that was so tough and grizzly that it would never be sold in the US or pass USDA inspection. I was a butcher and know very well this is Select grade or worse. Shame on you Cunard. o One if the worse things that happened was the candy they served at the end of the dinner had a bite eaten from one of the pieces. So gross. Do not eat any unwrapped candy anywhere on the ship. It was likely served to someone else first. Unbelievably cheap and gross. o All “Risotto” was made with basmati rice! o The osso bucco was all bone and had no eatable meat. I went to the lido buffet after dinner to finish my dinner. o I checked the Veranda Restaurant menu and saw the best steak they served was a “prime sirloin”. I tried to get it in the Queens grill and they say no. The Veranda Restaurant is a $49 per person up charge and the sirloin steak is another $20 upcharge. No steak house in the USA even serves sirloin steaks because they are so cheap and tough. What a scam Cunard is pulling off. HIGH TEA: service is the Main Hall (for anyone on board) is much better than the tea service provided in the princess grill for Grill Suite Members. The P Grill is all the same stuff as the main hall things, except the things in the main hall are served fresh and warm; waiters continually come around with fresh warn food. In the princess grill you have to order what you want from a menu, then they run downstairs 6 floors and reserve it on a nicer plate. By then it isn’t warm/fresh. Bottom line, the tea in the princess grill is not very good and you should go to the main hall on Deck 2. So sad I paid for a Queens Grill Suite. ⁃ ROOM: Room 8179 and any other room in the aft of the 8th deck sucks and is incredibly noisy and smelly of the ships smoke stake exhaust fumes. The noise begins with loud banging at 7:30 am every day as they position the pool deck chairs above on the 9th deck. After that banging of the chairs by the staff, then comes the banging and scraping of chairs from the people who use the chairs. Unbelievable that they offer these rooms as Grill Suite rooms. What a rip off. Special soaps and shampoos in the Grill Suite rooms are gone. Now you have big bottles of stuff with a push top. Cheap, cheap, cheap. COVID: Several hallways were blocked on each floor for covid and that made it hard to find our room at first. No issues after that and we heard they use the rooms for covid positive people and staff the come-on board for the first time (they were quarantined for 3 days). COVID protocols on board are dangerous, and I could not wait to get off the ship. They don’t monitor people that are covid positive, and it’s up to the people with covid to stay in their rooms. We saw people with covid at the purser’s desk asking for their rooms to be clean. Also, covid positive people leave their eaten food in the hallway and it sits there all day and night sometime. Totally sick, and Cunard should be held accountable for this mess. We rarely could use our balcony because so many people were on their balcony coughing and the wind blew in our direction (especially the day we went through the Panama Canal). SPA/GYM: Before we departed on our cruise the Cunard website for our cruise said we could buy a 20-day spa pass for $285. When we got on board it was $265 for 13-day pass (they said a new company just took over and they wouldn’t honor what the website said). Thank God we tried the spa before we bought a package for several days. It was terrible; dirty everywhere, almost no bubbles in the pool, and a two-person steam room available with only 5 hot stone chairs for people use. Worse thing about it is that you must schedule your session in advance (this is ridiculous). Also, the showers in the spa don’t carry conditioners for your hair and every shower was dirty and no one was there to clean. Also, no one ware their masks in the gym while covid was clearly everywhere on board. We also never saw anyone cleaning the Gym equipment. This forced us to only walk on the outside deck for exercise. The outside deck is much smaller the on the QM2 and this make it hard to walk with so many others trying to do the same thing. Dress Code: Worse thing that has changed is the dress code. Wearing jackets after 6pm, or formal wear on gala nights is not required or enforced and most people dress down (even in the grills). Very sad. Only a collared shirt is required now after 6 pm, and most only wear polo shirts. INTERNET: Internet was 30 per day for “premium streaming service” and 20 per day if you buy it for the compete trip. It was so slow it took 60 seconds for any webpage to load. I canceled it on day two. Again, false advertising, they said you could do video streaming and that it was 3 times faster than their normal service; what a bunch of BS. Later in the trip I repurchased it and had to beg for a daily refund every time it stopped working; they should automatically reimburse people if their service isn’t working. Total scam. Entertainment: Most of the evening entertainment was good. One comedian from the USA was terrible and totally bombed. Regarding the afternoon movies, on July 22nd, the movie in the main theater at 2 pm was grotesque; everyone walked out by 20 minutes into the movie. Shame on Cunard for hosting such grotesque trash in the main theater. It included a witch pulling out her own inners in front of a child and then showing this witch like child how to eat the inners on animals etc. SO SICK we left and nobody else remained. TOTAL INCOMPETENCE: The last week in our 29-day cruise they started charging us for drinks even though I showed them that I had a drinks package included and they were properly not charging me for drinks the first 22 days of the trip. Fighting with them daily over this totally ruined our trip. They even tried to tell me that the “drink package” on my documentation was only for water, and not alcohol. They finally realized it was their mistake and they got rid of the charges. Bottom Line: I want a refund for all the false and fraudulent advertising they sold me. Cunard has lost their way, and the leadership team onshore should be fired. They clearly lost focus of their Brand and are being run by their bean counters. So sad.

Was simply amazing Loved cabin.ship amenities, staff , bars and shows Food delicious Will book again soon

The cruise was fine until we both contracted Covid. Not informed prior to boarding Covid prevalent onboard, had we been given a choice we would not have embarked on this cruise. Cases soared to 300+ and Cunard were overwhelmed. No duty of care, supposed to receive welfare call each day, didn’t happen. No priority given to isolation guests for room service. Cunard washed their hands of us upon arrival in LA. No representative to meet us at the hotel in San Pedro. Covid positive guests were left to their own devices. The hotel was adequate but the food arranged by Cunard was disgusting. No support readily volunteered by the Shore Care Support team and Metro Cruise Services, impossible to get through to either one. Told the Shore Care Support team wouldn’t be available over the Jubilee bank holiday, but then told there would a skeleton service. A most distressing experience.

This was a wonderful cruise. This ship is absolutely stunning and the Bars, Night Clubs, and public space are simply at a level of luxury that all other cruise ships that I have sailed on are a distant second. My only wish is that more younger people would take to cruising. I cannot understand how the 30-50 year olds are not all over this ship. Bar's everywhere, day care 24x7 and a designated driver. I also don't know why cruising is not more attractive to singles. It seems perfect to me. You would think the cruise ship would have an open seating table at dinner for singles as a meet and greet.