on Jul 17, 2016

5 out of 5

Wonderful, Elegant, First Class treatment for budget travelers!

Sail Date: July 17, 2016

Reviewed: 10 months ago

Traveled As: Family (young children)

Cabin: 11011

I loved this ship! I have been on many "fun" ships, which I loved, but the experience on the Queen Mary 2 was totally different and cannot be compared.

The food was superior, the service was above and beyond anything I've ever experienced, the entertainment was top-notch, outstanding lectures, we loved the planetarium, the 3-D movies, we took fencing lessons (!), enjoyed the outdoor heated pool and the indoor solarium pool and hot tubs. The caption made excellent announcements at noon each day - full of interesting information and history. The Kid's Zone took my 5 year old grandson for 9 hours each day and he loved it!

We got across the Atlantic in 6 days with dolphin, flying fish and whale sightings along the way. The ship cut through the days with large ocean swells without anyone noticing . . . smooth as silk. Everyone was friendly and happy.

Cabin / Stateroom		Being on a budget, all 4 of us shared an inside cabin. We had never booked an inside cabin before, so we were not excited about it. We were on deck 11, at the very front of the ship. Here's why I would book this same room again in a heartbeat: We were right by the laundry room (FREE WASHERS AND DRYERS with ironing!!!), we were right by the indoor and outdoor observation decks. Since most cabins had private balconies, we had these huge areas all to ourselves - complete with a extra bathroom and all just a few steps from our cabin!!! AND - right by our room was a glass elevator overlooking the sea that very few folks on board the ship knew about. It was always available for us - we never had to wait! I thought I would hate have to sleep on an upper bunk, but I loved it! The mattresses were very comfortable. There was plenty of headroom, a personal reading lamp, shelf and cupboard, and it allowed me to be above the "crowd" in our room. The bathroom was larger than most other ships, and the storage space was adequate for the 4 of us - and we had lots of stuff. We saved a lot of money AND had a wonderful, comfortable time!
Embarkation and Disembarkation		We arrived early for embarkation, so we had to wait a bit, but we were processed efficiently. We appreciated the boarding ramps were not steeply sloped like some other ships. Our rooms were ready instantly - unlike other ships, and our baggage arrived promptly - unlike our other cruises. We choose to carry our own luggage off the ship, so we were among the first group to disembark. There was no waiting at all, we went though customs in a matter of minutes.
Ship Quality		Superior in every way.
Destinations and Excursions		No excursions, but coming into New York, under the bridge, seeing the Statue of Liberty, was an amazing experience.
Onboard Activities		We took fencing lessons each morning and the teacher was outstanding. I never thought I would ever do anything like this!
Children's Programs		Our 5 year old spent 9 hours a day in the Kid's Zone - because he wanted to! The staff is wonderfully attentive. The ship has an early dinner just for the children so they can be fed and returned to the Zone - allowing us to truly enjoy a relaxing dinner with the adults.
Entertainment		Absolutely fabulous!
Service and Staff
Food and Dining		Best food we've ever had on a cruise ship!

Southampton (London), England		We traveled all over Europe for 3 months with just 4 days in London. London was very crowded with lots of construction, but we did enjoy the free museums. We wished we had spent more time in Southampton. We took the National Express bus to get to the port, which was great!	5

Tip

Deck 11 staterooms at the front of the ship are the best! Access to wonderful things that other guests are just not aware of: The only glass elevators on the ship, the free laundry facilities, the indoor and outdoor observation decks, the extra bathroom, and a quiet location!!!