We've sailed on the QM2 before and wondered if it would lose its lustre but it is still as good as before. A really elegant ship which makes you feel like you could be in the 1930s (without the Depression)
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The sitting around at Southampton is a pain, but the staff are unfailingly polite and once you're through security (which bears no resemblance to airport security - they smile!) and on the ship it's all forgotten.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We ate in the Britannia Restaurant every night and couldn't fault either the food, the staff, or the service. our sommelier, Cristian, knew our price range and selected some excellent wines for us. Breakfast in the Kings Court was a bit busy although that's to be expected, but the range and quality of food was amazing and they never seemed to run out of anything. Afternoon Tea served in the Queens Room is a must but don't eat much lunch beforehand as the tiny sandwiches, cakes and scones just keep on coming until you're nearly bursting.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Didn't partake in too much heavy activity - the pool and jacuzzis were lovely to sit in and watch the Atlantic as far as the eyes could see. The library is very well stocked with interesting books; we didn't do any pub quizzes or bingo this time. Cunard voyages aren't really about high octane fun and energy though - and that's why I like them!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The lecture speakers were a bit hit and miss, Brian Hawley (history of Cunard Liners) was very interesting and engaging, Sheona Urqhuart (Royal Astronomical Society) also good. On the downside, Robert Dietz (CIA/NSA/Espionage) was snoresville on what could have been an interesting subject.
Roy Walker (Comedian) we felt we must see because he was on TV when I was a child, but his humour was very dated and borderline racist; it was disappointing as I thought he could have done stories from his career which might have been interesting but he seemed to want to relive his time on The Comedians.
The Cunard Singers were a mixed bunch - two good female voices, one good male voice and one pretty flat male voice. Also, the stage shows and musical material feels very Butlins/end of the pier type stuff, not what you'd expect from a higher end line like Cunard. This has always been the case when we've sailed with them so we weren't surprised - and the theatre was busy so some people obviously like it - but it still puzzles me why that's the way they go.
At the other end, the live music in the bars was uniformly excellent - string trio, harpist, pianist all made pre (and post!) dinner drinks a joy. The house orchestra and band were also great and really made the gala black tie nights even more special with their excellent musicianship and vocalists. Purple Haze - the ship's more popular music band - were also good and meant you could enjoy live modern music too
Children's Programs
No children with us!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Cunard's staff service are always excellent and everyone is polite and friendly without being overfamiliar. They really make you feel special.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
First time on the ship since the refit; and it looks great for it. Nice new carpet designs and new stateroom furniture but not losing any of the grandeur of the spaces that makes the QM2 such a special ship. I never really had a problem with the old Kings Court but the new layout does seem to make it easier to navigate, and it was easier to find seats than i recall from last time. The ship is always clean without seeming to be constantly being cleaned
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Stateroom sizes are pretty decent on Cunard. No noticeable noise from elsewhere. I don't know if the showers are bigger or if I'm confusing them with another ship - but the bathrooms certainly seemed well sized. There is no view due to have a lifeboat positioned right outside the balcony but we knew that before we booked, and it saved us a bit of money. On a transatlantic there's not a huge amount to see from day to day so not really a problem for us. Cabin Stewartd Edwin was brilliant - our room got cleaned as soon as we were out in the morning and we never saw him hovering. Clever man!
Ship tip
Make sure you take enough clothes to be able to use the whole shop in the evening - you can not dress up and stay in certain parts but why do that when you can enjoy the whole thing and feel special in your DJ?
Love New York. It's so amazing and frenetic and there is so much to do - even now we have only scratched the surface. We had warm weather too which made ti even more glorious
Terrible queues at US Immigration - Cunard were as helpful as they could be and let us stay on the ship for as long as possible but as we were a bit late docking and they needed to get us off to embark the return journey we all ended up sweating in a warehouse while people from the cruise terminal rearranged queues.
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