I don’t usually have expectations but, Cunard rates themselves very well and I expected top shelf everything. It was a disappointment.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
It was adequate with seating until boarding and pleasant staff at the Brooklyn pier.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
We did not use special restaurants; they seemed overpriced. Main dining food was good, but limited. My trout looked and tasted like salmon, but I didn’t complain. Service was good, but very impersonal. We usually chat with the dining staff. Only one young waiter was chatty and it was his first job. They served one piece of bread per meal. I suppose we could have asked for more, but chose to go by their restrictions. Service was occasionally , excruciatingly slow. For example: we were seated at 6:30 and we left shoe before 8 to go to the show. The dishes were uncleared and we skipped dessert.
The buffet was average; the area was reminiscent of my high school cafeteria and crowded. The pizza and pasta were the only highlights. The few waitstaff which appeared uninterested, had to be flagged for service, were slow and seemed always unhappy.
Room Service
5 out of 5
Room service was timely and done well by friendly wait staff. They had great apple pie !
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I played cards daily and my spouse did watercolor painting. The instructors for both were excellent . We enjoyed daily trivia. The afternoon tea was a mob scene if you could find a seat, but tasty. We did it once for the experience. The dance classes were well taught in a very crowded area. We did not do much in the casino so we could not say much about it. Slot machines gobbled our money with little payout. There were daily lectures, but e chose the above things, instead.
Pursers Office
2 out of 5
Personnel appeared poorly trained, not interested in offering solutions or both. Responses to questions were short, curt and not accurate.
Tour Office
2 out of 5
If it was not Curnard related, there was not help or suggestions.
Images Photo Gallery
5 out of 5
Extremely helpful. Linked photos from previous cruise which allowed us to select our favorite pictures. Provided advice and hands on help negotiating system to purchase desired photos.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The best entertainment was the ship’s dancers and singers. They were excellent. Other musicians and entertainers were fair.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Room Steward was the best part of the trip. He was friendly, efficient and seemed like the only person who wanted to be there, besides us. As mentioned, waitstaff was fair and the appearance of officers was rare and when seen, were distant and unfriendly.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship had interesting history, but the layout was confusing, even after 14 days. The ship was clean but very dated-rusty deck and veranda areas, peeling wallpaper, worn rugs and furniture. Technology was outdated and a a bit odd. We traveled on the Q Mary 2 and Q Victoria info continued to pop up on our devices.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We did East and west crossing in the same type of veranda cabin. They were well layed out and there was ample storage. The bathroom was adequate, clean and had the amenities. The veranda was fine, although rusty. Our cabin was ALWAYS clean.
Ship tip
Don’t get the basic drink package-it doesn’t include bottled water. Room service was outstanding-they bright a pitcher of water whenever asked and had the best dessert on he ship-apple pie. There was no extra charge for room service, but we always tipped the waiter.
We stayed in Southampton while the ship continued to Hamburg and re-embarked on its return. Southampton ws delightful. Lovely, clean, good restaurants, nice old town and friendly folks. We hired a car for the trips to Stonehenge and Winchester. Great trips, thanks to the head concierge at Leonardo Grand Harbor Hotel. Great hotel choice which we scheduled on our own. All of Southampton was our own scheduling.
Pre booked taxi in Southampton through Cunard, which never showed up. We waited an hour and flagged a taxi to the hotel. The ship never announced where the disembarking ramp was located, BUT we could stay in our room. We left before disembarkation time to find location of exit . We used Infinite Taxi which was great, but the Brooklyn off Pier is really confusing. Infinite puns us.
Your review is how I expect my upcoming voyages on Queen Mary 2 to be. I booked them as a way to travel across the pond and later to some islands I haven't been to in the Caribbean. Other than that I don't expect anything marvelous. I plan to have afternoon tea delivered to my room except one day just to see how it's done in the Queen's room. I also plan to eat at the buffet because I don't like meals served in restaurants because it takes too long and I actually like to eat dessert first to enjoy it. So I'll be in the buffet for sure. Their drink package is inferior to most cruise lines. I plan on buying bottled water and any other drinks as I go. One of my voyages goes to Hamburg too so thanks for your overview, and full review of the ship.
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