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Queen Mary 2 Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 48

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Queen Mary 2

6 Night Westbound Transatlantic Crossing (Southampton To New York)

Sail date: June 09, 2024

Ship: Queen Mary 2

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 months ago

Review summary

This trip from Southampton to New York was a bucket list trip for me and my husband. It was the most relaxing trip we have probably ever taken. It was much less formal than I expected, which some may find disappointing. The food was good although not as good as I anticipated. I would compare it to Celebrity. I guess I expected a step above that. Tea at the queen’s room was an experience. I was disappointed in the cabin. Having just recently returned from dry dock, I would expect the rooms to be updated. Additionally, multiple common area bathrooms were out of service for the entire trip or part of the trip. Communication also appeared to be an issue amongst the crew. Although we found several crew members/servers very outgoing and friendly, others appeared very withdrawn and disengaged When we first boarded we asked several crew if the planetarium was working. Some crew members told us they did not know it was previously down, some said they thought it was fixed, some just said they didn’t know. Ultimately, we were told to go to the purser’s desk and after 30 minutes or so found out it wasn’t working. Just seemed odd that crew wouldn’t have that information. This is a great ship to relax, meet people, talk, and perhaps get across the Atlantic cheaper than a flight. I really did enjoy my time on this iconic ship, however, I do not see this any more luxurious than celebrity or princess when it comes to accommodations or food.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
We were in Britannia club and were actually surprised we had priority boarding. Overall a smooth embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
The alternative dining options were also enjoyable.

Steakhouse at The Verandah

5 out of 5

Loved the meal here. My husband thought the cheesecake was fantastic. I will warn you that although we were a table for two, we were seated very closely between two other tables for two. In fact, we basically all chatted through most of dinner. When reserving you may want to ask about seating options depending on your preference.

Britannia Club Restaurant

4 out of 5

I thought the crew and service here was great. Joel and our assistant waiter (sorry I don’t have a name) were absolutely fantastic. Food was good. I only gave a 4 instead of 5 because I think I expected a higher quality from what I heard about Cunard. It was good food but not spectacular. No complaints though. Also not as formal as I expected. Collared shirt or suit ( suit on gala night) dress for women ( cocktail dress on gala night.

King's Court

3 out of 5

Ate here twice. Once on embarkation and after the second time decided to stick with restaurant or other venues.

The Golden Lion

4 out of 5

The atmosphere was nice. Can get quite busy, especially around lunch. Found some tasty beer. I did not particularly care for the fish and chips but that’s personal opinion.

Sir Samuel's

5 out of 5

Wonderful place for coffee or a light snack but gets busy. Vundla was absolutely great so say hi to him if you see him. He will make sure you get excellent service.

Commodore Club

5 out of 5

Good views. Gets busy before dinner so get there early if you want a cocktail. Get the Singapore sling.

Chart Room

5 out of 5

Comfortable seating. Great service. They make a great old fashioned.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
There were plenty of activities available but mostly we relaxed. It would be unfair for me to decrease stars based on not participating in these activities. We did afternoon tea multiple times, saw several trivia contests, heard about the speakers, saw the indoor pool and hot tub ( but did not take time). Activities were there but we chose not to participate.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
We had tea in the queen room several times. Great experience! Great musicians. Get there 20-30 minutes early. Also had the opportunity to see twelfth night. Great performance!

Royal Court Theatre

5 out of 5

Saw only one show but enjoyed it

Queens Room

5 out of 5

Enjoyed having tea here. Recommend getting there 20-30 minutes early

G32

5 out of 5

Here almost every night. Loved the band and d.j. No harsh flashing lights. Service can be a little slow when things are busy

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Our room steward was fantastic. We had a couple of very small issues with our cabin which were immediately corrected. Our dining room waiter and assistant waiter were attentive and friendly. Several other crew members stood out as being friendly, helpful, and engaging. Many others appeared withdrawn and disconnected. Overall, I think the crew is doing a fantastic job. I do think they need more crew/ waiters/bar staff.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
The ship itself is great as the iconic ocean liner it is. Planetarium was still down which was disappointing. No idea when it will be fixed. Chairs in all the lounges were comfortable and welcoming. Still trying to decide if the commodore club or chart room is the best place to sit and chat. The grand lobby creates a fantastic backdrop to any photo. Multiple issues with bathrooms in public/common areas

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
Size was good. Cabins need to be updated. Hairdryer is older style. I wish I had brought my own hair products (shampoo/conditioner). We did have a couple of issues with our cabin which were corrected very quickly. Extremely low water pressure in the shower day 1 and the sink stopped draining day 3 or so. Adequate closet space for all dresses/suits/formal wear. Be aware that there’s no charger next to the bed.

Ship tip

Get to tea 20-30 minutes early. Don’t stress about the formal dress

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
We arrived in New York 4 hours late due to some unexpected issues. That is not the reason for the 3 stars. After arriving, things seemed rather disorganized and took much longer than expected for a ship this size.
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8 Comments

Sogmoore     3 months ago

Thanks for sharing

javawoody     5 months ago

Thanks for the detailed review

HeavySeas     5 months ago

Awesome.......thanks for sharing your cruise experience and glad you enjoyed your cruise

bubbles60     5 months ago

Glad you had a wonderful time.

cruising2004     5 months ago

Thank you for your detailed review. Glad you had a wonderful cruise!

karlgrgurich     5 months ago

Great review. Thanks.

Skooby     5 months ago

Thanks for your feedback. Queen Mary/Cunard used to be a luxury line. It's no longer in that category. They're just a premium line now. Luxury lines would be like Seaborne, Crystal, Explora Journeys etc. Since it's the last oceanliner in the world, I hope it's not updated too much or it will lose its charm and end up looking like it's new sister ship Queen Anne.

TB654321     5 months ago

Thank you for this update!!