QM2 Review: Transatlantic Crossing from a First-timer's Perspective

It has been a week since my return from my first ever transatlantic crossing and first time traveling with Cunard. I actually made a point to write a journal of this trip so that I may provide a review upon my return and am finally getting around to it. I hope this helps others who are curious about a trip, specifically a crossing, on the Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2. After the brief synopsis below, I will make entries journal-style, day by day, as I wrote them at time of occurrence [except omitting real names in order to provide anonymity]. I feel this will provide a similar effect to a "live from" thread; a type I much enjoy reading here on CC. After the daily accounts, I will provide a synopsis of thoughts at the end as well.

Any questions, feel free to ask. Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Background:

This trip consisted of myself [32 y/o] and DH [47 y/o], sailing westbound from Southampton to New York City on 20 September 2015 - 27 September 2015 in an inside Britannia-grade stateroom on Deck 5.

We flew from Boston to London a few days early to do some sightseeing as although it was my 4th trip to the city, it was DH's first [and in fact I hadn't been since 2006 so plenty had changed]. After touring London and Cambridge for a few days, we headed to Southampton via the National Express coach service on the morning on embarkation...this was extremely inexpensive, reliable, and only about 40 min longer than the train that costs 4 times as much.

10.37pm [GMT]:

"Just returned from dinner for the first time on QM2. What a gorgeous ship!! A mostly older, English passenger list will make for an interesting crossing. Of course, there are a smattering of Americans on board as well. Embarking in Southampton was fairly painless; we were on board by 1pm and our stateroom was ready immediately. Lunch in the King's Court was decent but the selection was quite small, especially for such a large ship. Everything on the ship is quite grand with wide halls and high ceilings in the public rooms.

Our dinner companions were lovely; C1 & R1 from London are celebrating 40 years of marriage. Another English couple, C2 and R2 along with an American doctor "N1" rounded out the bunch. Dinner was very good although similar in quality and taste to what we've had on Princess and Holland America Line. Maybe tomorrow will blow us away? Quite looking forward to afternoon tea tomorrow and a day of relaxation in the spa. We bought the 6-day spa pass for $105 in order to enjoy the facilities throughout the voyage. Up to Deck 7 for a cigarette now."

I'm enjoying reading your review and look forward to your next posting!

Thank you, Bostonjetset!

11.57pm:

"Another busy day at sea. We started with breakfast in the Britannia dining room. After breakfast we browsed around the bookstore and the library before I attended a lecture on the safety of flying by Ted McCourt. We spent about an hour and a half in the spa before going to afternoon tea. The tea service on QM2 is by far the best we have experienced at sea. Those scones are SO delicious!

Tonight was the 1st of 3 formal nights. We looked to smart in our tuxes but DH is really not a huge fan of dressing up so formally. I quite enjoy it though; how many chances does one get to dress in black tie? C2 and R2 ate dinner in TOdd English tonight so it was just R1 and C1 along with N1 at dinner with us. Conversation at dinner was mostly geared towards sharing past travel experiences. Most of the fellow passengers are quite well traveled and many are Cunard regulars. We've met far more repeaters on this line than newcomers, or at least it seems so.

The FOD [Friends of Dorothy] meetup had about 8 attendees today and of course we had another long chat with H1! DH is already in bed but I think I'll go up on deck for a little before turning in.

11.15pm:

"Today we had rugged seas with considerable motion throughout the ship. QM2 handles the ocean quite well though and thus it never got uncomfortable rocky. After breakfast we spent about an hour at the spa. We had lunch in the buffet again before I went to Admiral Lord West's lecture on the Falklands War. He was quite humorous and a very good speaker. My sleepiness got the best of my body though and I fell asleep about halfway through the talk! We went to tea in the Queen's Room again and then went to the library. I checked out Agatha Christie's "Dumb Witness" to read during the voyage. I also bought a nice hardcover coffee table book on the 175 year history of Cunard. As this is anniversary year, many "175" items are for sale on board.

The FOD meeting had a new man, R3, join us. DH wanted to take a nap so he didn't attend today. In addition to R3 and myself, H1 was there along with K1 and T1 from Philly in his formal kilt. It is an older crowed for sure but very friendly. Tomorrow there is a RADA performance of Pride an Prejudice which sounds delightful. There is also a lecture on the 4-stack ships of Cunard & White Star Line that I hope to attend."

10.57pm:

"Today was a pretty relaxing day. We went to the spa directly after breakfast since I wanted to hear Brian Hawley's lecture of the 4-stacked steamships. It was really a wonderful talk and he showed many older pictures of Lusitania, Titanic, and Olympic. Tomorrow he has another lecture about Cunard's foray into pleasure cruising during the 1950s and 60s. The talk is scheduled at 3.30 so we may have to skip afternoon tea. We also went to the RADA performance this afternoon but we both fell asleep. Perhaps TOO much relaxation make one more tired!

DH has been taking selfies all day trying to get a "perfect" picture. He did take a few that he appears quite handsome in. We both spent a couple of hours reading today...he in the Winter Garder and me out on deck to watch the sea go by. I really love how connected to the sea one feels on a transatlantic voyage. DH doesn't love it as much as I do but he does admit that it is a unique experience. We are a part of history now...joining the many before us who crossed the Atlantic on a famous ocean liner."

Are you second seating? We rarely have time for tea especially so close to first seating dinner.

11.39pm:

Today we ate breakfast in King's Court in order to try something new. It was not bad but I always feel that we eat more when using a buffet. Also, I did not see eggs Benedict which were wonderful in the Britannia dining room. After breakfast we went to the spa again for an hour as we waited for our laundry to wash. By the time we returned, another passenger had removed it and started to fold our wet clothes! [We must have misjudged the timing]. Luckily there was a dryer free at the time.

For lunch we ate in Britannia and DH actually said he liked the lunch selections better than dinner. We spent an hour or so after lunch reading and then I went off to Brian Hawley's lecture on cruising, which focused on the Caronia. He has some great pictures with his lecture; quite enjoyable. I had the chance to meet him after the lecture and he is a friendly sort.

The FOD meetup at 5pm saw no newbies this time. After the meetup we went back to the stateroom and watched an episode of Poirot on the laptop before dinner. Tonight at dinner we were joined by one of the on board lecturers, Ted McCourt, who gave the talk earlier in the week about the safety of flying. He was a delightful dinner guest and quite talkative. Also, tonight I had the most delicious main course of the trip so far. Chicken "supreme" with goat cheese and Parma ham inside. It was similar to a Cordon Bleu and was much more tasty than I anticipated. After dinner we went on deck for a smoke and then retired. Only two days remain and then it is back to the real world :( . "

I'm enjoying reading your review and look forward to your next posting!

 

Thank you, Bostonjetset!

Thanks for reading! :D

Are you second seating? We rarely have time for tea especially so close to first seating dinner.

Yes, we were second seating. We generally prefer later dinners and most always choose 2nd seating when on a ship. For QM2 I found it most beneficial as I would have hated to miss afternoon tea! HAHA.

Thanks for reading!

11.52pm:

"Today was a beautiful day with no lectures that interested me so we spent a lot of time outside. After breakfast in King's Court we lingered about a bit and then I went on the galley tour. It was a free tour on this shop; many other ships charge for any behind-the-scenes tours! Then I went for a swim in the outdoor pool on Deck 8 whilst DH swam in the indoor pool on Deck 12. We then had a delightful lunch in Britannia before going back to our books. I sat on Deck 8 to read but T1 was jogging around the deck and spotted me so stopped to chat. After bout 20 minutes, K1 saw us and sat down to join the conversation. Well, we ended up sitting there for an hour just chatting away so I barely touched my book!

DH and I went to afternoon tea at 4pm and ended up running into T1 there also so he sat with us for a bit. There was a terrific string quartet playing during tea. At 5pm we went to the FOD meetup and R3 showed up again...this time with his travel partner who must be considerably older. They are not in a relationship from what they said...maybe R3 is his companion? After FOD we spent ab hour in the spa before dressing for dinner.

C1 and R1 went to Todd English tonight so it was just the 5 us us this evening...DH and myself, R2 and C2, and N1. My meal was wonderful tonight! Escargots, cold pineapple soup, pheasant, and cherries jubilee. Best dinnertime meal during this crossing so far! After dinner we went to the Appassionata show which was quite good with many nice dancers.

11.17pm:

Last night on board. Our fabulous journey comes to an end tomorrow. This morning we once again ate breakfast in King's Court before having one last look through the book shop. We spent the rest of the morning reading so I could finish "Dumb Witness" and return it to the library before 2pm.

At noon, I attended Brian Hawley's final lecture on the original Queen Mary and her art deco decor. After that, DH and I had lunch in Britannia preceding the planetarium show that I attended myself as DH went to the spa. I should have joined him at the spa as the planetarium show was rather boring. It is, however, quite a novelty to have the only planetarium at sea. I then spent a while swimming and using the hot tubs on Deck 8 as DH stayed in the spa. I preferred being outside but he thought it too cold. We went to the FOD at 5pm to say farewell to everyone.

At dinner this evening, the whole party of 7 were in attendance in order to say goodbyes and exchange emails. A lovely chicken curry was served. After dinner we finished out packing and placed our luggage in the hall for the porters to collect. Tomorrow will be a busy day!

9.30am:

As our trip concludes we are sitting in the Queen's Room waiting to disembark. Now that the trip is finished, I hope to reflect back on these notes for years to come in order to relive this glorious voyage on the world's last great ocean liner. Until we meet again, QM2!

Thank you all for reading my quick first-hand account of my experience on the QM2. I hope you enjoyed the journal style format. I will give a synopsis of my general impressions below. **These are my own opinions based on my experience. Many things are subjective so please realize that your experiences may vary**

Ambiance/Decor:

Queen Mary 2 is by the far the most beautiful ship I have sailed on. She is truly a grand dame of the seas and all of her public rooms display this. The finishings and furniture in her public rooms recall the golden age of ocean travel and everything is tasteful, albeit someone conservative. There is an air of opulence and luxury even if, due to regulations, many of the "wood" surfaces are merely veneers. The only neon was in the disco where it belongs, unlike on other ships. Her artwork is unrivaled among mainstream liners, except perhaps for Holland America Line who also place a high value on good quality art for their ships...In fact many artists' works appear on both lines from what I've learned. The formality of the evenings only enhanced the elegant appearance of the ship. Before anyone asks, I'll point out that I did not see any dress code violators try and infiltrate the dining room or lounges. :D:cool:

Food:

Most dishes in Britannia were good with a few being excellent. I was not as blown away as I expected but I didn't have anything bad other than an inedible cut of lamb that was almost all fat; it was quickly replaced by a cut of prime rib that was superb though. I felt that the food on my Regal Princess sailing was as good, though, with Cunard having an edge on desserts in the MDR. I am sure those sailing in the Grills will have better reviews on the food. King's Court was better than I expected after reading all the King's Chaos reviews on CC hehe. We only ate breakfast or lunch there though, never dinner. The setup is indeed terrible as other have mentioned. Deciding on what options to choose is like a scavenger hunt through a maze. Hopefully something can be improved upon in the upcoming drydock. Afternoon tea in the Queen's Room was by far the best at sea. Classic service with wonderful scones and pastries.

Service:

Polite and unobtrusive would be the best way to describe the service on board. Staff was fairly formal and although friendly, they lacked the warmth of the HAL and Princess staff, IMO. No bad experiences were had and everything was pleasant though. Our dining stewards were wonderful and had a but more of that added warmth than other staff we encountered; I still believe that fixed dining really fosters a better environment for great service as you get to know the staff throughout the trip.

Activites:

There really is something for just about everyone on board QM2 unless one only looks for a party ship with rock walls and zip lines. The activities were more refined than other lines I've sailed [HAL is next, then Princess, then CCL/NCL] with classic music concerts, wonderful lectures, a great library, etc. The lack of hairy chest contests and endless announcements to spend money were most welcome! The pools/spa/Jacuzzis were terrific and there were indoor and outdoors options for all types of people. I really love the wraparound promenade and wish more ships still had them [again, HAL is the other exception to this].

Demographics:

The crowd is definitely on the older side. I am 32 and was clearly one of the youngest passengers on the ship. I believe I saw a handful [or two] of others in my age group. DH is 47 and even he too was among the younger people on board. That said, I enjoyed this aspect as there were almost no children [we counted TWO on the whole trip] and no rowdy college students. The passengers were mostly well traveled and interesting; delightful companions for a crossing.

Final Thoughts:

It was an amazing experience to cross the Atlantic on such a grand ship; a ship that will surely be remembered in history as her siblings before her were. This is a trip that any travel enthusiast should do at least once; it is an experience like none other. Cunard's limited fleet and itineraries would make it hard for me to chose them as my primary line to sail, however, I would definitely sail on the QM2 again, either for a crossing or a cruise. QV and QE are also on my radar for the future once I find the right itinerary at the right time.

Wonderful reading. Thanks for taking the time to record your thoughts and post them. I especially appreciated your comparisons to other cruise lines.

FYI, we loved our Mediterranean cruise on QV last summer. I think what you liked about QM2 extends to the other Cunard ships as well.

I enjoyed your review. Thanks for taking the time to write and to share this.

Keith

Thanks for taking the time to share your "Live from" & your synopsis.

Excellent review and reports of your crossing Bostonjetset, thank you for posting and sharing here :)

So very pleased that you had such a great time on board the amazing Queen Mary 2, I agree with your thoughts about her. She is unique; I am always excited at the thought of boarding once again.

Thank you again.

Many happy sailings for the future :)

What a great read! Thank you for posting!

Excellent review and reports of your crossing Bostonjetset, thank you for posting and sharing here :)

So very pleased that you had such a great time on board the amazing Queen Mary 2, I agree with your thoughts about her. She is unique; I am always excited at the thought of boarding once again.

Thank you again.

 

Many happy sailings for the future :)

What a great read! Thank you for posting!

Thank you guys for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed my review! :D

I enjoyed your review. Thanks for taking the time to write and to share this.

 

Keith

Thanks for taking the time to share your "Live from" & your synopsis.

It was my pleasure! Thanks for reading! :D

Wonderful reading. Thanks for taking the time to record your thoughts and post them. I especially appreciated your comparisons to other cruise lines.

 

FYI, we loved our Mediterranean cruise on QV last summer. I think what you liked about QM2 extends to the other Cunard ships as well.

You are welcome. Thank YOU for reading!

Glad to hear all of Cunard's ships have a similar atmosphere.

What a wonderful and detailed review. We share your feelings about QM2 and know you would love the other two Cunard ships as well.

It was a great report. I think you have inspired me to try the spa next time I'm aboard :)

Congratulations on becoming a Cunarder! I wish you and your DH many, many more enjoyable and relaxing crossings.

Happy Sailings!

Jimmybean

Thank you for taking the time & trouble to write your excellent review. It brought back some very happy memories of our crossing in 2011 and I'm still working on when We can go on our next one.

It cannot come too soon...

Thank you for posting. I shall see "The Lady" in just over 3 weeks. The crew are more reserved than on Princess but when you are on longer for just a week or go back yearly they get to know you as you get to know them.