Smokeyham

I would say the buffet was better on Oceania. The selection in the dining room also seemed better on Oceania, but we enjoyed both.

Here is a review of our transatlantic crossing in Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York. Please feel free to ask any questions: Queen Mary 2 Cruise Critic Review – May, 2024 Brittania Club Balcony – A1 Cabin We thoroughly enjoyed our crossing from Southampton to New York. Prior to this our most recent cruise experience was on board the much smaller 700-passenger Oceania Insignia. While Queen Mary 2 is nowhere near the size of the mega-ships, we wondered how we would enjoy the 2,610 capacity Queen Mary 2. For a transatlantic crossing, with six days at sea, we found the ship to be large enough to have a nice variety of venues and entertainment without being overwhelmingly large. The ship itself is in very good shape. Other reviews talked about signs of rust and worn looking areas. We did not find this to be the case. Our cabin was in very good condition, and everything worked. Hint… to get the toilet flush button to work give it a quick firm jab, rather than a slow push. Britannia Club Class: We reviewed the various classes of accommodation/restaurants (Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill, Queens Grill) and chose the Britannia Club class and an “A1” category cabin within that category. We really liked the benefits of the Britannia Club Class. The priority embarkation bypassed a long line at Southampton (though the priority line was not well marked, and the signage did not indicate that it included Club Class). Having our own assigned table in the more intimate Club Class space, along with the same service staff, was a real benefit as there was often a queue at the entrance to the Britannia restaurant. Do be aware that there are no USB plugs on board. If you use a CPAP then a convertor to allow you to plug in both the beside lamp and your CPAP (as well as a USB for your phone) will be helpful to plug into the socket behind the bed. We bought the Wifi package and had solid service, even in our cabin, across the Atlantic. Speeds were typically around 20 Mbps; not blazing fast but good enough for most purposes. On Board Activities: In addition to the traditional bingo, trivia, etc. we really enjoyed the Cunard Insights enrichment lectures. On our voyage we had a retired Concorde pilot who talked about his own experience as well as looking to the future of passenger flight. In addition, we had a journalist who provided an interesting perspective into the death of Lady Diana. Also, there was a university professor providing a history and perspective on immigration into the United States. There were a wide variety of musical offerings, and it was fun to see how well attended the ballroom dancing was in the Queens Room, as well dancing in the G32 night club. We also attended a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company which was very well done. We were disappointed that the onboard planetarium was not working. The Cruise/Entertainment Director was not highly visible, which was absolutely fine with us. It was nice not having a barrage of announcements and attempts to sell things. A highlight of the crossing is the ship itself. We definitely noticed how steady she was in seas where we have noticed more movement on other ships. The historic nature of this liner was very evident, and we enjoyed the classic style of the ship along with the interesting history panels available around the ship. The library and public rooms were very comfortable and classically styled. Other passengers were interesting and well-traveled. Adherence to the Cunard dress code, definitely more formal than other lines especially on the transatlantic crossings, was very high. In conclusion, we highly recommend a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2, especially in Britannia Club Class.

Currently on board the Queen Mary 2 and our cabin attendant provided distilled water.

Currently on board the QM2. We brought an adapter to convert the one outlet to two outlets so I could use the plug behind the bed to plug in a CPAP and also the bedside lamp. I wish I had purchased an adapter that also had a USB outlet so I could also have my phone charging on my bedside table, to use as an alarm clock. In addition to the two American and Two British outlets visible in post #4's picture we also found two additional American outlets behind the kettle.

Just wanted to give a quick review of the Southampton Harbor Hotel, which we are staying at for three nights before a cruise. We have really enjoyed this hotel. Very comfortable room with heating and air conditioning that works well. There is a pool and hot tub on site. A small decanter of gin is provided. The restaurant and bar on the top (6th) floor provides lovely views over the Solent and we have enjoyed seeing ships arriving and departing. The hotel is adjacent to a marina which is pleasant to look at and walk around. Staff are very service oriented and helpful. There is a free shuttle to cruise terminals, but there is limited space, so sign up early. If you can't use that then there is taxi and Uber service, which are not too expensive. There is shopping and restaurants nearby (including a Tesco Express), but this is not within walking distance of downtown. The cost is also higher than other options.

I know this is an old thread, but we are in Southampton today and can see P&O's Britannia from our hotel room. As someone living in America, it would be interesting to try this line.

I love that this thread is still going! Hoping to hear many more crazy stories over the years.

Sending the bag to the hotel is a great idea! We will be in Southampton for two days prior to boarding, so this is a great solution. As you say, then you know that you have your bag.

Thanks for all of these great suggestions and information!

We are in the same situation, i.e. no dancing experience but want to give it a try. We will try to learn from YouTube dance lessons, though we live a long distance apart and so cannot practice together. My hope is that the reality of the situation is that there will likely be some "serious" dancers, but also enough people that are in a similar position to ours that we still give it a go.

Actually, this was posted March, 2023 (one year ago) for Star Trek VI. The information seems relevant for the Star Trek cruises and most will likely apply to future cruises. A friend works on these cruises and the information posted tracks with what she has told me.

Can anyone advise if waltz lessons are offered on the Queen Mary 2 on Transatlantic crossings? If so, when are they typically offered and is a sign up available/recommended? Thanks. P.S. We know it would be better to take these on land in advance, but our circumstances don't allow for this.

I know this is an older post, but I am still hearing good things about Dora The Explorer in 2024. Thanks for your recommendation.

Thanks so much. That is very helpful!

Thanks for that info. We are currently trying out a variety of cruise lines so have not yet settled on as our favourite so far. Our thinking is that we would like to find a good TA who will do a good job on both cruises and on land based trips, including securing good rates. We would like to have a one-stop shop where the TA would also make air bookings for us, but after reading the posts above it seems like some will no longer do air fares, and that is not critical to us.