A first timers review of QM2

I found these forums very helpful when I was planning my QM2 journey so thought it might be of interest to some if I shared my thoughts on our very first voyage with Cunard;

Some background - We sailed on the Westbound Transatlantic from Southampton to New York on the QM2 on 13th July followed by a week in New York.

On board were me, 45 my husband, also 45, our daughter 17 and my mum, 66

We had 2 adjacent Britannia Cabins with Balcony

Whilst this was our first Cunard Cruise it wasn't out first cruise, we have previously sailed with Disney Cruise Line (5 Cruises) and NCL (2 Cruises) - with the exception of my mum who has only cruised with us once before on Disney Cruise Line.

First Impressions

Our first impressions from the terminal were very good -the ship from the exterior is magnificent and very much in keeping with the old ocean liners of old, our preference over the big white appliance like ships of many other cruiselines.

Boarding was pretty straightforward, a slightly different system than we are used to with Disney and not quite as efficient but Disney are masters at moving large amounts of people very efficently.

I can't compare to NCL as both times we've sailed with them we've been in a suite so no need to wait to board, you are escorted straight onto the ship.

So far so good!

Our first impressions on entering the foyer/lobby was lukewarm - we were expecting...wow!!! But in comparison with other ships there just wasn't the wow factor. It's all very nice but I think our expectations were off a little. We've mostly sailed on the Disney Magic and Disney Fantasy both of which are Art Deco ships, we expected the QM2 to be more beautiful, more authtentic but in comparison it Disney have nailed it here (have a look at some grand atruim pictures of these ships and you'll see what I mean).

We dumped our carry bags (which were mostly wine!) in our rooms which were stunning, couldn't fault them at all and headed for Kings Court - we were very impressed with the buffet and had the most tender lamb and stunning prawns. It's a little chaotic on the first day trying to find a table but it's been the same on every other ship on embarkation day. Waiter service for drinks was a little slow ....this did not improve over the week.

Dining

Apart from one bad steak (my mum) the food was excellent in every venue we ate in.

Compared to our experience elsewhere though the dining options are limited -not an issue for us as the quality of the food was so good, however if we'd been on for longer than a week I think I'd be looking for something different. That being said we didn't try the pop up restaurants as none were too our taste -if they'd had an indian option whilst we were onboard we'd have jumped at it!

Public Spaces

Again compared to other ships there seemed to be less bars/lounges etc and what there was was definitely aimed towards the older demographic -my mum felt like a young thing on this cruise.

We really liked the pub but it was always packed -luckily we got to know a couple of the waiters very well and as soon as we walked into the pub chairs would appear as if from nowhere! They aways managed to seat us -we made sure we refected this in the individual tips at the end of the cruise.

The Corinthia Lounge and Chart Room whilst very nice were just not for us -Corinthia had not atmosphere and the Chart Room tended to have a Jazz Band playing which, if like us you hate Jazz, isn't ideal. In both these venues the age group tended to be older than in the pub.

We loved G32 for it's cheesieness and had a couple of great nights here (excellent drinks service) but it was more a 'disco' than a 'nightclub' -again not disimilar from all cruiselines -if you want a cool nightclub you're probably not going to find it at sea :)

The Queens Room was just not for us - we are just not the right age demographic for ballroom dancing, being mid 40's to mid 60's but the older passengers seemed to like it. We went along thinking it would be nice to see the dancing but it was so old fashioned and stiff, not like on Strictly come dancing!!

Service

We couldn't fault the service and indeed had some exceptional service from the 2 lads in the pub and our dinner servers, however on the whole compared to Disney it's just not quite there. I even felt that the service on NCl was friendlier and warmer.

We had requested a table for 4 (as we always do) and this was the first time on any cruise that our request wasn't honoured -luckily we had fantastic table mates but I would have asked for it to be changed had we not been comfortable.

Entertainment

On the whole we felt the entertainment was geared towards the older passengers (Bridge/Bingo/Knitting!!)

but we're not the type of people that need to be entertained so it wasn't a big issue for us.

We did enjoy very much the lectures we attended and felt this was something other cruiselines could definitely to better.

Thw shows were just ok -a bit cheesy, not really our style but well done and the theatre is stunning.

Dress Code

This seems to be a hot topic on this forum but I'll be honest I was a little wary going on this cruise after reading some of the posts on dress code- I dress professionally every day for work and own some very nice gowns for formal events but still worried that I would be underdressed compared to all the finery I was going to encounter. My husband brought his Tux and a couple of nice tweed jackets and us ladies brought our nicest gowns and hoped for the best. ........I needn't have worried, we fit in just fine. I was expecting Society Wedding.... it's not anywhere close to that. I would say it's about the same level as Disney on Formal Night (NCL dont tend to have formal nights so more casual). So if you are reading this and worried about all the angst about dress code don't worry - it isn't really that formal, the majority of women were wearing what I would class as day dresses on formal night.

Costs

Onboard costs were suprisingly reasonable. We bought soda packages for all and a wine package (can't remember which one). I dirnk wine with dinner but outside of this love a few cocktails or mixed drinks and prices were pretty much what I'd pay on a night out in town so we were pleasantly surprised. That being said -they do add up.... I did miss the NCL all inclusive drinks package :)

We had initially been suprised at the cost of the cruise but realise that all Transatlantic cruises are less expensive due to the lack of port fees but still in comparison to this years DCL transatlantic we were delighted. That being said however, you get what you pay for, and I think from now on we'll pay the extra to cruise with Disney or Haven on NCL .

All in all we had a great time, we probably would sail Cunard again but it would have to be for the initerary and/or if there were specific lecturers we wanted to see. As for net year, we've already, since coming home booked both DCL and NCL cruises :)

Thank you for your review, KatieG73. Very complete and well-written. I'm glad that your family was able to enjoy the crossing, although you didn't choose to repeat. I notice you didn't mention the Commodore Club. Did you spend much time there?

Happy travels, wherever they may take you (on whichever line you choose)!

Chacon à son goût. I think the bars come in at about 14 or 15. That is plenty. At 66 I am sailing with smaller numbers and fewer free range children. Cunard and Holland America.

Thank you for posting your review Katie, it's good to hear that you had a great time.

Our first impressions on entering the foyer/lobby was lukewarm - we were expecting...wow!!!

You have a point here. This is the general problem with the most famous vessel in the world. Some people are expecting an out of this world luxury experience at a middle class price. Cunard's - quite brilliant - advertising strategy helps a lot in creating this misunderstanding.

A trip on the QM2 is very much a middle class experience, and anyone who seeks absolute luxury should think about chartering his own yacht instead.

Thank you for your review, KatieG73. Very complete and well-written. I'm glad that your family was able to enjoy the crossing, although you didn't choose to repeat. I notice you didn't mention the Commodore Club. Did you spend much time there?

 

Happy travels, wherever they may take you (on whichever line you choose)!

Hi Mark,

We did pop into the Commodore club couple of times but it was fairly quiet -not sure if this was because we were on late seating for dinner and it got busy later. Very nice space though and good cocktails :)

Chacon à son goût.I think the bars come in at about 14 or 15. That is plenty. At 66 I am sailing with smaller numbers and fewer free range children. Cunard and Holland America.

"Chacon à son goût" Absolutely and that's what makes it interesting :)

I'll let you into a secret - other than my own very well behaved child I don't really like children :) especially not noisy, badly behaved ones! But Disney does a great job of policing the adult only pools, bars and restaurants so that apart from things like the sail away party you could spend the entire cruise with very minimal interaction with children...our next cruise on DCL will be without our daughter as she's doing a stint of backpacking, so I intend to stay firmly in the adult only areas which are very extensive.

I do fancy trying Holland America as I've heard good things, possibly for Alaska but that wont be this year.

You have a point here. This is the general problem with the most famous vessel in the world. Some people are expecting an out of this world luxury experience at a middle class price. Cunard's - quite brilliant - advertising strategy helps a lot in creating this misunderstanding.

A trip on the QM2 is very much a middle class experience, and anyone who seeks absolute luxury should think about chartering his own yacht instead.

The thing for me is that had I not sailed with DCL prior I probably would have been blown away, but in comparison I just didn't get that goosebump feeling and my heart in my mouth.

But totally agree with what you say about Cunard's advertising, I was expecting out of this world and it wasn't -that doesn't mean it wasn't good, it was, very good, but it wasn't quite in the same bracket as say the likes of hotels/restuarants like Gleneagles, Celtic Manor or The Ivy, all of which I visit for events with work fairly regularly. I was breathing a sigh of relief to be honest as I had been worried I wouldn't be 'posh' enough :)

KatieG73- My first voyage was on the Volendam out of Vancouver to Alaska. What a first sailing! I was hooked. I did not want to leave the ship to visit the ports but I had to. The QM2’s TA round trip voyages make me happy. I have to work hard at doing nothing. I enjoy the slow pace, the lectures, daily Mass, the library, meeting new travel mates, cocktails, and dining. Viva la difference. Enjoy the sea!

Having sailed on both the QM2 and the QE, I have to admit to liking the QE better only because of the "straight forward routes" getting from point A to point B. On the QE everything is along a straight path, dining, entertainment, shops, Queen's Room. On the QM2 we were constantly going up and down staircases, around bends, etc. to get to the different venues.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed the QM2 as well.

Having sailed on both the QM2 and the QE, I have to admit to liking the QE better only because of the "straight forward routes" getting from point A to point B. On the QE everything is along a straight path, dining, entertainment, shops, Queen's Room. On the QM2 we were constantly going up and down staircases, around bends, etc. to get to the different venues. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the QM2 as well.

LewiLewi

We too found that sailing on the HAL Noordam once everything was situated on a particular deck from forward of the ship to the aft. Style of the ships being built those days. When we saw this same design it reminded us when the Elizabeth and Victoria was being introduced.

But ditto.....QM2 is still our favorite to sail on...

IMO a trip on the QM2 is very much like looking at the Mona Lisa painting: the whole experience depends on who is looking. :)

Nice one Cyril: I mean Ron really but it just slips off the tongue.

This thread brought back memories of a cruise I did earlier this year with Carnival...

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2018/02/09/carnival-dream-a-very-pleasant-surprise/

I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise but would never dream of making any comparison with a trans Atlantic voyage on Queen Mary 2 or any other Cunard ship for that matter.

Apart from actually being on a ship on the water there are no similarities whatsoever.

Horses for courses really and, on that point, who says Cunarders don't have fun...

My thanks to a Cunard Facebook group member for the production.

Love it ! :hearteyes: Where's that Like Button.