Princess Grill - Transatlantic - A review from a first timer.

[Whitemarsh]

I've never been on a cruise before so the Oct 1st 2010 transatlantic from Southampton to New York was my first crossing. I've always enjoyed reading other people's reviews so I thought I'd add mine to the mix. I hope you enjoy it.

 

The night before Robin (my partner) and I stayed at the Novotel in Southampton after catching the train from Waterloo station. For those of you that are interested, the Novotel is a perfectly acceptable hotel however it doesn't have air-conditioning so I probably wouldn't stay there during summer.

 

Anyway, when I woke up and looked out the window the QM2 was literally almost right outside at a nearby wharf! This was most unexpected as our e-tickets said that we were embarking at the Ocean Cruise terminal which was much further away.

 

Our tickets said we could board at midday so we made our way (via taxi) to the QM2 at about 11:30. It was raining and the terminal building blocked most of our view of the ship itself. When we got in the building we went to the Grill/Diamond guest check in area and got our swipe cards. We were expecting them to take our picture and we thought they would be on our cards but they weren't. We did wonder how they would know if someone pinched your card and ordered drinks or went on a shopping spree but we eventually decided that the picture of the guest must come on the cash register till - we think.

 

For those of you that are wondering if Grill guests get a different kind of card to Britannia guests, the answer is no. Not that we could make out anyway. We did meet people during the voyage that have traveled before and they have Silver, Diamond or Platinum down the side of their card (depending on the number of cruises) but that's the only difference.

Holding our Red boarding cards we went and sat in the terminal. We had been expecting something a bit nicer but we really didn't care as we were so excited. The only off-putting thing was this woman that kept staring at us (we're a gay couple - so we're terribly interesting:rolleyes: ).

 

Guests (we're apparently not passengers anymore) who need wheelchair assistance have porters there to push them around. We overheard one of them talking about the late minute charge of terminal and that's when we realised that we weren't at the usual terminal. So the general blandness of the terminal made sense.

 

We saw a mixed crowd of people. Young, old, middle aged - more old people. 90% of the crowd had made an effort with their appearance which was nice. And yes, we include ourselves in that 90%:D . We saw a lot of people with green boarding cards with the letter A on them and we resigned ourselves to waiting a long time to board. We listened to the multiple announcements about boarding being staggered depending on the colour and letter of your boarding pass.

 

When they announced they were ready to commence boarding all the porters pushed their wheelchair guests up to the entry gate in anticipation. We couldn't believe it when the colour and letter they read out for first boarding was ours! "That's us" I exclaimed to Robin who was already making his way to the entry door, as was 'starey lady' and her husband (as I called her for the rest of the voyage). We got to board before the wheelchair guests which was different as normally they always go first.

 

Everyone kept checking our card. About five people stopped us (and everyone else) at different points and checked and rechecked our cards. We stopped and had our picture taken as directed. And I really do mean as directed. "Drop your bags" was the order and we complied but really I wasn't up to a Hollywood smile as I just wanted to get on the ship.

I've waited for this moment for so long and words can't describe how exhilarated I was to finally board the QM2 and stand in the lobby. The ship looked amazing. I wanted to stand around and take pictures and movies but Robin wanted to go to the cabin straight away so we headed to the lifts and went up to deck 10. Nothing prepares you for how long the corridors are. It reminds you of an 'Alice in Wonderland' corridor with the miniature looking door far in the distance. It's truly incredible.

 

Our stateroom number was 10050 which is on the port side. It looked exactly like the pictures on the website and looked lovely with all the lights on. We were very impressed with our cabin. It was really spacious and there was plenty of cupboards and storage space. The walk-in-wardrobe was awesome and the bathroom with bathtub was huge. I can honestly say we never felt the slightest bit cramped in our cabin. Everything was very clean and there was a bottle of champagne and some chocolates waiting for us. There was also a bowl of fresh fruit which was changed regularly - I really liked this.

 

We unpacked and put everything away. There was a card on our table about some kind of credit but I didn't know what it meant so I binned it. We went out onto the balcony which was very spacious and admired the view. I was pleased to be on deck 10 instead of deck 9 as those orange lifeboats are quite garish and deck 9 is probably too close for comfort.

To sum up our cabin it was heaven. It was spacious, bright and clean with a lovely colour scheme. We loved it. I miss it even now. BTW - the TV was a flat screen. I remember some people in previous posts had been commenting on the old TVs on QM2.

 

There were two additional cards with information about our restaurant and steward. Our steward's name was Edwin and our restaurant was the Princess Grill. The restaurant card told us to take the card with us and take it to the restaurant. We knew the restaurant would be open for lunch so we went down. On the way we met Edwin who was very pleasant.

 

At this point I want to comment on how friendly and polite the crew were. Every single crew member we came across, whether they were cleaning something or carrying something, acknowledged us and said hello in a friendly manner. I've read numerous posts about bad service on the QM2 but we only received excellent service from everyone we interacted with.

The dining room wasn't open yet (it wasn't 13:30) so we toured the ship. Loved the Queens room and the Britannia dining room. G32 looked great and the Chart Room was amazing. I think I like this room the most out of all the public spaces. I'm not sure why, it just worked and looked great.

 

We went back to the Princess Grill and handed our card to the Maitre D. He advised someone we were at table 35 and they escorted us down the long corridor of the restaurant to our table. Along the way there are staff standing there who smile and say hello. This was a really nice touch. We loved our table! It was all the way down the back of the restaurant near the big windows that look out of the rear of deck seven. We had asked for a table for six and our table was one of two tables for six in this area. We really like ours because from the places we chose (as there was no one else at the table) I could see all the way down the corridor into the hustle and bustle of Kings Court from one direction and from the other I had a panoramic view out on to deck seven.

 

Our waiters came up and introduced themselves. We met Wendy (male) and Ronaldo. They were very polite and friendly and made a point of introducing themselves as our waiters. We also met the wine Sommelier (who's name I forget). There was also a man who they nicknamed 'Tiny' as he was over six foot. We didn't interact much with him, I think he's the junior waiter or something. He was nice but we really interacted much more with Wendy, Ronaldo and the wine guy.

 

I want to say right now that the service we received in the Princess Grill was amazing. It was first class - outstanding. I cannot say enough nice things about the wait staff in the PG - they really made the trip for us.

Lunch was delicious and we went back to our room after being slightly disappointed that no one else from our table turned up for lunch. Having read about the Soda card we went and purchased one from the Wintergarden (about the only thing we did in this room - they really should think about doing something else with the space). Then we went and checked out the Commodore Club which was pretty cool.

 

Then it was time to depart and the ship started to move. We went up onto deck 12 (from memory) where the sail away party had been moved indoors because of the rain. It was pretty cheesy with a Caribbean band adding to the forced gaiety. After spending a couple of minutes there were went outside and walked around the deck and then went up the stairs to the little deck which is a kind of viewing platform. It was very busy. We did get the see the Ocean Terminal which looked a lot nicer than the one we were at.

 

We then went downstairs and started to get ready for dinner. Tonight's dress code was 'Elegant Casual'. We decided to wear our suits and be done with it. Walking into the PG restaurant at night you really get the impression that dinner is an event. The staff were lined up on either side of the corridor and smiled and said 'good evening' as we walked down the long corridor. You really do feel like royalty walking in - it's quite special.

Wendy gave us our menus and mentioned that tonight was just the normal menu. We thought the menu looked pretty special anyway but it wasn't until the next couple of nights that we realised what he was talking about - the menus get better with way more options - obviously embarkation day is a standard menu.

 

After we finished our appetizers we meet the first of our table companions (PG being open seating so people turn up when they please). Chris (female) and Lou were from Chicago and were on this voyage as part of a holiday to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. They were very nice and we did the introductory conversations you do when you're meeting people for the first time. Later the remainder of our table turned up. They were a German couple who had been delayed getting to Southampton (the boat had left a bit late because of this). They were not friendly and what little conversation the table had with them was forced and felt like it had to be dragged out of them - and yes they could speak English. Eventually we just ignored them and talked with Lou and Chris. Dinner was great and we really enjoyed our first meal.

 

Regarding the price of wine onboard we thought it was very reasonable. We averaged a bottle every two days and were very pleased with the selection and range - there was even wine from Australia.

 

When we returned to our room our bed had been turned down and the curtains drawn. The bathroom cleaned and towels replaced. Edwin was great the whole voyage and did an excellent job. We even had dry cleaning returned that night which I'd put a bag prior to going to lunch (my holiday commenced three weeks prior). Considering that the dry cleaning sheet says same day if collected before 9am I was pretty impressed with this.

 

All in all we loved the first day on board. The staff were great, we loved our cabin, the food was excellent and everything was pretty fantastic.

[jozi]

thanks for this lovely post. please continue posting your travelogue!!

 

I've never been on a cruise before so the Oct 1st 2010 transatlantic from Southampton to New York was my first crossing. I've always enjoyed reading other people's reviews so I thought I'd add mine to the mix. I hope you enjoy it.

 

The night before Robin (my partner) and I stayed at the Novotel in Southampton after catching the train from Waterloo station. For those of you that are interested, the Novotel is a perfectly acceptable hotel however it doesn't have air-conditioning so I probably wouldn't stay there during summer.

 

Anyway, when I woke up and looked out the window the QM2 was literally almost right outside at a nearby wharf! This was most unexpected as our e-tickets said that we were embarking at the Ocean Cruise terminal which was much further away.

 

Our tickets said we could board at midday so we made our way (via taxi) to the QM2 at about 11:30. It was raining and the terminal building blocked most of our view of the ship itself. When we got in the building we went to the Grill/Diamond guest check in area and got our swipe cards. We were expecting them to take our picture and we thought they would be on our cards but they weren't. We did wonder how they would know if someone pinched your card and ordered drinks or went on a shopping spree but we eventually decided that the picture of the guest must come on the cash register till - we think.

 

For those of you that are wondering if Grill guests get a different kind of card to Britannia guests, the answer is no. Not that we could make out anyway. We did meet people during the voyage that have traveled before and they have Silver, Diamond or Platinum down the side of their card (depending on the number of cruises) but that's the only difference.

Holding our Red boarding cards we went and sat in the terminal. We had been expecting something a bit nicer but we really didn't care as we were so excited. The only off-putting thing was this woman that kept staring at us (we're a gay couple - so we're terribly interesting:rolleyes: ).

 

Guests (we're apparently not passengers anymore) who need wheelchair assistance have porters there to push them around. We overheard one of them talking about the late minute charge of terminal and that's when we realised that we weren't at the usual terminal. So the general blandness of the terminal made sense.

 

We saw a mixed crowd of people. Young, old, middle aged - more old people. 90% of the crowd had made an effort with their appearance which was nice. And yes, we include ourselves in that 90%:D . We saw a lot of people with green boarding cards with the letter A on them and we resigned ourselves to waiting a long time to board. We listened to the multiple announcements about boarding being staggered depending on the colour and letter of your boarding pass.

 

When they announced they were ready to commence boarding all the porters pushed their wheelchair guests up to the entry gate in anticipation. We couldn't believe it when the colour and letter they read out for first boarding was ours! "That's us" I exclaimed to Robin who was already making his way to the entry door, as was 'starey lady' and her husband (as I called her for the rest of the voyage). We got to board before the wheelchair guests which was different as normally they always go first.

 

Everyone kept checking our card. About five people stopped us (and everyone else) at different points and checked and rechecked our cards. We stopped and had our picture taken as directed. And I really do mean as directed. "Drop your bags" was the order and we complied but really I wasn't up to a Hollywood smile as I just wanted to get on the ship.

I've waited for this moment for so long and words can't describe how exhilarated I was to finally board the QM2 and stand in the lobby. The ship looked amazing. I wanted to stand around and take pictures and movies but Robin wanted to go to the cabin straight away so we headed to the lifts and went up to deck 10. Nothing prepares you for how long the corridors are. It reminds you of an 'Alice in Wonderland' corridor with the miniature looking door far in the distance. It's truly incredible.

 

Our stateroom number was 10050 which is on the port side. It looked exactly like the pictures on the website and looked lovely with all the lights on. We were very impressed with our cabin. It was really spacious and there was plenty of cupboards and storage space. The walk-in-wardrobe was awesome and the bathroom with bathtub was huge. I can honestly say we never felt the slightest bit cramped in our cabin. Everything was very clean and there was a bottle of champagne and some chocolates waiting for us. There was also a bowl of fresh fruit which was changed regularly - I really liked this.

 

We unpacked and put everything away. There was a card on our table about some kind of credit but I didn't know what it meant so I binned it. We went out onto the balcony which was very spacious and admired the view. I was pleased to be on deck 10 instead of deck 9 as those orange lifeboats are quite garish and deck 9 is probably too close for comfort.

To sum up our cabin it was heaven. It was spacious, bright and clean with a lovely colour scheme. We loved it. I miss it even now. BTW - the TV was a flat screen. I remember some people in previous posts had been commenting on the old TVs on QM2.

 

There were two additional cards with information about our restaurant and steward. Our steward's name was Edwin and our restaurant was the Princess Grill. The restaurant card told us to take the card with us and take it to the restaurant. We knew the restaurant would be open for lunch so we went down. On the way we met Edwin who was very pleasant.

 

At this point I want to comment on how friendly and polite the crew were. Every single crew member we came across, whether they were cleaning something or carrying something, acknowledged us and said hello in a friendly manner. I've read numerous posts about bad service on the QM2 but we only received excellent service from everyone we interacted with.

The dining room wasn't open yet (it wasn't 13:30) so we toured the ship. Loved the Queens room and the Britannia dining room. G32 looked great and the Chart Room was amazing. I think I like this room the most out of all the public spaces. I'm not sure why, it just worked and looked great.

 

We went back to the Princess Grill and handed our card to the Maitre D. He advised someone we were at table 35 and they escorted us down the long corridor of the restaurant to our table. Along the way there are staff standing there who smile and say hello. This was a really nice touch. We loved our table! It was all the way down the back of the restaurant near the big windows that look out of the rear of deck seven. We had asked for a table for six and our table was one of two tables for six in this area. We really like ours because from the places we chose (as there was no one else at the table) I could see all the way down the corridor into the hustle and bustle of Kings Court from one direction and from the other I had a panoramic view out on to deck seven.

 

Our waiters came up and introduced themselves. We met Wendy (male) and Ronaldo. They were very polite and friendly and made a point of introducing themselves as our waiters. We also met the wine Sommelier (who's name I forget). There was also a man who they nicknamed 'Tiny' as he was over six foot. We didn't interact much with him, I think he's the junior waiter or something. He was nice but we really interacted much more with Wendy, Ronaldo and the wine guy.

 

I want to say right now that the service we received in the Princess Grill was amazing. It was first class - outstanding. I cannot say enough nice things about the wait staff in the PG - they really made the trip for us.

Lunch was delicious and we went back to our room after being slightly disappointed that no one else from our table turned up for lunch. Having read about the Soda card we went and purchased one from the Wintergarden (about the only thing we did in this room - they really should think about doing something else with the space). Then we went and checked out the Commodore Club which was pretty cool.

 

Then it was time to depart and the ship started to move. We went up onto deck 12 (from memory) where the sail away party had been moved indoors because of the rain. It was pretty cheesy with a Caribbean band adding to the forced gaiety. After spending a couple of minutes there were went outside and walked around the deck and then went up the stairs to the little deck which is a kind of viewing platform. It was very busy. We did get the see the Ocean Terminal which looked a lot nicer than the one we were at.

 

We then went downstairs and started to get ready for dinner. Tonight's dress code was 'Elegant Casual'. We decided to wear our suits and be done with it. Walking into the PG restaurant at night you really get the impression that dinner is an event. The staff were lined up on either side of the corridor and smiled and said 'good evening' as we walked down the long corridor. You really do feel like royalty walking in - it's quite special.

Wendy gave us our menus and mentioned that tonight was just the normal menu. We thought the menu looked pretty special anyway but it wasn't until the next couple of nights that we realised what he was talking about - the menus get better with way more options - obviously embarkation day is a standard menu.

 

After we finished our appetizers we meet the first of our table companions (PG being open seating so people turn up when they please). Chris (female) and Lou were from Chicago and were on this voyage as part of a holiday to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. They were very nice and we did the introductory conversations you do when you're meeting people for the first time. Later the remainder of our table turned up. They were a German couple who had been delayed getting to Southampton (the boat had left a bit late because of this). They were not friendly and what little conversation the table had with them was forced and felt like it had to be dragged out of them - and yes they could speak English. Eventually we just ignored them and talked with Lou and Chris. Dinner was great and we really enjoyed our first meal.

 

Regarding the price of wine onboard we thought it was very reasonable. We averaged a bottle every two days and were very pleased with the selection and range - there was even wine from Australia.

 

When we returned to our room our bed had been turned down and the curtains drawn. The bathroom cleaned and towels replaced. Edwin was great the whole voyage and did an excellent job. We even had dry cleaning returned that night which I'd put a bag prior to going to lunch (my holiday commenced three weeks prior). Considering that the dry cleaning sheet says same day if collected before 9am I was pretty impressed with this.

 

All in all we loved the first day on board. The staff were great, we loved our cabin, the food was excellent and everything was pretty fantastic.

[Oahucruiser]

A joy to read about such a positive experience! Please continue.

[Salacia]

Hey Margatebne, high praise indeed for the QM2 staff. Glad to hear you and Robin enjoyed your first night on board QM2. Next time, mix it up a bit and have dinner in Britannia with us rowers:D - Cheers, Salacia

[heywood]

Thanks Margatebne for the first part of the review (hoping that there is more :D).

 

What struck me is your experiences with staff are exactly what we experience in Britannia. All staff are so friendly wherever you meet them on the ship. It does make you feel special.

 

We heard a little about Wendy at weekend when we met up for our local meet :)

[north east girl]

Hi Margatebne, We had just vacated table 35 that morning after our 12 day med trip.

 

You are right about the waiters in PG, Ronaldo, Wendy and Dino (tiny) are the best. Abilado the wine waiter was very helpful when we needed help choosing a nice wine.

 

Sounds like you are going to have a great time on QM2, please let us know how got on.

 

All our table mates were great, ourselves from the north east England, a couple from Essex and a very nice couple from Germany. We all had a great laugh once we had got to know each other.

 

Catherine.

[BritNavyGal]

What a wonderful review, it was lovely reading such a review as if we were dining in the PG ourselves. When I was reading your description of walking down to table 35 I was right there with you! Thank you again for your review. She is such a beautiful ship, we cannot wait to sail on her again. (The dresses are hung and ready to go.. :))

[Whitemarsh]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

 

Well day 2 started out okay until breakfast. I haven't mentioned this before but during the night the ocean started the get quite rough and the boat was really moving. This really surprised me as I had expected a large ship like the QM2 to be almost motionless, except in really big seas, but I have to say that she pitches pretty good in 'moderate seas'.

 

We liked the information channels on the TV that showed you exactly where you where on your voyage and what the weather conditions where. But I digress. The waves were quite choppy and the QM2 was pitching. At dinner the night before you could see and feel the stern rise - it was quite an experience.

 

The next morning the seas were still big. As 10050 is in the middle of the ship we didn't really feel much pitching - it did sometimes feel like the smoothest part of the ship. Going to sleep was like being in a big cradle and you soon got used to being rocked to sleep.

 

We had previously decided to have breakfast in our room each day and so had filled out the breakfast card the night before. Breakfast arrived on time and I tipped the person a dollar (because I read on here that's what you're supposed to do). The breakfast itself was hot and everything we had asked for was there. Unfortunately we didn't really like the breakfast and so only ate about half. At this point we were both starting to feel a bit sick so I honestly don't know if the breakfast was that bad or it was our seasickness that was impacting. In any case we decided then and there to eat breakfast in the PG from then on.

 

BTW we had purchased seasickness tablets from Boots chemist at Southampton prior to boarding. I had taken one 30 minutes before getting on board and one just before going to bed. Unfortunately they didn't really seem to be working.

 

On embarkation day the Canon Ranch Spa has an open day and we toured the facility and booked a couple of treatments. We booked a double Canyon ranch massage (that's both of us in the room getting massaged at the same time) and I booked a ashiatsu (being massaged with the person's feet) for the following day. Robin also booked a haircut.

 

I will just say right now that we didn't really think the massages were anything special, and quite frankly they are very expensive. Robin did however like his haircut and I have to say it is one of the best he's ever had. We also then booked pedicures and manicures and we enjoyed them much better than the massages - and they are cheaper too!

So my tip (and what we will do next time) is book manicures, pedicures and haircuts but give the massages a miss.

 

After the massages and Robins haircut we both ended up in our cabin feeling very sorry for ourselves. I'm not sure if we're both just big babies but the movement of the ship was really pronounced. After a quick lie down we went up the Commodore Club. Big mistake. I don't know how anyone can stay in this room when the seas are bigger than 'slight'. It's like a bouncy castle up there. We did meet this awesome Australian couple who didn't feel the slightest bit seasick and they urged us to go and get the seasickness injection.

 

We decided to take their advice and I went down to the ships medical centre to get the shots. They were closed so I rang the emergency phone. After explaining to the nice lady on the phone that it wasn't an actual emergency, but I was feeling quite sick, she advised me to go to the Pursers’ desks and purchase seasickness tablets for $10.

 

Best advice ever. These worked much better than the chemist ones did and by about 3:00pm we were feeling well enough to go down to the Chart room and have a coke. By the way, the soda card doesn't include coffee. I had purchased one because we thought it did. We're not huge soft drink drinkers so I probably wouldn't get one of these again.

 

At 3:30 we decided to go and have afternoon tea in the Queens Room. When we arrived the place was full and there were no seats. Obviously more experienced cruisers know to arrive prior to 3:30. So we decided to go up to the Queens Grill lounge and have afternoon tea there. Great decision. We found a seat and the service was amazing. There was always someone offering you a wide selection of cakes and sandwiches and refilling your tea. We did wonder if the service if the Queens room would be as prompt and efficient (based on how busy it was and the size of the room) and we decided to just stick with the Queens Grill lounge for afternoon tea for the rest of the crossing.

 

Starey lady and her husband was there again. Robin watched her after I pointed her out and after a while he observed that she stared at everyone in the same manner that she had stared at us at Southampton. When we left Robin made a point of smiling and saying goodbye and she smiled back and said goodbye. For the rest of the crossing whenever we saw her and her husband we smiled and nodded and it shows how first impressions can be wrong. I certainly misjudged her. But she should reign in the staring, it can be a little uncomfortable for the recipient. :o

 

The excitement for tonight was the first formal night. By six thirty we were both in our tuxes and heading down to the PG. Again the same magical experience as before with the staff on either side of the corridor (or PG runway as we also called it) welcoming us and saying hello. It was really great to see everyone in their tuxedos and gowns. The restaurant was only a quarter full (most nights it didn't really get pumping till about 7:30).

 

When we arrived at our table we were advised that the German couple would be dining at Tod English this evening - awesome news which put us in a really good mood. Wendy (the waiter) was correct, the menu was much bigger and had way more options.

 

I cannot say enough great things about Wendy & Ronaldo. Wendy remembered our coffee preferences and slowed the pace down at our request. I'll explain this - we found the pace on the first night quite fast. You'd finish your appetizer and 4 minutes later your main would arrive. So this night we explained to Wendy that we're in no rush and to give us about twenty minutes between each course and to his credit he did this ever night. He was also pretty quick with us making changes to what we'd ordered. A couple of times we enjoyed an appetizer so much that we would order another one or the appetizer the other one of us had ordered and it was no problem. Really smooth professional service.

 

The best example I have though of the excellent Princess Grill experience was when lobster was on the menu as a main. I enquired how big they were. Wendy enquired if I would like two? I said sure. How about three he then asked? Why not I replied. I thought this was really cool. Another example was when we saw them wheeling the crepe suzette tray around the restaurant. It had been on the menu the night before (and we'd had two servings) but it wasn't on tonight's menu. We enquired about it's reappearance and were advised that someone had asked for it again tonight. We said we would like it again as well and this was no problem. This was how we expected the Grills experience to be like and it certainly was.

 

Anyway, not having the Germans at the table really lightened the mood and the night went really well. After dinner we went and listened to the Jazz band in the Chart Room (they are really good) and then checked out the Queens room. The Queens room is lovely and it was really charming to see everyone dancing and having a good time. Those tables near the dance floor must go really fast because we were never able to get one the whole crossing.

 

Then we checked out G32. Poor old G32. It is sort of like a bad wedding and that's only because of the music. It's a great space but we wish they would play more contemporary music and play it louder. We also didn't like 'Vibz' the Caribbean band playing there either. What's a Caribbean band doing in a nightclub? We quickly learnt that we could only dance in G32 between the 11 - midnight because that's when the band wasn't playing. The best night we had in G32 was the night that 'Vibz' was playing the Queens room.

 

G32 did have it's funny moments. Like when we'd ask to DJ for a request and he'd play it and the dance floor would fill with people dancing. Then he put on some slow song (comparatively) and the dance floor would empty and a few older couples would get up and dance, leaving the younger crowd sitting on the sidelines. This repeated itself every night. We asked ourselves what DJ plays music that deliberately empties the dance floor? Once I asked the DJ to turn the music up but he said he couldn't as he would get in trouble. Seriously? In a nightclub?

 

We loved the QM2 and we've booked again but we honestly do think that there should be one good 'evening' hang out for a younger crowd that doesn't appreciate, or care about, the Rolling Stones.

 

Before going to bed I went out onto the balcony and looked at the stars. That was pretty much all there was to see at night. After leaving the English Channel we never saw another ship until the last night before arriving at New York. I wonder if that is the usual experience on a transatlantic?

[alibabacruisers]

What a wonderful review! Thank you very much for all of your comments. Glad you had such a good time too!

 

Barbara

[PeppathePom]

Margatebne,

my wife and I are taking the QM2 across the Atlantic in November, also in Princess Grills, as this will be our first cruise you're posts make fascinating reading and are answering a lot of questions we have.

 

Looking forward to the next installment!

[larn796]

Hi,

 

We enjoyed meeting you on board. I hope you had a nice stay in the U.S.

[keithm]

I've never been on a cruise before so the Oct 1st 2010 transatlantic from Southampton to New York was my first crossing. I've always enjoyed reading other people's reviews so I thought I'd add mine to the mix. I hope you enjoy it.

 

The night before Robin (my partner) and I stayed at the Novotel in Southampton after catching the train from Waterloo station. For those of you that are interested, the Novotel is a perfectly acceptable hotel however it doesn't have air-conditioning so I probably wouldn't stay there during summer.

 

Anyway, when I woke up and looked out the window the QM2 was literally almost right outside at a nearby wharf! This was most unexpected as our e-tickets said that we were embarking at the Ocean Cruise terminal which was much further away.

 

Our tickets said we could board at midday so we made our way (via taxi) to the QM2 at about 11:30. It was raining and the terminal building blocked most of our view of the ship itself. When we got in the building we went to the Grill/Diamond guest check in area and got our swipe cards. We were expecting them to take our picture and we thought they would be on our cards but they weren't. We did wonder how they would know if someone pinched your card and ordered drinks or went on a shopping spree but we eventually decided that the picture of the guest must come on the cash register till - we think.

 

For those of you that are wondering if Grill guests get a different kind of card to Britannia guests, the answer is no. Not that we could make out anyway. We did meet people during the voyage that have traveled before and they have Silver, Diamond or Platinum down the side of their card (depending on the number of cruises) but that's the only difference.

Holding our Red boarding cards we went and sat in the terminal. We had been expecting something a bit nicer but we really didn't care as we were so excited. The only off-putting thing was this woman that kept staring at us (we're a gay couple - so we're terribly interesting:rolleyes: ).

 

Guests (we're apparently not passengers anymore) who need wheelchair assistance have porters there to push them around. We overheard one of them talking about the late minute charge of terminal and that's when we realised that we weren't at the usual terminal. So the general blandness of the terminal made sense.

 

We saw a mixed crowd of people. Young, old, middle aged - more old people. 90% of the crowd had made an effort with their appearance which was nice. And yes, we include ourselves in that 90%:D . We saw a lot of people with green boarding cards with the letter A on them and we resigned ourselves to waiting a long time to board. We listened to the multiple announcements about boarding being staggered depending on the colour and letter of your boarding pass.

 

When they announced they were ready to commence boarding all the porters pushed their wheelchair guests up to the entry gate in anticipation. We couldn't believe it when the colour and letter they read out for first boarding was ours! "That's us" I exclaimed to Robin who was already making his way to the entry door, as was 'starey lady' and her husband (as I called her for the rest of the voyage). We got to board before the wheelchair guests which was different as normally they always go first.

 

Everyone kept checking our card. About five people stopped us (and everyone else) at different points and checked and rechecked our cards. We stopped and had our picture taken as directed. And I really do mean as directed. "Drop your bags" was the order and we complied but really I wasn't up to a Hollywood smile as I just wanted to get on the ship.

I've waited for this moment for so long and words can't describe how exhilarated I was to finally board the QM2 and stand in the lobby. The ship looked amazing. I wanted to stand around and take pictures and movies but Robin wanted to go to the cabin straight away so we headed to the lifts and went up to deck 10. Nothing prepares you for how long the corridors are. It reminds you of an 'Alice in Wonderland' corridor with the miniature looking door far in the distance. It's truly incredible.

 

Our stateroom number was 10050 which is on the port side. It looked exactly like the pictures on the website and looked lovely with all the lights on. We were very impressed with our cabin. It was really spacious and there was plenty of cupboards and storage space. The walk-in-wardrobe was awesome and the bathroom with bathtub was huge. I can honestly say we never felt the slightest bit cramped in our cabin. Everything was very clean and there was a bottle of champagne and some chocolates waiting for us. There was also a bowl of fresh fruit which was changed regularly - I really liked this.

 

We unpacked and put everything away. There was a card on our table about some kind of credit but I didn't know what it meant so I binned it. We went out onto the balcony which was very spacious and admired the view. I was pleased to be on deck 10 instead of deck 9 as those orange lifeboats are quite garish and deck 9 is probably too close for comfort.

To sum up our cabin it was heaven. It was spacious, bright and clean with a lovely colour scheme. We loved it. I miss it even now. BTW - the TV was a flat screen. I remember some people in previous posts had been commenting on the old TVs on QM2.

 

There were two additional cards with information about our restaurant and steward. Our steward's name was Edwin and our restaurant was the Princess Grill. The restaurant card told us to take the card with us and take it to the restaurant. We knew the restaurant would be open for lunch so we went down. On the way we met Edwin who was very pleasant.

 

At this point I want to comment on how friendly and polite the crew were. Every single crew member we came across, whether they were cleaning something or carrying something, acknowledged us and said hello in a friendly manner. I've read numerous posts about bad service on the QM2 but we only received excellent service from everyone we interacted with.

The dining room wasn't open yet (it wasn't 13:30) so we toured the ship. Loved the Queens room and the Britannia dining room. G32 looked great and the Chart Room was amazing. I think I like this room the most out of all the public spaces. I'm not sure why, it just worked and looked great.

 

We went back to the Princess Grill and handed our card to the Maitre D. He advised someone we were at table 35 and they escorted us down the long corridor of the restaurant to our table. Along the way there are staff standing there who smile and say hello. This was a really nice touch. We loved our table! It was all the way down the back of the restaurant near the big windows that look out of the rear of deck seven. We had asked for a table for six and our table was one of two tables for six in this area. We really like ours because from the places we chose (as there was no one else at the table) I could see all the way down the corridor into the hustle and bustle of Kings Court from one direction and from the other I had a panoramic view out on to deck seven.

 

Our waiters came up and introduced themselves. We met Wendy (male) and Ronaldo. They were very polite and friendly and made a point of introducing themselves as our waiters. We also met the wine Sommelier (who's name I forget). There was also a man who they nicknamed 'Tiny' as he was over six foot. We didn't interact much with him, I think he's the junior waiter or something. He was nice but we really interacted much more with Wendy, Ronaldo and the wine guy.

 

I want to say right now that the service we received in the Princess Grill was amazing. It was first class - outstanding. I cannot say enough nice things about the wait staff in the PG - they really made the trip for us.

Lunch was delicious and we went back to our room after being slightly disappointed that no one else from our table turned up for lunch. Having read about the Soda card we went and purchased one from the Wintergarden (about the only thing we did in this room - they really should think about doing something else with the space). Then we went and checked out the Commodore Club which was pretty cool.

 

Then it was time to depart and the ship started to move. We went up onto deck 12 (from memory) where the sail away party had been moved indoors because of the rain. It was pretty cheesy with a Caribbean band adding to the forced gaiety. After spending a couple of minutes there were went outside and walked around the deck and then went up the stairs to the little deck which is a kind of viewing platform. It was very busy. We did get the see the Ocean Terminal which looked a lot nicer than the one we were at.

 

We then went downstairs and started to get ready for dinner. Tonight's dress code was 'Elegant Casual'. We decided to wear our suits and be done with it. Walking into the PG restaurant at night you really get the impression that dinner is an event. The staff were lined up on either side of the corridor and smiled and said 'good evening' as we walked down the long corridor. You really do feel like royalty walking in - it's quite special.

Wendy gave us our menus and mentioned that tonight was just the normal menu. We thought the menu looked pretty special anyway but it wasn't until the next couple of nights that we realised what he was talking about - the menus get better with way more options - obviously embarkation day is a standard menu.

 

After we finished our appetizers we meet the first of our table companions (PG being open seating so people turn up when they please). Chris (female) and Lou were from Chicago and were on this voyage as part of a holiday to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. They were very nice and we did the introductory conversations you do when you're meeting people for the first time. Later the remainder of our table turned up. They were a German couple who had been delayed getting to Southampton (the boat had left a bit late because of this). They were not friendly and what little conversation the table had with them was forced and felt like it had to be dragged out of them - and yes they could speak English. Eventually we just ignored them and talked with Lou and Chris. Dinner was great and we really enjoyed our first meal.

 

Regarding the price of wine onboard we thought it was very reasonable. We averaged a bottle every two days and were very pleased with the selection and range - there was even wine from Australia.

 

When we returned to our room our bed had been turned down and the curtains drawn. The bathroom cleaned and towels replaced. Edwin was great the whole voyage and did an excellent job. We even had dry cleaning returned that night which I'd put a bag prior to going to lunch (my holiday commenced three weeks prior). Considering that the dry cleaning sheet says same day if collected before 9am I was pretty impressed with this.

 

All in all we loved the first day on board. The staff were great, we loved our cabin, the food was excellent and everything was pretty fantastic.

Glad you had a great trip. After seeing some of your earlier posts, I thought you had sailed QM2 before. We were in 10047 last time. We're in 9009 this time(hoping for an upgrade,as there's still a lot open suites)We had Ronaldo as well. Really top notch! As I tend to eat a lot(well on the QM2 anyway)Ronaldo would always "up" my portion a bit. I actually had to tell him not quite so much! Loved tea in the Queens Grill Lounge. Much better selection as you have a "menu" to choose from. Also found the "tasty morsels" to be a bit better.

We need to get Salacia up here with us. I hear her rowing arm is so good, they're using her to help turn the ship LOL! Britannia restaurant, by the way is excellent as well. (just a bit more hurried,due to 2 seatings)We just wanted to try the Grills a few times. I feel it's worth it, but as Salacia says..More voyages are better than less voyages. Our Nov.27 voyage is rapidly approaching..if only we could slow time a bit when we get on the ship. It seems you blink once you're on board..Blink twice & you're heading home.

[keithm]

Actually on our first voyage(2004)your picture was on the card. Now when you order anything. your pic(as you correctly thought)does appear on the register.

[Whitemarsh]

By the third day (second full day) we felt as though we were getting into a routine. Up at about 7:30 and down to breakfast at about 8:00.

 

The best feeling is being woken up in the morning from the slow rock of the boat and realising that you're on the Queen Mary 2 and that your cruise is not over yet. The first thing I did every morning was open the curtains to their fullest extent and then get back into bed and watch the ocean go by. It's worth spending ten minutes a day doing this, it's so relaxing.

 

Breakfast as always was delicious. The French toast is excellent and so are the pancakes. I always entered the restaurant filled with good intentions about having fruit for breakfast but ended opting for the yummier options. The coffee is great and as usual so was the service. After breakfast we would leave the restaurant and walk around deck seven three times. We tried to make it a point to do this after each meal.

 

This was the first day we were able to use the balconey. The waves were still 'moderate' but at least the sun was shining. We sat out on the balcony and ordered tea and biscuits. They arrived promptly and I tipped the girl a dollar.

 

Here's a tip. If you do order room service do wait inside your room for it to arrive. If you go out onto the balcony and shut the door you will not hear the knock or your phone ringing.

 

We passed the day very pleasantly. If you're in the Grills then tickets to the Planetarium are available after 9:30 in the Conceirge Lounge on deck 9. This means you don't have to go down and line up for them. We went and saw a film in the planetarium. I do not remember what it was called but I do remember that I, and a good many of the rest of the audience, fell asleep. It was probably because this particular film wasn't that great. We did see another one the next day and it was more interesting and enjoyable.

 

Lunch gives way to afternoon tea and before you know it you're dressing for dinner. Tonight was the Commodore's cocktail party for Grill and Britannia Club guests. You're given the option of entering via the starboard side if you wish to meet the Commodore and via the port side if you wish to meet the staff Captain.

 

By the way, invitations to cocktail parties and other events are stuck in the little Cunard ensignia that is by the door to your cabin. It was quite fun when there was mail for us and we ended up referring to it as 'Tyra Mail'. Your final account is also put there the last night of your voyage.

 

There isn't really a lot to say about meeting the Commodore. He simply asked us where we were from, shook our hands and pointed us towards the camera. That was it.

 

After a while he gave a speech on the dance floor of the Queen's Room which was entertaining and good spirited.

 

During the cocktail party we saw two fellow diners from the Princess Grill who sat at a table immediately next to ours. As they were a fellow gay couple we decided to go and introduce ourselves. Dave and Jim were from Chicago and turned out to be great conversationalists. We enjoyed talking to them so much we decided to invite them to join our table. We explained to them that the German couple on our table were probably not intending to return to dine with us and therefore there was space available.

 

When we got the restaurant (which was pumping, as all the Grill guests were arriving for dinner at approximately the same time due to the cocktail party winding down) we were informed that the German couple was indeed not dining in the restaurant tonight. Lou and Chris immediately connected with Dave and Jim as they were all from Chicago. The night went exceptional well and there was raucous laughter from our table on more than one occasion.

 

The restuarant really did have a buzz this night and I believe it was due to the fact that everyone came to dinner at almost the same time. Open dining is great but dining in a full restuarant is more fun.

 

After dinner we listened to jazz music in the Chart Room and then went to G32. If memory serves me correct this was the night that 'Vibzs' (the Caribbean band) was playing in the Queens Room and therefore the DJ was in residence all night in G32. This made the night so much better and even though the music leaves a lot to be desired (see my previous post about the DJ playing music like 'Satisfaction') it was still a great night. Due to the 'moderate' seas there was quite a bit of movement and it was really something to dance when the floor was moving around. It takes some getting used to. Quite a few times the padded pole on G32 stopped me and others from falling further than we may have.

 

Yes the dance floor has a padded pole in the middle of it and you understand why during rough seas.

 

Again, upon returning to the room we find that Edwin has closed the curtains, turned down the sheets, laid out our PJs and cleaned the room. It's lovely to return to this, although I do open the curtains and go out on the balconey to look around one last time before retiring.

 

The rest of our time on the QM2 followed this routine. We found our days did revolve around food (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner) and we entertained ourselves with shopping and other activities in-between mealtimes.

 

The shops are great. Especially the prices. Cosmetics, aftershaves and fragrances are much cheaper on board (if you're from Australia - not necessarily if you're from the U.S.A). There are some cool souvenirs and despite what you may think it's not hard to spend $500 on souvenirs.

 

With laundry we appreciated that there are free washers and dryers onboard although most times when Robin tried to use them they were busy. On one occasion we waited for one to become available only to have a lady explain that she was there first and place her black underwear (around three items) in the washing machine. She was using two washing machines and a dryer all at once!

 

This is the kind of atmosphere and attitude I want to avoid so I used the drycleaning & wash and press service from the stateroom. If you pay extra you get it back the same day (if it's left to collect by 9am) but otherwise it's back within two days. Unless you're doing a world cruise I would save the bother and hassle of trying to negotiate a free machine and just let someone else do it.

 

BTW, on the second last day of the crossing they had an offer of a full bag of items for $30. My understanding is that this is a routine offer that comes up every cruise.

 

On the last day we also ended up using the pool and spa on deck 6. We hadn't used it beforehand because it was so cold but we regret that now as it turned out to be exceptionally well heated and the luxury of relaxing in a heated spa whilst looking out over the stern of a liner in the Atlantic ocean is an experience not to be missed.

 

My recomendation would always be to use the outdoor pools and spas, even if it's cold weather, as they are heated and the views are great! Also, our dining companions used the indoor pool and they didn't like the closed atmosphere as much.

[BritNavyGal]

 

The best feeling is being woken up in the morning from the slow rock of the boat and realising that you're on the Queen Mary 2 and that your cruise is not over yet. The first thing I did every morning was open the curtains to their fullest extent and then get back into bed and watch the ocean go by.

 

Lovely reading your posts....this just made me chuckle. We didn't close the curtains to sleep one night and the next morning we were on full view to Greenock and bag pipes waking us up...what an alarm call :). After that we closed the curtains every night!

[@luxurywriter]

Margatebne, I so appreciate the details you've posted. I learned that PG does not open for lunch on embarkation day until 13:30 and that the first night would be a good night for us to try Todd English, which is our current plan. We're crossing in PG on November 1st, our first Cunard voyage as well. Our stateroom is located very close to where yours was, so that was interesting information.

 

Loved having the waitstaff names you provided. Will be eager to see if we are placed near your table as we are scheduled at a six-top, too.

 

Does Robin recall who the hairdresser was that gave him such a grand cut? I plan to have several salon appointments, and I'd appreciate a solid stylist referral.

[Oslo Dutch]

Great review! I enjoy reading it. Keep on writing.

 

Cunard is very gay friendly. Have you been to the FOD meetings in the Commodore Lounge?

 

The picture is taken upon embarkation because when you leave or embark the ship later they scan your card and your pic shows up the computer screen.

 

One thing about seasickness medication. You did it nearly right. I've learned as a crew member to take a tablet about an hour before you get out of bed. If it's really bad you can also take another one half hour before you finally get up. Than it has kicked in and you should be fine for the rest of the day. (It did help me during a very rocky transatlantic on the QE2)

[bchbms]

So sorry that we didn't get to meet up. We were returning from our daughter's wedding extravaganza in Italy and just wanted to relax and get home in a 'pampered' way. Our expectations were met. We loved the ship and our service. We were on Deck 11, aft, next to the QG suites. Had quite a bit of rockin' and rollin' to contend with the first two nights, but we love it. Room service was wonderful for coffee and wake-up goodies in the morning before heading off for the day. Weather was bad, but we very much enjoyed the lectures, the cooking classes, the Planetarium, the dance classes, the teas, our tablemates and the whole new Cunard experience. The weather could have been better, of course, and we felt very sorry for the Caribbean band guys who were trying to keep the octogenerarians awake at the 12:30 poolside party! What a bad gig for them! We did enjoy all the pubs and the Chart Room and the Commodore Club and dinners and lunches about the ship. Lovely experience, and would travel this way again at any moment! Glad you had a good time! I've enjoyed your reviews.

[scopewest]

I'm enjoying your detailed posts, thanks so much although I had to laugh at your comment about the Rolling Stones!

[Whitemarsh]

I learned that PG does not open for lunch on embarkation day until 13:30 and that the first night would be a good night for us to try Todd English, which is our current plan.

 

The only word of caution I would have about not turning up for dinner the 1st night is that your tablemates will have first dibs when it comes to seating choice. From our experience where everyone sat on the first night is where everyone sat for the rest of the crossing. On each big six seater there are better seats than others.

 

Having said that however, you could always turn up at 6:30 on the second night (when they open the restaurant) and pick your seat. First come first served :D

 

Loved having the waitstaff names you provided. Will be eager to see if we are placed near your table as we are scheduled at a six-top, too.

 

If you're P1 and you've requested a six seater I think you will be down where we were seated, which is the best part of the restaurant. All our tablemates were P1 as were the people around us. The six seaters (there are two of them in this area) are right next to each other.

 

If you pick your seat correctly you will have a great view out onto the deck during the day and an entertaining view back into the restaurant at night.

 

Does Robin recall who the hairdresser was that gave him such a grand cut? I plan to have several salon appointments, and I'd appreciate a solid stylist referral.

 

I just asked Robin but unfortunately he's forgotten her name, sorry.

 

Hi,

We enjoyed meeting you on board. I hope you had a nice stay in the U.S.

 

Same. And yes we're having a great time in New York.

 

Cunard is very gay friendly. Have you been to the FOD meetings in the Commodore Lounge?

 

Yes we did go. We enjoyed them however we were never able to stay as long as we wanted due to the 'bouncy castle' atmosphere of the Commodore Club.

 

I'm enjoying your detailed posts, thanks so much although I had to laugh at your comment about the Rolling Stones!

 

Thanks :).

 

So sorry that we didn't get to meet up. We were returning from our daughter's wedding extravaganza in Italy and just wanted to relax and get home in a 'pampered' way. Our expectations were met. We loved the ship and our service.

 

No worries. We missed the meet up due to sea sickness. Glad you enjoyed your trip. We loved it as well.

[@luxurywriter]

The only word of caution I would have about not turning up for dinner the 1st night is that your tablemates will have first dibs when it comes to seating choice. From our experience where everyone sat on the first night is where everyone sat for the rest of the crossing. On each big six seater there are better seats than others.

 

Having said that however, you could always turn up at 6:30 on the second night (when they open the restaurant) and pick your seat. First come first served :D

 

If you're P1 and you've requested a six seater I think you will be down where we were seated, which is the best part of the restaurant. All our tablemates were P1 as were the people around us. The six seaters (there are two of them in this area) are right next to each other.

 

If you pick your seat correctly you will have a great view out onto the deck during the day and an entertaining view back into the restaurant at night.

 

Yes, we are P1. I like your strategy of showing up early for dinner on the second night, blissfully unaware of where anyone was seated the evening prior.;) That said, is there another evening you think would be better suited to opt out of PG and book at Todd English? From what I've read, the dining experience in PG is superior to that of TE; nevertheless, we would like to try TE one night. He has two restaurants near our home, which we do enjoy.

 

I thought per chance the final evening would be a possibility for TE as well, but then again they may do something special in PG to mark the final evening aboard and I wouldn't want to miss it if they did. Based on your PG dining experience, which evening would you opt out of PG?

[Bispham Boo]

Really interesting posts, bringing back lots of lovely memories of our April TA last year. We got in to a routine that seemed to revolve around food and also tried the pool & hot tub - something special about it.

[William Dean]

I am amazed that anyone would want the G32 any louder. I find that it is painful as it is - I simply avoid it now. I have no real idea about the Rolling Stones - not sure what that says about my age, but I'd actually prefer some quiet jazz or perhaps a wind octet in the evening. Nothing amplified.

 

Everything in the bars is too loud other than the Commodore Club, and the music there one can fortunately talk over.

 

WD

[Whitemarsh]

Yes, we are P1. I like your strategy of showing up early for dinner on the second night, blissfully unaware of where anyone was seated the evening prior.;) That said, is there another evening you think would be better suited to opt out of PG and book at Todd English? From what I've read, the dining experience in PG is superior to that of TE; nevertheless, we would like to try TE one night. He has two restaurants near our home, which we do enjoy.

 

I thought per chance the final evening would be a possibility for TE as well, but then again they may do something special in PG to mark the final evening aboard and I wouldn't want to miss it if they did. Based on your PG dining experience, which evening would you opt out of PG?

 

Based on our experience (of one very fun crossing :D), the next cruise we take we are going to try Todd English on the last night. They do not do anything special in PG to mark the occasion so you will not be missing anything.

 

The first couple of nights we were still getting to know our tablemates (the Chicago ones anyway) and enjoying experiencing the PG. One of the Chicago couples on our table opted to try Todd English on the last night. The next day at breakfast (the only time they had breakfast in the restaurant as they had room service every other morning) they reported that they had enjoyed it. They didn't give off the impression that it was the most magical experience or anything but they certainly didn't have any complaints.

 

A further suggestion for you would be to try the room service breakfast on the first morning - if you're into eating breakfast in bed. As I've mentioned before, we had intended to do this every morning but disliked the room service breakfast so much that we had breakfast in the PG for the remainder of the crossing. And I'm so glad we did. The food was better and the morning view over the stern is quite a nice backdrop to your meal. But at least if you try it the first morning you will know that you're not missing anything.

[Whitemarsh]

I am amazed that anyone would want the G32 any louder. I find that it is painful as it is - I simply avoid it now. I have no real idea about the Rolling Stones - not sure what that says about my age, but I'd actually prefer some quiet jazz or perhaps a wind octet in the evening. Nothing amplified.

 

Everything in the bars is too loud other than the Commodore Club, and the music there one can fortunately talk over.

 

WD

 

The point being that there are multiple 'quieter' bars that you have to choose from and there is also the Queens room which is obviously not in anyway a hard-core nightclub.

 

There is not a 'true' option onboard for anyone aged between 21 - 45 that actually want's a proper nightclub that plays dance music that's been released within the last six months. One with a DJ that mixes songs.