I have been lucky enough to spend the weekend aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 as I sailed from Hamburg to Southampton. My two nights aboard were a wonderful experience full of British traditions, old fashioned glamour and exceptional service.
The QM2 is an ocean liner built differently to any other ship at sea as its main route is between Southampton and New York and so it needs to cope with the transatlantic waters. From the moment I boarded I knew this was going to be something special. The bell boys dressed in their iconic red suits and white gloves greeted me and helped to direct me to my stateroom, it was very exciting.
As I settled in and wandered the ship, I could see the history of the QM2, there is such a proud heritage and many displays of commemorations. These displays are so informative and are in many areas of the ship which means that you always have time to read through and understand who has influenced the QM2 and what the QM2 has influenced.
My accommodation was in the upgraded Princess Grill Suite and my stateroom was stunning – plenty of space, well made furniture, private balcony and the largest bathroom I have ever seen at sea! My Princess Grill experience included concierge service, sparkling wine and chocolates on arrival, soft velour robes (so comfortable) and slippers, personalised stationery and priority embarkation.
The highlight for this category of stateroom was the access we had to the Princess Grill restaurant… the food is divine! Our restaurant was exclusively for the use of Princess Suite guests and was a beautiful room, perfectly made up at every moment. It was staffed by waiters who were so attentive, charming and helpful.
The food matched this in terms of quality, presentation and taste. You can enjoy all your meals in this restaurant if you wish, alternatively there are plenty of other locations to dine in – all of which I did! You can have the finest pub grub at the Gold Lion Pub, informal 24-hour buffet in Kings Court, afternoon tea served in the Queens Room and in cabin room service – all of which are included in your Cunard fare. The service I received onboard was exceptional, all of the crew are trained in White Star Service and proudly wear their badges with pride.
The QM2 can sail with 2,691 passengers but with the space and luxury it never felt busy or hectic. The captain would make a daily announcement at midday on the dot to advise the location of the ship, where the ship had sailed overnight and where the ship was heading next. This was also the first time I had ever viewed the bridge of a ship because it had a viewing area, this was open at certain times of the day and was an impressive sight but unfortunately no photos were allowed!
If you have cruised before but not with Cunard then I would suggest you try one of the three Queens as it really is a unique sailing. If you have never cruised before but appreciate the British culture, then I really would recommend this to you – it is an experience I would love to repeat again.
