Having read the two reviews provided for the Queen Mary 2 (QM2), I felt compelled to write a brief review of my own. I cannot say I write this as an experience cruise going individual, as my 12-day sailing on QM2 was my first cruise, and actually was the first of hopefully many.
I sailed with my fiancé and my parents. We departed New York, 08 Dec 05 for 12 days in the Caribbean, visiting seven ports of call, including: Tortola, St. Maraaten, Martinique, St. Kitts, Grenada, Barbados, and St. Thomas. What I am going to do is give you a candid overview of what took place, and you decide for yourself how my experience was, and in the end, I’ll tell you what I took away.
Living on the west coast, we had to travel across country to arrive in New York. This the time of year, we decided to travel all night on the 7th to arrive in New York at 0700. Cunard had a transfer scheduled for 1000 later that morning to take us from JFK to the pier. Having worked the 7th, boarded a miserable flight that was over sold and over heated, we arrived New York, tired and stressed. Trying to keep a positive attitude, we kept assuring ourselves, it could be worse, it could be snowing. We passed the time, and as many might know, JFK isn’t the greatest place to kill time outside security, just not much to do or places to go.
Finally the time arrived and we made our way to the meeting location for Cunard. Having a few challenges in locating exactly where to go, we did find the right person. As we gathered everyone up, about 20 people or so, we waited for the bus to arrive. Though it was late, the staff apologized for the delay and said everything would be ok. Once the bus arrived we boarded, and were told the trip would take about 45 minutes. Well, due to traffic, we ended up taking surface streets, and those were closed. Having toured the Bronx, Brooklyn, and some parts of New York, I doubt many knew existed, we arrived at the Pier, 2 and half hours later. Again, we were just glad to be there, and we kept our tired spirits high. Finally making it to the pier, we made sure our bags got off the bus, and onto the baggage cart. We took what we needed, as the rest were to be delivered directly to the room. When those bags were going to arrive we weren’t really sure, but we were confident they would. We proceeded inside, and though the signs didn’t tell you much, people from Cunard did keep saying, keep walking forward, this way, keep going. In actuality, what seemed like a confusing situation, we walked as instructed, and following the crowd. Having passed security, we got into line for boarding which did seem long but moved quickly. Though we did get separated from one another, we all got through the process at nearly the same time. We were told our cabin was ready and headed on board.
Boarding was smooth, most were friendly, and as we walked aboard, greeted by many staff and officers. We were directed to our deck and cabin, and away we went. No, were weren’t escorted to our cabin, but even my visits to the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton’s and other five star resorts, I’ve never been escorted to my room, so those who complain of that need to get over themselves, we are adults and can find our own way. Finding the cabin was easy, yes the ship is large, but that is part of the adventure, sailing aboard a grand ocean liner, once known as the largest afloat. The cabin, located on deck 5, 5225 to be exact was a nicely appointed room; queen sized bed, good under bed and cabinet storage, in-hull balcony, and nice head with shower. Not huge but also not too small. For those who are overly concerned with the in-hull balcony, consider this. The QM2 is not a typical “cruise-ship” she is an ocean liner. This term means she is designed to sail the seven seas, and the north Atlantic can get very rough. This being said, the lower balconies need to have the protection of the hull to help withstand the beating those seas can provide. We found the in hull balconies to be great. Very protected and private.
The upper cabins on deck 8 – 12 do have the glass lower sections on the balcony, so if you feel that is important to you, book that level. For us, we wanted to be able to stand outside at times, and also be private. We would stand out on our balcony and look out at the sea, nothing between us and the waves but air, very moving. Anyone who complains about the “restricted” view is being lazy. The view is there, stand up.
After unpacking, we had some time before the scheduled 1700 departure and headed on deck to see what we could find. We quickly found the late afternoon air on deck to be rather cold, so we headed back for our coats. When we did, the announcement was made that we were going to be delayed on our departure as many of the passengers were delayed due to traffic to and from the airports in the area. This also meant the delay in our mustering drills, so we spent more time exploring. However, we didn’t want to head back to our cabin, and took our life preservers with us. Finally the announcement was made; proceed to your mustering stations with preservers for the drill. Having ours in the Queens Grille, we enjoyed sitting back and relaxing in the “First Class” dining room. Very nice, but nothing outstanding. We ended up being delighted with the Britannia restaurant every night we ate there, but more on that later. So the drill was over, and we all felt the travels catching up with us, and the exhaustion was setting in. By this time however, we were scheduled to have dinner at 1800.
Heading to dinner, the dress this night was casual, which for boarding meant come as you are. So we did, and to our delight we were seated at a table for 4 along a port side window. Wow! We set sail shortly after our orders were taken. Many complained that they wanted to be on deck for our departure, but the wind chill made the temperatures 10-20 degrees below 0F. Instead, we sat having a wonderful four course dinner, as the amazing New York skyline slowly slipped passed our windows. The view was incredible and gave you chills leaving the city. The romance of setting sail aboard a true ocean liner was setting in. My fiancé and I did make our way top side to watch the Statue of Liberty go by, but froze in the process. We made our way back down to the dinning room for desert. Having anxiously waiting to board QM2, we all wanted to tour more, but alas the travels and hours awake were catching up with us. We headed to our cabins and to bed with the lights of New York disappearing off into the distance, our first night at sea had begun. The gentle rocking of the ship helped us all fall asleep and relax. The first two and last two days of the cruise were at sea.
We awoke to find the weather less than desirable, the waves and wind making it impossible to venture outside, even though some of us did. We awoke and ordered room service for breakfast and it came as ordered and on time. This first morning was a bit of a long one, waking up after such a long two days; we just enjoyed not having to be anywhere quickly. We finally made it up and headed out to see the ship and what it had to offer. To say the ship is large is an understatement, but you have to say it is impressive. Some of the cabin decks, especially deck 6, you look down the corridor and you wonder if you actually see the end. The ship has four stairway and elevator corridors that provide a far easier navigation of the ship, but if you do plan to go to the opposite end, leave with time to get there, 10 minutes or so, if you leave with no time to spare, you will be late. So we headed down to deck 3, where you can find many of the shops, bars, and gathering places of the ship. If you explore, you will find places like the grand lobby with a harpist playing, the Royal Court Theatre, the maritime walking exhibits, and Conexxions (onboard computer stations).
I won’t go into the details, other sites and even www.cunard.com can offer more information on what is where. It takes days to find and explore all of your options so don’t be in too big of a hurry. As we moved upwards, we found the King’s Court Buffet and Winter Garden on deck 7, on Deck 8 & 9 we found the Canyon Ranch Spa, and Deck 10 is the forward bar, the Commodore Club (great viewing spot and amazing model of the QM2), Having wanted to get a look at everything and then going back, we headed back to the Canyon Ranch Spa. I had heard that many cruise lines have their spas push products and services, so I wasn’t anxious to try the spa, but let’s just say I was talked into a couples massage. I couldn’t be more impressed. No pushy sales tips, just a nice massage, and then enjoying the hydro therapy spa and rooms afterwards. What a way to start a vacation!
I highly recommend a day at the spa. After that, it was late afternoon, we headed back to the room and got ready for dinner. Meeting my parents for drinks before dinner, we all met and ended up back at the Britannia for another great evening.
Day 2 at sea and the weather and seas were calm and the sun was shining, time to get outside! I personally enjoy a walk and enjoyed the ship. The library is fantastic as it sits on deck 9 with windows the face the bow and port side of the ship. You can sit back and relax and just watch the world go by. On days with normal sea conditions, you have to make it to deck 11, the forward observation deck. This open air spot gives you unblocked views from one side of the ship to the other. When you stand on deck, especially late at night looking out over the black rolling sea, you can almost imagine the officers of the Titanic straining to keep a watchful eye, truly a moving experience. Venturing around the ship, one element of this ocean liner is deck 7, the promenade deck. This deck goes all the way around the ship made of teak. The life boats and tenders are immediately above and the decks are lined with old fashions wood deck chairs with cushions. You sit back and find yourself easily falling asleep in the sea air. Ok, so you have most of the ship.
I haven’t gotten into the pools, or the sail away parties, or the dance lessons, or the formal parties, or the excursions, or Todd English, or the movies on deck at night, or the shows, or the parties in the pubs. I don’t feel the day to day things onboard give you an accurate experience. Those were all great as far as I could say where each one the best experience of my life no, but it depends on your attitude. Those who go through life and holidays expecting the world to be dropped at your feet will never be happy. Those who see the better side of things, enjoy life as it comes will have the right attitude. Let’s look at the service on board.
Welcoming committee was welcoming but mechanical. It was as if they felt they had to be there, but I thought it was a nice touch. The service staff (room porter/attendant) welcomed us all to our rooms. Went over the details of the interactive TV, showed us the lavatory and the balcony, and gave us his pager number and asked us to call if we needed anything. He promptly left, and we were left alone. Whenever we passed through the corridors and ran into him or any of his colleagues, they all acknowledged us, saying good morning, good afternoon, and always making eye contact.
The service staff and waiters in the dining room were a bit- gruff when we started, merely due to the fact they were servicing thousands per night and many were from various backgrounds. Keep in mind that what is good service to one may be bad service to another. So what I consider is good service is prompt and courteous response to requests, accurate delivery of what you ask for, and willingness to correct any errors. As the time went on, our staff began to get to know us and became far friendlier, and at our last night aboard we posed for photos with one another as a memento. Did I like the fare served every night, no, but it was always my option to eat elsewhere, but honestly, the food served was better than most everyone we talked to expected.
Crew aboard the ship were attentive but sometimes stand offish, though in times of need, rush to aid. While ashore in one port, I caught my foot on an uneven sidewalk and fell to my knees, scarping one rather badly. When I walked back to the tender, an off duty crew member recognized me from the day before and asked what happened. She escorted me aboard a crowded tender and took us back to the medical bay for band aids and water. Three days later, while passing on deck, she stopped us and asked how I was mending. Honestly, it turned out to be much ado about nothing, but they did care, even though they seem disinterested. I come from a service back ground, as does my fiancé; we work in the tourism and convention industry in Las Vegas and see what works and what does not work. My advice to those who have serious concerns about cruising aboard QM2 is as follows.
If you are expecting a boutique cruise experience, look else where. This ship is massive and you will find yourself alone if you try, there isn’t a crowd everywhere you go. If you need everything to me at your finger tips, or if you don’t like to walk or go a long way to get someplace, chances are you won’t enjoy it. If you don’t feel tolerant of different cultures or different age groups, take another cruise. If you are looking to capture the by-gone era of sailing the seven seas, you want to walk out on deck late and night and feel the wind blow past you and feel the movement of the ship beneath your feet, this is the ship for you. If you are under the impression this ship is for an older crowd, you are mistaken. My fiancé and I are in our late 20’s and had a blast. We are scheduled to set sail again next December for a 14 day cruise. We have upgraded our cabin and look forward to another fantastic time.
If you want more specific details or photos of the cabin and balcony, feel free to email me anytime. Thanks for reading and happy sailing.
