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Cunard Line

Queen Elizabeth 2

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Paul Kennedy
# previous cruises: 6
Date of Trip: July 18, 2005
Itinerary: Mediterranean

Having been on two new ships recently, QM2 and Galaxy, we were a little worried about going back to an old ship (for the third time). We needn't have worried. The ship was fantastic and much more comfortable than the new ships. Quirky, yes, but with much more character. Loved it.

The public areas were comfortable and quiet and most of them had been recently re carpeted and much of the furniture re-upholstered. Our favourite spot was the Crystal Bar, quiet and bright with big windows for sea watching. We also enjoyed the Yacht Club which again has big windows, great to sit at when sailing away and too hot to be outside.

There are two 360 degree promenades, one internal on Upper Deck and one external on Boat Deck. The outside promenade rises up to a higher deck below the bridge and because of wind strength whilst at sea, this was sometimes closed off for safety reasons.

Plenty of wooden steamer chairs on deck, as well as plastic sun loungers, many of which were replaced mid-Bay of Biscay on the return journey. Usually easy to get a spot on deck, in the sun or in the shade, even with the ship completely full.

The outside pool is small and we didn't use it - I'm not much into swimming. If I remember from a previous cruise, the indoor (spa) pool is also small and quite hot. The casino is also small, but was well used during its opening hours.

We were in Caronia Restaurant and were concerned that service might have slipped because of the transfer of crew to QM2, but the service was impeccable! The stewards were attentive without being obtrusive and quickly learnt our likes and dislikes. Food was also the best I have had an any cruise and some of the dishes were the best I have had anywhere, in particular, a lobster dish.

In the Caronia Restaurant, you are allocated a table for all meals, whilst in Mauretania, you have an allocated table for dinner, but it is open seating for breakfast and lunch. The grill restaurants also have allocated tables.

I didn't see a buffet on deck, although there was a barbecue adjacent to the Funnel Bar (new since I was last on the ship). There was, however, buffet catering in the Lido for all meals. We only ate there for very early breakfasts prior to shore excursions, much preferring waiter service with a leisurely bottle of wine with lunch or dinner.

Food in the Caronia and Mauretania Restaurants, along with the Princess and Britannia Grills all comes from the same galley and although you get more frills as you move up the food chain, the basic ingredients are the same and hence the quality - high. Food is pre-plated in Mauretania, with some silver service in Caronia. Have never sampled grill catering, so cannot comment.

The cabin, a C1 grade, was the best we have had, and largest with an area of 242 square feet. It had a large walk-in closet with ample hanging space and shelving, and opposite, another closet with more hanging space, fridge and safe. The bathroom included both bath (three-quarter length) and shower, was fully tiled and the basin had a marble surround. The cabin was separated from the closet and bathroom area by a second door which further insulated the room from corridor noises.

The cabin had two portholes, three 4-drawer chests and a dressing table running the full width of the room. The beds were firm but very comfortable, and they were high enough for us to put our enormous suitcases underneath. I think it had also been recently re carpeted. Although the timber wall panelling was perhaps a bit dark, the room felt like you were in classy hotel rather the a plastic motel that the modern ships give the impression of.

We attended a couple of the shows and given the limitations of the QE2's Grand Lounge, they were excellent. Very polished and lots of costume changes. Elsewhere around the ship during the day and in the evenings, there were pianists and harpists in some of the bars and a classical ensemble gave concerts in the theatre. All of them quite restrained and pleasant to listen to whilst having a drink before lunch or dinner.

There were a wide range of daytime activities, a few of which we attended, mostly preferring to enjoy the hot weather on deck. There were about 150 children on board and there was a children's programme that must have looked after them very well, because there was no disturbance from the at all (unlike our Christmas cruise on another line where there were packs of feral kids running riot everywhere).

Our ports of call were Gibraltar, Barcelona, Cannes, Livorno (for Pisa and Florence), Naples and Civitavecchia (for Rome). We took shore excursions at each of these ports and found them interesting and enjoyable, although very hot. When not in port (we had five days at sea), we spent most of our time on deck, reading or just whale watching or attending some of the lectures or demonstrations.

The nice thing about QE2 is that there are a lot of public areas and it is easy to find a quiet spot, even when the ship is full (as it was) and everybody is on board. Perhaps not ideal for the younger crowd who might like lots of poolside games and other activities, but ideal for us in our forties and fifties.

The passengers were about 85% British and tended to be older, but there was quite a big younger contingent as well. We met some very nice people on board and had a great time with our table companions. Yes, we would invite them to dinner, except that we live at opposite ends of the country.