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Cunard Line

Queen Mary 2

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Steven P.
# previous cruises: 2
Date of Trip: January 3, 2005
Itinerary: Caribbean

You will see that I wrote a review of QM2 when I took a westbound crossing last spring. Immediately following that crossing, I took my parents on a short Mother's Day Cruise in May, followed by a long Mediterranean cruise three weeks later at the end of May for two weeks and finally this short 5-day "recover from the holidays" Caribbean cruise.

Please see my April review. I only add here that if you are taking the QM2, I only hope you are boarding on a westbound crossing from Southampton. Boarding in NY was a bit disorganized but in May of its maiden year somewhat understandable, BUT BY THE TIME A YEAR HAS PAST IT IS PATHETIC THAT THEY REALLY SO BADLY HANDLE THE EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING PROCEDURES. First for all you repeat and Grill class passengers, you will wait in the same line as everyone else when embarking in Ft. Lauderdale this winter. And its some heck of a line---people stood, yes stood up to three hours, those needing assistance were basically ignored, Platinum, gold and grill passengers were given no consideration, but it would not have mattered if processing onto the ship took 60 or so minutes as is par for the course rather than over 3 hours and staff seemed to be behaving like distracted junior high school students - off in their own world with a grudge or air of disdain when pestered with a question from a passenger.

I dined in Princess Grill for all cruises other than mother's day when we were in Queen's Grill. If you are wondering how different they are from one another, I'd say as significant as the fact the one uses silver lamps and the other identical ones done in a gold finish. Diners in Queen's are perhaps made more aware they can order off the menu while in Princess you have to know to ask. There may have been one extra special appetizer in the Queen's Grill at dinner time but I really don't recall. The Mother's Day cruise had a lot of families doubling up in cabins and the ship and the grill restaurants were all over crowded, so I found the service in Queen's Grill not as attentive as Princess Grill and the kitchen not as evenly timed. But it was less the kitchen's or dining room's fault and more Cunard's for allowing the passenger list to grow to over 90 above normal capacity.

See my April review. I did also find that over the first year, the cabins still looked brand new and things were very well maintained. I only add that I had friends that were in Britannia class with me for the Iberian cruise and those cabins lack adequate closet and storage space if you are boarding the ship for a cruise longer than 9-10 days. I ended-up helping them out by giving them space in my P-1 cabin which has too much storage and too much furniture (does one really need a 8 foot sofa or a wall of book shelves).

Avoid shows produced and performed by the QM2 acting troupe at all costs unless you are able to stifle your laugh when you see them sing and dance. And bring your own DVD player and DVD's if you want to watch a decent film and not be charged---now that's true nickel and diming of passengers--charging for movies on a ship.

Be prepared to not follow the printed Itinerary. ON MY LAST THREE CRUISES ON CUNARD, ports were dropped or changed with little or no notice. On my Panama Canal Trip aboard the QE2 Cartage was dropped for uninteresting Curacao, in June Gibraltar was dropped from my Med Cruise and Cittavechia was substituted but are stay was so short that to go into Rome and get back in time left an hour to sightsee and the worst was the dropping with out notice of Puerto Rico this last trip. See last review.

It's the full range in age and wealth and marital status and with ships as large as many small towns, you could not possibly become bored. On the other hand, you may never find it restful and tranquil enough with the procedures they impose in each port. It's like a game they must play who can draw up the route that will make the passenger travel the farthest and wait the longest. Despite my negative comments, I had such a good time with my friends that we all agreed to take another cruise--but it will be a May 25th cruise on a better quality line. What I will miss most are the excellent Grills maitre d'hotel, Raul and Argent. The other wonderful memories from QE2 days of my earlier crossings and cruises I of course still possess but one will not find them again by and large on QM2 with the exception of the Grill Dining Rooms.