This was my second cruise, but first with Cunard. Expectations were very high based on what I've heard/read from others. When I booked the cruise I decided to splurge and upgrade to a Queens Grill suite. The suite itself was very nice. My butler was...adequate. He did what I asked of him but his service was indifferent. Maybe he'd been on the ship for a while and was fatigued, maybe he has other personal stuff going on...I get it. I just felt he didn't go the extra mile, as so many advertisements claim they would. The food was okay, nothing spectacular. I've had better at high-end restaurants. The disembarkation process was a mess. I asked several crew members what the process is (I have disabilities and occasionally need extra help), and none of them could give me a clear answer. One actually said "I don't know, we'll figure it out tomorrow." I don't know about you, but when I'm paying $12k+ for a cruise and I ask questions they don't have answers to I want someone to respond "I'm not sure, but let me find an answer for you" instead of "We'll figure it out tomorrow." The excursions and ports were amazing, but overall the service I received lacked the polish and excellence the Cunard name is known for. I might go on another cruise, but it won't be with Cunard. read more

I never did make the trip as Cunard's business practices prevented me from doing so. They used a third-party to send emails regarding billing (while using very branded emails for promotional materials). The company's expectation it would seem, as that the customer would open a suspicious looking email and click on an unidentified link. Cunard canceled my trip, and 5 hours later when I tried to rebook they told me they'd sell me an inferior room for twice the price and if I didn't pay it they'd keep my deposit. I chose Cunard because of their patina of elegance and sophistication. My experience was akin to dealing with Frontier Airlines read more

Queen Mary 2 sailing out of New York to Southampton, UK and back in June 2025 was a complete and total abysmal disappointment from start to finish. Cunard is the epitome of fake luxury. Recently, QM2 even got the lowest rating for an operating ship in the entire cruise industry (an 87, where 86 is the bare minimum to remain operational), and I for one am not at all surprised after sailing with them. The service from cruise ship port to cabin stewards, to dining staff and more was incredibly inconsistent. Some staff members had clearly worked in high end luxury hotels around the globe, while others had never worked in hospitality before at all and it definitely showed. Our room was located right next to an outside children's play area and directly across from "The Zone" which turned out to be the children's nursery, preteen and teen lounge. Which means, that for our 18 day trip, despite requesting 3 different times to be moved to a different cabin, we were constantly bombarded with noise day and night. Of course children are going to play and keep noise, but on a ship like this, which clearly wasn't designed to host young children, and Cunard even discourages bringing them, people clearly ignored that advice, obviously we didn't want to be stuck with the constant disturbance for our entire long holiday. It's why every other cruise line knows not to put a children's location this close to customer staterooms! Which meant that from starting around 6 AM until about 11 PM every day for nearly 3 weeks, we had kids running, jumping, playing, screaming and tantruming in the hallway outside of our definitely not soundproofed door nearly all day. For a still unexplained reason, we also got into Rotterdam nearly a full day late, which totally threw off my travel plans around Europe. Due to this, the Dutch port authority would not allow us to leave the country until we went through their immigration process, despite not meeting the vessel at the time we got into port. Due to all of this mismanagement, not only did we miss our scheduled train out of Amsterdam, we also later missed our morning scheduled flight out as well. The ship isn't being well maintained or cleaned overall either, with plenty of areas containing stains, mold and mildew and dirty dishes that were supposed to be "clean." The food was pretty good, but very monotonous for a longer trip, with essentially the same dining options served each day. There were also lots of issues with staff that didn't speak English well enough to be serving food, especially not when dealing with food allergies. I had a number of items with specified food allergens brought to my party when dining, even after giving the serving staff written lists of everyone's food allergies. Yet because the service staff didn't have a solid command of either written or spoken English, they couldn't answer questions about what specific ingredients food contained, or figure out how to not bring us foods that contained our allergens. Likewise, the buffet had a lot of cross contamination of various types of food because people weren't paying attention, or thought it was no big deal to use a different set of tongs for various foods. They did not stick to posted food schedules either. If they ran out of a particular food, they simply didn't make more. Or even closed food stations early so they didn't have to make additional food and stay open as per their posted schedules. A lot of the experience onboard felt very nickel and dimey. They would offer a service for "The entire voyage" only to later state that the service period wasn't for the entire length of our cruise as the customers, but what they considered as each individual trip. So during the 18 days we were onboard, they considered it to be 3 separate trips! There were also lots of times their staff was rude or unprofessional, like when I was trying to discuss with the purser's office what my options were for getting off in Rotterdam after Cunard got us into port so late. Yet instead of being a professional and going to get a supervisor, as another lady did when I dealt with a grownup later on for handling the matter, the man at the purser's office was incredibly rude, nasty, insulting and unprofessional the night we got into Rotterdam. Grow up! And go get a different job if you don't want to deal with customer service! Their staff was also incredibly unhelpful with lots of missing instructions in the weeks and months prior to us boarding. I truly regret taking this cruise and definitely don't recommend the Cunard cruise line. They don't give a d*mn about customer comfort and other needs and it showed in everything we experienced in dealing with them. read more

I had long wanted to do a transAtlantic crossing on one of the Queens. The opportunity came along this summer, when our daughter and her financé were crossing for the second time after a week cruising on the QM2 from Rome to Southhampton. We reserved a sheltered balcony room. After about 10 or 11 days in London and the Cotswolds, we did a private transfer from Stow to Southhampton, spending the night before departure in an acceptable local hotel, Room2, before boarding on August 11. As our taxi pulled up to the pier, our first view of the Queen Mary 2 was a little disappointing. It looked smaller and less regal than the cruise ships we had been on, and certainly not as spiffy as the newer Celebrity and other ships. But we understood that the QM2 is built for an Atlantic crossing and not for pleasure cruising the Caribbean or Mediterranean. Embarkation was jammed, due to an earlier incident that backed up boarding, but the contract staff were helpful (I had re-injured my back and needed some extra help). Soon we were aboard and our luggage was in our cabin. It was a thrill to be aboard this grand ship and to be about to depart for a crossing that so many notable travelers had made in the days before jet travel. Overall, the ship looked well-maintained and in good condition, though I understand it is soon due for to go to dry dock for a refit and refurb. Our cabin with sheltered balcony was about what we expected. We were pleased with how well the statement was planned and how much handy storage we had, much better than our room at a Hilton property in London, Lost Property St. Paul's. Decks 5 and 6 are nothing but staterooms and as we were aft we could look forward to what seemed to stretch many hundreds of feet into the far distance. There are four main elevator groups, A, B, C and D, which were well-situated and rarely crowded. The ship is reasonably well laid out, although to get to some areas requires going up or down a deck or else going through a public room or the main restaurant. The first couple of days the seas were five to eight meters, or a bit more, and there was a considerable roll, but only a few people became ill. It was, however, a bit difficult to walk with my injured back, and at times I resorted to a wheel chair. After the first days, the sea calmed, the sun peered out occasionally and sailing was surprising smooth. I can imagine, though, it could be something in the North Atlantic winter. We explored most of the ship and for the most part found it agreeable. The library is worth seeing. So many cruise ships are doing away with libraries altogether. As to dining, we usually took breakfast in our stateroom. I often skipped lunch or had a light lunch. Dinner we always did in the main dining room, the two-level Britannia. Service was always top-notch. The food itself I would describe as Modern British, with mains such as Beef Wellington but more interesting soups, salads and starters. One night, for example, appetizers included Frog Legs Provencale. It was good enough but after even a few days began to all taste the same. We did Open Dining and never had to wait. With so many courses, dinner often last a couple of hours. Overall, I would give the Britannia food a B minus. The only thing that seemed rushed was the pre-dinner drinks or wine. For that you were better off going to a bar, such as the Chart Room. Unfortunately, the bars always seemed crowded and understaffed, and to get a single drink sometimes took a half hour or longer. We did not try the upcharge dining, a steak house and the rotating dining area at the King's Court. The King's Court buffet was not impressive. The food did not look appealing, and the number of people trying to get served and find a place to sit was chaotic. This buffet does not even remotely compare to that on good cruise ships. Entertainment was mixed. The Engish National Ballet was wonderful, but bands and shows were mediocre. On about the fourth or fifth day, several in a party began feeling ill. We self-tested and found that three of the four of us had Covid. We reported this to the medical folks, who did their own Rapid Antigen Test and confirmed that it was Covid. We were told to isolate in our rooms. We could order from the main Britannia menus and even get drinks delivered at no charge (two of us had the premium drink package.) Still, it was not much fun to be in a tiny stateroom, even one with a balcony. Several people we met also had Covid. I suspect Covid was not uncommon on board, though only some people tested and self-reported. We believe we caught Covid on board. My wife decided to ask for Paxlovid, and she was charged about US$900 for it (it's generally free in the U.S. and Britain) even though we had Cunard Care. All in all, this was not the experience we hoped for, but it was still mostly enjoyable. We were glad we did it, but we doubt we would go again on a Cunard ship, unless the Queen Anne or another new ship is much upgraded. read more

Cunard Line - Second level of the main dining room on Queen Mary 2 - Hotels Near Me - Southampton, HAM

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I previously reviewed Cunard based on a trip on Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) to celebrate graduating from college. The anticipation of sailing on that grand dame ocean liner was heart pumping. That review got 5 stars. QE2, sailing its maiden voyage to New York in 1969, was the star on the traditional transatlantic crossing between New York and Europe. With engineering upgrades and retrofits, she stayed in service for nearly 40 years, outliving its French and Italian counterparts, which were retired in the '70s. Clearly, the plan was to follow suit and sail on Queen Mary 2 (QM2) and that has occurred! Yesterday marks 20 years since its arrival to the U.S. Crossing in January of 2004, QM2 first arrived in Fort Lauderdale, then continuing on a predominantly southerly world voyage before ultimately arriving in New York in April of 2004. It didn't take long to take to QM2! To be contemporary and be Cunard's flagship, she had to strike a balance between beauty and brains, meaning penciling out. Current ship design calls for more outside cabins and balconies. QM2 addressed this with neatly organized outside cabins above the promenade deck and is also decidedly longer, taller, and heavier than the previous transatlantic flagships the likes of "QE2," "France", and "Michelangelo," yet still manages to look sleek for its size. QM2 is currently the last ocean liner with scheduled transatlantic service for most of the year. As such, one sails on a stalwart with a long legacy and an almost historical role. Flagship ocean liners tend to have a more traditional, though not at all stodgy, ambiance. Some reviews say QM2's layout is confusing. I did not find this to be true. The decks with more public spaces are 2, 3, and 7. Decks consisting primarily of cabins are 4 through 6 and 8 through 11. To make for more exterior cabins, the main restaurants are on decks 2 and 3, and that's also where the Grand Lobby and major entertainment venues are located. Because some of these venues are sloped or have balconies, this required minimal doglegs at their sides to get around them and reach nearby major staircases and elevator banks. Also, the forecastle, or front of the superstructure, affords views and is where 2 lounges, the fitness center, and a library are located. Deck 7 is especially important because it has the exterior promenade encircling the ship and the expansive King's Court, where one can take their meals self-service and avoid the few formal nights in the restaurants or opt for casual dining when they want that. The staterooms vary from tasteful to opulent. Even the most basic inside cabins are comfortable and should address all needs. Steward service is competent, welcoming, and relaxed, yet still polished. I can't speak for the restaurants for the upscale cabins, but the main Britannia Restaurant is both visually appealing and the food ranges from good to excellent. The three main meals in the restaurants feature good portion control. However, it's the traditional afternoon tea, with finger sandwiches and baked goods, as well as the late-night snacks - which have replaced the "midnight buffet with ice carvings" era - that could bring on weight gain. The late-night snacks on Deck 7 is where most of the "characters" might be found, ranging from people in buzz mode because they are excited to be on QM2 to comfortable, unpretentious people who can be mildly eccentric yet interesting! Here, one easily meets fellow travelers from several continents. Mostly, being aboard brings on good spirits and unites people, with a few almost like kids in a candy store. There are many repeat Cunard guests. They have decided that this is the line best suited to them. Cunard is not about unchecked exclusivity, gimmicks, and fads, but it's also not a mass market economy line nor one for a party type crowd sailing from California to the Mexican Riviera. Instead, it's a comfortable, relaxing, and dignified experience. But Cunard is not just QM2. The flagship has 3 sister ships - the Victoria, the Elizabeth, and the new Queen Anne that mostly operate as cruise ships. Built at Fincantieri in Adriatic Italy, these 3 share more similarities - still large and reputedly comfortable, but with stouter silhouettes. That said, QM2 is thus appropriate for flagship status and, if people are wowed by it, it's because its design features a forecastle that is pushed back, as well as subtly canted and bowed, and, like the flagships of the '60s and '70s, a sleeker bow and rear decks that gradually cascade toward the stern, each with pools or other outdoor spaces. Cunard provides evocative public spaces, comfortable accommodations, affable service, many activities and events to choose from, and mostly sensible pricing. This makes for 4 strong stars. For the additional intangibles of its lore and its majesty, the 5th star is easily earned. Crossing the Atlantic on QM2, or yesteryear's QE2, can be unforgettable. read more

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Dear Cunard, If a person goes overboard, your website recommends that the person simply yell out -- however, it is not realistic to expect that someone would hear them. For goodness sakes, just put in the auto-alert safety technology that Disney has and leverage it as a competitive differentiator. In this day in age, it's absurd that cruise ships lack this technology and that there aren't international safety regulations that mandate it. Thanks! read more

Cunard Line - Hotels Near Me - Southampton, HAM

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Our transatlantic crossing was canceled due to an issue with the Queen Mary 2. These things happen and given that Cunard is supposed to be a luxury cruise line with luxury prices, I expect the customer service to be top tier. The first shocker was that in their email announcing the cancellation, they were "sorry for the inconvenience." This is a very expensive trip that is the trip of a lifetime for people taking it. People were stranded, and Cunard did NOTHING. Trying to get ahold of anyone is next to impossible. I even had a guy LIE to me about not receiving my email. That's just offensive. This is worse than dealing with a cable company. Although the fare was refunded (thank God), there are other expenses that I would like to be refunded. Their "guest relations" email seems to be a black hole for anything they don't want to deal with. I'm sure the trip is very nice if it goes off without a hitch and you don't need to get in touch with anyone. But just beware. I will NEVER book anything with this slipshod company again. read more

For our 25th Wedding Anniversary we sailed on the QM2 from Southampton to Brooklyn. The Captain did a renewal of vows and it was just an amazing voyage from beginning to end. We started our journey in London watching the Seattle Seahawks spank the Oakland Raiders! As amazing as that was to watch, what was to come was even more amazing!!! I have sailed on several cruise lines 2 of NOW are owned by Carnival which is also the parent company of Cunard, plus one other. 2 of the 3 where considered "upscale ships" at the time, but the QM2 made them look like rubber rafts! As large as this ship is, it never felt crowded, even when we embarked on her in Southampton. That was a first for me! We booked an outside enclosed balcony on Level 5, with an unobstructed view. Even though this was not the Princess or Queens Grill Level, it was exceptional!!! We did not get wind blown in loungers on our balcony in October!! Additionally, you HAVE to try the Godiva Shop while on the ship, I posted a pic of our sundae, one of 4 we had on our crossing, they were that yummy! The Vow Renewal planner was amazing, the Captain was even more amazing and all the folks involved with the planning and execution right down to the photographers, florists, and cake was outstanding. The only thing that could have been a bit friendlier was the Britannia Restaurant's menu. A bit too fru fru, and while that is okay there are some of us that like are meat and potatoes still!! Overall we rate this a 20 of 10 and hope to sail her again soon!!!! Don't let the name or line scare you, you can pay the same price for the QM2 as other cruise lines as long as you book early!!!! read more

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There is no more elegant way to travel than by the Cunard, Queen Mary 2 ocean liner. This is no trashy, all you can drink, hawaiian shirt cruise ship. This is a walk back in time to the golden age of travel. Fine dining three times a day, white glove service, elegant balls to attend in the evening, live music at every turn, the opera, theatrical productions, a planetarium. Of course one can also just lounge on a teak chaise lounge on deck and watch the ocean go on and on forever. The service throughout the ship and before and after the voyage was consistent, professional and gracious. The food was spectacular. For a couple of foodies to have that caliber of cuisine for breakfast lunch and dinner, it was heaven. A few words to the wise: Book through a travel agent at least a year before you want to leave for early booking rates. If you're doing 6 nights at sea plan to have at least 4 evening gowns and 2-3 cocktail dresses packed and plenty of nice casual clothes to wear around the ship during the day (read: not jogging pants). Men really should have a tux, at least two other suits and plenty of dress shirts. It's a lot to pack but luckily they have no limit on how much you can bring as long as it all fits in your stateroom. For North Americans the dress code is a new world, make sure you read the pre-voyage info and don't miss themes they might announce for certain nights. For instance, for the Ascot Ball you need a big hat worthy of the horse races and at the Black and White Ball you don't want to show up in red. read more

Cunard Line - Hotels Near Me - Southampton, HAM

They take forever to answer the phone. Some good customer service would be much appreciated. I have been on hold over an hour.

For the record: MS Queen Victoria and MS Queen Elizabeth are roughly the same size, though the latter is three years newer. The Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of Cunard, and slightly larger, holding about 2600 passengers. Our Cunard maiden voyage was on the Queen Vic. It was the best thing ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. You will feel like you are cleansing your soul under the falling cascades of a chocolate fountain made of velvet... taking a bath in Veuve Cliquot... Sleeping on a bed stuffed with the feathers of an endangered bird species... Snorting caviar off of Margaret Thatcher's chin... It's... luxurious. And don't think it's all stiff-upper-lip ballroom dancing and quilting parties either. It's only that if you want it to be that. There's a night club with DJ or band any given night, pumping the jams 'til the late hours, the buffet always has something 24 hours a day, the Golden Lion Pub runs multiple trivia sessions daily, and hosts karaoke at least once per voyage. The Casino, the pool, the ping pong table, the special kids area, the shopping (a little gauche perhaps), and the very recent movies (They played Bridge of Spies and The Martian during our voyage!) Pinkies up, bitches. read more

Let me start out by saying that we haven't yet been on the cruise, I am writing this from our hotel room. We booked the entire trip through Cunard so I feel this is fair. The price for the cruise and the three night stay in London and the after cruise stay in New York was asstronomical, but that is what is expected if you are going to cruise on the Queen Mary 2. You also expect a wonderful pre and post cruise stay, well so far the pre cruise stay has been a questionable experience. I know, I know Covid has been a difficult time for everyone, but that is an excuse for poor management. Suck it up Cunard and learn the business. So here is my review of the Hotel they put us in for our pre cruise stay in London. The Holiday Inn Kensington! Jeez! Somebody is lying if they consider this a 4 star hotel. The rooms are small the scenery is non existent the bed is a double, when it is advertised as a king or double queen. If I could post a picture I would, but I can't so I will try to paint a picture. Upon entering the room you feel like you have an inside cabin on a cruise, the bathroom has room for 1, the hallway and closet are combined into a mishmash of claustrophobic nightmares. Taking another step puts you into the bedroom, the double bed takes up the most room giving the feel of a larger bed, but in the sad reality of perspective you lie down and discover that you and the spouse have enough room to share, and by share I mean you will be sharing the bed. You turn over your partner will need to turn over, think of Papillon on Devil's Island. While it is comfortable to be close to my love I cannot say the same for her, she will have to review what it is like to sleep inches from a snoring beast. Outside, the hallways are narrow and the carpets are fading, worn and dirty. I gave this a two star.because of the wonderful housekeeper and her joyful personality. I would not stay here again. Will the cruise make up for the abysmal hotel experience, I hope so, but I am guessing no. Do not book a pre and post trip with Cunard unless you are looking to be disappointed. read more

We paid a huge fee to sail the Queen Mary 2 in a Queens Suite in a transatlantic cruise. We have sailed on nearly 40 cruises with a number of other cruise lines, so this review reflects a comparison with other cruise lines, the great majority of which cost far less. The stateroom on QM2 was very nice, the service was excellent as it always seems to be regardless of cruise line, the food was very good, entertainment was average, and high tea was special. The problem was with how chintzy Cunard has become, and the pandemic isn't a sufficient excuse, because we have sailed other cruise lines during this period and did not encounter these problems. Even with a Queens Suite, Cunard offered no perks (no prepaid gratuities, no wi-fi package, no included drink package, and no shipboard credits). What really was irksome was that our travel agent provided shipboard credits for us, which the onboard guest services staff assured me on three occasions were fully refundable to our credit card. At the end of the cruise on July 2, 2022, we received a statement that informed us that none of that credit would be refunded. I have contacted several customer service representatives and have submitted two formal on-line inquiries as advised, and have yet (it is now mid- November) to receive a response other than a form letter acknowledging my contact. I will not support a business with such little regard for its customers that it won't reach out to them over a matter so simple and so easily resolved and which involves such a small amount of money. read more

For my 100th review, I thought it would be best to take a look back at what brought me to the United Kingdom, the RMS Queen Mary 2. Cunard Lines is celebrated as one of the most luxurious cruise lines operating today. There is a very rich history involved with the line that dates to 1840. The line has three main ships: the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and their flagship the Queen Mary 2. Cunard is unique in that the line is not solely dedicated like others to holiday makers, but serves as well as a means of transport. It was in this capacity that Brittany A. and I used the QM2, along with our dog Penny, to travel across the Atlantic to our new home in England. The journey takes seven total days, departing from Brooklyn in New York City, and arriving at the port of Southampton. The ship is the only transatlantic ocean liner operating today that journeys between Southampton and New York. There is a lot to cover from a seven day experience, and a character limit on Yelp, so I will try to cover some of the highlights: The Ship The QM2 was built with the highest quality materials and used 40% more steel than the average cruise ship. The ship has 15 restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, theatre, the first planetarium at sea, the largest library at sea, and the only dog kennel at sea. The QM2 is the oldest of the three ships, built in 2004. She doesn't show her age however. With over 2,600 passengers + 1,200 crew on each journey, it would be very easy for disrepair to take hold. The crew do a remarkable job in port and on the open sea repainting, repairing, and generally making the ship as tidy as possible. As of this review, the QM2 is being refurbished inside and out over 2016-2017 to make it as modern and luxurious as possible. The Staterooms Your bedroom on the ship is known as a 'stateroom'. The rooms are either facing inside or outside of the ship. If you are willing to shell out major dough, you can reserve a Queens Grill suite that is multi-level and comes with access to its own exclusive dining room. We chose an outside facing stateroom with a covered balcony overlooking the ocean (Britannia Balcony). These rooms are significantly larger than inside rooms, and allowed us to fit 14 large pieces of luggage and boxes with our belongings for the big move. Our room came equipped with a large closet/wardrobe, king sized bed, couch, and desk. The Kennel A major selling point for us was the dog friendliness of the ship. Transporting a dog via airplane can be quite hazardous to their health, especially if they are stuck in the cargo hold. The QM2 is the only ship that will take you straight from the US to UK with a kennel on board. The kennel can currently hold about ten or so dogs depending on size, and is set to double during refurbishment. The kennel master, Oli Cruz, is wonderful and truly cares for the animals on board. The kennel visiting hours are quite liberal during the day, so you could theoretically spend most of your time hanging out in the play area with your pooch. In addition to food that you bring, you can special request the chefs on board to prepare meals for your animal. Penny loved her personalised chicken and rice dinners. The Activities We spent the first two days or so simply exploring the massive ship. While the age of the travelers on board skews toward pensioners, there is a healthy mix of people, especially families. There are activities for all ages, and we enjoyed some of the more posh events on the ship. Afternoon tea daily is a must, where you'll get a chance to sip earl grey with the ship's captain. The movie theatre shows some of the latest films, and there are lectures on various topics in the morning. Crosby, Stills, and Nash happened to be traveling on board on the way to their European tour, and held two shows over two nights on the ship. I'm a huge fan of music from the 60's and 70's, and it was a real treat to not only see them live in a very intimate venue, but also see band members walking around the ship. The final night of the crossing peaked with a masquerade ball and parade around the ship. The Food Our designated restaurant with a standing reservation and personal table was the Britannia. At night, business dress is the minimum, and on some nights you must wear a tuxedo or dark suit for entry. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner here is superb and the service is excellent. If you don't feel like dressing up, the Kings Court offers buffet food that is actually pretty good. There is also a pub and several lounges that serve food. The restaurant features a separate menu for vegetarians and vegans each night. Unfortunately even with so much more to cover, I've run out of space! In closing, if you plan to fly from the UK to America or vice versa, consider the Queen Mary 2 as an alternative. Their famed White Star service makes it a real treat, not a chore like flying. As far as I am concerned, a transatlantic liner is the only way to travel! read more

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After my horrible experience on the Celebrity Infinity early last year, I have been trying several other cruise lines many of which (like Cunard) are under the CCL banner of companies. If my recent crossing on the Queen Mary Two is any indication of the average level of service and luxury on Cunard, I'm hooked! From what I understand most of Cunard's ships are around the same size but the passenger capacity on the Queen Mary Two is much lower. This makes the staff to guest ratio much higher and also affords larger public areas. I really appreciated the level and expertise of the service I received on the QM2. This reminds me of the type of service you used to get at better private clubs and luxury cruise lines twenty or thirty years ago. It's far superior than anything I have experienced for decades. You do pay more for Cunard than many other lines, but you do get what you pay for. My recent pre Christmas crossing from South Hampton to NYC was everything that one would expect and maybe even more. I have never seen a larger and more elegant public ball room on any ship. Many times I could hardly believe I was on a ship. Cunard doesn't have the grand (and perhaps overstated and not very useful) cavernous shafts on many of the newer larger ships of other cruise lines. It instead seems to focus much more on a more elegant and tasteful layout to its ships. We had a balcony Club room. These rooms are slightly bigger than the regular balcony rooms and allow you to dine in the Britannia Club restaurant instead of the larger more institutional Britannia restaurant. The Princess and Queens grill also have their own restaurants, but I'm not sure if the food is any different among all the above. The ambiance and service are quite different though. I really enjoyed the spa area and gym. I got a good hair cut in the salon. Tea and music in the ball room were wonderful. The disco is really fun. You have to get there early if you want to have a pub lunch without waiting for a table. I wish I could have done more of these. There are several types of Staffordshire (and other area) microbrew ales to sample in the pub. I also frequented the Commodore's club for happy hours. Everybody I met on the ship was so polite and interesting. The 7 night crossing was a very memorable and elegant experience. I hope one day to do a world cruise with Cunard. read more

I just returned from cruise on Queen Mary 2, The food was 5 Star! Especially in the Todd English Restaurant on Deck 8! My aunt and I dined on the lobster and corn chowder; the presentation alone was enough to make me Queen for the Day ;) the stock, they came and poured over the prepared chopped meats and vegetables (at table-side), was the most exquisite I've ever had in my life! The filet we had on a previous night was fabulous as well! read more

Review of the Queen Mary 2 five-night sailing NYC-Halifax-Boston-NYC The Good - Really nice spa, though the rates are astronomical and it books up rather quickly. - The food was out of this world. I did not put anything to my lips that was short of outstanding (in the dining rooms, at least). - Every square inch of the ship is beautiful, magnificently appointed, and pristinely clean. - Great orchestra in the ballroom, which brought out the crowds up to around 11:00 when everyone apparently ran for their beds. I wish I knew the different types of dancing because I would have joined in but people seemed into it and the dance floor was pretty well filled. - The staterooms were nice and very well taken care of. Small, to be sure, but probably in line with most other ships. The Bad - If you're looking for onboard activities that will keep you busy you're looking in the wrong place. The daily planner had only a few activities per hour but depending on your age and interests there might be few that appeal to you (as was my case). In one day I could count only four scheduled activities (prior to dinner) that interested me, two of which were already booked. Just to give an idea of activities that did not interest me, there were things like jewelry seminars in the stores, anti-aging seminars in the spa, line dancing classes). - I thought the nightclub band was very good but it was pretty much a ghost town. And once the DJ came on the party was over. If you're into nightlife (which I am when on vacation), you will be sorely disappointed. You could head to one of the bars but those emptied out pretty quickly once it got to around midnight. - In true British fashion, they make you queue to disembark, which makes no sense. Everyone had to sit around in a specific location on the ship until it was their time to disembark but I saw no reason why people couldn't disembark as they pleased. The luggage was (seemingly) all in the terminal. The Ugly - The service was substandard (almost appallingly so) from waiters to pursers to photographers to crew. Ask five people a question and get three different answers. Some people greeted you, some people didn't. Some had a very tenuous grip on the English language. While very proper, most crew lacked any personality or charm. Service in the dining room was shockingly slow (I'm talking a two-hour dinner) and the waiters never even introduced themselves let alone took the time to interact or get to know their guests. The cherry on the cake was that they did not even say goodbye on the last night. Unheard of! - Avoid the casino at all costs. Take your money and light your cigars with it in the beautiful Churchill Cigar Lounge. It'll be better spent. - If you are thinking of bringing kids (or teens, for that matter), don't. They'll be bored out of their minds. read more

Yesterday we completed a fourteen day cruise on the Queen Mary 2 up the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada beginning and ending in New York City. This was our first cruise with Cunard and our expectations were probably high ... and we were sorely disappointed. We had a Deck Eleven Verandah Room on the Starboard Side. It was nicely decorated, somewhat worn and tired and the white metal surrounding our deck was badly rusted. There was a great deal of rust elsewhere on the ship. We ate most of our meals in the Britannia Room. There were some positive exceptions, but for the most part our food was bland, heavy and wholly uninspiring with poor cuts of beef, poor quality seafood and an over abundance of carbohydrates. For dinner entrees they served Macaroni and Cheese, Haggis and Skink even on Gala Night. One day I ordered a Crab Louie as my main course and received a small dinner salad with about a teaspoon of canned crab bits. The food in the King's Court was far worse. (Conversely, we have been thrilled with our meals on all our Holland America Cruises.) While we had an excellent waiter for dinner, most of the ship's crew seemed far too stretched, tired and unhappy. Overall this cruise was moderately pleasant but not at all good value for the money. To us it was clear the owners of Cunard are milking their 'cash cow' yet not caring for her. read more

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My mother and her husband have travelled Cunard and have always enjoyed it until this cruise. I am writing this review for them. Cunard advertised a military discount however, when it came time for this to be reflected in the price of the cruise they were told it did not apply to them because they were not paying a lot for their room. This answer they received after having to call the line and getting the run around. This left them with a bad taste and the next cruise they booked was not Cunard. We can certainly understand if the military discount is prorated according to what was spent, however, why give the discount at all if they were going to be rude to one of the military? She said the cruise ship was ok (this boat not as good as some of the others) but the office staff left her with such a bad taste they probably will never take another cruise with Cunard. I thought you would want to know since it seems that if you have a problem, you may not get any satisfaction from this cruiseline. PS - they also said it was one of the smallest cabins they had ever been in. They went on a tour where they paid at least $200. They were promised shopping in Florida. They were brought to the area, which was not open. When they complained later on to the ship they said they were given what was promised. read more

Would click on "0" if I could. A Queen's Grill suite on the North Atlantic crossing has been on my bucket list for years and was planned for some time in the next few years. This disappeared off the list rapidly in Cape Town last Saturday when I had occasion to board the vessel for a short while. The experience was ruined by surly, slow, rude and unhelpful staff at the check-on/check-off point. The poor system was aggravated by only having one undertrained and disinterested young woman at the security desk. I am still spitting nails over the experience. read more

for our first cruise we had to be sure that we went on the best , no cruise with ' easyjet' or 'Thompsoms ' for us , so with the brochure to hand the adjectives fell over one another Exotic-Legendary-Illustrious-Unrivalled Grandeur-Elegance-Distinguished-Sublime Dining-Opulant , in the main they were correct , staff , presentaion , cabins , food service 10/10 Why one has to ask do they hold " flea " market evenings , god it was awful , cheap junk that we can find in all the Caribbean Islands , real shame , table after table in the main hallways , but then money counts , sadly !!!!! read more