Even though Will and I are not big cruise people, I always wanted to take a trip on one of Cunard’s Queen ships. They seemed so romantic and elegant, the way transatlantic crossings used to be. The Queen Mary 2 typically sails between New York and Southampton, England but occasionally she makes longer or shorter trips. When I heard about the 4th of July cruise, out of New York with stops in Halifax and Boston, I thought it would be the perfect way for us to check out the majestic vessel.
Date: July 2011
Embarking/Disembarking: The QM2 usually sails out of Brooklyn, NY but our special cruise left from the Manhattan port. The pier was crowded and disorganized as there was a Carnival ship boarding at the same time. It took hours to get checked in and we couldn’t find the bag drop so we were stuck dragging our suitcases around. Once we got on the ship, the elevators were messed up and it took quite a long time to get to our room. Disembarking was much easier when we returned. We chose to carry our own bags so we could get right off the ship when it docked. We just listened for an announcement and were off in minutes.
Cabins: Cunard ships are broken up into three classes. First and second class are, in order, the Queens Grill and the Princess Grill. Guests in these classes have suites, separate restaurants and separate decks to lounge on. Everyone else is in the Britannia Class which eats in the two-story Britannia dining room and has access to all the common areas. The Britannia rooms range from tiny, inside staterooms to larger, balcony staterooms. Some of the balconies are in-hull, which means they are enclosed like a sitting room, while others are outdoor. Apparently the in-hull rooms are ideal during a windy, rainy crossing but, since we were just going up the coast of New England, we booked an open balcony room. The room was a bit worn, but spacious and we loved being able to sit outside, especially on the 4th of July when fireworks were going off in every direction. The beds are pretty comfortable although the pillows are flat and horrible. The bathrooms were also spacious for a cruise ship and the shower pressure and temperature was excellent. We were on Deck 8 at the very front of the ship and it was smooth and peaceful, but we could hear our neighbors on their balconies if we were outside at the same time. If someone is out chatting or playing music, you definitely couldn’t do any quiet reading.
The Ship: As I’d imagined, the Queen Mary 2 is very elegant. The common areas are beautiful from the gorgeous grand lobby with its glass elevator, to the stunning Queens Room, the largest ballroom at sea. There is no shortage of things to do and places to explore and because the ship is so large, it never feels crowded. There’s a nice little art gallery, a big fitness center, a spa, a planetarium (tickets are available every morning on a first come, first served basis), many shops and several bars and clubs where you can have a nice drink and just enjoy the ride. There are nightly shows, mostly dancers, which were pretty good and there is a casino with 115 slot machines and 11 gaming tables. Of course, there are also pools and plenty of lounge chairs to relax in outside if the weather permits.
Meals: There are three meals a day served in the dining rooms. In the Queens and Princess Grill Dining Rooms, you can show up within an allotted time frame for your meals or have them served in your suite. In the Britannia, you can do the same for breakfast and lunch, but you are assigned a table at a specific seating time for dinner. There are three courses with several options every night for each. There are vegetarian selections, but there is also a separate vegetarian menu that you can order from in advance, the night before as long as you let them know of your dietary restrictions ahead of time. The quality of the meals varied widely. Some nights they were good and some nights not so much. In my opinion, the food was not gourmet, it was often very heavy and sometimes tasteless. Food is also available, buffet style, in the King’s Court. I didn’t like the food there at all. Afternoon tea is served every day in the Queens Room and this was my favorite eating experience on the ship. White gloved waiters served us cups of tea with sandwiches, tasty little cakes and scones with clotted cream. There is also a Todd English restaurant and special themed dining experiences which you can reserve tables at for an additional fee. We didn’t try any of these so I can’t review them.
NOTE: Although the dress code on the ship is relaxed during the day, there are strict dress codes for eating dinner in the dining rooms. They are formal, semi-formal or elegant, but you are expected to dress for dinner every night and the dress code is enforced. You are never going to see jeans or sneakers at night in any of the dining rooms. If you don’t want to dress up, you have to go to the buffet or order food to your room.
Ports of Call: Our cruise had stops in Halifax, Canada and Boston, MA. Although there were excursions offered for an additional fee we opted to explore the cities on our own. In Halifax, it was an easy walk over to the Citadel, an old, British military fort on a hill. There were actors dressed as soldiers that put on a demonstration with an old cannon. You can take a guided tour or just walk around the stone fortress on your own. From the top, you have an excellent view of the town. We also visited the pretty Public Gardens and the many shops around the cruise port. As I’m from Boston, we had been there many times and seen all the sights. We walked from the ship to the Institute of Contemporary Art and made a stop at Mike’s Pastry in the North End to pick up some amazing cannolis and a lobster tail before reboarding the ship. We didn’t have a great view of the Pops fireworks from the ship, but we could see them.
Overall Impression: While sailing on the QM2 wasn’t exactly luxurious, it was definitely nicer than the average cruise. It was a bit overpriced, but had we not travelled over a holiday, I think I would have found the fares more reasonable. I wouldn’t recommend it for children because it is expensive and not really setup for kids but, for a couple or group of adults, it’s a nice trip.
Grade: B
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Queen Mary 2 Official Site
