Back From First Cunard Cruise QM2 July 4th

[giustot]

We just returned from our first Cunard cruise, the QM2 Canada/New England voyage June 30-Jul 7. Overall, we had a great time. The ship was beautiful and comfortable, and the food and service were very good. We have sailed on a wide range of cruise lines, though mostly on Regent. Our last cruise was on Crystal. On the QM2 we sailed in a Queen’s Grill cabin. The special attention made a big difference.

 

Sailing in a Queen’s Grill suite gives you the service and attention of a smaller luxury cruise, along with the amenities and entertainment available on a much larger ship. A Princess Grill room provides good value for the money since you get almost everything in Queen’s Grill in a slightly smaller cabin with non-French champagne and no butler and canapes. I really didn’t think the butler made much of a difference and the canapes were nothing special. Having the drinks package and included gratuities made it a little easier, but I’m sure if we ordered by the drink, we would not have come close to the cost of the package.

 

We got to the pier early due to an early flight. Passengers were already in line waiting for the terminal to open about 10:30. By 11 we were checked in and seated in the suites waiting room where we waited about an hour until boarding began. There was a bit of a rush as the doors opened but boarding generally went smoothly.

 

I thought the Q6 suite cabin was laid out very well. I liked the idea of putting the sofa in front of the bed. You could watch the TV from the bed and the sofa. The room didn’t feel crowded. The balcony was large. There was more than enough closet and drawer space. The bathroom has a whirlpool tub and shower combo which can be a challenge for anyone with a mobility issue, and given the ages of the passengers that’s a significant consideration. A walk-in double shower would have been a better choice.

 

Our cabin was close enough to the front of the ship that we had a clear view from the balcony. Almost all of the suite balconies overlook the roofs of the lifeboats. In hindsight, probably not the best decision.

 

We went to lunch the first day at the Queens Grill, the table and staff we would have for the entire cruise. We requested a large table and got one with seven people, two couples and three single women. It worked very well. Everyone got along and tended to dine about the same time.

 

Food is a subjective opinion. I thought the Queen’s Grill food was very good, but not great. Regent, Crystal and Celebrity suite dining are better. We had a couple of excellent dishes but most were not as tasty as they should have been. I think the food was under-seasoned. But the staff would go out of its way to make sure you were happy and special order anything you wanted. On some occasions I felt the hot food ordered came out of the kitchen a bit too quickly, leading me to believe it was not cooked to order. But all in all, the dining experience in the Queen’s Grill was very special. It was hard to get back to normal eating.

 

There was also a Grills Lounge for cocktails, afternoon tea, and occasional special entertainment. It was never crowded and the servers got to know you. Even though Grills passengers have drinks packages, you had to take out your card and sign every drink check. This was a bit annoying. I can’t tell you how many passengers I have met on Regent who say they switched to that line because they didn’t like having to take out their cruise card for everything.

 

The entertainment was very good and there were multiple venues. One thing that surprised me was that although the ship had a production show cast of 16, they only performed two shows on a seven-night cruise. And one of the shows on the evening of departure when many people are tired and skip the shows.

 

The entertainment schedule is geared to early and late seating, 8:45 pm and 10:30 pm. So, if you have late seating it’s going to be a late night for you. If you’re in a Grills cabin and have anytime dining and tend to eat around 7-7:30 pm, it’s not going to work well with show times.

 

I enjoyed the lectures. Jim Kennedy, the former head of the Kennedy Space Center (no relation) was especially interesting. He joined us for a drink one evening and the conversation was fascinating.

 

Formal afternoon tea in the Queen’s Room is very popular. People line up before the doors open. But you can usually find a place if you’re willing to sit with others. Tea is served in three courses in this order; sandwiches, sweets and scones. But you can ask for what you want when you’d like to have it. I had tea a couple of times in the Queen’s Room and a few other times in the Grills Lounge which was never crowded.

 

I was impressed by the level of ballroom dancing on the cruise. The dancers are very serious and know the steps. I wouldn’t dare set foot on the dance floor unless I took lessons. There were six dance hosts on the cruise (one female,) more than I had ever seen on a cruise.

 

Dress is more formal on Cunard than I have ever experienced in 25 years of cruising on other lines. Men have to wear jackets to dinner every single night of the cruise. That’s probably a little too strict, even for me. You have to consider whether you’re going to lose younger potential customers with such a dress code.

 

Although the ship was full with almost 2700 passengers it never really seemed crowded. It is laid out much differently than other cruise ships. The pools and buffet are not together on an upper deck. The pools are terraced along the aft of the ship. The buffet is on the promenade deck 7. Some show rooms and lounges are behind others but you eventually get used to it.

 

This cruise was a nice mix of three days at sea and three days in ports, Halifax, Boston and Newport. I didn’t take any of the ship’s excursions, arranging private tours in Halifax and Boston due to my wife’s limited mobility. Newport is a tender port and some fog delayed the tender operation but all tours took place. The ship did a good job of adjusting to the fog delays.

 

Disembarkation went well. You can self-disembark early and carry off all of your own luggage. Or you can wait for your color to be called. Queen’s Grill begins about 8 am. Everyone is off by 10. At the terminal they wanted you to collect your luggage and then wait in line for a porter. Not quite as smooth as getting the porter first and having him gather the luggage.

 

Overall, our first Cunard cruise was very enjoyable and we would definitely do it again. I liked the Grills product and would recommend it if it’s in your budget.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for reporting back, it's good to hear you had a great time.

[Bell Boy]

Thank You for your review and good to hear you will consider another voyage/cruise with Cunard. Just to clarify for other readers who may be considering Cunard Grills .  Drinks packages  ( other than in-suite bar set up) are not part of the Grills product ,  Drinks packages are offered (occasionally) on certain sales promotions. ( and more often than not for those customers in USA)   

[candle in the wind]

Great review, Grills looks comfy.

[Underwatr]

59 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

Drinks packages are offered (occasionally) on certain sales promotions. ( and more often than not for those customers in USA)   

But the free drinks package is characteristically for Grills passengers when it is offered. I haven't seen a drinks promotion for non-grills passengers.

[Jack E Dawson]

Thank you Giustot for a very interesting review. I was particularly interested in your details regarding the QG product. My wife and I have made two crossings on the QM2, one in a sheltered balcony and one in Britannia Club, which also offers anytime dining. I have a 70th birthday coming up next year and we are considering both PG and QG. Your review has provided excellent insights. The Q6 suite looks very well laid out. Your pictures are great. It looked like you had nice warm weather. 

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience. I think there are a lot of us on this Board who need a "fix" between voyages on the QM2.

 

Jack

[Bigmike911]

4 hours ago, giustot said:

We just returned from our first Cunard cruise, the QM2 Canada/New England voyage June 30-Jul 7. Overall, we had a great time. The ship was beautiful and comfortable, and the food and service were very good. We have sailed on a wide range of cruise lines, though mostly on Regent. Our last cruise was on Crystal. On the QM2 we sailed in a Queen’s Grill cabin. The special attention made a big difference.

 

Sailing in a Queen’s Grill suite gives you the service and attention of a smaller luxury cruise, along with the amenities and entertainment available on a much larger ship. A Princess Grill room provides good value for the money since you get almost everything in Queen’s Grill in a slightly smaller cabin with non-French champagne and no butler and canapes. I really didn’t think the butler made much of a difference and the canapes were nothing special. Having the drinks package and included gratuities made it a little easier, but I’m sure if we ordered by the drink, we would not have come close to the cost of the package.

 

We got to the pier early due to an early flight. Passengers were already in line waiting for the terminal to open about 10:30. By 11 we were checked in and seated in the suites waiting room where we waited about an hour until boarding began. There was a bit of a rush as the doors opened but boarding generally went smoothly.

 

I thought the Q6 suite cabin was laid out very well. I liked the idea of putting the sofa in front of the bed. You could watch the TV from the bed and the sofa. The room didn’t feel crowded. The balcony was large. There was more than enough closet and drawer space. The bathroom has a whirlpool tub and shower combo which can be a challenge for anyone with a mobility issue, and given the ages of the passengers that’s a significant consideration. A walk-in double shower would have been a better choice.

 

Our cabin was close enough to the front of the ship that we had a clear view from the balcony. Almost all of the suite balconies overlook the roofs of the lifeboats. In hindsight, probably not the best decision.

 

We went to lunch the first day at the Queens Grill, the table and staff we would have for the entire cruise. We requested a large table and got one with seven people, two couples and three single women. It worked very well. Everyone got along and tended to dine about the same time.

 

Food is a subjective opinion. I thought the Queen’s Grill food was very good, but not great. Regent, Crystal and Celebrity suite dining are better. We had a couple of excellent dishes but most were not as tasty as they should have been. I think the food was under-seasoned. But the staff would go out of its way to make sure you were happy and special order anything you wanted. On some occasions I felt the hot food ordered came out of the kitchen a bit too quickly, leading me to believe it was not cooked to order. But all in all, the dining experience in the Queen’s Grill was very special. It was hard to get back to normal eating.

 

There was also a Grills Lounge for cocktails, afternoon tea, and occasional special entertainment. It was never crowded and the servers got to know you. Even though Grills passengers have drinks packages, you had to take out your card and sign every drink check. This was a bit annoying. I can’t tell you how many passengers I have met on Regent who say they switched to that line because they didn’t like having to take out their cruise card for everything.

 

The entertainment was very good and there were multiple venues. One thing that surprised me was that although the ship had a production show cast of 16, they only performed two shows on a seven-night cruise. And one of the shows on the evening of departure when many people are tired and skip the shows.

 

The entertainment schedule is geared to early and late seating, 8:45 pm and 10:30 pm. So, if you have late seating it’s going to be a late night for you. If you’re in a Grills cabin and have anytime dining and tend to eat around 7-7:30 pm, it’s not going to work well with show times.

 

I enjoyed the lectures. Jim Kennedy, the former head of the Kennedy Space Center (no relation) was especially interesting. He joined us for a drink one evening and the conversation was fascinating.

 

Formal afternoon tea in the Queen’s Room is very popular. People line up before the doors open. But you can usually find a place if you’re willing to sit with others. Tea is served in three courses in this order; sandwiches, sweets and scones. But you can ask for what you want when you’d like to have it. I had tea a couple of times in the Queen’s Room and a few other times in the Grills Lounge which was never crowded.

 

I was impressed by the level of ballroom dancing on the cruise. The dancers are very serious and know the steps. I wouldn’t dare set foot on the dance floor unless I took lessons. There were six dance hosts on the cruise (one female,) more than I had ever seen on a cruise.

 

Dress is more formal on Cunard than I have ever experienced in 25 years of cruising on other lines. Men have to wear jackets to dinner every single night of the cruise. That’s probably a little too strict, even for me. You have to consider whether you’re going to lose younger potential customers with such a dress code.

 

Although the ship was full with almost 2700 passengers it never really seemed crowded. It is laid out much differently than other cruise ships. The pools and buffet are not together on an upper deck. The pools are terraced along the aft of the ship. The buffet is on the promenade deck 7. Some show rooms and lounges are behind others but you eventually get used to it.

 

This cruise was a nice mix of three days at sea and three days in ports, Halifax, Boston and Newport. I didn’t take any of the ship’s excursions, arranging private tours in Halifax and Boston due to my wife’s limited mobility. Newport is a tender port and some fog delayed the tender operation but all tours took place. The ship did a good job of adjusting to the fog delays.

 

Disembarkation went well. You can self-disembark early and carry off all of your own luggage. Or you can wait for your color to be called. Queen’s Grill begins about 8 am. Everyone is off by 10. At the terminal they wanted you to collect your luggage and then wait in line for a porter. Not quite as smooth as getting the porter first and having him gather the luggage.

 

Overall, our first Cunard cruise was very enjoyable and we would definitely do it again. I liked the Grills product and would recommend it if it’s in your budget.

Ozman Pinarolu looks quite handsome in the photo of him whipping up your Cesar Salad. Glad you enjoyed the brief trip. It is a good way to sample QG and QM2. A Fourth of July voyage was my second voyage and I have 17 and 18 coming up in September. QM2 can become quite habit forming. 

[Sue from Canada]

Thank you for your review.  I enjoyed reading it from a first timer as I'll be on the QM2 next July 2020 for the first time for 21 days.

[Bell Boy]

10 hours ago, Underwatr said:

But the free drinks package is characteristically for Grills passengers when it is offered. I haven't seen a drinks promotion for non-grills passengers.

It was once offered for other categories (eg Britannia ) on certain marketing promotions way back in the past.   In 2016/17 I took advantage of one of these promotional offers.  ( if I remember correctly the value of the drink at that time was up to $9. ?)  You are correct I don't think we have seen it offered recently for non Grills ,however, when it is offered in a Grills promotion, more often than not it's usually for booking in the USA . 

 

Having said that, at the end of the day........... We all know there is no such thing as a free Lunch 😉