QM2 hints and tips so we don’t get lost!

[Slc334]

I haven’t been on QM2 for nearly 15 years and it was my first ever cruise, so didn’t really know what I was doing! 
Been on QE and QV a lot,  but I am aware that  QM2 has quite a different layout. 
There are dead ends, where you think you are going the right way but aren’t?? And also a secret lift to commodore club?? 
Can anyone help with any hints on ease of moving around? Our stateroom is on deck 11- what’s the best way to get to the commodore club/kings court/ main restaurant? 
Thanks! 

[D&N]

I would start by forgetting about Kings Court. We don't do fast food.

 

Deck 11 has access to all lift shafts/staircases. Stick to staircases it helps get rid of those extra calories you ate, and imagine the lift broke down and you missed 15 mins of your time on QM2!

 

Take staircase D at aft of ship to Queens Room and G32 and dance the night away. Is there any other reason for being on a ship?

 

Commodore Club is ok, but when it's dark you don't have the view over the bow. We much prefer Chart Room, and even in daylight being on deck 3 you are much closer to those wonderful waves.

[BklynBoy8]

We brought a friend for the first time with Cunard and the QM2 this past July.

This was her first time on the QM2 and previously sailed a long time ago on other ships not as big.

And she came out thru out the trip with my DW asking where is where?

And comedically I told her how to get to where she wished to go. She still felt she was lost.

I must have good senses of direction and never get lost. 

 

My method is to master the elevators. Elevator Bank A, B, C, D.

A is far forward, B is Mid Forward, C is Mid Aft and D is in the rear.

 

The Commodore Club is far forward by Elevator Bank A on Deck 9.

Kings Court can be accessed by either Elevator B or C on Deck 7.

Main Britannia Dining Room is by Elevator C Deck 2 or 3....depends on your assigned table.

Passenger Decks 4,5,6 and 8,9,10, 11 and partial 12 run from front and back straight line.

Deck 2, 3, 7 are Public Decks with Offices, Bars, Lounges, Theaters, Shops, etc....

 

Hope some of this helps you. When we take new people with us and others, I suggest that for some time before boarding to study and become familiar with the Deck Plan of the QM2...

 

Others will have more suggestions. 

 

[NE John]

Look at a map with the orientation of Stairwells A B C D and not decks. If you get in the wrong Stairwell, you could get lost, even if you’re on the right deck. 

[TheOldBear]

From Deck 11, you also have the 'scenic lifts' from deck 11 to 7.  [not secret, but scenic 🙂 ]

The lifts are just a smidgen forward of the 'A' staircase and lifts - outboard of the entrances to the 'observation deck'

Commodore Club is deck 9, Library is deck 8 [starboard side] and deck 7 is the promenade deck, spa, Carinthia  lounge - and Kings Court.

[majortom10]

Dont forget to go to the viewing area behind the bridge where you can see what goes on.

[Lakesregion]

2 hours ago, Slc334 said:

I haven’t been on QM2 for nearly 15 years and it was my first ever cruise, so didn’t really know what I was doing! 
Been on QE and QV a lot,  but I am aware that  QM2 has quite a different layout. 
There are dead ends, where you think you are going the right way but aren’t?? And also a secret lift to commodore club?? 
Can anyone help with any hints on ease of moving around? Our stateroom is on deck 11- what’s the best way to get to the commodore club/kings court/ main restaurant? 
Thanks! 

Recommend you down load a complete set of deck plans and on boarding take an hour or so following every deck. 

[devonuk]

15 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Recommend you down load a complete set of deck plans and on boarding take an hour or so following every deck. 

Why bother when you get a fold out map with your key card?

[Red Haired Lady]

5 minutes ago, devonuk said:

Why bother when you get a fold out map with your key card?

The fold out map does not include decks 4 & 5. The printing is so small you cannot read it. Much better to download the pdf onto your phone. I am currently on the ship. The maps  longer come with the key card. Your Must ask the steward. My friend wad told her steward did not have any.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Red Haired Lady

[devonuk]

5 minutes ago, Red Haired Lady said:

The fold out map does not include decks 4 & 5. The printing is so small you cannot read it. Much better to download the pdf onto your phone. I am currently on the ship. The maps  longer come with the key card. Your Must ask the steward. My friend wad told her steward did not have any.

Here’s mine from last week and I never asked for it 🤷‍♂️

[Winifred 22]

8 hours ago, Red Haired Lady said:

The fold out map does not include decks 4 & 5. The printing is so small you cannot read it. Much better to download the pdf onto your phone. I am currently on the ship. The maps  longer come with the key card. Your Must ask the steward. My friend wad told her steward did not have any.

I got mine last month from Guest Services no bother.  I also assume deck 4 and 5 are not marked as they are both accommodation decks only from memory. 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Winifred 22

[exlondoner]

Why would you get lost? The ship is symmetrical, unlike the Vistas. Therefore, if you keep on going, even if it is the wrong way, you will get where you want - eventually. It does help to be on the right deck, but they are numbered in order, so that is easy enough. The thing I found most difficult was establishing where the front of the ship was, for she is so stable that you get very little sense of her movement. The nuisance is Deck 7 in bad weather, where you spend too long trying to walk through the KC. In good weather, those teak outside decks are lovely.

[Pushpit]

11 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

My method is to master the elevators. Elevator Bank A, B, C, D.

A is far forward, B is Mid Forward, C is Mid Aft and D is in the rear.

 

The Commodore Club is far forward by Elevator Bank A on Deck 9.

 

I think this is the trick to getting orientated quickly - get the hang of the lifts / elevators, not the decks. For QV and QE there are just 3 banks of lifts, A, B and C, front to back. Once you are in the lifts waiting area then the signs say which deck you need, so no need to memorise that, and if it's just a deck or two away you can use the nearby staircase instead.

 

Then for your own stateroom there is probably one lift nearest to you, maybe a second not so far off, so you will know that some places are easier to get to than others. Grills passengers need to know that their lifts have some idiosyncrasies but once you know which lifts connect into Grills then it's relatively straightforward.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Pushpit said:

I think this is the trick to getting orientated quickly - get the hang of the lifts / elevators, not the decks. For QV and QE there are just 3 banks of lifts, A, B and C, front to back. Once you are in the lifts waiting area then the signs say which deck you need, so no need to memorise that, and if it's just a deck or two away you can use the nearby staircase instead.

 

Then for your own stateroom there is probably one lift nearest to you, maybe a second not so far off, so you will know that some places are easier to get to than others. Grills passengers need to know that their lifts have some idiosyncrasies but once you know which lifts connect into Grills then it's relatively straightforward.

Surely it is on the Vistas where there are lift difficulties getting to the Grills. On QM2 you just hope the D stairway lifts are working.

[Winifred 22]

20 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Surely it is on the Vistas where there are lift difficulties getting to the Grills. On QM2 you just hope the D stairway lifts are working.

Or have to fight your way through Kings Court  

[Wordzz]

We've mostly sailed on QM2. We were recently on QV and got 'lost' at some point every single day.. Mostly my fault, heading off with great confidence in completely the wrong direction... 

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, Wordzz said:

We've mostly sailed on QM2. We were recently on QV and got 'lost' at some point every single day.. Mostly my fault, heading off with great confidence in completely the wrong direction... 

You can’t get as lost on QV, because it is a smaller ship, but I think it is much harder to navigate. Only being able to get along one side of the Queens Lounge throws me.

[BklynBoy8]

8 hours ago, Pushpit said:

I think this is the trick to getting orientated quickly - get the hang of the lifts / elevators, not the decks. For QV and QE there are just 3 banks of lifts, A, B and C, front to back. Once you are in the lifts waiting area then the signs say which deck you need, so no need to memorise that, and if it's just a deck or two away you can use the nearby staircase instead.

 

Then for your own stateroom there is probably one lift nearest to you, maybe a second not so far off, so you will know that some places are easier to get to than others. Grills passengers need to know that their lifts have some idiosyncrasies but once you know which lifts connect into Grills then it's relatively straightforward.

 

As the old saying " As a Duck out of Water"...since 2006, once I step foot on board I'm back home and never get lost. Always know where all is and how and easy to get there.

 

Wish many would have the same internal GPS I have to instant recall..I'm just lucky.

[techteach]

I think an issue of getting around QM2 is remembering you have to go down the short flight of stairs on 2 and walk through the art gallery to get past the Britannia Restaurant, and then up the short flight to 3 to get to the Queen’s Room. To avoid going through King’s Court to the Grills use elevator D, and don’t count on the directional lights on the outside of the elevators on deck 7 to work.

[devonuk]

3 hours ago, techteach said:

I think an issue of getting around QM2 is remembering you have to go down the short flight of stairs on 2 and walk through the art gallery to get past the Britannia Restaurant, and then up the short flight to 3 to get to the Queen’s Room. To avoid going through King’s Court to the Grills use elevator D, and don’t count on the directional lights on the outside of the elevators on deck 7 to work.

We and many others just walked through the upper level Britannia restaurant and no one ever said anything 😗

[techteach]

@devonuk I realize that is an option, I know people won’t say anything, but I wouldn’t want people walking through my dinner so I don’t do it. I am capable of going around.

[devonuk]

6 minutes ago, techteach said:

@devonuk I realize that is an option, I know people won’t say anything, but I wouldn’t want people walking through my dinner so I don’t do it. I am capable of going around.

Perhaps I should have added not when people are eating 🫣

[Chart Room Princess]

When attempting to go to Illuminations, use elevator bank A and walk aft. You avoid walking down the stairs (good for those with mobility issues) and the side hallways which confuse many people.

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, techteach said:

@devonuk I realize that is an option, I know people won’t say anything, but I wouldn’t want people walking through my dinner so I don’t do it. I am capable of going around.

There was also a sign telling people to not walk through Kings Court on our recent roundtrip TA. They used the area for the themed alternative evenings but people still ignored it and undid the the barrier at the end so they could get into Princess Grill. Proves that they might have money but nota nets and thought for others.

[njguy_south]

For many years my mother (in a wheelchair) travelled with me. The QM2 is a difficult ship for people with mobility issues (either in or out of a chair). First, you cannot get to the Pool Terrace on Deck 8 if you cannot walk or haul your wheelchair up a significant flight of stairs -- or hope that someone is available to let you through The Veranda Restaurant. (You can imagine the looks someone in a wheelchair receives when dressed for sitting by the pool, but having to wheel through the restaurant during lunch! I have been there AND I have seen that.)

 

Than forget an easy trip to the Queen's Room. It is like trekking The Odyssey. (Although one can push through the upper level of the Britannia. 

 

Then, trek to the front of Deck 8 on the port side (where our cabin once was) and realize you are met with a stair case near the beauty salon, trying to get to the forward elevators to the Commodore's Club. One then needs to turn around, go to the next "crossing," and back down the hallway on the starboard side toward the library. (And then once need to hope that boxes and such aren't being store on that ramp -- as they often are, which requires you to move them or ask for help.)

 

It is a grand ship to navigate if you are mobile.