Impressions of QUEEN MARY 2 and Photos

[eroller]

So many superlatives have already been expressed regarding QM2 that it's not easy adding anything new to what has already been said. For this reason I am not writing a full review of QM2 but rather some personal impressions of my experience onboard.

 

First off let me just state that QM2 is all she is cracked up to be and then some. Having sailed on over 50 cruises on almost as many different ships I can say without question that QM2 stands out in a sea of ship design mediocrity. She embodies all that a true ocean liner should, such as speed, stability, graceful lines, elegance, glamour, and of course an imposing figure on the horizon. For those that know ships, many would agree that the French Line NORMANDIE was a ship to be envied. She embodied the finest available ship design technology of her day and was considered the best of the best during her short life. In many ways she remains a legend even today, long after her demise. I feel QUEEN MARY 2 is the NORMANDIE of our time. Like NORMANDIE, the QM2 excels in style, grace, speed, and glamour. Simply stated, there is nothing else like QM2 sailing today. I am so enamored with QM2 that if I had to choose only one ship to sail on for the rest of my life, QM2 would be it. I hope she never acquires a sister as QM2 should remain one of a kind as far as I'm concerned. Should we end up with five QM2 clones years from now, and I can only surmise that much of what is special about QM2 will fade with her uniqueness.

 

I have absolutely no complaints regarding my QM2 experience. Yes a few things could have been better, but they are so inconsequential that there is no reason to dwell on them. Later on I will point out a few items that Cunard might consider changing in the future, but only as a means of constructive criticism.

 

The festive mood was set right from the onset, with an excellent embarkation process in a NY pier decked out with photos of famous Cunard past passengers. The feeling that something was going to be different, rather special, was apparent from this moment on. Disembarkation was just as efficient and I experienced none of the chaos that others have written about on past cruises. Sailing out of NY is always a treat, made even more so when you are onboard the largest ocean liner in the world. Three blasts from the steam whistle which once graced the original QUEEN MARY sent shivers down my spine and was a fitting way to declare our departure. "New York, New York" and "America the Beautiful" were played over the open decks and one could not help feeling very proud at that moment.

 

I'm a detailed oriented person and anyone that appreciates details will fall in love with QM2. The details are everywhere, and it's exceedingly apparent just how much thought went into the design of this ship. The artwork is stunning throughout, as are the grand staircases, light fixtures, graceful indoor and outdoor promenades, interior decor, etc. It's all first rate and there is very little I would change. Having read so much about the food and service issues on previous cruises, I wasn't sure what to expect. This combined with my less than stellar experience on QE2 a couple years ago left me with an indifferent attitude towards Cunard. Thankfully my apprehension was easily put to rest as I experienced wonderful service, food, entertainment, and enrichment onboard. Our dining room waiter was truly a cut above what one might expect, so much so that special requests were always met with a smile and we were called by name each and every evening. Food was equally satisfying and I never had a bad meal onboard. I would say it was certainly up to Celebrity Cruises standards, which is quite good. An evening at Todd English was another treat, and I highly recommend this venue to anyone sailing on QM2.

 

Activities were quite varied, and a real treat was attending lectures by ship historian Bill Miller. Evening entertainment was also excellent and there was never a lack of things to do. The three main production shows were well produced and orchestrated, and as good as anything I've seen on most other lines if not better. This sailing also offered a little extra excitement with repeated emergency signals one evening, and a Coast Guard airlift of an ill crewmember one afternoon. In true shipboard tradition both events were very popular topics among passengers and crew, with rumors flying like wild flowers.

 

I was quite lucky to hook up with a wonderful group of new found friends onboard, both passengers and crew. You all know who you are and I only hope we have the opportunity to cruise together again. It was a true pleasure meeting each and every one of you. As if sailing on QM2 was not amazing enough, adding these very special people into the mix pushed the entire experience right over the top! In fact the entire atmosphere onboard was quite special, not unlike older ships I have sailed in the past. It's almost as if QM2 already has a soul, something that you just don't feel on other newbuilds. I'm not sure if it's the eclectic layout (not cookie cutter), the proud crew, the music everywhere, or the wonderful mix of passengers - but it's probably a combination of all four that create this wonderful ambiance onboard.

 

Each evening after my workout I would make a few laps around the Deck 7 outdoor Promenade. As the sun was setting I had a clear view inside the interior of the ship. What I witnessed during those early evening walks was a compilation of shipboard life onboard QM2. First passing the Winter Garden I would notice passengers in various dress enjoying cocktails. Moving aft to the King's Court I would peer in to perhaps see Bill Miller hosting an elegant table for dinner. Further aft passengers in Princess Grill were slowly filling up tables and enjoying conversation with table mates. Swinging around to the starboard side I would pass by the Queen's Grill where elegantly clad passengers were already in full swing with several enjoying the main course. Now moving forward on the starboard side I would take a peek into the Queen's Grill Lounge were men in tuxes and ladies in their finest evening gowns were enjoying cocktails and conversation while listening to a harpist and piano. Finally I would make my way back to the gym/spa where those that work out late like I do were dressed in shorts/tee-shirts and were in various stages of their workouts. Of course from my perspective on the outside looking in, there was little sound so I could only imagine the music being played and what the topics of conversation might be. It was always a very pleasant way to start the evening and gave me great appreciation as to why QM2 truly is a city at sea. I already miss those early evening walks out on deck.

 

I mentioned earlier there is some room for improvement. I think that is the case with everything in life, and QM2 is no exception. There is very little I would change about QM2, but perhaps Cunard may consider the following. Access to the aft pool decks could be better. Having my cabin on Deck 8 meant walking down to Deck 7, then up again to Deck 8 via a special staircase by the Princess Grill. This was awkward especially in bathing attire and was made necessary to avoid walking through Todd English. Somehow there should be better access. The Boardwalk Cafe seemed like an afterthought and needs sprucing up. There is no interior space to eat so it's outside only, and many times it's too windy. This area needs to be reconsidered by Cunard. The minimum price for a photo onboard is $27. I find this insulting and certainly hope Cunard thinks better of it's passengers then to charge such an outlandish price. Our cabin was a balcony with obstructed view, and the balcony was always wet with sea spray. Not just a little, but many times drenched to where we could not sit outside. I found this very odd especially since we were high up, inboard, and protected by a lifeboat. In fact all the outer decks of QM2 seemed to be plagued by sea spray.... even those very high up and on calm days. I've never experienced this on other ships and maybe someone out there might know why? Finally, the Canyon Ranch Spa should not charge for the use of the sauna or showers. No other ship does and QM2 shouldn't either. It's quite odd having a gym but not being able to access the locker room unless you pay. This is a clear case of nickel and diming and it's not necessary on a class act like QM2. I might add if there is one public room I would not miss onboard, it's the Winter Garden. It just doesn't belong on QM2 and reminds me of a space I would find on DISNEY MAGIC or DISNEY WONDER. It's not so terribly bad, but in comparison to the other public rooms it pales.

 

As you can tell QM2 has made a believer out of me. Frankly I was a bit QM2'd out considering all the hype and publicity over the past months. Having personally experienced her I can now understand the excitement. There is simply no other ship that can offer the same experience. I have a feeling I will return to QM2 as many times as possible. She is a ship I don't think I could ever get tired or bored of. May she sail for a long, long time!

 

In closing, there have been so many pictures taken of QM2 I don't know why I bothered with my own. Others have done a much better job but none the less I ended up taking over 200 photos. It's hard to capture this amazing ship in a photo, but I gave it a shot. Just click on the link below and I hope you enjoy them.

 

http://public.fotki.com/eroller/queen_mary_2/

 

 

All the best,

Ernie

[megacruiser]

Ernie,

 

Thanks for the excellent report. Glad you enjoyed the experience. I hope your impartial opinion will encourage others to try the ship for themselves.

 

QM2 Three Continents Cruise

[Shipping Out]

Ernie,

 

Excellent review! I agree with you on all points. I'm glad you raised the subject of the price of photographs - $27.50 - outrageous. The QM2 does have a soul - and I do think she will become a legend in time. Thank you for sharing the wonderful photographs as well!

[momomo]

Perfectly written it almost made me cry). I miss you already! Mo

[CL-JW]

Ernie,

 

Couldn't agree with Mo more.

 

Mo -

 

Don't cry. We'll call you later on today!

 

So glad to have met each of you and look forward to seeing you all soon.

 

Craig & Jack

[dougnewmanatsea]

Wow... I don't think I've read that enthusiastic a review from you since you went on Silversea!

 

With review after review coming in by discerning people that are thrilled with QM2, I really can't wait to experience her myself; I don't know when that will happen but it will have to be pretty soon as I'm getting QM2 envy .

 

I also really enjoyed the photos; as many as there are of QM2 I think you actually managed to capture a few areas that I hadn't seen before. (I guess that's when you know a ship is really big: you look through thousands of photos and there are still things you haven't seen!) I especially found the photos of various signage interesting; as everyone doubtless knows by now I'm a detail nut and find things like signage or light fixtures or carpet details absolutely fascinating. To me, it's the details that make the ship (design wise) and QM2 thankfully seems to have lots of details. Obviously a huge amount of thought went into designing her interiors and while I may not agree with the overall theme (a bit too blatantly retro in some places, I think, though maybe my opinon will change when I finally see her interiors in person), it looks like it would be very hard to set out to do what her designers wanted to do and actually wind up with a better result.

 

Anyhow welcome back, glad you enjoyed her!

 

Doug Newman

Cruise Critic Message Boards Host

e-mail: shiploverny AT yahoo DOT com

[BEAV]

As always, great review, Ernie.

 

Last night (5/19) as my partner and I were getting ready to have cocktails on the balcony of our little condo (a VERY sacred, religious experience at our place ) the thought struck me "I wonder if Ernie's back yet?" I scanned Cruise Critic, but nothing...oh well, have to wait a few days!

 

Thanks for getting your review (and great photos) to us cruise-starved landrovers so quickly.

 

Cocktail hour tonite is going to be FUN with a drink in one hand and your review in the other!

 

We had decided to hold off on QM2 for awhile, but now you've gone and resurrected our interest, toyed with our emotions and confused what was once our minds made up!

 

You sure you're not a Sales Agent for Cunard ???

 

 

 

 

[eroller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Host Doug:

Wow... I don't think I've read that enthusiastic a review from you since you went on Silversea!

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi Doug,

Silversea was pretty special, and granted the food and service were better on Silversea, but I enjoyed the overall experience on QM2 to a greater degree. I actually prefer the big ship feel, with all the amazing amenities.

 

It's just hard to top the onboard atmosphere onboard QM2. She almost feels like an older ocean liner even though she is brand new. The REMBRANDT had the same kind of feeling when I sailed a crossing on her years ago. It's very hard to duplicate on modern newbuilds.

 

I hope you get to sail on her soon. How about a graduation present from your parents perhaps??

 

Best,

Ernie

[eroller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by momomo:

Perfectly written it almost made me cry). I miss you already! Mo<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

Mo you are soooo sweet! I miss you guys so much as well! Life is not the same without our before dinner cocktails, during dinner cocktails, after dinner cocktails, during show cocktails, and after show cocktails! Purple Hooters will always have a special place in my heart!

 

I can't wait to sail on QM2 again, but I don't think I can do it without all of you. It just wouldn't be the same. We all have to book for next April as planned.

 

Hope you are all having fun together in NY! Wish I were there.

 

Miss you,

Ernie

[eroller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BEAV:

 

 

Cocktail hour tonite is going to be FUN with a drink in one hand and your review in the other!

 

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

Hi Beav,

I can't tell you how appropriate that is! I hope those cocktails make the reading even more enjoyable for you.

 

I really felt I received my money's worth on QM2, and that is not something I have been able to say about Cunard in the past. Sure there are cheaper ships, but they just can't match the experience and onboard ambiance.

 

I hope you decide to sail on her soon, but if not how about joining us on a little reunion cruise next April? It would be wonderful having you and your partner add to the fun.

 

Best,

Ernie

[jamesm]

Ernie, thanks for your great review and fab photos. Life is all about the details and the photos blew me away. We prefer a smaller size ship - not just because of crowds but things are generally more accessible. We're food junkies too (15x Celebrity) so it's reassuring to read what you have to say about that. Cunard should offer you a sales commission - I'm ready to sign up for a try.

[gaupin]

hi ernie. my oh my we almost feel vindicated! we have continually said how much we enjoyed the qm2 and would go again in a sec. we do feel sorry for those that had less than our wonderful experience...perhaps they'll take another look at her through your wonderful review and decide to try her again (maybe some of their concerns have been successfully addressed and rectified). or at least stop telling us that we had no idea of what a great liner experience should be...and they did! ok, so now even more than ever ready to go again. thanks for your very objective report, including the suggestions. agree with those too. mike and jon

[Hve2cruise]

Ernie........That was a great review. Thank you so much! We are on the July 1st sailing and we have cabin #8093 (obstructed view). Looking at your pictures, I noticed that you can see above and below the life boat. Do you know if that is the same for all the cabins on that floor? Also, did you frequent the casino and what did you think?

 

After reading your review, I am even more excited about exploring this magnificient ship.

 

Thanks again!

 

Helane

 

40+ Cruises

QM2 7/1/04

[eroller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hve2cruise:

Ernie........That was a great review. Thank you so much! We are on the July 1st sailing and we have cabin #8093 (obstructed view). Looking at your pictures, I noticed that you can see above and below the life boat. Do you know if that is the same for all the cabins on that floor? Also, did you frequent the casino and what did you think?

 

After reading your review, I am even more excited about exploring this magnificient ship.

 

Thanks again!

 

Helane

 

40+ Cruises

QM2 7/1/04<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

Hi Helane,

The deck plans in the Cunard brochure are pretty accurate in regards to how obstructed your view will be. Our cabin was at the very back of one lifeboat, so we could see behind it with a clear view, and also in front of it since we were behind the first lifeboat on the ship. Of course you could also see above and below it. It really wasn't bad at all. Also, the lifeboats are pretty far away from your balcony. On some ships they are right next to it. This gives you even more of a view. If you call Cunard you can give them your cabin number and they will tell you exactly how obstructed it is. Ours was listed at 75%. As I mentioned in the review, our balcony was always wet with salt spray. Not just a little, but a lot many times. I'm not sure if this was just our balcony or a problem with many on the ship? The balcony is quite large (by ship standards) and fits two full sized loungers (barely!) that have nice green cushions on them.

 

Deck 8 is a great location. The pools aft, library, spa, and Commodore Club forward, Kings Court just a deck below, and other decks just a few decks below. It's probably one of the few decks onboard which didn't require too much elevator access.

 

I hope you enjoy it!

 

Ernie

 

ps - Didn't use the casino at all, but it was a beautiful room. I loved the mural at the end of all the tables.

[eroller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gaupin:

(maybe some of their concerns have been successfully addressed and rectified). thanks for your very objective report, including the suggestions. agree with those too. mike and jon<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

Hi Mike and Jon,

I had absolutely no food or service issues onboard. In fact our dining room waiter was one of the best we ever had. Food arrived in a timely manner and was always hot and tasty. I certainly don't expect gourmet food on a 2600 passenger ship, and maybe this is the problem with some people's disappointment.

 

All the staff was so friendly onboard. They would always stop what they were doing to say hello and smile. I was very impressed. This was certainly the opposite of what I experienced just last month on NORWEGIAN DREAM. The staff/crew on that ship seemed absolutely miserable in comparison.

 

I did get friendly with the Assistant Purser onboard (he invited me to a Senior Officer's party which I totally missed by accident) and he informed me that QM2 is still having staffing problems. Getting the staff is not a problem, but where to put them is. It seems the designers didn't count on the amount of staff needed when calculating crew quarters. The solution for now is pulling passenger cabins out of inventory and using them for crew cabins. Many times they are four berth inside cabins, but depending on the week they could even be balcony cabins for the crew. The bad part is the crew members assigned to these cabins have to live out of a suitcase and change cabins every cruise. That could get old very quickly. I'm not sure what the final solution will be, but he did tell me that Cunard has at least one or two executives on every QM2 cruise (so far) as they are very concerned with getting the ship operating as smoothly as possible.

 

Needless to say, he was quite interesting to chat with, and since I used to be an Assistant Purser on Princess many years ago, we had a lot in common to talk about.

 

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

 

Ernie

[eroller]

One thing I forgot to mention in the review is how fantastic the interactive TV system onboard QM2 is. Up to now, VOYAGER OF THE SEAS had the best TV system on any ship I have sailed. Well, she has been outdone by QM2.

 

The TV system on QM2 lets you order wine, order shore excursions, view the dinner menu, look at the ship's exact position, check the speed and heading of the ship, view forward and aft webcams, check the weather for the next day or even the next port day, view the daily activities, check the dress code, check email, check stocks and news, input a cabin maintenance request, view your shipboard account, etc, etc.

 

For the ship lover, various programs such as "Floating Castles" and "Building the QM2" are shown throughout the voyage. There are also many more obscure programs which you would never see on land. One was exclusively on the original QUEEN ELIZABETH which I thoroughly enjoyed. There were also some documentaries on QE2, QUEEN MARY, and other ships. You could spend hours just watching these programs. Luckily, the gym has flat screens in front of every piece of aerobic equipment and I could watch them while working out. Kill two birds with one stone.

 

Finally, there is a huge selection of music and movies on demand. The movies I am talking about are at no extra charge (they have pay-per view movies as well) and are categorized by theme.

 

My favorite part was the music. Great for afternoon naps or while getting ready for dinner. Under the music menu there were many categories of music such as pop, classical, show tunes (yes, show tunes!), jazz, soul, etc. You could then opt to listen to the entire album, or pick specific songs you wanted and add them to your playlist. You could pick a couple show tunes, maybe a classical melody, a pop tune, etc. Basically you could tailor your own music playlist. The great thing is your playlist was saved for the entire cruise so you could always listen to your favorites tunes over and over again via a click on the remote.

 

It's a great system (and no doubt many never figured out how to properly work it) and I rarely read any mention of it.

 

Ernie

[gaupin]

ernie--

one more note about the tv system. jon's b'day while on board was "greeted" as soon as turned on the tv with "happy birthday jon (last name) from the staff and officers of qm2. we hope you have an enjoyable day." and the captain sent a nice note and an invitation to dinner at his table. now who wouldn't love that personal attention?

[Hve2cruise]

Hi Ernie.........Thanks for the information. I called Cunard and unfortunately our cabin is 100% obstructed, but that's OK. It's a cruise to nowhere and for the fireworks show, we will be out on deck anyway. We are really looking forward to this sailing!

 

Helane

 

40+ Cruises

QM2 7/1/04

[molly22]

eroller

what a great, fulfilling review.

we are sailing on monday 24th may and after reading your review we are more excited than ever!

my children are 16 and 10.

do you think there will be many other children onboard?

will they be safe to roam the ship at their will?

what exactly will i have to pay for?

you have mentioned the restricted view with the balcony cabins, did you ever see an inside cabin? no view! - are they very small?!

sorry about all the questions, but i would be very grateful for some answers, so i can reassure the children, and me!

thanks

jane

[eroller]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by molly22:

eroller

what a great, fulfilling review.

we are sailing on monday 24th may and after reading your review we are more excited than ever!

my children are 16 and 10.

do you think there will be many other children onboard?

will they be safe to roam the ship at their will?

what exactly will i have to pay for?

you have mentioned the restricted view with the balcony cabins, did you ever see an inside cabin? no view! - are they very small?!

sorry about all the questions, but i would be very grateful for some answers, so i can reassure the children, and me!

thanks

jane<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

Hi Jane,

I'm hoping Pam from the UK will read your post. She recently returned from QM2 with her children and would be able to answer your questions better than I. We had very few children on our cruise, and it was rare that I saw one. This could be a case of them being very well entertained in the children's centers, or just that very few were booked onboard. I would not expect too many, certainly not when compared to other lines like Carnival, RCI, or Princess.

 

The ship seemed very safe for kids, at least as far as I could tell and remember I don't have any! I started cruising myself at age 12 with my Grandmother and she never had a problem letting my brother and I roam freely. It was all very safe and there were never any problems.

 

I did see both an Atrium View cabin and an inside cabin. Both were very nice, same type of high quality furnishings, and certainly spacious enough. The bathrooms and closet areas are pretty much the same on all standard size cabins (inside and out). The layout is what varies and while outsides/balconies have a small sofa, the insides do not. Instead there is a chair and table.

 

I would certainly be happy with an inside, and in fact we would have booked an inside if it were available. We took the lowest price available which happened to be an outside at the time (we were upgraded to the balcony). This was a last minute cruise on a budget so the inside would have been perfect.

 

The cabin will be a little tight with 3-4 persons in it, but there is so much to do on the ship I doubt you will be in there too much.

 

Have a great time and hopefully Pam will chime in with info about kid's activities.

 

Best,

Ernie

[Shipping Out]

Pam

 

We were in an inside four person cabin on deck 6. We had a double bed, and there are two bunk beds which open up and overhang the bed. Space was limited - in future, I would request two single beds instead of a double. There was plenty of closet space, but not enough drawer space.

 

There were hardly any children on our crossing - maybe 20. But there is a full scale childrens program, with lots of activities for teens - a lineup of Xboxes loaded, a video arcade, tours of the ship, treasure hunts and more. Ask Cruisr - she had her 13 year old son in tow and he enjoyed the children's program immensely.

 

My son visited the childrens area - on deck 6 -the first day, but preferred to amuse himself. He had the run of the entire ship, and got to know it better than I. We checked in at lunch, at afternoon tea, and to get dressed for dinner. He loved the library - which has a good collection of children's books, and hung out in the game section, beside the planetarium, where he got to join in on many of the board games.

 

My guess is that there will be a lot more kids on your cruise - but even if there aren't, once your kids get used to the ship, you won't see much of them - there is so much to see and do.

[molly22]

thanks 'shipping out' for your time to post.

just makes us more excited than ever!

 

what will the children need to pay for, if anything, on board?.

can they help themselves to food and drink throughout the ship as and when they like, or are there restrictions?

 

my 10 yr old boy has heard about the ice-cream machine and is overwhelmed at the thought!!

 

will the childrens program run regardless of how many children are onboard?

 

which cruise did you go on?

did theQM2 live up to your expectations?

just being on it will be enough for me!!

 

thanks again for your post

jane

[jplotts865]

Your review was superlative! I will be sailing on QM2 in September and am literally counting the days! Your photographs were wonderful...I plan on photographing every inch of the ship myself. What a fantastic "preview".

 

Thanks!

 

Jay Plotts

Cunard Franconia

 

Chandris Britanis

Sheraton Nile Cruises Aton

Triton 9-96

Nordic Empress 2-97

Nordic Empress 2-98

Majesty of the Seas 12-98

Nordic Empress 2-00

Olympic Voyager 2-01

Galaxy 2-02

Majesty of the Seas 6-03

Sovereign of the Seas 4-04

Queen Mary 2 9-04

[Chuck & Phyllis]

Thanks for the great review. I wasn't able to access your photos though. Each photo says not avilable to view. Am I doing something wrong or is it timed out so to speak?

 

Thanks, and thank you also for the reply on our last post, we're very excited about this cruise even though we just got off the Voyager Sunday and sailing again on the Empress in September. The main focus of our excitement is next April on the Queen.

 

Chuck & Phyllis

 

Doing Empress on 9/18/04

 

Doing QM2 on 3/2/05

 

 

 

[Chuck & Phyllis]

Got to most of the photos now, only some say not available. Thanks for the pics, will be looking at them for hours with so many!

 

Chuck & Phyllis

 

Doing Empress on 9/18/04

 

Doing QM2 on 3/2/05