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Cunard Line

Queen Mary 2

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Bruce McPherson
# previous cruises: 21 to 30
Date of Trip: October 8, 2005
Itinerary: Transatlantic

This was our 1st Transatlantic crossing on QM2 and we had a wonderful time. Our prior trip on her was a Caribbean Cruise in March or 2005.

The selection of public rooms are incredible. We spent quite a bit of time in the Golden Lion as well as the Commodore Club after dinner and enjoyed both. The library is a terrific spot to read the morning paper and just relax and enjoy a beautiful forward facing view. We used the Canyon Ranch spa often and found the treatments and hydro therapy pool top notch. One thing you really notice on this ship are how high the ceilings are in the main lounges-they have a lofty elegant feel to them. The champagne bar seems to get little use which is odd as it is one of the ship's most elegant spaces. The wide teak promenade deck wraps completely around the ship and is a very popular area for walkers as well as people using the numerous teak deck chairs that line the ship's rails. The extreme forward section is glassed in as the wind at 26 knots can be quite strong. The outdoor pools were filled and heated but few people used them during the crossing, most seemed to use the outdoor Jacuzzis and the covered pool on deck 12.

We dined in the Queens Grill on this crossing (we were in the Princess Grill on our Caribbean cruise in March of '05) and had excellent food. The service was perfect w/the staff working very well with each other. The space is elegant and understated but not at all 'stuffy'. We were greeted by name when we entered the dining room for any meal and no request was to great. We asked for an anniversary cake one evening and the next night a beautiful specially made cake was brought to us for dessert. The wine selection was as good as any 5-star restaurant on shore and the prices very reasonable. Our wine steward was also excellent. The bar prices were reasonable compared to prices you would pay in Los Angeles or New York. For smokers, cigarettes were around $3.00 per pack in the ship's bars-very inexpensive.

We were in a penthouse on deck 9 (#9060) and found the room very attractive. When we boarded champagne and fresh strawberries were on our coffee table and our steward was on hand to unpack our bags if we wished. The room had a good size bathroom w/a shower as well as a separate whirlpool tub. We had a cocktail party with our traveling companions nearly every evening in our room and room service offered a great selections of trays and set up our table w/linens and fresh flowers.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts actors were on board and gave several very good performances. The lectures by several noted speakers were also very interesting and were well attended. The planetarium in fantastic and well worth a visit w/many shows offered each day. The shows in the Royal Court Theatre were typical cruise ship reviews and did not interest us. The crew was a very happy bunch. They actually seemed to enjoy working on this ship.

This ship offers so many diversions that even on a 6-day Transatlantic crossing you have plenty to do.

The Transatlantic Crossing attracts a very different crowd than a cruise. We met people from the arts and entertainment fields to some people who saved for a 'trip of a lifetime'. It is a very interesting mix and not your typical 7-day Caribbean Cruise crowd.