Famous for its Transatlantic crossings from Southampton to the Big Apple, Queen Mary 2 offers passengers an unforgettable cruising experience complete with fine food, Cunard’s renowned White Star service, and exquisite accommodations.
To see what it’s really like to cruise on this infamous ocean liner, Cruise.co.uk’s very own Specialist Cruise Consultant, Colette Apak, recently stepped onboard Queen May 2 for an elegant seven-day sailing to see all of the ship’s wonderful restaurants, bars, amenities, and facilities for herself.
Read on to find out her view on all things food, drink, and entertainment on Queen Mary 2…
I had the pleasure of sailing on the fabulous Queen Mary 2 through the Norwegian Fjords this summer, calling at well-known ports including Olden, Stavanger, and Bergen.
Day One: Embarkation Day
Day one I took the CruiseConnect coach from Leeds to Southampton – a long journey, but a very comfortable coach. For me, it was the most convenient way to get to Southampton from up North without having to navigate train changes and tube journeys in London with luggage.
Port check-in was smooth and took about 30 mins from arriving. It wasn’t long before I had found my cabin and headed up for a spot of lunch in the Kings Court Buffet.
We had some fizzy drinks in the Champagne Bar, where we meet the rest of the group we were sailing with, and then sat down for a lovely five-course dinner in the Brittania restaurant.
Day Two: Sea Day
Day two of our cruise was a sea day that started with a short training session, followed by a selfie hunt with several things to find around the ship. A great way to start finding our way around a ship that has some unusual features.
For instance – did you know that in the kennels area, there is a lamppost from Liverpool, and a fire hydrant from New York so the dogs have something familiar to cock their leg up on?
And the only other animals they can transport – apart from dogs – are cats and ferrets!
That night there was a Gala dinner onboard with a black and white theme – a glass of bubbles from the Captain welcoming us aboard was a nice touch. Dinner in the Britannia restaurant every evening is a five-course affair (or even seven or eight for some that doubled up on some courses and had cheese and biscuits)! This includes a starter, soup, salad, main course, and dessert.
That evening the entertainment was based on The Greatest Showman. Did you know that the premiere of this film was held on Queen Mary 2 in New York? It was an excellent and very professional show.
Our ‘research’ around the ship that evening took us to the nightclub G32, the name the ship’s hull was given during construction.
Day Three: Stavanger
Day three was a port day in Stavanger, Norway. A lovely, pretty little town with cobbled streets and typical quaint Nordic architecture. There were lots of shops, but unfortunately (or maybe not) they were nearly all closed as we arrived on a Sunday.
The weather was lovely, so we had a great time relaxing time on the sun loungers on deck before meeting for pre-dinner drinks in the beautiful Commodore Club. It’s at the front of the ship with wide windows and views out to sea.
That evening when we got to our cabin we realised we hadn’t ‘researched’ the complimentary room service, so a midnight snack of burgers and club sandwiches was ordered before we headed to bed!
Day Four: Olden
Day four we arrived in Olden. We had a Scenic Fjordland excursion that morning, which was a half-day coach tour with several photo stops as well as coffee and cake in a hotel. It was a good way to see the scenery and hear about the history and culture of the area.
Olden is a quiet town, so an excursion is recommended at this port.
In the afternoon we were booked into the Planetarium onboard, a completely free show in a 3D cinema with reclining chairs so you can stare up at the screen. It was a very relaxing activity with a couple of different screenings you can watch.
We had dinner in the buffet restaurant that night and then went to the Golden Lion pub and joined the 80’s music quiz. Our team got 20/20, but we were beaten on the tie-breaker. Grrr!
Day Five: Andalsnes
Day five we arrived at the small port of Andalsnes. There’s not much going on in the town itself, so this is a port I would recommend doing an excursion. There is a cable car that you can book to give you good views over the fjord.
In the afternoon Cunard had arranged a cocktail masterclass in the Commodore Club for us. It was great! The seven cocktails we had were fabulous and they were all named after previous Cunard Commodores. We heard about their history of them and the ships they were in charge of too.
Guests can book this for $46 and they get to try all seven cocktails in miniature plus a full-size one at the end.
In the evening a small section of the buffet restaurant turns into a speciality restaurant, which changes its menu depending on the location. As we were in Norway ours that evening was called Nordlys and reflected the area that we were sailing around – quite seafood-heavy, but I went for the reindeer pie for mains which was delicious!
We also shared a huge seafood platter as a side dish! All included in a $25 cover charge.
Day Six: Bergen
Day six we arrived at Bergen. A 15-minute walk takes you to the centre, which was very pleasant. There is a busy shopping area, a lively waterfront area, a fish market plus more peaceful areas with lots of parks and greenery.
It’s a great place just to wander and while away a few hours. I would definitely go back for a city break.
Back onboard, I had a ‘light lunch’ in the buffet – cauliflower cheese, leek and truffle pie with noisette potatoes, green beans and sauteed cabbage with caraway seeds. The variety and quality for both lunch and dinner in the buffet really blew me away!
That evening we had dinner in Brittania. It was the second gala evening onboard – Masquerade-themed where lots of people made the effort to dress accordingly. The meal was fabulous as always.
After dinner, we went to G32 to join the silent disco. Definitely a highlight and a surprise to me that Cunard would put this entertainment on!
Day Seven: Sea Day
Day seven was our last day onboard, so we had a catch-up training session with the group where we all shared our favourite parts of the week. We were then treated to a sumptuous lunch in The Steakhouse at Verandah speciality restaurant.
The ambience and service, not to mention the food, were just fantastic. I had clam chowder, sirloin steak au poivre with parmesan and truffle fries, tomato, mushroom and the best, crispiest onion rings I have ever eaten, all washed down with a few glasses of Whispering Angel.
Dessert was a toffee and caramel sundae with peanut butter ice cream. What a treat!
The cost for dinner is $45 if booked pre-cruise, or $50 if booked on board, and for lunch, $25 or $30 respectively.
After letting lunch settle we met in the Commodore Club for our last pre-dinner drinks session, where the Laurent Perrier was free-flowing. At dinner my body was telling me enough is enough, so just the three courses for me!
We then listened to a band and watched the dancers in the Queens Room before our last visit to G32.
I didn’t go to the Queens Room for the famous afternoon tea on this trip, but I had experienced this before. It is a must for any guests that haven’t experienced white-gloved waiters serving you the most delicious scones and other treats. And it’s free!
They also serve afternoon tea in the buffet restaurant, where the same delicious warm scones with jam and clotted cream are served there too.
We were lucky with the weather most of the time. The two sea days and the calls at Stavanger and Bergen were really sunny and warm sunbathing weather. Olden and Andelsnes were both quite cloudy days and needed warmer clothes.
Final Thoughts
In summary, this trip lived up to everything you would expect from a Cunard cruise. There was a mix of age groups on board. The whole ship had a sophisticated luxurious feel. They did, however, enforce the dress code in the Brittania on formal nights.
Smoking is only allowed in a small area on deck seven at the aft of the ship near the pool area, no longer in the casino. There is a cigar room, but you can only smoke cigars in there!
It opened my eyes as to what extras were included with Cunard as standard. As well as the Planetarium and evening entertainment there are so many other activities on such as quizzes, informative talks, and games.
For included food, as well as the buffet and Brittania you can get light bites in the Carinthia lounge, lunch or dinner in the Golden Lion pub (the fish and chips are awesome). In sunnier climbs, the Boardwalk cafe is open on deck 12 serving burgers, hot dogs etc as well as an extensive complimentary room service menu (which is more limited after 11pm).
Queen Mary 2 is quite unlike any other ship I have sailed on. In parts, the ship has the feel of a bygone era, with the decor and the amazing photos of Hollywood stars of old that used to travel on her.
Personally, I like this as much as I like the bells and whistles of the likes of other major cruise ships – just in a different way.
If my blog has inspired you to book your own Queen Mary 2 cruise, do get in touch with me by calling 0330 303 8205 or email me on coll[email protected]
