Queen Mary 2: An ode to the last of her kind
From an early age I’ve been lucky enough to explore the world via ship, so I guess it was only natural for me to delve into the history of cruise ships and learn about their precursors, the grand ocean liners of the 20th Century.
I read books and watched documentaries to learn about these majestic ships competing against one another as they plied the North Atlantic sailing from Europe to America.
There was just something about them that has interested me to this very day, with ships such as Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary and Normandie capturing the attention of the general public. They weren’t just ships, they were symbols of national pride carrying people from all walks of life. Transporting immigrants as they sailed to the New World, troops to distant battlefields far from home, and even the rich and famous as they crossed the Atlantic in style.
Queen Mary 2
Yet, as someone who started cruising in the early 21st Century, I felt I’d somewhat missed the boat. The advent of commercial air travel made traditional ocean liners a thing of the past, with most either being scrapped or acting as cruise ships with one of the most iconic Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2, being taken out of service in 2008. Just after I started cruising with my family.
I soon learnt that Cunard commissioned another ocean liner to replace the QE2. This turned out to be the iconic Queen Mary 2, which remains world’s last remaining ocean liner in service today running a regular transatlantic service from Southampton to New York. I made it a personal goal to sail on this iconic ship, yet the chance eluded me for many years. With the joys of university, new jobs and the COVID-19 pandemic, it would take me until 2022 before I could say I’ve sailed on an Ocean Liner.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.
History aside, what makes her so special? Over these next few paragraphs, I’ll highlight some things I felt set QM2 aside from her cruise ship counterparts and hopefully give you an idea if she’s a ship you’d like to sail on.
QM2
Is being an Ocean Liner that different to a Cruise Ship?
You’ll hear time and time again that QM2 is an ocean liner and not a cruise ship. I’ve read enough books about her to know that she is faster than a cruise ship, her hull is thicker and her lifeboats are situated higher above the waterline than on a cruise ship. Yet to be honest, I don’t think I realised how big an impact her being an ocean liner has on your experience until I stepped onboard.
Most cruise ships tend to have the same standard design with the theatre being right at the front, the buffet being situated high up at the back of the ship and things like that. Yet QM2 well and truly breaks this convention as she was designed to cross the Atlantic during even the roughest of seas, so her layout was designed with that in mind.
Most of the large public areas are situated on the lowest decks of QM2, minimising the amount of pitching you’ll feel as QM2 slices through the waves. For instance, the Kings Court Buffet is situated midships on the promenade deck, which much lower down than you’d find it on a typical cruise ship. This means that even in the choppiest of seas, the pitching of the ship will be felt far less intensely as you’re closer to QM2’s centre of gravity so you can make sure your cooked breakfast doesn’t fall off your plate during a winter transatlantic crossing.
Queen Mary 2 Theatre
However, this does that mean that even if you think you have the general layout of a cruise ship sorted, you’ll still get quite lost on the first few days of your voyage on QM2! This is also compounded by the fact that QM2 has lots of corridors and half decks to help you get from A to B. This can lead to some amusing moments such as when I was utterly perplexed as to the location of the Illuminations Theatre. Yet after speaking to a member of the crew, I found out it was actually situated along a long corridor, off the Grand Lobby that I didn’t know existed! However, this exploration was part of the fun as I felt like I was getting the chance to get to know this unique vessel. She did make sense in the end, but I’d recommend leaving a bit of time on those first few days when getting to events!
Expect a traditional but unpretentious atmosphere.
QM2 and Cunard as a whole are renowned for offering a traditional, formal cruise experience. Yet one thing I can’t stress enough is that a voyage on QM2 (or any Cunard Ship for that matter) is not filled with pretentious individuals or an uptight atmosphere. Instead, you’re travelling with likeminded passengers who simply want to explore the world on a classic ship that invokes the golden era of ocean liner travel. The amount of interesting people I met whilst having dinner with my mum in the Britannia Restaurant was fantastic and I got to know people from a range of countries including Germany, the US and a few Brits along the way too!
QueenMary2
Yes, Cunard is formal in the evenings and there’s no escaping that, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun as well! Although I’m in my mid-20s, I absolutely loved dressing up formally and seeing everyone else dressed to impress in their suits and ballgowns on Gala Nights. It helped make every evening feel special and I hope they continue to keep the formal aspect as it helps set Cunard apart from other lines.
This traditional feel is present throughout the entirety of QM2, with a perfect example being the Queen’s Room – the largest ballroom at sea! This is an incredible space onboard QM2 with it truly coming into its own during the aforementioned Gala Nights. Here, you can dance the night away with the backing of a full jazz band and two talented singers.
Now if you’re someone like me who has two left feet, it’s just as fun catching up with your friends or family whilst drinking your favourite cocktail and admiring the skill of your fellow passengers. The musicians deserve a particular mention as they performed a vast array of music in styles to suit various dance types and were a true joy to listen to. Granted I wasn’t expecting to hear a jazzy version of Lady Gaga’s Alejandro onboard QM2 but I loved it! Even if this isn’t how you’d typically spend an evening on holiday, I’d recommend giving it a go on one of the Gala Evenings onboard. Seeing a ballroom full of people dancing is something I’ve never seen before in my day-to-day life, with the exception of Strictly Come Dancing, so it felt like a unique and special moment to be to experience.
QueenMary2
The Queen’s Room is also hosts Cunard’s signature afternoon tea which is another must onboard QM2. Every afternoon, you get the chance to enjoy tea, sandwiches, cakes and scones served by white gloved waiters all whilst you listen to a talented musician play. The food you get is incredible and it’s just a wonderful, civilised atmosphere which made me feel as if I was stepping back in time!
It did feel quite surreal listening to a string quartet and enjoying afternoon tea whilst sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, but I absolutely loved it. It’s definitely worth doing at least once as the staff really help make the whole experience feel special and I always left feeling super relaxed – albeit quite full after enjoying one too many of those fabulous cakes.
Sea Days are QM2’s Speciality.
As QM2 offers regular transatlantic crossings, she has to keep her passengers occupied during the seven days it takes for her to cross the Atlantic, with it occasionally being too poor weather outside for passengers to comfortably enjoy the outside decks. This may seem like some people’s worst nightmare as it’s often expected you’d feel bored or cooped up on these type of sea days yet QM2 is designed to make the journey feel as important as the destination. So, Cunard packs tonnes of varied activities on each sea day of your voyage, so much so there was often too much to do and I could never see everything I wanted!
QM2 navigation
A personal highlight had to be Cunard’s Insights lecture series which gives you the chance to listen to experts in their relative fields give you insights into a rich variety of topics! In the space of two days, I learnt about Catacombs under Rome, the Northern Lights, the biology of Sharks, Salvador Dali and the intricacies of the changing of guard at Buckingham Palace! You can even explore the wonders of the universe in the first planetarium at sea on select sea days. As a result, I felt that my days at sea onboard QM2 were as enriching as they were relaxing. It’s all included within your fare and it’s a fantastic chance to learn something new or do something you’d never normally consider!
Alternatively, if you just want to switch off and relax, you can always just sit back with your favourite book and a good drink in one of the many lounges onboard. Personally, I’d choose the Carinthia Lounge as they do some great coffees as well as occasionally offering trivia sessions throughout the day too! If you’ve forgot to pack a book onboard, then head to QM2’s library which as the largest collection of books at sea!
It’s completely up to you how you spend each day of the voyage. If you wanted a packed schedule, you could fill it with lectures, quizzes and performances or you could just sit back and watch the world pass you by.
Her Open Decks are as remarkable as her interior.
Queen Mary 2 – Cunard
As we were sailing through the Mediterranean rather than the Atlantic, we were lucky enough to enjoy sunny days for the entirety of our voyage. This enabled us to make the most of the fabulous open decks of QM2. In keeping with the interior spaces onboard, her open decks are wonderfully traditional. A great spot to relax out in the sun is around QM2’s tiered stern which were particularly popular, offering two pools and comfy sunlounges to take in the Mediterranean sunshine. The design feature is sadly lacking on modern day cruise ships, with this space being occupied by cabins and aft facing balconies so I felt especially lucky to be able to enjoy these large amounts of aft facing open deck space onboard QM2.
A true stand out feature however has to be QM2’s full wraparound teak promenade deck. I just loved walking around here and taking in the sea views or doing a few laps with my mum as we attempted (in vain) to work off our fabulous dinner in the Britannia Restaurant. Dotted along the promenade are these wonderful, padded steamer chairs which I found to be a great way to relax on a sea day with my book whilst listening to the waves lap against the side of QM2’s hull. What made it even better was the fact that Cunard ran a drinks trolly on the promenade deck, so you didn’t even need to go inside for a drink!
Me and Mum on QM2
The maritime geek in me absolutely adored the forward section of the promenade as you got to enjoy some incredible views that cruise ships simply don’t have. This includes the ‘Commodores Cufflinks’ which are actually spare propeller blades for QM2’s mighty azipod propulsion system which I found incredibly cool. Facing forward, you can also appreciate the scale of QM2’s bow whilst behind you, you can see the whole of QM2’s forward superstructure up to the bridge!
This being said, my favourite spot is ‘the Observation Deck’ way up on deck 11 at the very front of the ship and almost felt like a ‘secret deck’ as not many people seemed to realise you can step out here. As this vantage point is situated above the bridge, it also wraps round the side of the ship so you can look all the way down the side of the ship as well as take in the sheer size of QM2’s bow! This is definitely a spot I’d recommend visiting during any periods of scenic cruising during your voyage as the views you would get from here are incredible.
Queen Mary 2 Cunard
Since sailing on Queen Mary 2 I’ve come to understand why she has such a loyal following across the world. Stepping onboard, I felt that she was continuing the long and illustrious history of ocean liners and taking that experience into the modern era. QM2 is not a ship for everyone as she lacks the facilities of modern-day resort style ships. Her layout can feel a little quirky at times whilst the formal and traditional atmosphere might not be to everyone’s taste. Yet these are the exact reasons why I chose to sail on her.
What is quirky to some was exciting for me as I spent days of our voyage exploring every nook and cranny this ship offered whilst getting hopelessly lost in the process. The traditional experience gave me a chance to experience a style of cruising that is fast becoming rarer with each passing year. The formality of evenings onboard QM2 never fazed me as I relished the opportunity to swap my normal work-based attire of a lab coat to a suit and head to the Chart Room for cocktails and canape’s.
A trip on Queen Mary 2 is a voyage unlike any other as she herself is unique. There will never be another like her whilst she is in service and I count myself so luckily that I got the chance to sail on Queen Mary 2 – the last Ocean Liner in service.
Don’t miss more updates, news and reviews of Cunard on Cruising Journal with photos, videos and cruise offers.
