Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This I think was our one and only voyage so we were lucky it was on QM2 from Cape Town to Southampton. It was fifteen days of luxury. Our cabin 12006 was super, very comfortable and conveniently situated. We could keep a watch on the bridge from our balcony and it was a very short walk to the lifts which whisked us down to the gym, the library or the spa. The small covered pool is on deck 12 so that was just a stroll away. It was a longer walk to Stairway B to get to the Brittania Restaurant on Deck 2. The 5 formal nights were just that, dress suits and evening dress, but the informal dinners were jackets without ties for the men and cocktail dresses or slacks with nice tops for the ladies. So a suit is not a necessary item to pack. My favorite was room service, available 24/7. We made quite good use of it, especially towards the end of the voyage.
Now the reason for 4 and not 5 stars - both of us developed the Cunard cough and spent time confined to bed. In fact I am still not well which is ruining the second part of our holidays and necessitated trips to A&E on disembarkation. Service throughout the voyage was exceptional and nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff; I wonder how some got bad service?
Cabin Review
Balcony
Excellent cabin, twelfth deck, only three away from the bridge on the port side. King size bed with lovely linen, I asked for a top sheet as we found the duvet too warm most nights. Appreciated the one-size-fits-all robes but my hubby couldn't fit his size 11 feet into the slippers. Liked the wash line in the shower even though the launderette was very convenient one deck down. Julius was our stewart and his service could not be faulted.
Port Reviews
Cape Town
Embarkation was a shambles, even though we were assured it was better than previous times. We should not have had to STAND for more than an hour before finding a seat in the crowded hall. And then only offered tea, coffee and biscuits when it was definitely lunch time after having to buy water while standing in the queue.
Madeira (Funchal)
We took advantage of the busses laid on to take us from the quay to the town. We met up with a taxi driver when we got off the bus and he took us on our own personal guided tour of Funchal and surrounds. A much better deal than the bus trip laid on by Cunard.