What a horrible location. I have sailed on QM2 many many times and usually ask for a balcony cabin in the Forward Section of the ship. This time however I wasn't so picky and 11110 was my assigned balcony cabin. From the second night to the second to last (12 nites), the maintenance staff was doing work on the deck above me. Right above my cabin. The knocking and banging and dragging of deck chairs and hosing equipment were awful. Morning and night. 8:30 am every morning I would wake up to the sound of the men draaaging the stacks of lounge chairs over my cabin. Why can't the stacks of chairs be chained up near one of the center walls of the open deck? Complained EVERY DAY AND NIGHT. One night I was so aggravated I went up there and screamed at them to stop. They said they were very sorry, and the next night it happened again. Not to mention there is an overhang in this area of the ship so I felt like I was in a sheltered cabin. Oh, and on Deck 7 they were doing training of the equipment exactly below my cabin several mornings so how much fun I had drinking my coffee and listening to the training seminar. totally ridiculous! When I called the Pursers Desk to ask about moving to another cabin it wasn't until 4 days before we were to arrive back to NY I was contacted and told I could move to a cabin on Deck 8. Apparently the ship was full... No, it wasn't. By any means.

The dining room menu only offers 3 courses, whereas in the past there were 5 courses to choose from - not that I am saying order all 5, but some nights, there were duplications of previous menus. As for the buffet, I wish I took pictures. Really gross presentations. Slop in a pan. Cabin service had a more extensive menu, so several nights I ate on my balcony. Which was lovely!

The cruise itself, once I left the cabin (the balcony, really) didn't have any interesting Insight Lectures, and the shops that previously carried Harrod's Brand and other British vendors, along with interesting swag, now highlight Michael Kors, Furla, Ted Baker - the usual. My saving grace was their onboard Library - I love to read, so I spent a lot of time in the ship's ginormous library. Rene who worked there was a great help. No complaints there! Read more