Queen Mary 2 - aka the "QM2".

Worldwide was fortunate enough to receive several invitations for its staff to both cruise and visit the new Flagship of the Cunard Fleet the "Queen Mary 2", in consequence this report is a compilation of several cruising professionals experience of their short time on board the new ship.

In many way this reflects the  size of the ship, the numbers of venues and the amount of exercise each person was prepared to put in over a relatively short period on-board.  I specifically use those words because the sheer physical size of the ship is somewhat overwhelming and to try and experience everything in what was at best a 36 hour stay on-board would require more effort than any one of us was prepared to put in, bearing in mind there were certain must-do functions involved which took up a fair amount of time.

First impressions:  Simply the size of the ship.  Just driving into the port from our office in the western suburbs, one could see the ship from miles away as one approached the port.  Standing alongside her, you definitely get a crick in the neck when you look up at the bridge wing, I would hazard a guess that from the dock to the top of the funnel must be about 190 feet.  On board its more of the same, the size and volume are striking.  Stand on one side of the deck and look to the other - its far away believe me, in fact 135 feet away to be precise.  To put it into perspective, each side of the promenade deck is over a quarter of a mile long. When you're heading back to your cabin, be sure to use the right elevator or you are in for some serious walking, 

When one enters the ship on deck two you enter the Grand Lobby is  in fact,  as with a number of the QM2's  public areas the "understated elegance" is almost overdone.  However, as you walk through the ship at this level you feel as though you are in Grand Retro Style Hotel, with the high ceilings, beautifully crafted panels and subtly lighting the mood is very much one of opulence.

Suites and Staterooms:  As many of you know, the ship's accommodation is divided into several levels based on how much you are prepared to pay for your accommodation.  Top of the line is the Queen's Grill - yes, there is a certain cache to where you dine which reflects on your status as a passenger on-board.  The next level down would have you in the Princess Grill, and finally as a stateroom passenger you dine in the Britannia Restaurant.  Nearly 80% of staterooms have ocean views and over 94% of these have balconies

The ship carried only 2620 passengers which in view of her size is a very small number, the ratio of pax to sq. ft being 57.25,  which is unparalleled in the industry.  These lucky souls are served by a crew of 1253 men and women which as a number seems fine, but in my experience probably was not enough, as we experienced slow service on most occasions caused by understaffing in certain areas,  It's hard to judge on an inaugural as the crew are still finding their way around and jobs may need to be reallocated at certain times.

Without question the Queens Grill suites are the epitome of luxury afloat, not just in the size of the suites, but also in amenities, furnishings and other perks such as concierge service and a personal butler. Lavish amenities include marble baths with whirlpool tubs, walk-in closets, en-suite bars stocked with selected spirits or wine and soft drinks, fresh flowers and pre-dinner canapés. The enormous Grand Duplexes include sweeping living quarters and an expansive balcony downstairs, a luxurious master bedroom upstairs, two marble baths with separate whirlpool tub and shower, a guest bathroom with shower, and private exercise equipment. The three Duplex Apartments feature the same amenities with smaller balconies.  The Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth Suites are located all the way forward and enjoy commanding ocean views, with two full baths and even your own private elevator access. And if you're in need of even more room, combine these two suites with the adjacent Royal Suites to create magnificent living quarters totaling nearly 3,800 square feet. Besides have exclusive use of the Queens Grill, they also have the elegant Queens Grill Lounge and a private sun terrace are also reserved exclusively for their use.  Suite sizes range from 5106 to 2249 sq. ft.

Princess Grill Suites are all located on Deck 10. These spacious 381 sq. ft Junior Suites feature a large balcony, bath with tub and shower, sitting area with a full-size sofa, interactive TV, walk-in closet and a concierge in addition to the cabin steward. Guests in  Junior Suites enjoy single-seating dining in the elegant Princess Grill.

Standard staterooms are anything but ordinary. They're spacious and gracious. The smallest measuring almost 200 square feet is more like a "deluxe" guestroom on ordinary ships. And they're beautifully decorated with fine prints on the walls, soft colors on the sofas and coverlets and turndown service when it's time to retire. 194 to 248 sq. ft including balconies.  Guests in these accommodations have a reserved table in the Britannia Restaurant or they can choose one of the  alternative dining venues.

Both Princess Grill Suites and Standard Staterooms share common amenities, interactive TV with multi-language film and music channels, data port outlet, refrigerator, hair dryer, bathrobe and slippers, a safe and 110/220-volt outlets.
 

Dining; there is no question that one has high expectations of the cuisine served on-board and Cunard are striving to deliver a memorable culinary experience.  At the time of the our visit, the menu's held hope of something exciting, but fell short of the mark.  Overall we felt some disappointment in regards to the overall fare we experienced, but,  time will  cure the problems.

Restaurants; the Princess & Queens Grill.  If you're staying in one of the Q categories you are able to savor the creative menus of the Queens Grill, or the Princess Grill for P category guests. Cunard's Grill restaurants have a deservedly earned reputation as being the finest dining experience at sea.  These intimate and delightful small restaurants are handsomely decorated with a  subdued but creative decor.  The Queens Lounge which is adjacent to the Queens grill serves as a meeting place for pre-dinner cocktails for those able to dine in the Queens Grill.  WWTCA feels there is a huge opportunity to "charter" one or both of the Grill Categories which would give your clients participants a totally unique and high-end experience.

The Britannia Room is where most of the passengers will dine on a early or late seating basis, if they are not at one of the other dining venues.  We did not in fact dine here on either of our nights on board, but I did make a point of taking breakfast here one morning.  On our cruise it was here that the service problem seemed most acute, extremely slow service, cold food, long waits for beverages and staff milling around like ants underfoot.  Nothing that won't be resolved in time I am sure .

Alternatives dining venue's:
Todd English.  If you move quickly upon arrival on-board you might be lucky enough to secure a reservation at this truly delightful restaurant and enjoy delectable Mediterranean cuisine in a really unique setting, or if you wish dine on the pool deck outside (weather permitting).  Todd English is the owner of the internationally famous Olives of Boston among others and is considered to be one of America's leading chefs. He has been named both "Rising Star Chef" and "Best Chef: Northeast" by the James Beard Foundation, received the Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence and was named one of the "Top 50 Tastemakers" by Nation's Restaurant News. Chef English has appeared in numerous television shows including his own TV series Cooking in with Todd English. And he's more than a great chef. In 2001, English was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People."  This is truly a dining experience not to be missed.

Kings Court; is the breakfast and luncheon buffet area, with a choice of four ethnic styles of cuisine served from a number of different stations as well as a deli section making custom sandwiches etc, there is really something for every palate.  Seating is rather tight and one may experience a wait for a table at the peak lunch hour as well as a delay in the replenishment of self serve dishes which are cooked locally by the station staff, something of a press for them at busy periods

At night this whole area is very cleverly transformed into four intimate dining venues by means of sliding decorative panels which really do a masterful job of turning the different sections into four completely new restaurant areas.  There  is  an Asian restaurant, an Italian trattoria, the Carvery, and the Chef's Galley.  None of these where open during our cruise so its impossible to comment on them.  

The Chef's Galley is a novel idea and revolves around a celebrity chef  giving cooking lessons to a very small group of diners who watch as  he prepares their meal.  The galley area opens onto the restaurant, it is fitted with TV cameras which allow the diners to watch the food being prepared on TV screens on the wall adjacent to the galley. Here in a festive atmosphere, diners enjoy an interactive experience as the chef reveals his culinary secrets before their very eyes.

Golden Lion Pub; on deck 2 opposite the aft entrance to the casino is a casual bar come dining experience modeled on the lines of a British pub.  It does not physically come near to that due to the size of the room itself (most British pubs being an intimate, small venue).  Fine lagers, ales and pub snacks are served and you can enjoy a pint and watch televised sporting events.

Boardwalk Café; Enjoy can lunch at this casual eatery near the pool in your bathing suit if you choose. It success very much depends on the weather and one hopes when the ship goes trans-Atlantic at 30 knots no-one gets blown away.

Winter Garden; this proved to be one of the most popular spots on the ship, at most anytime of the day there was a good crowd here.  The ship does not have a coffee shop for some reason and the Winter Garden seems do do duty as such except during "bar" hours when a group gather for their pre-meal beverages.  A British afternoon tea can be taken in the Winter Garden or Queens Grill Lounge.  Naturally it's served freshly brewed and complete with the ships version of scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam (already spread), fresh pastries, finger sandwiches and white glove service. This highly touted event was a major disappointment, as one of the few Brits attending I have to say someone needs to go to Fortnum and Masons or wherever and take "high tea" to see how it really should be done.

Dining Advice:  Passengers need to understand several things to make the dining experience work and avoid frustration.  The Grills for the "ordinary passengers" are off-limits as is the Queens lounge.  As there are in fact (at the moment) only two small "alternative restaurants" in the real sense of the meaning.  It is important to book a table early (especially as you are really only allowed to dine in each once per voyage so I was informed).  Passengers in the Grill's are allowed to pre-book their restaurant reservation (as well as their spa appointments) the rest of the passengers must do this on-board.  Assuming you don't have a reservation in one of the two available "alternate" restaurants you are left with the The Kings Court as evening venues, these being the only remaining dining options available and, bearing in mind many passengers will eat breakfast and lunch here on a number of occasions, it may soon become jaded.  

Bars and Lounges; Some of the bars we have already mentioned, the Queens Lounge and Winter Garden and the Golden Lion Pub, so let move onto the others.  Probably the most active bar in the early evening is located on deck 3,  the Chart Room, this is the Queens Lounge equivalent for the Britannia Restaurant clients. I, personally did not particularly like the layout of this bar finding that it lacked any real ambience.  Adjacent to it is the Champagne Bar and being open to the lobby really had nothing going for it.  It was reminiscent of many hotel lobby bars with to much foot traffic going by all the time to really have any cozy ambience.  The Sir Samuels Wine Bar located across the way from the Chart Room seemed to be a popular after dinner spot.  The Commodore Club on deck 9 forward is a lively spot in the evening, although getting  around the bar is a real squeeze, there is ample seating to port and starboard as well as two small lounges, the Board Room and Cigar Lounge, one on either side forward of the bar.  This lounge makes an ideal observation lounge being far forward and high in the ship.  Nice ambience and a fun spot.  On deck 12 there is the Pavillion pool/lounge (with retractable cover),  there is a bar located here, but the was not a popular spot for some reason.

Other Public Areas;  starting forward on deck 2 is a wonderful coliseum theatre area called Illuminations, home of the Planetarium show.  I have been to a number of planetarium experiences and found this to be a very poor effort.  It is not a true planetarium experience more of a movie show projected onto the overhead screen which is , unless you have and excellent seat, almost impossible to watch without breaking your neck.  The forward seats need to be able to rotate 180 degs, and lock in place so you can see the full extent of the screen and not just the small are in your line of sight.  The show was so poor in fact that the operator made a point of asking people not to leave before the show ended as it cast shadows on the screen. The area also functions as a grand cinema, a 500-seat lecture hall and even a broadcasting studio. Hopefully the area will be put to some more exciting use in the future. .

As one leaves the theatre one walks through the area called, "Cunard Connections" which is QM2's cultural enrichment program, it  includes seven classrooms/meeting rooms and the 500-seat auditorium/ planetarium where you can attend workshops, seminars and lectures presenting a fusion of perspectives from the world's premier cultural hotspots, New York and London. Classes range from fashion to foreign languages, watercolor techniques to period furniture.  Join a discussion of British comedy, or compare MoMA and the Tate. This whole complex is an ideal meetings and presentations.  In this same general area is located the Internet Lounge conveniently located for those on-board for business reasons.

Moving aft one comes to the Royal Court Theatre where the nightly show are staged.  We sadly missed the first nights show due to a delay in serving and finishing dinner (not caused by the ship I might add) but I gather it was a spectacular show.  We made a point to see the next nights show and had to agree that it was a true spectacular production.

Located on deck 2 adjacent to the Video Arcade is  The Empire Casino, as one would expect, a very busy spot in the evening.  We particularly like the way the gaming tables where separated from the slot machines.  The Purser Office is across the Atrium from here and a little further aft opposite the other entrance to the Casino is the Golden Lion Pub.  The rest of deck 2 going aft is taken up by the lower level of the Britannia Restaurant.

Up one deck is the shopping mall; consisting of 5 shops three of which are big name stores selling quality jewelry and the like, another store selling useful items and gifts and finally the logo shop.  I have to say the logo shop was going crazy, it was like a feeding frenzy with people literally cleaning the shelves of logo items.

Now its about here that things get a little hazy, as I recall one has to "up & down" to get around the Britannia Restaurant and it is in this area on either side of the lower level there appears to be a two mezzanine areas, one one side is the Art Gallery and the other is the Photo Shop. 

Behind the Britannia Restaurant is located the Queens Room.  It is the ships formal ballroom,  if it was open during my visit then I missed it completely.  To quote Cunard's information release .  "Evenings bring out the best in her and her guests.  Beaded gowns.  Black ties.  Champagne and caviar.  QM2 plays host to the most elegant soirees of the season – in any season.  As the stars begin to shine, a world of romance and excitement lies just outside your door.  Crystal chandeliers preside over the Queens Room, where dancers sweep across the largest ballroom at sea."

From the Queens room one can access the late night disco/show lounge G32.  This is a pleasant adult disco setting, not to wild or overdone and put together in such a way that a small musical group can occupy a stage area at the rear.  There is a good bar area and ample seating.  We saw a nice live singing presentation on our last night.  and I feel the area would be ideal for a corporate cocktail party.

The decks between three and seven are all accommodation decks with the exception of the aft end of  deck 6 were  one finds the Play Zone/The Zone.  This area is for guests who wish to take their children or grandchildren along.  The Play Zone is like a well-run camp for children 2 - 7 years old.  A separate facility, The Zone, provides hours of supervised entertainment and activities for children 8- 12 years old.  The area includes the Minnows splash pool and real English nannies for the toddlers. And it's equipped with an array of toys and activities from board games to computer terminals with all kinds of learning adventures, so that while kids are doing their thing, adults have some quality time alone.

Forward on deck 7 is the Gymnasium, equipped as one would expect with state of the art equipment and a separate weight room.  Moving aft one find the reception area for the Canyon Ranch SpaClub® where one can enjoy over 50 rejuvenating treatments of this world-renowned facility which is handled by over twenty staff.  Inside the spa area is a really delightful small pool area for the use of those using the facility.  The spa is a two story facility with a Beauty Salon on the upper level.  As mentioned earlier, book your spa treatments as soon as you arrive on-board.

On the other side of the ship on deck 8 is the ships Library, a most impressive room containing a huge selection of books on every subject imaginable as well as plenty of lighter reading.   A nice touch was the News/Magazine store at the entrance, in Barnes and Noble fashion it would have been nice to have had a Starbuck Coffee Shop in this area.

Located at the very rear of the ship on this deck is the Todd English Restaurant and the Pool Terrace, as one would expect, there is a pool.

Hidden away on deck 11 and beautifully locate right forward is the Atlantic Room which is underneath the ships bridge.  Surrounded by the Observation Deck, a popular viewing area when the ship is entering or leaving port.  Also on deck 11 right aft, there is a whirlpool in the center of the deck.

On deck 12 (I believe - by now I was getting a little confused not to say physically tired from having walked so much) Is located the main pool area, a big pool sitting in the middle of a huge open deck surrounded by quality teak teak furniture.  Amongst items I did not search out was the Dog Kennels, in case you just have to take your pooch on a vacation. On deck 12 I noticed the Sports Center which I passed through along with the Splash Pool, all looked like fun on the right day.

Wrap up; This is unquestionably the most exciting new cruise ship to be built in many years (call it an ocean liner if you prefer).  It amazes everyone how much it has captured the hearts and minds of people the world over.  Carnival Corp. must be thrilled at the amount of free publicity it has generated.  Even their competitors  must be pleased at how it has thrust cruising into the forefront of peoples minds and holiday ideas.  With the "wave" being as much as 30% up on last year, one has to ask how much has it contributed the the surge in booking which are being experienced across the board?  A spokesperson for Cunard Line  stated this week that the unusual media coverage that occurred with the arrival of its new flagship, "Queen Mary 2" has set off a storm of interest, so much so, that the reservation lines at the company have been overwhelmed.  At present approximately 30% of the ship's available inventory in 2004, is open to sell and Cunard has opened the books for group reservations into 2005.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating;  so would I pay to cruise on the ship?  Yes, but only in a suite as I feel that for the rest of the passengers you would have almost as good an experience on a Holland America ship. Same size cabins, excellent food and service and a more intimate ship.  The suites carry a certain cache and to a certain degree the separation of the "classes" makes sense, after all if you were one of the world's "rich & famous" wouldn't you prefer to drink and dine with fellow well heeled celebrities.  However, in today's age there are many who can afford the price of a Queens Grill Stateroom so there is no guarantee you will be insulated from the "lower" class passenger anyway.   I would definitely pay to do a trans-Atlantic on her as this is where she will shine, on those long sea passages, out of sight of land for days or weeks at a time.  But for me biggest is not always best, but then I am a small ship aficionado.  For our clients this is really all about ego.... hence it is perfect for Incentive programs.

The opinion expressed in this report are subjective and solely those of the author and in no way reflect the opinion of WWTCA.

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