QUEEN MARY 2 … AND NOW WHAT WE REALLY THINK: By Martin Tanner Commerical and Product director and veteran of 40 cruises.

Enough of the brochure speak. Having cruised on the Queen Mary 2 several times – this ship is one of our favourites. Here are the myths – exploded :

Lots of people think Cunard and the Queen Mary 2 will be full of older snobs. On my first cruise it was pleasant surprise to find this was untrue. In fact ( at the age of 40) I met lots of like minded people on board and made some good friends. Holidays on the Queen Mary 2 are not as expensive as many think they are – just take a look at some of the fabulous deals we have negotiated for you. As a result there is a greater mix of people and age ranges on board.

It is no more so than any other cruise ship – in fact you can get away without having to wear a suit on board. They do have dress codes for the main restaurant in the evening which varies from casual , smart casual ( shirt and jacket) and formal (suit & tie). If you do not want to participate simply eat in one of the fabulous Kings Court venues.

If you book a Princess suite – the main restaurant assigned is the Princess Grill which has open dining. If you book a Queens Grill suite – the main restaurant assigned is the Queens Grill – which also has open dining. Everyone else booking anything from interior staterooms to high grade balcony staterooms is assigned to the Britannia restaurant which has 2 sittings.

Having sampled the cuisine in the Queens grill I could not detect a difference to the food served in the Britannia restaurant. There is a larger menu and a more personalised service like flambé and filleting skills at your table side.

There are a number of other dining options throughout the ship which everyone can go to. With so many dining choices available the main restaurant assigned to your cabin is not one you would want to visit every night.

The Kings Court has four distinct and separate areas which are buffet style throughout breakfast , lunch and afternoon tea. These areas have tea and coffee on tap 24 hours per day. In the evening however 3 out of the four restaurants are converted to waiter service on a rotational basis whilst one remains as self service buffet style. For the waiter service ones you have to make reservations and there is no extra charge for this. We particularly recommend these restaurants in the evening if you are looking for an alternative to the main restaurant assigned to your cabin reservation – the menus are impressive and the service superb.

Other dining options include: The Golden Lion pub for traditional pub lunches such as ploughman’s, curry , fish and chips. The Boardwalk café on the top deck for buffet style alfresco dining. Finally the Todd English restaurant where reservations are required for evening dining at a charge of approx $30 pp.