Queen Mary 2 is the last Ocean Liner at Sea. She really is a “one of a kind” ship.
She is the last of a long line of Ocean Liners that can sail with speed and comfort across thousands of miles of open ocean.
Onboard, you will find experiences and features not found on regular cruise ships.
This wonderful ship has a mixture of luxury, tradition and opulence that sets it apart from the rest.
#1 Cross the Atlantic in True Ocean Liner Style
Ocean Liners were designed to make line crossings from point A to point B – from Southampton to New York, for example.
Cruise ships are designed for recreation and leisure. They usually complete shorter voyages and often sail along the coast of different countries, stopping at lots of different ports.
Ocean Liners sit lower in the water than cruise ships and are better able to deal with poor weather conditions. They are streamlined and aerodynamic.
They are designed this way to be able to deal with bad weather and to minimize the feeling of movement onboard.
Cruise ships often sit high on the water. Multiple balconies line the sides of the ship, giving some an almost “top-heavy” appearance.
Ocean liners generally have stronger hulls than cruise ships.
Queen Mary 2 features steel hull plating. It is described as: “Extra thick for rigidity during Atlantic crossings.”
Queen Mary’s hull is around twice as thick as that found on most Cruise Ships.
#2 Visit A Planetarium At Sea
Queen Mary 2 has a Planetarium in the Illuminations theatre.
You can book a seat via the App and sit in different coloured seats at the venue that are directly under the dome.
These seats recline right back, and you can watch a celestial show explaining all about the Earth, planets and stars.
When the Planetarium isn’t in use, the venue is used for shows and enrichment lectures.
#3 Travel With Your Pet
On Queen Mary 2, there are kennels so that people relocating to a different country can take their cats or dogs with them!
They have their own area on the top deck for exercise, and there is even a lampost for British dogs and a fire hydrant for American dogs!
Kennel places fill up fast, though, and aren’t cheap!
Find out all about that here:
I Took A Cruise That Allows Dogs (And Cats) Onboard!
#3 Attend Elegant Balls And Gala Evenings
There are plenty of opportunities to dress up if you are going on a Cunard Cruise.
Every evening, there is a dress code of sorts, and on the most formal, Gala Nights, they have balls in the largest ballroom at sea.
This room is vast and spans the whole width of the ship. There is plenty of room for guests to dance to a full orchestra or Big Band on the impressive wooden dancefloor.
When I sailed on Queen Mary 2, they had a Masquerade Ball on a Gala evening. I saw some wonderful Masquerade Masks.
#5. Explore the Largest Library at Sea
Queen Mary 2 has a large library, situated at the front of the ship.
There are over 10,000 books in this library. They have a particularly interesting section on Maritime History and travel.
The library is a great place for book lovers to spend their time, with comfortable chairs and a view out over the ocean.
You can find the above book on Amazon here (affiliate link).
#6 Enjoy Enrichment Lectures
Enrichment lectures are held in Illuminations. These lectures are by historians, scientists, and other notable experts.
When I was onboard, there were up to three lectures a day, and if you missed any that you were interested in, you could catch up on the cabin TV.
On my crossing, I learnt all about Queen Elizabeth, The Wives of Henry 8th, the myths of the Titanic, the conspiracy theories regarding the death of Princess Diana, and the rise and fall of the Ocean Liner.
#7 Have Afternoon Tea
Every afternoon in the Queens Room, they hold a formal afternoon tea.
You can enjoy finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, teas, and coffees, which are served by waiters in white gloves.
A classical trio accompanied our afternoon tea.
Cunard’s afternoon tea really is an unforgettable experience – and not one to be missed!
#8 Enjoy The Largest Ballroom At Sea
Queen Mary 2 has the largest ballroom at sea, The Queens Room.
The Queens Room is a vast space. We enjoyed a big band concert here, with familiar songs from the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Duke Ellington, etc. The band were fantastic.
I also took part in a “fun” morning exercise class – which my Mum described as anything but fun…!
I have to say, I found the lower deck layout of the Queen Mary 2 rather confusing. The Queens Room is one place we often struggled to find despite it being so large.
You have to find your way around the Britannia Restaurant, and you can only do this by finding your way down the right stairway and walking along the Art Gallery on one side of the ship. (Extra cabins have been fitted in on the other side of the ship, so walking that way isn’t an option.)
Sometimes, we ended up actually walking right through the Britannia restaurant to reach the Queens Room on the other side. or using the correct lifts/elevators to arrive outside the ballroom.
That said, I have never seen such a large open space on a cruise ship. It really has the “wow” factor.
#9 Enjoy Maritime History, Art and Design
The ship is decorated in a way that harks back to the opulent interiors of the Ocean Liners of days gone by.
The walls are decorated with pictures of beautiful ships, rather than the often abstract art you find on some modern cruise ships.
There is a display near the Planetarium of famous passengers of Cunard ships of the past – Walt Disney, Ella Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Taylor, Noël Coward and Winston Churchill, to name but a few.
On the second deck of Queen Mary 2 there are some impressive bronze/resin panels that depict cultural icons from each continent. On the panel depicting America, they hid a small image of Homer Simpson!
#10 Sail on the Only Ship With a Transatlantic Heritage
Queen Mary 2 is the successor to Cunards historic Ocean Liners.
If you want to experience the history, tradition and elegant surroundings enjoyed by passengers during the golden age of Ocean Liners, then Queen Mary 2 is the only option available to you.
She really is a beautiful ship, with her streamlined, elegant shape and her opulent interiors. If you get an opportunity, I would definitely recommend taking a voyage on her.
Before You Go
Find out why my parents “upgrade” on Queen Mary 2 wasn’t all they had hoped for here:
Why This Cruise Cabin “Upgrade” Was Worse (Don’t Let This Happen to You)!
Find out why cruise ships rarely travel at top speed here:
Cruise Ships Can Travel at 30 MPH, Here’s Why They Rarely Do
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