Queen Mary 2 by Victoria, Nina, Coralie & Suzy

Ship - Queen Mary 2
Line - Cunard Line
Date - 15 October 2009

On 15 October 2009, Queen Mary 2 set off on a very special voyage - her first circumnavigation of the British Isles...

Four of us set off from Barrow at 6am on a long train journey to take us down to Southampton, to embark the magnificent Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, on her ‘lap of honour’ around Britain to celebrate her 5th Birthday. After changing trains in Manchester and helping some fellow cruisers finding their seats we arrived in Southampton at 12.45 and jumped into a taxi to the new Oceans Terminal where, after a very smooth embarkation process we finally stepped onboard on of the most famous ocean liner in the world.

Once onboard we headed to our cabin a - B2 Premium Sheltered Balcony - which was beautifully decorated and very spacious. After dropping our bags off, we decided to try the buffet in King’s court; there was a wide choice from fish to meat, salad, fruit and puddings, the most difficult part was to choose what to eat (we’d find out later that this was a regular problem since everything on board is so delicious…).

After lunch we got to work with a treasure hunt (that was just after the mandatory emergency drill). Indeed, Cunard had given us a questionnaire to fill in to ensure we visit every single room on board. Some was rather hard but we never got discouraged, after all we are the cruise specialists! And after nearly 4 hours along the QM2 corridors, up and down the various bars, restaurants and other amenities we’d completed the questionnaire.

In the evening we attended a short presentation from Cunard to welcome us on board, followed by dinner at 8:30 in the Britannia restaurant. Having explored most of the ship it was time to experience some of the culinary delights on offer, where the menu had something for everyone from light bites to delicious gourmet food.

As a memorabilia for the 5th birthday of QM2, Cunard had printed some menu booklets and the evening meal offered a great choice of quality food such as: smoked salmon terrine, roasted Atlantic cod, English rack of pork with truffle mash and Calvados sauce & banoffee pie!

Following dinner we went to the Ball Room (Queens Room) for a Cha Cha Cha, where single female travellers could dance with the male hosts. Next we headed to the Night Club, G32, for a different type of dancing! Yes there is entertainment to suit every age and taste, every night!

The next day was an early start again, so we ordered complimentary room service for a nice cup of tea which came within 10 minutes, then headed down to the Britannia restaurant for a sit-down breakfast.  We then had a Galley Tour which was very interesting; it was amazing to see the amount of preparation and work required to put together the meals we were about to enjoy. Some interesting facts about the galleys: on board QM2, they use 32,400 eggs and 20,000 litres of milk weekly and 6,000 cups of tea are served daily - Did you know there are 150 Chefs Onboard?

For lunch we headed to the Golden Lion pub for Fish and Chips followed by a pub quiz. We then went to the Planetarium, Situated within the theatre; this dome is the support for the projection of short films. "Cosmic Collisions" was about the creation of Earth, and was most interesting, but remember to get your tickets early in the morning as availability is very limited!. We then headed down for some afternoon tea in the Queens Room; did you know that 700 English Scones are served during afternoon tea on Queen Mary 2?

After all the food we had eaten it was time to go to the Canyon Ranch Spa and sample the Therapy Whirl Pool and Sauna: we could have spent all day there. Towels and dressing gowns are provided it is possible to just sit around in the spa lounge and drink tea. We loved it. Certainly the most relaxing place on-board, the spa offers everything you would expect and more, whirlpool, Jacuzzis, sauna, steam rooms, foot baths… but also a hair and massage salon. What a fantastic time we had in there, so much that we couldn’t leave it

A quick shower later and it was time for the Formal Night and Captain’s Welcome Party which featured a speech from the Captain (who has such a great sense of humour), followed by a presentation of crew members, including the most applauded ones: the chefs!  After dinner we went to the Royal Court Theatre to see the world renowned soprano Lesley Garrett (fabulous). We then headed up to Deck 9 to the Commodore Club, for a little sophistication, listening to a Pianist accompanied by a martini cocktail of course.

All too soon it was time to get up and pack for our return journey home, from Edinburgh, but not before getting some breakfast in Kings Court which is buffet style. While we disembark the tender boat, we were welcomed by a local Scottish band  playing bag pipes, such a moving sound to leave this famous ship…

This trip was a most wonderful experience and we all loved our time onboard Queen Mary 2.

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