Pictured left to right outside the new store are: Paul Hardwick, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Director of Retail; Emma Bailey, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Tutti Taylor, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Councillor Candy Vaughan, Mayor of Eastbourne; Trevor Ridler, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Business Development Manager; and Shirley Waters, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents..
Operating for over 180 years, and with their ships named after stately queens, Cunard can sometimes suffer from a misconception that their cruises are a rather formal affair, full of old-world traditions and glamour, but largely catering to a more mature clientele. Rosie from our Framlingham branch had the opportunity to step onboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 recently, and what she discovered onboard really surprised her!
Rosie had never been on a cruise ship before, and the Queen Mary 2 impressed her as soon as she stepped on the gangplank, “My first impression was pure shock and amazement. The amount of space around the ship and the decoration was astonishing, with a huge amount of attention to detail. The staff were very welcoming and attentive, making the check-in process stress free,” says Rosie
The Queen Mary 2 is Cunard’s flagship, with legendary style and elegance enjoyed by celebrities and royalty over the years. She accommodates just over 2600 guests, with an attentive 1173 staff to look after them, and is the world’s only remaining transatlantic ocean liner – an imposing ship, built to sail with speed and comfort across thousands of miles of open seas. Rosie elaborates, “The Queen Mary 2 is an ocean liner, meaning communal areas never feel too crowded as passengers would embark for seven straight sea days as the ship sailed from Southampton to New York. There are always spaces on the ship to relax without feeling overwhelmed by the number of other people.”
“I had a sheltered balcony cabin on deck 4 BV grade, mid forward of the ship. It was beautiful with plenty of space to relax in and the balcony itself was larger than I had anticipated. The king-sized bed was extremely comfortable. There were tea and coffee making facilities in the room, restocked daily, some sparkling wine, and Penhaligon toiletries as well as robes and slippers. There were drinks in the fridge available at an additional charge. The satellite TV had around 20 channels and my balcony cabin had a sofa area with a table for relaxing. There was a safe, hairdryer and plenty of storage spaces for the luggage. The stateroom was a great size - I never felt that there wasn’t enough space, which would be important on a longer cruise.
The rooms were made up throughout the day which was a lovely surprise to come back to. A highlight for me was the option of having breakfast in bed and it being such an easy process, just ensuring the sign is outside the stateroom before 1am! Coming back in the evening and finding the daily programme of events laid out with a chocolate is a welcoming touch.”
An ocean liner is built for sea days, so there is a great emphasis on keeping guests entertained, with an impressive daily programme of activities left in the cabin each night for guest to plan their activities the next day. Rosie explains, “The planetarium and insight speakers are all free to attend, as well as bridge classes, aqua aerobics, bingo in the pub and so much more. We took part in a scavenger hunt, which enabled us to see all the different parts of the ship – I challenge you to find the Homer Simpson engraved in the wall décor!” There is a comprehensive range of things to do to suit everyone onboard, “I would say certain activities did uphold my expectation of a more traditional cruise, such as bridge lessons and ballroom dancing, however there was also a silent disco night, karaoke, fencing and aqua aerobics - there is so much on offer!” says Rosie.
Queen Mary 2’s elegant interiors are stunning, “The main atrium was beautiful with a palette of reds and neutral colours,” says Rosie, and she was impressed with the ship’s facilities, “There were 3 pools two outdoor pools and one indoor, and many whirlpools around the ship. The outdoor pools have sunbeds for relaxing when the weather is nice, and the indoor pool was particularly handy when it rained on a sea day - it never got too crowded.
The spa onboard is gorgeous, with the pool and whirlpool, aromatherapy room, sauna and steam room included in a day pass for about $59US. I was amazed, it was such a relaxing experience and wasn’t busy at all, at one point I practically had the place to myself! The fitness centre was well equipped with plenty of equipment and enough space not to feel crowded. It is based forward of the ship, so you can also exercise with amazing views!
The theatre offers a range of performances every evening, including comedy acts, themed music nights, shows and more, as well as music in different parts of the ship thought the day, such as the harpist in the atrium. There is the illuminations room which offers the planetarium show, which is an incredible experience and something a little bit different. G32 is the nightclub onboard and is very popular during the evenings – we had a fun night at the silent disco there! For a quiet moment the library is a beautiful area to spend time reading, with a glorious view.”
There are plenty of options for eating and drinking onboard Queen Mary 2, and Rosie was keen to try everything, “I dined in the main Britannia restaurant for breakfast and dinner, and tried the Kings Court Buffet and the Golden Lion Pub for lunch. Traditional Afternoon Tea is an option for sea days at no additional cost which was lovely. I tried the complimentary room service, and finally the Verandah Steakhouse for dinner on the last night. Here you can enjoy a 3 course meal and drinks, plus optional extras at extremely reasonable prices. The food was astonishing, with a huge variety of choice. I tried Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, followed by Tiger Prawns and we shared the grand platter Fruits de Mer which was a whole load of seafood! I topped it all off with the Dark Chocolate Fondant with Cherry Ripple Amarena ice cream….. Each dining experience was fantastic in different ways, with an amazing variety of choice, especially for me as a pescatarian. If you are so inclined The Commodore Club is a bar onboard and with a cigar room connected, for guests to enjoy an evening whisky and a cigar.”
Prior to sailing, Rosie had shared a common misconception about how life onboard may feel, “My view of Cunard, before departing on this cruise, was that it was very traditional, with an emphasis on dressing up formally, whether that be in the daytime or for evening wear. However, in the day the dress code is very much casual, with gala nights being the time for the formal frocks and suits to really come out, and you can stick with the gala theme completely, or just have an accessory to complement it. Other evenings are more of a smart casual theme, so a dress or shirt and chinos is fine.”
Rosie was surprised by the age range of people enjoying life onboard, “Cunard really is for everybody, whether they be couples, or families, with the optional use of kids clubs, the night nursery, and the swimming pools. For solo travellers there are plenty of tailored events whilst onboard to give them the option to make new friends if they wish to. Older clientele would also love this cruise line, and they have a wide range of events on offer to cater for them, I know several of my customers enjoy bridge so they would be very happy onboard!”
In terms of stepping off the ship, there was one port of call for Rosie’s 4 night trip, at Zeebrugge. “Bruges is stunning and is a great place to visit whilst docked in Zeebrugge, as well as Blankenberge, which is a pretty seaside town and would be lovely to visit in the summer. I loved having the opportunity to explore Bruges and see the beautiful architecture. The chocolate, waffles and beer are particularly famous in Bruges, so when visiting this is a must try, and Cunard’s optional excursions offered this opportunity, as well as Flemish scenery, canal trips and complimentary shuttle buses for you to explore independently.”
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Rosie has been thrilled with her first cruise experience, and how lucky for her to have been onboard such an icon as Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. “My opinion has completely changed since having the wonderful opportunity of embarking on this cruise. The staff are so friendly and for what is included, the price is astonishingly good. You will be really well looked after, and because the ships are smaller it never feels too crowded. The staff were very friendly and attentive, nothing is too much for them to make your cruise perfect. The whole trip was an amazing experience – there is so much to do and see, especially when going on a short break. I would recommend spending at least 7 nights onboard so things don’t feel too rushed to experience everything!”
If you would like to find out more about cruising with Cunard please contact your local branch
