Hey Jared! Quite a few things, the biggest is probably the purpose of the ship but it affects how the ship is made. I have a detailed answer here: Cruise Ships vs Ocean Liners - Measurable Differences You Need to Know emmacruises.com/cruise-ships-vs-ocean-liners/ 😀❤️
Cruise ships are made for leisure purposes and for clam, warm waters but an ocean liner is made for rough weather transporting people from a to b, not cruising around starting and ending in the same place
Depth of keel, shape and strength of the hull and general stability in rough seas. Most cruise ships have a relatively flat bottom compared to an ocean liner, which is why they aren't so good in rough weather.
A cruise ship is a hotel that floats. An ocean liner is a ship, built for some speed (or a lot for the S.S. United States) in which a hotel was fitted into the hull and superstructure. QM2 has a top speed of just under 30 knots. Most cruise ships plod along between 15 and 20 knots. Top speed is probably less than 25 knots. If you sail on a cruise ship on a trans-Atlantic repositioning itinerary, it may stop in the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and/or the Canadian Maritimes before arriving in New York. The QM2 is about getting people from Southampton to New York (or vice versa) with no stops and at a speed faster than a Breakaway or Oasis class ship.
I think this ocean liner looks far more tasteful/classy and shiplike compared to cruise ships which are just overcrowded shopping mall/adventure parks floating on water.
The Cunard people had the design of classic ocean liners in mind when designing this beauty. Just look at the beautiful indicated round stern… Of course the purpose of the ship makes a big difference in design, but modern cruise ships are built purely for practicality but definitely not for good looks. I absolutely hate the looks of modern cruise ships, no clean lines, no good looking colors or well designed interiors.
@@ws1814 I don't really like the malls but the pools and slides on new ships are cool that's just my opinion but u don't like how new cruise ships have casinos and shopping malls
Now this seems more my speed. Not crowded, not a circus and not a massive shopping mall. In other words perfect. I’ve never been on a cruise because I have never liked the idea of being crammed into a large shopping mall with carnival rides and thousands of people all jostled together. I get claustrophobic just thinking about it. This is more sedate and a lot more tasteful. I might have to look at going on my first ship cruise with Cunard.
Go for it. We are doing our third QM2 crossing next year and it’s an absolute world away from your Royal Caribbean type chrome and dayglo coloured theme park (I’m not knocking RC just pointing out its a vastly different product). Give the Queen Mary a try, it’s clearly geared towards your taste and it’s a beautiful way to travel trust me.
I saw a comment on another video saying something along the lines of: “Ocean Liners are purpose built to cross oceans, and keep you comfortable while doing so. Cruise Ships are Hotel/Resorts built on top of a barge that miraculously doesn’t topple over” That’s definitely apparent here. She may be slightly worn down on her exterior (many crossings with little turnaround time or lay-up will do that) but the QM2 does it’s best to replicate the old school ocean liner experience with a modern twist. And she’ll keep you comfortable while doing so
Notes from a lifetime of reading about ocean liners to follow: 1. They call it White Star service after the White Star Line which was the parent company of Titanic and a competitor with Cunard up until the early 30s. The lines merged during the Great Depression and were known as Cunard-White Star until the early 50s at which time the name White Star was dropped from the company name. 2. The red jacketed crew members known as "boys in buttons" are a tradition of Cunard embarkation that dates back to at least the 1920s (and probably before that time as well). 3. Just to expand on the information you gave in the video allegedly the word Posh originated with the P&O line ships that went from the UK to India. People would book cabins and deck chairs on their vessels and the most desirable were on the port side of the ship outbound and on the starboard side of the ship returning to England. People who paid for such rooms and deck chairs supposedly had their tickets stamped POSH as you said, an acronym meaning Port Outbound Starboard Home. The origin of the term is somewhat disputed however and may not be true but it is a fun story none the less. 4. Queen Mary 2 is so stable because she has a very deep draft and a bow that has a much finer entry at the waterline than the average cruise ship. In point of fact the bow is knife edged so that she may slice through the waves more efficiently. If I'm not mistaken she has two sets of side stabilizer fins as well. And while it does not affect her sea handling characteristics her hull plating is almost twice as thick as the average cruise ships hull plating. As you noted ocean liners generally have much less open deck space for their size and that space they have is considerably more sheltered than the average cruise ship. And finally Queen Mary is built for speed being able to average 30 knots as opposed to the usual 20 or so that a cruise ship can handle. 5. Queen Mary 2 is one of the last bastions of true evening wear. Guidelines and rules were quite strict for proper evening wear at one time in society especially among the upper class. The show Downton Abbey does a wonderful example of representing this as you can see that men were expected to dress for dinner in white tie and tales and the introduction of dinner jacket tuxedo and black tie was considered to be controversial and too casual for some. I for one am quite happy to hear that Ed Sheeran was denied entry to the dinning room in casual wear and to know that Cunard does NOT make exceptions for anybody and that they uphold the traditions of fine dining in elegant evening wear.
Denying Ed Sheeran is an exemplar of why, maligned as it was (and is), an "old money" society is preferable to a "new money" society. Old money recognizes the importance of tradition, and of rules that applied uniformly, to a stable society. While not always executed perfectly, it was as close as you could get. (And, as the kings and queens of times past taught them, your head will be on the chopping block, too, one way or another. Wiser to suggest the possibility yourself than wait for the ire of the mob.)
I am 22 and just started making my own money, for my first vacation I am taking QM2 to Southampton to spend a few days there, and then taking QM2 back to NY. I have always been enthralled by the legacy, history of ocean liners and maritime history. Also I love vintage fashion and have an outfit for every day. This trip will be a grand slam. I don't care if everyone is way older than me, I can't wait to hear their stories. If I find anyone that is my age on the voyage voluntarily they are automatically my new best friend lol. I am no stranger to rough seas, The Great Lakes have seasoned me lol.
Would love to hear how it went and whether you’re planning to do it again. Please update or let us know if you have a RUclips video about your experience.
The QM2 is on my list not because I particularly like cruises or anything but because I like history and engineering and I really wanna go on the world's last proper ocean liner.
The Queen Mary 2 is quite unique Engineering-wise as it has additional Gas Turbines to get it to 30 Knots. For Cruise Ship Operations at typical Cruise Ship Speeds of +/- 20 Knots, it has four Wärtsilä V16 Diesel Generators, rated 16.8 MW each. That's typical for Cruise Ships of that Size; almost all Cruise Ships have four Diesel Generators in two Engine Rooms for Redundancy Reasons and smaller ones just have smaller Engines. Additionally, the Queen Mary 2 has two General Electric Gas Turbine Generators rated at 29.8 MW each (aka Boeing 747 Engines driving a Generator instead of a Fan) to supplement the Diesel Generators during Transatlantic Crossings at 30 Knots. They are located below the Funnel instead of the Engine Room, because Gas Turbines need insane Amounts of Air and accordingly large Air Ducts would have taken up a lot of Cabin Space. There's no Chance for Passengers to see any of this tho. The only possibly even more Interesting Cruise Ship Engine Layout is the Celebrity Millenium Class, which have two GE LM2500 Gas Turbines as well, but in a COGAS (Combined Gas and Steam Turbine) Plant. Gas Turbines aren't typical in Merchant Marine Propulsion, because they lose a lot of Waste Heat through the Exhaust Gas which makes them awfully inefficient compared to Diesel Engines. The Clebrity Millenium Class uses large Exhaust Gas Boilers to reclaim quite a bit of that Waste Heat, and use it to drive a Steam Turbine rated at another 9 MW, similar to a Combined Cycle Powerplant on Land. These Things can reach Efficiencies comparable to the most Efficient Diesel Engines (Two Stroke Marine Diesels; you'll never see these on any Passenger Ship because they are way too high and cause too much Vibration for Passengers). Such COGAS Propulsion IMHO has great Potential for Passenger Ships, allowing them to burn Natural Gas without Methane Slip, as well as reducing Noise and Vibration both for Passengers and Emissions into the Water.
haven't really given thought to going on a transatlantic cruise before but seeing this vid makes me want to. I didn't even know Cunard was still in service.
Same. Also.......If Sea sickness is a big issue for one like it was for my late grandmother than the QM2 is literally one of the only ships on Earth that can mitigate this phenomenon. I wish they'd give tours of the engines but I doubt it.
I did a around-the-world cruise on the Queen Mary 2 for 3-1/2 months in 2019. I found this review to be very accurate. Emma is correct about the crew being stiff and unwieldy on formal night rules. Plan on packing some formal clothes for a cruise on ANY Cunard ship or plan on staying in your cabin for the night. With nearly everyone else being dressed up, you’ll definitely feel out of place on those nights if you’re not. This was actually my second Cunard cruise, the first being in 2017 onboard the Queen Victoria. Speaking from experience, Cunard cruises are definitely aimed at older audiences. I never saw little children or hardly any young people in their teens or twenties. A lot of the other passengers had dreamed for years of taking a luxurious Cunard cruise and had saved up for the experience. Many were retirees who were celebrating recent retirement or landmark wedding anniversaries. My chief complaint though is that there simply aren’t enough clothes washers & dryers on the ship. If you’re there for only a one-week cruise, this won’t be an issue for you, but if you’re doing a longer cruise like I was, then you’ll soon realize this deficiency. The laundry facilities aren’t on every floor and it can be quite a hike to get to one, only to find that all of the machines are in use. The laundry rooms are not available 24/7. I’m not exaggerating, but in my nearly four months on this ship, I never once found an available washing machine. They were all in continuous use. I got by with rinsing things out in my room. There is a crew-operated laundry option, but it is quite expensive. It’s alright for one or two garments, but too costly to use for a full-load of dirty laundry - plus, a ship’s Porter told me that your clothes aren’t washed separately. Frequently, other peoples clothes will be washed with your load in order to save time, water, and soap. Other than being aware of the need to pack formal clothes, they also have “themed” nights as well such as, “Roaring Twenties,” masquerade party nights, holiday themes, etc. There are regular Cunard cruisers who absolutely love these things and purposely plan their trip so they can be onboard and dress themselves to the nines. However, you can get by with just regular formalwear on such evenings if you choose not to participate. As I said, be aware of a real bottleneck at the very small and limited laundromats on ship, but everything else in this review is spot-on. Personally, I am older and therefore like the British formality and feel onboard a Cunard cruise. You won’t find children running wild in dripping wet bathing suits, or hear cabin doors slamming, or teenagers roving around in packs. There are no rock climbing walls or wild, adrenaline activities here. Rather, it’s conservative, traditional, British elegance at sea. Afternoon tea is an absolute ‘must’. Don’t miss it or else you will have missed out on one of the biggest charms of a Cunard cruise. One other fond memory of my trip that really clinched it for me and made me a Cunard-only cruiser is their attention to detail. In making my reservation with Cunard, they offered to handle all of my travel arrangements from Chicago to London, and back again. Upon arrival at Heathrow airport in London, I had pre-arranged for a driver and private car to meet me in the luggage retrieval area. He was there waiting for me, holding a sign with my last name on it. The chauffeur was dressed impeccably in a smart suit. He insisted on pulling my suitcase to his car - a black Jaguar saloon. I had no idea where Cunard was putting me up for the night, but it turned out to be the gorgeous Langham Hotel. The Langham is one of London’s poshest hotels. Being a foreigner, it would have been very tempting for them to stick me at a real dive and pocket the difference, but that is not the Cunard way. The next morning, a different car and driver showed up on time to drive me to the ship’s terminal in Southampton. I’m a very big American (football player), so they discreetly arranged for an even larger Mercedes saloon to meet me at hotel. The driver brought me right to the front doors of the terminal building, and the driver again insisted on pulling my suitcase all the way inside the building for me. Of course you will pay a price for such exemplary service and accommodations, but the fact that Cunard even offers it and then executes everything so flawlessly speaks to the level of quality you can expect from them. This impeccable service also extends right through to the cruise itself. They definitely get the attention to details correct. Upon arrival that first day aboard the QM2, a complimentary bottle of champagne 🍾 in a silver bucket of ice was waiting for me in my cabin. I was so impressed with the whole overall experience that now I am an exclusive Cunard cruiser. I will only sail with Cunard. I really don’t care to cruise with anyone else because I have found exactly what I’m looking for with Cunard. I’m looking forward to my first-ever excursion onboard Queen Elizabeth, and their newest ship, Queen Anne. As an American, I love the crispness and perfect British execution of everything Cunard does to insure the complete satisfaction of each and every guest.
You have absolutely sold me on the idea of taking a cruise on the QM2. I am 51, so I guess I fall squarely into the age range of an average cruiser and a QM2 cruiser. And to be honest, I’ve always wanted to cruise like they did in the early days of fancy dress and posh styles. I am always looking for an excuse to wear my tuxedo!
I always liked the idea of dressing up like they did in the days of the Titanic. Like cosplaying, and being fancy, and the awesome photo opportunities 😍! I really didn't even know there was a difference between an ocean liner and cruise ship. I thought they were just one and the same 🤷.
When my family and I took the Queen Mary 2 from New York (really New Jersey) to Southhampton and the ship pulled away from the dock, the four of us were standing on our balcony waving goodbye to absolutely no one. However, the weird thing was it *felt* like the dock was pulling away from us because the ship felt completely still. I never felt a single bit of movement while onboard. The feeling was the world was passing us by and we were standing still. Seriously, it is a remarkable feeling.
The physical difference between an ocean liner and cruise ship relates to the hull; one is much deeper while the other is more flat bottomed; one is meant for crossing oceans and cutting through big swells, while the other is meant for slower movement and calm seas. The QM2 has stabilizing wings that extend from the hull in rough waters. I love this Ship.
My wife and I were married on the Queen Mary 1 in Long Beach California 47 years ago. Nothing but fond memories of that ship through all the years we have visited it since. However your descriptions and experiences on QM2 leave me more envious than I can describe. There is no chance we will ever get to experience it ourselves so I sincerely hope you take another trip on the QM2 someday.
I've heard that there's a few ocean liners operating in Japan, but since they operate up and down the Japanese archipelago, they're often referred to as "ferries" instead of ocean liners. I had no idea there was still one operating in the West still. I've always had a romantic view of Trans-Atlantic/Trans-Pacific ocean liners. It's slower, sure, but much more comfortable than being packed into a plane like a tin of sardines.
Solo Travel Japan covers those in great detail, along with unique Trains of Japan. It's a very relaxing channels. Most of them are ro-ro ferries. Roll on roll off so a lot of their customers are mostly truck drivers
I was going to say based on her defintion on cruise liner wouldn't most ferries transporting people to far off places be crusie liners. The ferries from mainland Spain to the canaries would meet the defintion.
I’ve taken the QM2 transatlantic twice. It was one of the best things I have ever done, and I can’t recommend it enough. I try to tell anyone remotely interested in having invigorating and unique life experiences to do it, and I am going to go again as soon as I can.
Good to know that this style of ocean travel has not completely disappeared. Your videos are always highly interesting and wonderfully entertaining. Well done.
Just wanted to say, this video helped inspire me and my husband to take our first ever cruise, on the QM2, and we had such a great time. so thank you so much for this! it was unforgettable and we hope to go again another time. we loved dressing up and the formality of it was really an appeal for us. i didn't know cruises could still be like this! we adored the ship and had such a great experience.
We sailed from NY to Hamburg on the QM2 back in 2019 when we moved from the US to Belgium and we needed to move our Bernese. I didn't want to put her in the cargo hold of a plane alone as she was an older dog and not used to travel, so this seemed like the best alternative. At the time, the prices for the kennels were $800 for a small dog (or 2x$800 for a cat as they have to use one kennel for a litterbox) and $1000 for a large lower kennel. If you have a very large dog, it will likely take 2 lower kennels (our dog and the goldens on board all needed 2 lower kennels). So it did actually cost about the same price for our dog as it did for my husband and I for a 9 day transatlantic. I feel like airlines should start recognizing how much money pet owners are willing to spend on their pets and start offering their own kennels in the back of the cabin or something for long haul flights. Overall I would say it was worth it though and the kennel masters were amazing. I don't remember the exact opening and closing times, but the kennels were accessible from about 8am to 8pm with breaks for the staff at lunch and early dinner times. Most of the other passengers with dogs were either relocating like us, or were retired people who had homes or family on both continents and had done the trip many times. One of the dogs on our trip was actually recognized by the captain at the Captain's night as one of the most well travelled passengers.
@@nasuanari I'd love to say it was for the chocolate or beer, but it was instead the reason most people move: I married a Belgian ;) We had met while living in the US, but an interesting job opportunity came up over here, so we decided it was a chance for a bit of adventure.
What I love the most about this vlog is that there's no beating around the bush but still everything is well explained. Thank you for the beautiful video.
We love to take the QM2 from NY to Southampton when we go to Europe. We’ve also come back twice, but going over works well for us because when you get to the UK you aren’t jet lagged! We have taken regular cruise ships from Fort Lauderdale across as well, but QM2 is so stable compared to the others that it is a much better ride in questionable weather.
Sorry to be late; I queued this up, got distracted and only now am getting back to it. We sailed QM2 on it's first Southampton to NYC crossing in 2004. Tremendously smooth. That was the cruise that convinced my wife that we would be cruisers. And don't worry about getting lost. We were continually referring to a map and still had trouble finding our destinations. And there were no doors locked then. We also had several formal nights including a 'Meet the Captain' gathering. Everything was top notch. We have since crossed the Atlantic on a cruise ship and now have scheduled a Hawaii to Vancouver Pacific crossing this October. We'll see how that goes.
Thank you for the lovely take on this grand ole lady. I happened to live in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and saw the QM2 sail on her maiden voyage, and I had a first class viewing from the 15th floor of the building. Watching her sail through the canal of Port Everglades was something really special. What a gorgeous Ocean Liner she is. Kudos to Cunard for enforcing a strict dress code, as you said, there are countless cruise lines with relaxed to no dress code at all. To me, however, taking a transoceanic voyage is an experience like no other. I personally like to dress well, morning, afternoon, and evenings. I even change from an ivory dinner jacket to full black if I intend to go to the casino or a show. I loath cruise ships, honestly, I felt like cattle being herded. My only experience crossing the Atlantic was on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1985, and it was an unforgettable experience. I have yet to travel on the QM2, but I hope to fulfill that desire before she gets too old, or worse, decommissioned.
I have no desire to travel on a cruise ship, but doing an Atlantic crossing on this ocean liner is on my bucket list. The formality is fine - I think it reinforces the notion that by taking Cunard and this ship in particular you're taking part in a grand and storied tradition. Minus the icebergs, torpedoes, mines, Swedish liners, etc....
Queen Mary 2 is so posh! It's still a dream of mine to go onboard that ship! The modern cruise ships, in my opinion, are more catered commercially and are somewhat treated like a floating theme park.
The Queen Mary 2 is definitely a bucket list item for me. I definitely want to do the transatlantic on her just because it seems like the "traditional" thing to do on the Queen Mary. The dressing up thing does concern me a little bit, but I think for a week, I could handle being extra posh and transport myself back to a simpler time when these grand ships transported people to the new world.
I'm not that big into cruising, but I do love ships and all that, so I watch your channel from time to time. This is the first time I can say that I've been on that ship! I took the QM2 to the UK from New York ages ago in order to move to the UK. It was great. We had a teddy bear that my parents bought us from the UK, and he was going back home on this trip. We left a note one night for the attendant about this just as a joke, and she left chocolates and a note as well. So, the next night, we wrote another note and placed it by the bear thanking her. We got more and more chocolates. She would also move him around the room and have chocolates all around him. On the last night, she left us a bag of chocolate and a really nice note. It was some silly fun but it really made the trip. Also, White Star service relates to the White Star Line. A unique call back to history.
@@chendaforest But in the end they came together. For a few years it was called Cunard - White Star. And every year on 15th of April the Cunard ships hoist the flag of the White Star Line instead of their own flag
@@chendaforest Yes. This is sad. This is also one of the reasons why I like to go on Cunard ships. They're really telling you to make "White Star Service" and some Crew members have red badges in the shape of the White Star Flag on their chest. (Of course with the white star on it)🤗
My instinct is to rail against mandatory formal cruising especially when you say you can't go anywhere on the ship during a formal night, but you are so fair about it I just can't do it. You are right, there are a ton of other cruise ships to go on, and Cunard is unapologetic and do make it very clear, their ships are for those that like the whole VERY FORMAL thing. I don't but then I won't go on Cunard, and as long as the formal cruisers can keep Cunard in business, then more power to them!
Snap. Although on formal night I did go to the Red Lion in a Jacket / Shirt / Trousers [no tie] and no Staff member chastised me. I have no wish to resemble a Penguin.
If you don't like to dress up you are invited to go to the Kings Court (buffet) and I think also the Golden Lion is possible without tuxedo. But at least, it's more fun to dress up ;-)
@@nalarubischon5685 Kings Court / Golden Lion are far less strict regarding the Ships dress code, although if you turn up at either in shorts / T Shirt then expect to have words with a Staff member.
When I was a boy I went roundtrip transatlantic on the original Queen Mary. I've been tempted to try this one as well and your word about the donuts is all I needed to tip the scales in favor!
Wonderful review - have always been interested in doing an Atlantic crossing on her. The reason she's so stable is that the ship has wings that come out under the water line when it's rough. They're computer controlled to counter the wave motion, mostly cancelling out the movement.
That's not true, the Queen Mary (1) did also have stabilizers that could be retracted if not needed, although they were added later after she earned her infamous nickname "Rolling Mary" and were not part of the original design.
@@rollingslothmachine3431 Oh wow - didn't realize she was refitted with them. I'd watched a special detailing the build of the QM2 and I'm surprised they didn't mention that. Amended my statement accordingly, thanks for the correction.
@@Dakiraun I don't know if you misunderstood me, or you maybe had a little mixup while writing, but it was the first Queen Mary, that was retrofitted, QM2 had her stabilizers from the get go. ^^
This line is definitely on my bucketlist. Had the titanic made it this is how I would imagine sailing on her would have been. Seems like a good option for a European cruise. I love that red dress you look absolutely stunning ❤ thanks alot Emma.
As someone else mentioned, a transatlantic QM2 crossing is on my bucket list, and I hope to do it next November or December. My plan is to fly to the UK, hang with friends in London first, then go to Southampton for my return to the US.
Having been on other mainstream cruises I’d love to do this ocean liner experience. The mainstream ones are too “ Disneyland at sea” for my tastes. I prefer this elegant sedate style. I’d even bring and wear the requisite attire
I've done a cruise on the Queen Mary 2, as well as a Transatlantic Crossing, and enjoyed them both immensely. Dressing up for dinner is actually a bit fun once you get used to it. On our first cruise our experience of motion was much like yours - rock solid. On our Crossing, however, we had force 9 gales and the sea was very rough. I have photos of the waves going over my head while doing jigsaws, and some pretty impressive photos of the pitching up and down of the ship.
I was already 3 times on board QM2 and I can only say, that she is really the true Queen of the seas.❤️ There is no other ship like her today. Until now I couldn't make a transatlantic crossing with her but I definitely need to do this when I have enough money. I think somebody who wants to make party on a cruise and see plenty countries is wrong here. You only go on Queen Mary 2 if you want Queen Mary 2. This you can also feel if you meet the passengers there. It's a wonderful feeling. Long live the Queen ❤️
Took the QM2 in 2018 for a crossing from NY to SH. It was awesome. I loved the speakers which included Lord Astor, a cartoonist from the New Yorker, a naval historical, art expert, and others. Looking forward to another trip someday
Cunard. We’ve done all three (QM2, QE and QV) and even dinner aboard the QE2. They are all a better version of everyone else’s cruise ships. Formal nights aren’t just dinner, they are dining events. Cunard are the best and we can’t wait to cruise on their new ship when it arrives.
Thank you so much for not playing music during your video. Ahhh, so nice. Great video, too. We're doing the NY UK crossing in late October. Our first cruise!
Thank you Emma, I really enjoyed watching this as I love everything about Cunard but in particular their dress code. I find it such a wonderful excuse to dress up in the evenings and probably the main reason I stick with Cunard. But you are right about finding your way around QM2, it can be a bit tricky until you get used to it.
If you don’t feel like getting dressed in the dressy evenings on the Queen Mary two then you can always eat in the buffet and you don’t have to dress for it on those nights.
QM2 is the greatest ship ever built. Full stop. I've also stayed on Queen Mary in Long Beach and QM2 is definitely the second Queen Mary class liner. Both are beyond compare.
Some things don`t change, her Great Aunt? The original Queen Mary from the 1930`s was always a classier ship than her Sister The Queen Elizabeth from the 1940`s.
This is a great video! I've always thought Cunard would be far too 'stuffy' for me, but I actually now think I should give it a try - it looks beautiful!
Wonderful video! I’ve been on two cruises and enjoyed it a lot, but I hope one day to go all out and try a trip on Queen Mary 2 now. I love the history, design, and aesthetic on display here.
I pretty much grew up on the QE2 as my Dad was an officer on there and I passionately prefer Cunard over other lines. I've been on several other over recent years and every time my wife and I end up wishing we'd just booked a Cunard cruise instead. The food, professionalism of staff and general experience have always been a step above any other company I've ever sailed with. We also found the overall behaviour of passengers on the Cunard vessels tended to be a little more, erm, civil(?), if sometimes a little aloof than elsewhere. I can sympathise about the dresscode a little; I'm gonna need to get a new suit and tux before I go on another Cunard cruise! I find all modern vessels terribly confusing to move around and perpetually get muddled. Older ships had the cabins on lower decks and all the ballrooms, restaurants and lounges, etc on top. QE2 had something like 8 colour-coded stairwells down the length of the ship so it was always easy to get where you wanted from more or less anywhere without having to travel far to find stairs. The move to 'hotels on the sea' with many rooms having balconies really changed up how ships are laid out now.
We sailed on her last December, only our second cruise. We had a fabulous time. A beautiful ship, fantastic crew, nothing was too much. The service and food was exceptional. The ship was decorated for Christmas throughout. Fantastic shows too. It was nice to dress up too. I would recommend it.
Traveled from Southhampton to New York on the QM2. Departed on my 73 birthday. I was treated with great flair for my birthday. The ship was so large, I agree with you it was easy to almost get lost, and forget how to get to your destination. In addition the size of the ship makes it never seem crowded. Travel on the QM2 from North America to England is a much better way to travel than flying. The amount of time spent getting to and into airports, plus having to arrive early, then taxi time, plus retrieving luggage, and getting out of the airport, lack POSH. Sure, if you are a person who enjoys dressing up, then the QM2 is for you; otherwise, consider an alternative ship.
Hi Emma, thank you so much for your very informative website... for someone like me, planning on taking their very first cruise... I appreciate you more than you will ever know! After watching many of your videos and podcasts... I think the best cruise for me would be on the Queen Mary 2... I don't mind the strict dress code... and I'm absolutely a huge fan of ocean liners. Thank you for helping me make my decision. Btw, I plan on doing my cruise in early 2025... from Southampton to NYC... can't wait, so excited!!!
For people wondering why it was called ‘White Star Service’. It was because the famed white star line (Company running the Titanic) was known for its excellent service. After it’s merge with Cunard due to financial issues it was renamed Cunard White Star line. Although Cunard bought out White Star’s 1/3 share eventually, it still wants to brand it self as having excellent service, so that’s why the chef’s have the White Star Line logo imprinted on their clothes, although they are hired entirely by Cunard. Hope this helped :)
Emma- trust me, if you do an Atlantic crossing, you'll have plenty of time/ 6 days to learn the ship inside out.. About formal wear- I dressed up in really posh evening wear ballroom type dresses and I didn't look out of place and I Loved it !
Great review. I had the good fortune to be on one of QE2's last voyages and loved every minute of it. I've cruised with other companies, but Cunard is special!
Many years ago, my parents took the QE2 across the Atlantic and loved it. My dad brought his tux and my mom brought her long dresses-she even borrowed a couple from her friends! They said it was so calm and a lovely trip. This past summer, I had friends moving back to the states and they booked the trip on QM2. It allowed them to take more baggage and ended up being less expensive with the amount of baggage.
Great job with the video, narration and production. I love the traditional look and service of this ship and I'd really like to take a cruise on her some day. Since it's been over 6 years since I went away on vacation, maybe now is the time!
To be fair, the coal bunker fire on Titanic was probably what saved the ship from a heavy list while sinking. Because of the fire, they put all the coal in that bunker to the other side away from the burning area, which put a lot of weight on that side of the ship. It counteracted the water rushing in during the sinking and most likely prevented a heavy list to starboard while the ship was going down. Also, regarding Hamburg: Restaurants in Germany usually aren't actually closed on sundays, it's one of the busiest days of the week for them. They're one of the few types of businesses that are open on sundays.
@shawdoKnights I understand what you're saying. The hull wouldn't have been weakened had it not been for the fire. shadowknights doesn't understand the fact that the ship wouldn't have sunk in the first place had the hull not been compromised so much by the fire. The fire also weakened the rivets. All this guy focuses on is the coal that countered the water that rushed in not realizing no water would have rushed in to begin with if the hulls integrity had been kept fully intact.
My Grandpa is a fan of this ship, spent quite a few journey here during his final decade, according to him its a small glimpse to the bygone time, a time when people are more polite.
Back In The Day which may have been as recently as the 1970s, the Matson liner Lurline was how some people traveled, say, from the island of Hawaii to the island of Oahu, or from there to the US mainland. Good old Matson!
I was on the same cruise and I have told everyone how stable she is. Amazing. Force 7-8 seas, we felt nothing!! I have crossed the Atlantic and we had amazing weather, but I have said the same about any future Atlantic crossings, QM2 all the way 😂😂 My husband was brilliant at knowing where we were and how to get where we wanted to - I could just about find our cabin as long as I was on stairway C 😂😂 Hamburg was like a Zombie apocalypse waiting to happen 🧟♀️😂 Overall I really enjoyed it, but the formal wear is something that would put me off a longer cruise with Cunard 🚢
I absolutely love your videos and the sound/cadence of your voice. It’s incredibly relaxing and soothing - sometimes I’ll rewatch a video to sleep to. I usually dream about cruises on those nights, but that’s pleasant and wonderful anyway!
POSH had to do with the older ships (without air conditioning) From England to India being on the port side outbound was cooler than on the starboard side. Like wise going back to England being on the starboard side was more comfortable. They would put a POSH sticker on your luggage. But all of this from one hundred years ago.
Interesting! People had to know more about the prevailing winds back then. Even back home (Hawaii) we talk about the windward and leeward sides of the island.
going on a cruise even just once is my biggest dream since i was a little girl but i’m extremely poor so these videos are the closest i can get to living that dream. i am so fascinated by cruise ships and ocean liners and i would absolutely KILL to go on one
You’ll get there girl im a fellow brokie and caught a blk Friday deal then got approved for a loan broke it all up in small payments I was so shocked I cried you’ll get there I promise you will
This is a journey I aspire to go on one day. To retrace the steps of my ancestors, but from nicer accommodations than steerage. Still have yet to go on my first cruise, and this would definetely not be it, but it's still something to aim for in the future!
I just want to say that I love your channel. I just discovered it last night & I’ve already watched several of your videos. Your accent is lovely & you always seem to find something positive in every situation. I want to watch all of your videos even if they do not apply to me. 😊
I'll be crossing on the QM2 in April with a group who are sailing with the Alex Mendham Orchestra. I posted your short review on the group's Facebook page and it was a real hit, especially with first time cruisers. All we really need now would be to have Fred Astaire or Noel Coward on board.
Excellent video. Do be prepared though for the ship to move quite a bit in rough north atlantic swells during a crossing - even QM2 isn't immune! On my first crossing we hit a Force 12 2 days out of New York, and whilst rolling was minimal due to the incredible stability of the ship, the pitching was quite extreme. More notable in the foreward & upper areas of the ship. Still, it was quite comfortable, nothing smashed, people weren't falling all over the place, just be prepared for movement.
I recall a trip from New York City to the Caribbean on the QM2. The Captain was giving a speech. He said "A cruise ship will normally take 4 - 5 days to make the trip to the Caribbean. But we are NOT a cruise ship! We are an Ocean Liner! We will be there in 3 days..." Also, on a QM2 transatlantic we loved it when they announced that we were only 12 miles from where the Titanic sank...
Having done a cruise before and not enjoyed the experience, it's very refreshing to see cruises from the perspective of someone who knows how to get the most out of them. Emma, you're a gem!
1:24 - having worked on the Queen Mary for a few months in 2019-20 leading right up to the pandemic, I agree it's very confusing getting your reigns of the place. Something that should be mentioned - the ratio of passenger to square footage of public space is MUCH higher than any other typical American or British cruise ship. There are a lot of different, unique guest areas scattered across all decks of the ship. On the RCCL and Princess ships I've worked on, there are a few large venues, the main promenade & offshoots, the top deck, and everything else are staterooms. I enjoyed my time on the Queen Mary more than the other ships I had worked on. Fun fact regarding 12:24 - Cunard features Ed Sheeran's song "Photograph" in one of their production shows. Another fun fact - the QM2 employs more musicians than every other cruise ship in the world. 4:18, 5:57, 7:37, 13:40
We made the crossing on the QM2 in 2019. We will be cruising to the Caribbean on her next month and to Quebec City in September. We didn't have the closed-off areas that you had. These are due to COVID quarantine areas. As originally constructed, the ship had a midship pool (very small) on the upper deck. It was removed in 2016 and replaced with cabins. One big difference between the QM2 and cruise ships (besides its construction) is that the passenger to crew ratio on cruise ships is usually 5 to 1. On the QM2 it is 2 to 1. The normal number of passengers on board is 2,400 which is quite low for a ship of this size. I am glad to see that you are a young woman who enjoys dressing up. You looked very nice.
Definitely a generational difference. I'd have been hugely disappointed if they had made an exception for some minor celebrity. I can't imagine why you think they would.
I whole heartedly agree and I am quite glad that NO EXCEPTIONS are made in the dress code. And yes for most of us Ed Sheeran IS a MINOR celebrity. In fact I had never heard of the man before he showed up in a cameo role in Game of Thrones.
Exactly. Rules (be it dress code rules or otherwise) are meant to apply to EVERYONE. Sheeran is neither special nor different, despite what society may say.
G/day Emma, Love your cruise vids. I'm an Aussie and really started to get into cruising when I retired about 6 years ago. Really missing it at present as there is only one cruise company operating in Oz at present and it is very expensive. We have had 4 cruises cancelled so far, one we booked 4 years in advance, (Around Australia.) My reason for this comment is your reference for pastries, mainly donuts, onboard the QM2. I used to live in Far North Queensland, Australia and regularly sailed over to Green Island out from Cairns. There I met the head chef on the island and he & my wife and I became friends. He had many tales of his time at sea. He was the head pastry chef on the original Queen Mary. In fact he was on her last voyage to the USA. Brian was a great guy, but sadly passed in Western Australia several years ago. His name is Brian. Keep up the great vids. Cheers, Rosco.
Thank you for sharing information about an ocean liner, I never thought about the difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner. Your nails were beautiful on the cruise 😍
Emma, thank you SOOOO MUCH for posting this detailed review! I must say I NEVER thought i'd be the slightest bit interested in this ship until i saw your review! I have only gone on NCL and i hate the idea of having to be POSH or formal, but it actually looks quite nice and relaxing! I can't believe how similar it is to cruise ships as far as shows, food and activities. It looks actually ideal for a group of gals to go on a fun girly trip together and hang out! Do they have daily activities or is it more like you just wander about and chill most of the time?
@@EmmaCruises sorry, i forgot i have another question since you mention motion sickness alot - why don't you use the little patches? I couldnt believe how well they worked since i can get ill just feeling the movement in the top of a tall building!
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957 yes and lectures, movies, knotting groups, flower arranging etc etc. Lots of things every day but @EmmaCruises was only on a 4 day voyage so maybe not everything was happening.
@@thebraff yes you’re right I had forgotten that the video said she was only on four day cruise so quite naturally they wouldn’t have as many activity and event possibilities as a week or 10 day cruise.
We’re sailed on Queen Mary 2 several times in Princess and Queen Grill cabins. The ship has two outdoor pools aft as seen at 3:06. Since the ship was designed to spend half the year on the transatlantic run to New York the weather is often not conducive to outdoor pool activities.
Every time I see the QM2 I'm reminded of the two Keeping Up Appearances revolving around the QE2. The first where Hyacinth is trying to get people to notice her QE2 travel brochures and the second episode where they're on the QE2 and they thought her poorer relatives stowed away on the ship.
That was hilarious. She kept trying to get the captain to invite her to dine, only for Daisy and Onslow to get the invite, which definitely got her knickers in a twist 🤣
I appreciate the huge effort you put into all your videos Emma. I’ve been on just two cruises in my life - both family trips to celebrate my parents’ anniversaries - one from Vancouver to Whittier and the other up the Norwegian coast and back to Southampton. I honestly thought I was going to be completely bored and surrounded by old people, but both cruises were full of people my age (let’s just say ‘under 50’ 😅). I watch your channel hoping I’m going to take another cruise one of these days, but in the meantime I’m traveling vicariously through your videos - many thanks!
Just wanted to say I'm going on my first cruise in about two weeks, and that's partly due to your chanel making it look approachable. This particular ship is stunning, the kind I wish I could afford to spend a lot of time on, thank you for sharing!
She is such a graceful and elegant ship! Not all cluttered and overcrowded, just perfect! I love dressing up formally as well! Someday I'd love to take a trip on her!🌹
I stayed in crew quarters for a few days when I went to see my son on Queen Victoria. I don’t know how navigating around the decks compares between the two ships, but I got so incredibly lost moving between crew and passenger areas. When accompanying my son, we often seemed to ‘pop’ up at locations that I was not at all expecting. It felt a bit like being in Hogwarts!
On my very first cruise, Southampton to NY, we were very lucky. Means there was a hurricane on the US east coast days before our trip and the waves had made it across the Atlantic to give the ship (QE 2) a good workout. I first thought with a ship at about 290m length one would not notice much of it. But I was totally wrong. Sitting on the pool deck looking aft I could see the horizon going up and down considerably. And with a head wind of 9 Beaufort I had problems to stand on deck and hold the camera steady. We were rolled, not tossed, around in our beds. So no need for a nanny to sing us to sleep. The waves had a length of about 30 meters from top to top. The restaurant had noticably less customers and some from the staff were missing from action. So the captain decided to reduce speed by two knots to make the ride a little less taxing. I must say one of the best of my cruises so far. And the best choice I had ever accidentially made. For the not so knowledgable: The QE 2 was built for the Atlantic crossing. It means the bow was very long and sharper as on those modern cruise ships. There they try to make the ship as rectangular as possible to cram in as many cabins as possible. And as cruisers and not ferries they are intended to be in calm sunny areas most of the time. So high waves are not featured into the design. The slender bow of QE 2 meant that it took a longer time until the buoyancy of the bow section lifted her up in heavy seas. So the rise is not as abrupt because she "cut" into the seas. A more stubby design will make the ship bob more than ride it out.
Your channel was randomly recommended to me only a week or two ago and today I've booked my first short cruise (really more of a 2 day crossing) on the Queen Mary 2 from Hamburg to Southampton 😅 I've always been interested in cruising but skeptical because I also tend to get travel sick easily. But then you spoke so highly about how little you felt the ships movements and I was planning a trip to the UK anyway so when I saw this opportunity I had to take it! I'm very excited to bask in this type of luxury I have admired since watching Titanic for the first time. And I wanted to say thank you for your channel and all the detailed info on your blog!
I crossed the Atlantic in 1958 when I was 11, going from NY to Southampton, touring Europe and then returning via Cherbourg. I loved it. It was an unforgettable experience. When I saw her turned turtle in Hong Kong harbor, I cried.
I used to work on the Queen Mary/Spruce Goose. Yes, she is haunted. I was waiting for my job interview at the bow of the ship. I heard people having a grand time laughing, splashing, jumping into the pool, running around the deck with wet feet. It even made me smile because I could hear what a great time they were having. When I mentioned it to the HR woman, she looked at me oddly. “There’s no pool” she said. “It has been empty for years. But I think you will be hired because they don’t do that for everyone.” As we left, she did take me past the COMPLETELY EMPTY pool area. I was stunned. That was not the only Experience I had, that was the first one.
So cool. I've only ever had one encounter with a spirit. I was around 5 and I could hear my wall talking to me saying mean things to me in a woman's voice.
I love the sense of history. For example, calling it “White Star Service” as a tribute to the White Star Line which was Cunards big competitor and owner of the Titanic. Cunard merged with White Star.
Hi Emma, my wife and I took the crossing from Southampton to New York for our 20th, and did feel some significant swells in the middle of the Atlantic. They would have been terrifying in a cruise ship but were well-mitigated and felt like matter of course on the QM2.
I have crossed on The QM 2 , 3 times and then on The Norwegian Escape during a storm . The Norwegian Escape was fantastic , the cabins and the crew , were much nicer than The QM2 . Cunard could learn from Norwegian .
Very nice video. I was linked from your recent MSC video (23% capacity). Your delivery and pacing of the narrative and editing is great. It doesn't really matter the topic, I think you have that down perfectly. I could watch you do videos about Cruises (which is what brought me here), video games, or whatever.
EMMA: POSH DOES stand for "Port Out, Starboard Home". As the Ocean liners left South Hampton for New York, the best cabins were on the PORT side, because they would receive more sunlight (which comes from a southernly angle). Returning home to South Hampton from New York, the STARBOARD cabins are preferred, for the same reason. For this reason, cabins on the Port side, going from South Hampton cost most than Starboard cabins. Similarly, Starboard cabins on ships sailing from New York back to England were the most expensive. This was true with the ocean liners of the 20th Century; it may still be today (IDK). I enjoy your video, you have good videography skills. Kind Regards... Mark Senior.
Nice video! I've done 4 QM2 Transatlantics and will do number 5 once the COVID measures die down enough - masks to me ruin the experience. QM2 is a thoroughbred Ocean Liner and an outstanding seaboat too. BTW, one of the other "ocean liner" things that the site you linked doesn't say is the high freeboard (distance from the waterline to the deck where water could enter the ship (for QM2 this is deck 5 where there are protected balconies)). Now we have to get you on a transatlantic - preferably in December so you can see QM2 decked out for Christmas!
I am amazed that all you You tubers who review the cruises, and enjoy all the deserts and meals and yet you seem to stay trim and never gain weight. Must all be on some kind of work out program, maybe doing laps on the boat I am guessing. Interesting tour once again.
Hi Emma, that was a great review. A few years back I was lucky enough to do the Eastbound transatlantic on QM2 in Queens Grill, and it really was something I will remember for ever. Watching your video brought it all back and I cannot wait to cruise Cunard again. Personally I find the formal dress evenings makes it all feel very special and that's one reason I'm reluctant to try other cruise lines. But thanks again for a great review, I just need to raid that piggy-bank again...
In high school, one of my history teachers explained that "Posh" came from Britishers taking a holiday on the Nile. You would be port (left) side out (heading south) so your cabin wouldn't be overheated by the afternoon sun. Likewise, you would be starboard side home (the "sh" in posh) so you would still be unaffected by the extreme heat coming from the afternoon sun. It made sense to me.
That is very likely a folk myth. The way more likely etymology is that it comes from the Romani word _posh_ (meaning "half"), especially via the romani expression _posh-kooroona_ meaning "half a crown" (the currency, not the royal insignia) used for somebody with a substential amount of money. And so the linguistic progression is money -> fancy dress -> high class.
@@bugsy742 Yeah, but always as a _backronym_ - it's kinda like the american FUBAR meaning "Fucked up beyond repair", which actually comes from mis-hearing the _german_ word "furchtbar" (meaning terrible), but got the "abbreviation" meaning later.
I'm so sad having watched this. My wife and I crossed the Atlantic on the Navigator of the Seas back in 2011, and were supposed to come back on the QM2. But we ended up leaving Europe early for financial reasons and booked on the MS Rotterdam to New York. We hit a gale off Ireland. The biggest seas I'd ever seen. I wish we'd have waited on the QM2!
We had 28 foot seas crossing the Atlantic in winter on the QM2. If you walked down the passageway you would wobble from side to side, but otherwise the motion of the ship was barely noticeable. Compare that to a time we crossed the Atlantic on the Wind Surf, and 20 foot seas flipped the grand piano in the lounge upside down and completely trashed one of the restaurants.
What is the difference between ocean liner and cruise ship
Hey Jared! Quite a few things, the biggest is probably the purpose of the ship but it affects how the ship is made. I have a detailed answer here: Cruise Ships vs Ocean Liners - Measurable Differences You Need to Know emmacruises.com/cruise-ships-vs-ocean-liners/ 😀❤️
Cruise ships are made for leisure purposes and for clam, warm waters but an ocean liner is made for rough weather transporting people from a to b, not cruising around starting and ending in the same place
@Emma Cruises thanks Emma!
Depth of keel, shape and strength of the hull and general stability in rough seas. Most cruise ships have a relatively flat bottom compared to an ocean liner, which is why they aren't so good in rough weather.
A cruise ship is a hotel that floats. An ocean liner is a ship, built for some speed (or a lot for the S.S. United States) in which a hotel was fitted into the hull and superstructure.
QM2 has a top speed of just under 30 knots. Most cruise ships plod along between 15 and 20 knots. Top speed is probably less than 25 knots.
If you sail on a cruise ship on a trans-Atlantic repositioning itinerary, it may stop in the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and/or the Canadian Maritimes before arriving in New York.
The QM2 is about getting people from Southampton to New York (or vice versa) with no stops and at a speed faster than a Breakaway or Oasis class ship.
I think this ocean liner looks far more tasteful/classy and shiplike compared to cruise ships which are just overcrowded shopping mall/adventure parks floating on water.
The Cunard people had the design of classic ocean liners in mind when designing this beauty. Just look at the beautiful indicated round stern… Of course the purpose of the ship makes a big difference in design, but modern cruise ships are built purely for practicality but definitely not for good looks. I absolutely hate the looks of modern cruise ships, no clean lines, no good looking colors or well designed interiors.
It's not the 1900s no more though
@@5capsfilms152 Nor it is 1990. Because most “modern” cruise lines have the look of tacky malls from the 90’s. 1900’s were far stylish and classy.
@@ws1814 I don't really like the malls but the pools and slides on new ships are cool that's just my opinion but u don't like how new cruise ships have casinos and shopping malls
That’s honestly what I love about Princess ships - they’re a very solid middle ground between the adventure parks at sea and the classic ocean liners.
Now this seems more my speed. Not crowded, not a circus and not a massive shopping mall. In other words perfect. I’ve never been on a cruise because I have never liked the idea of being crammed into a large shopping mall with carnival rides and thousands of people all jostled together. I get claustrophobic just thinking about it. This is more sedate and a lot more tasteful. I might have to look at going on my first ship cruise with Cunard.
You should just try a short one first. I thought the same thing but fell in love with cruising. Good luck
Go for it. We are doing our third QM2 crossing next year and it’s an absolute world away from your Royal Caribbean type chrome and dayglo coloured theme park (I’m not knocking RC just pointing out its a vastly different product). Give the Queen Mary a try, it’s clearly geared towards your taste and it’s a beautiful way to travel trust me.
Sir the QM2 does not do cruises it is a purpose built ocean liner. For transport not leisure.
I would feel much safer on a ship that exudes quality and class not so much on cashgrabs like most regular cruises
Massive w
I saw a comment on another video saying something along the lines of:
“Ocean Liners are purpose built to cross oceans, and keep you comfortable while doing so. Cruise Ships are Hotel/Resorts built on top of a barge that miraculously doesn’t topple over”
That’s definitely apparent here. She may be slightly worn down on her exterior (many crossings with little turnaround time or lay-up will do that) but the QM2 does it’s best to replicate the old school ocean liner experience with a modern twist. And she’ll keep you comfortable while doing so
That is now my new favorite explanation of the differences
so basically ocean liners go overseas such as london to fort laughterdale?
@@elizabethramirezthezenshii9691 that’s the idea, get you from point A to point B in style
I think you may have meant, "...miraculously doesn't usually topple over."
'Yet'@@paulmatejcek2882
Notes from a lifetime of reading about ocean liners to follow:
1. They call it White Star service after the White Star Line which was the parent company of Titanic and a competitor with Cunard up until the early 30s. The lines merged during the Great Depression and were known as Cunard-White Star until the early 50s at which time the name White Star was dropped from the company name.
2. The red jacketed crew members known as "boys in buttons" are a tradition of Cunard embarkation that dates back to at least the 1920s (and probably before that time as well).
3. Just to expand on the information you gave in the video allegedly the word Posh originated with the P&O line ships that went from the UK to India. People would book cabins and deck chairs on their vessels and the most desirable were on the port side of the ship outbound and on the starboard side of the ship returning to England. People who paid for such rooms and deck chairs supposedly had their tickets stamped POSH as you said, an acronym meaning Port Outbound Starboard Home. The origin of the term is somewhat disputed however and may not be true but it is a fun story none the less.
4. Queen Mary 2 is so stable because she has a very deep draft and a bow that has a much finer entry at the waterline than the average cruise ship. In point of fact the bow is knife edged so that she may slice through the waves more efficiently. If I'm not mistaken she has two sets of side stabilizer fins as well. And while it does not affect her sea handling characteristics her hull plating is almost twice as thick as the average cruise ships hull plating. As you noted ocean liners generally have much less open deck space for their size and that space they have is considerably more sheltered than the average cruise ship. And finally Queen Mary is built for speed being able to average 30 knots as opposed to the usual 20 or so that a cruise ship can handle.
5. Queen Mary 2 is one of the last bastions of true evening wear. Guidelines and rules were quite strict for proper evening wear at one time in society especially among the upper class. The show Downton Abbey does a wonderful example of representing this as you can see that men were expected to dress for dinner in white tie and tales and the introduction of dinner jacket tuxedo and black tie was considered to be controversial and too casual for some. I for one am quite happy to hear that Ed Sheeran was denied entry to the dinning room in casual wear and to know that Cunard does NOT make exceptions for anybody and that they uphold the traditions of fine dining in elegant evening wear.
Denying Ed Sheeran is an exemplar of why, maligned as it was (and is), an "old money" society is preferable to a "new money" society. Old money recognizes the importance of tradition, and of rules that applied uniformly, to a stable society. While not always executed perfectly, it was as close as you could get. (And, as the kings and queens of times past taught them, your head will be on the chopping block, too, one way or another. Wiser to suggest the possibility yourself than wait for the ire of the mob.)
Lol good infos im reading a book about Cunard rn.
I am 22 and just started making my own money, for my first vacation I am taking QM2 to Southampton to spend a few days there, and then taking QM2 back to NY. I have always been enthralled by the legacy, history of ocean liners and maritime history. Also I love vintage fashion and have an outfit for every day. This trip will be a grand slam. I don't care if everyone is way older than me, I can't wait to hear their stories. If I find anyone that is my age on the voyage voluntarily they are automatically my new best friend lol. I am no stranger to rough seas, The Great Lakes have seasoned me lol.
I’m 23 and want the experience of an ocean liner as well. But I’m so worried I’m not fancy enough…I don’t even own a tux
So chief, how was it for you?
Would love to hear how it went and whether you’re planning to do it again. Please update or let us know if you have a RUclips video about your experience.
@@aquaisuseful682 This is old now, but in another vid about the QM2, it said you can rent a tux onboard. :)
My wife and I did Southampton to New York 16 months ago. It was worth every penny. Will do it again.
The QM2 is on my list not because I particularly like cruises or anything but because I like history and engineering and I really wanna go on the world's last proper ocean liner.
Yeah! Lots of history 😊❤️
The Queen Mary 2 is quite unique Engineering-wise as it has additional Gas Turbines to get it to 30 Knots. For Cruise Ship Operations at typical Cruise Ship Speeds of +/- 20 Knots, it has four Wärtsilä V16 Diesel Generators, rated 16.8 MW each. That's typical for Cruise Ships of that Size; almost all Cruise Ships have four Diesel Generators in two Engine Rooms for Redundancy Reasons and smaller ones just have smaller Engines. Additionally, the Queen Mary 2 has two General Electric Gas Turbine Generators rated at 29.8 MW each (aka Boeing 747 Engines driving a Generator instead of a Fan) to supplement the Diesel Generators during Transatlantic Crossings at 30 Knots. They are located below the Funnel instead of the Engine Room, because Gas Turbines need insane Amounts of Air and accordingly large Air Ducts would have taken up a lot of Cabin Space. There's no Chance for Passengers to see any of this tho.
The only possibly even more Interesting Cruise Ship Engine Layout is the Celebrity Millenium Class, which have two GE LM2500 Gas Turbines as well, but in a COGAS (Combined Gas and Steam Turbine) Plant. Gas Turbines aren't typical in Merchant Marine Propulsion, because they lose a lot of Waste Heat through the Exhaust Gas which makes them awfully inefficient compared to Diesel Engines. The Clebrity Millenium Class uses large Exhaust Gas Boilers to reclaim quite a bit of that Waste Heat, and use it to drive a Steam Turbine rated at another 9 MW, similar to a Combined Cycle Powerplant on Land. These Things can reach Efficiencies comparable to the most Efficient Diesel Engines (Two Stroke Marine Diesels; you'll never see these on any Passenger Ship because they are way too high and cause too much Vibration for Passengers). Such COGAS Propulsion IMHO has great Potential for Passenger Ships, allowing them to burn Natural Gas without Methane Slip, as well as reducing Noise and Vibration both for Passengers and Emissions into the Water.
haven't really given thought to going on a transatlantic cruise before but seeing this vid makes me want to. I didn't even know Cunard was still in service.
Same.
Also.......If Sea sickness is a big issue for one like it was for my late grandmother than the QM2 is literally one of the only ships on Earth that can mitigate this phenomenon.
I wish they'd give tours of the engines but I doubt it.
@@thornysnotsoepic Cunard has 4 ships all built in the last 20 years. The last one (The Queen Anne) comes into service in 2024.
I did a around-the-world cruise on the Queen Mary 2 for 3-1/2 months in 2019. I found this review to be very accurate. Emma is correct about the crew being stiff and unwieldy on formal night rules. Plan on packing some formal clothes for a cruise on ANY Cunard ship or plan on staying in your cabin for the night. With nearly everyone else being dressed up, you’ll definitely feel out of place on those nights if you’re not. This was actually my second Cunard cruise, the first being in 2017 onboard the Queen Victoria. Speaking from experience, Cunard cruises are definitely aimed at older audiences. I never saw little children or hardly any young people in their teens or twenties. A lot of the other passengers had dreamed for years of taking a luxurious Cunard cruise and had saved up for the experience. Many were retirees who were celebrating recent retirement or landmark wedding anniversaries. My chief complaint though is that there simply aren’t enough clothes washers & dryers on the ship. If you’re there for only a one-week cruise, this won’t be an issue for you, but if you’re doing a longer cruise like I was, then you’ll soon realize this deficiency. The laundry facilities aren’t on every floor and it can be quite a hike to get to one, only to find that all of the machines are in use. The laundry rooms are not available 24/7. I’m not exaggerating, but in my nearly four months on this ship, I never once found an available washing machine. They were all in continuous use. I got by with rinsing things out in my room. There is a crew-operated laundry option, but it is quite expensive. It’s alright for one or two garments, but too costly to use for a full-load of dirty laundry - plus, a ship’s Porter told me that your clothes aren’t washed separately. Frequently, other peoples clothes will be washed with your load in order to save time, water, and soap. Other than being aware of the need to pack formal clothes, they also have “themed” nights as well such as, “Roaring Twenties,” masquerade party nights, holiday themes, etc. There are regular Cunard cruisers who absolutely love these things and purposely plan their trip so they can be onboard and dress themselves to the nines. However, you can get by with just regular formalwear on such evenings if you choose not to participate. As I said, be aware of a real bottleneck at the very small and limited laundromats on ship, but everything else in this review is spot-on. Personally, I am older and therefore like the British formality and feel onboard a Cunard cruise. You won’t find children running wild in dripping wet bathing suits, or hear cabin doors slamming, or teenagers roving around in packs. There are no rock climbing walls or wild, adrenaline activities here. Rather, it’s conservative, traditional, British elegance at sea. Afternoon tea is an absolute ‘must’. Don’t miss it or else you will have missed out on one of the biggest charms of a Cunard cruise.
One other fond memory of my trip that really clinched it for me and made me a Cunard-only cruiser is their attention to detail. In making my reservation with Cunard, they offered to handle all of my travel arrangements from Chicago to London, and back again. Upon arrival at Heathrow airport in London, I had pre-arranged for a driver and private car to meet me in the luggage retrieval area. He was there waiting for me, holding a sign with my last name on it. The chauffeur was dressed impeccably in a smart suit. He insisted on pulling my suitcase to his car - a black Jaguar saloon. I had no idea where Cunard was putting me up for the night, but it turned out to be the gorgeous Langham Hotel. The Langham is one of London’s poshest hotels. Being a foreigner, it would have been very tempting for them to stick me at a real dive and pocket the difference, but that is not the Cunard way. The next morning, a different car and driver showed up on time to drive me to the ship’s terminal in Southampton. I’m a very big American (football player), so they discreetly arranged for an even larger Mercedes saloon to meet me at hotel. The driver brought me right to the front doors of the terminal building, and the driver again insisted on pulling my suitcase all the way inside the building for me.
Of course you will pay a price for such exemplary service and accommodations, but the fact that Cunard even offers it and then executes everything so flawlessly speaks to the level of quality you can expect from them. This impeccable service also extends right through to the cruise itself. They definitely get the attention to details correct. Upon arrival that first day aboard the QM2, a complimentary bottle of champagne 🍾 in a silver bucket of ice was waiting for me in my cabin. I was so impressed with the whole overall experience that now I am an exclusive Cunard cruiser. I will only sail with Cunard. I really don’t care to cruise with anyone else because I have found exactly what I’m looking for with Cunard. I’m looking forward to my first-ever excursion onboard Queen Elizabeth, and their newest ship, Queen Anne. As an American, I love the crispness and perfect British execution of everything Cunard does to insure the complete satisfaction of each and every guest.
Eloquent write-up for a football player!
Thank you for your detailed review!
@@LedZepp1109 wow
thank you for the detailed approach in your description, sounds like packing a great change of cloth is advisable to avoid w/d disaster...
How much do you think you paid for the entirety of the trip roughly? It must have been eye-wateringly expensive. Great review by the way.
You have absolutely sold me on the idea of taking a cruise on the QM2. I am 51, so I guess I fall squarely into the age range of an average cruiser and a QM2 cruiser. And to be honest, I’ve always wanted to cruise like they did in the early days of fancy dress and posh styles. I am always looking for an excuse to wear my tuxedo!
Yesss 😁🙌
I always liked the idea of dressing up like they did in the days of the Titanic. Like cosplaying, and being fancy, and the awesome photo opportunities 😍! I really didn't even know there was a difference between an ocean liner and cruise ship. I thought they were just one and the same 🤷.
When my family and I took the Queen Mary 2 from New York (really New Jersey) to Southhampton and the ship pulled away from the dock, the four of us were standing on our balcony waving goodbye to absolutely no one. However, the weird thing was it *felt* like the dock was pulling away from us because the ship felt completely still. I never felt a single bit of movement while onboard. The feeling was the world was passing us by and we were standing still. Seriously, it is a remarkable feeling.
The physical difference between an ocean liner and cruise ship relates to the hull; one is much deeper while the other is more flat bottomed; one is meant for crossing oceans and cutting through big swells, while the other is meant for slower movement and calm seas. The QM2 has stabilizing wings that extend from the hull in rough waters. I love this Ship.
Absolutely love the formal nights and especially the style of Cunard.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
My wife and I were married on the Queen Mary 1 in Long Beach California 47 years ago. Nothing but fond memories of that ship through all the years we have visited it since. However your descriptions and experiences on QM2 leave me more envious than I can describe. There is no chance we will ever get to experience it ourselves so I sincerely hope you take another trip on the QM2 someday.
Oh wow that’s amazing. Thank you ❤️❤️
Very interesting. I had my 10th High School reunion (Los Alamitos HS) on it 44 years ago, in 1988.
Is the QM still in Long Beach? I visited it there once along with the Spruce Goose.
@@deirdre108 Yes. As a permanent hotel that is moored in Long Beach, she's definitely still there.
@@ChristopherR96 I had seen the QM there in the mid 80’s with the Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose. That was some airplane.
I've heard that there's a few ocean liners operating in Japan, but since they operate up and down the Japanese archipelago, they're often referred to as "ferries" instead of ocean liners. I had no idea there was still one operating in the West still. I've always had a romantic view of Trans-Atlantic/Trans-Pacific ocean liners. It's slower, sure, but much more comfortable than being packed into a plane like a tin of sardines.
Thank you for your comment. Appreciate it.
Black Dragon
Solo Travel Japan covers those in great detail, along with unique Trains of Japan. It's a very relaxing channels. Most of them are ro-ro ferries. Roll on roll off so a lot of their customers are mostly truck drivers
Good luck with sea sickness
I was going to say based on her defintion on cruise liner wouldn't most ferries transporting people to far off places be crusie liners. The ferries from mainland Spain to the canaries would meet the defintion.
And let's not forget the "launches" of Bangladesh and "ferries" of the Alaska Marine Highway and Europe, shall we?
I’ve taken the QM2 transatlantic twice. It was one of the best things I have ever done, and I can’t recommend it enough. I try to tell anyone remotely interested in having invigorating and unique life experiences to do it, and I am going to go again as soon as I can.
Good to know that this style of ocean travel has not completely disappeared.
Your videos are always highly interesting and wonderfully entertaining.
Well done.
I think I’d enjoy myself more on an ocean liner compared to a cruise ship
Just wanted to say, this video helped inspire me and my husband to take our first ever cruise, on the QM2, and we had such a great time. so thank you so much for this! it was unforgettable and we hope to go again another time. we loved dressing up and the formality of it was really an appeal for us. i didn't know cruises could still be like this! we adored the ship and had such a great experience.
i did not know cruise ship RUclips channels were a thing until today, i am delighted by this new development.
I love this comment!! Thank you 😊❤️
We sailed from NY to Hamburg on the QM2 back in 2019 when we moved from the US to Belgium and we needed to move our Bernese. I didn't want to put her in the cargo hold of a plane alone as she was an older dog and not used to travel, so this seemed like the best alternative. At the time, the prices for the kennels were $800 for a small dog (or 2x$800 for a cat as they have to use one kennel for a litterbox) and $1000 for a large lower kennel. If you have a very large dog, it will likely take 2 lower kennels (our dog and the goldens on board all needed 2 lower kennels). So it did actually cost about the same price for our dog as it did for my husband and I for a 9 day transatlantic. I feel like airlines should start recognizing how much money pet owners are willing to spend on their pets and start offering their own kennels in the back of the cabin or something for long haul flights. Overall I would say it was worth it though and the kennel masters were amazing. I don't remember the exact opening and closing times, but the kennels were accessible from about 8am to 8pm with breaks for the staff at lunch and early dinner times. Most of the other passengers with dogs were either relocating like us, or were retired people who had homes or family on both continents and had done the trip many times. One of the dogs on our trip was actually recognized by the captain at the Captain's night as one of the most well travelled passengers.
We are relocating too next year on the QM2 solely because we couldn't find an airline that would let us take our pug on the plane cabin!
Excellent information. Thank you
As a belgian i'm intrigued why you moved to belgium from the us. Such a little country :')
@@nasuanari I'd love to say it was for the chocolate or beer, but it was instead the reason most people move: I married a Belgian ;) We had met while living in the US, but an interesting job opportunity came up over here, so we decided it was a chance for a bit of adventure.
One of my favorite Astaire-Rogers films is Shall We Dance? and I love it because it shows the dogs out for their evening stroll aboard ship.
This has got me very excited! I’m a Titanic historian. This is going to satiate my desire to experience ocean liner life! Loved it Emma!
Yesss!! Amazing, I love that so much. Thank you! 😁❤️
What I love the most about this vlog is that there's no beating around the bush but still everything is well explained. Thank you for the beautiful video.
We love to take the QM2 from NY to Southampton when we go to Europe. We’ve also come back twice, but going over works well for us because when you get to the UK you aren’t jet lagged! We have taken regular cruise ships from Fort Lauderdale across as well, but QM2 is so stable compared to the others that it is a much better ride in questionable weather.
Sorry to be late; I queued this up, got distracted and only now am getting back to it. We sailed QM2 on it's first Southampton to NYC crossing in 2004. Tremendously smooth. That was the cruise that convinced my wife that we would be cruisers. And don't worry about getting lost. We were continually referring to a map and still had trouble finding our destinations. And there were no doors locked then. We also had several formal nights including a 'Meet the Captain' gathering. Everything was top notch. We have since crossed the Atlantic on a cruise ship and now have scheduled a Hawaii to Vancouver Pacific crossing this October. We'll see how that goes.
Thank you for the lovely take on this grand ole lady. I happened to live in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and saw the QM2 sail on her maiden voyage, and I had a first class viewing from the 15th floor of the building. Watching her sail through the canal of Port Everglades was something really special. What a gorgeous Ocean Liner she is. Kudos to Cunard for enforcing a strict dress code, as you said, there are countless cruise lines with relaxed to no dress code at all. To me, however, taking a transoceanic voyage is an experience like no other. I personally like to dress well, morning, afternoon, and evenings. I even change from an ivory dinner jacket to full black if I intend to go to the casino or a show. I loath cruise ships, honestly, I felt like cattle being herded. My only experience crossing the Atlantic was on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1985, and it was an unforgettable experience. I have yet to travel on the QM2, but I hope to fulfill that desire before she gets too old, or worse, decommissioned.
I have no desire to travel on a cruise ship, but doing an Atlantic crossing on this ocean liner is on my bucket list. The formality is fine - I think it reinforces the notion that by taking Cunard and this ship in particular you're taking part in a grand and storied tradition. Minus the icebergs, torpedoes, mines, Swedish liners, etc....
Queen Mary 2 is so posh! It's still a dream of mine to go onboard that ship! The modern cruise ships, in my opinion, are more catered commercially and are somewhat treated like a floating theme park.
The Queen Mary 2 is definitely a bucket list item for me. I definitely want to do the transatlantic on her just because it seems like the "traditional" thing to do on the Queen Mary. The dressing up thing does concern me a little bit, but I think for a week, I could handle being extra posh and transport myself back to a simpler time when these grand ships transported people to the new world.
Yesss 😁🙌
I'm not that big into cruising, but I do love ships and all that, so I watch your channel from time to time. This is the first time I can say that I've been on that ship! I took the QM2 to the UK from New York ages ago in order to move to the UK. It was great.
We had a teddy bear that my parents bought us from the UK, and he was going back home on this trip. We left a note one night for the attendant about this just as a joke, and she left chocolates and a note as well. So, the next night, we wrote another note and placed it by the bear thanking her. We got more and more chocolates. She would also move him around the room and have chocolates all around him. On the last night, she left us a bag of chocolate and a really nice note. It was some silly fun but it really made the trip.
Also, White Star service relates to the White Star Line. A unique call back to history.
Yes, the white star line were cunard's great rivals.
@@chendaforest But in the end they came together. For a few years it was called Cunard - White Star.
And every year on 15th of April the Cunard ships hoist the flag of the White Star Line instead of their own flag
@@TsaGo_1912 that's cool I didn't know the flag thing. Yes its a shame the white star name disappeared.
@@chendaforest Yes. This is sad.
This is also one of the reasons why I like to go on Cunard ships. They're really telling you to make "White Star Service" and some Crew members have red badges in the shape of the White Star Flag on their chest. (Of course with the white star on it)🤗
@@TsaGo_1912 nice they do that!
My instinct is to rail against mandatory formal cruising especially when you say you can't go anywhere on the ship during a formal night, but you are so fair about it I just can't do it. You are right, there are a ton of other cruise ships to go on, and Cunard is unapologetic and do make it very clear, their ships are for those that like the whole VERY FORMAL thing. I don't but then I won't go on Cunard, and as long as the formal cruisers can keep Cunard in business, then more power to them!
Snap. Although on formal night I did go to the Red Lion in a Jacket / Shirt / Trousers [no tie] and no Staff member chastised me. I have no wish to resemble a Penguin.
@@ceeabee You can wear a dark suit in the restaurants. If Cunard were to drop the dress code I'd stop sailing.
@@randall8379 🤣
If you don't like to dress up you are invited to go to the Kings Court (buffet) and I think also the Golden Lion is possible without tuxedo. But at least, it's more fun to dress up ;-)
@@nalarubischon5685 Kings Court / Golden Lion are far less strict regarding the Ships dress code, although if you turn up at either in shorts / T Shirt then expect to have words with a Staff member.
When I was a boy I went roundtrip transatlantic on the original Queen Mary. I've been tempted to try this one as well and your word about the donuts is all I needed to tip the scales in favor!
🥳🥳🥳
Wonderful review - have always been interested in doing an Atlantic crossing on her. The reason she's so stable is that the ship has wings that come out under the water line when it's rough. They're computer controlled to counter the wave motion, mostly cancelling out the movement.
That's not true, the Queen Mary (1) did also have stabilizers that could be retracted if not needed, although they were added later after she earned her infamous nickname "Rolling Mary" and were not part of the original design.
@@rollingslothmachine3431 Oh wow - didn't realize she was refitted with them. I'd watched a special detailing the build of the QM2 and I'm surprised they didn't mention that. Amended my statement accordingly, thanks for the correction.
@@Dakiraun I don't know if you misunderstood me, or you maybe had a little mixup while writing, but it was the first Queen Mary, that was retrofitted, QM2 had her stabilizers from the get go. ^^
This line is definitely on my bucketlist. Had the titanic made it this is how I would imagine sailing on her would have been. Seems like a good option for a European cruise. I love that red dress you look absolutely stunning ❤ thanks alot Emma.
Thanks Jessica! 😊❤️
Yes, it would be exactly the same, sans private bathrooms, modern plumbing, and air conditioning.
Almost as if Olympic existed.
@@the4tierbridge Acknowledging the existence of Olympic ruins the myth of Titanic being a groundbreaking and completely unique ship.
@@giovannirastrelli9821 but it wasn’t. It was almost identical.
As someone else mentioned, a transatlantic QM2 crossing is on my bucket list, and I hope to do it next November or December. My plan is to fly to the UK, hang with friends in London first, then go to Southampton for my return to the US.
Hello 👋how are you doing?
I’m looking at this ship for a transatlantic crossing. The kids club looks pretty good. I have 14 year old.
Having been on other mainstream cruises I’d love to do this ocean liner experience. The mainstream ones are too “ Disneyland at sea” for my tastes. I prefer this elegant sedate style. I’d even bring and wear the requisite attire
I've done a cruise on the Queen Mary 2, as well as a Transatlantic Crossing, and enjoyed them both immensely. Dressing up for dinner is actually a bit fun once you get used to it.
On our first cruise our experience of motion was much like yours - rock solid. On our Crossing, however, we had force 9 gales and the sea was very rough. I have photos of the waves going over my head while doing jigsaws, and some pretty impressive photos of the pitching up and down of the ship.
I was already 3 times on board QM2 and I can only say, that she is really the true Queen of the seas.❤️ There is no other ship like her today. Until now I couldn't make a transatlantic crossing with her but I definitely need to do this when I have enough money.
I think somebody who wants to make party on a cruise and see plenty countries is wrong here. You only go on Queen Mary 2 if you want Queen Mary 2. This you can also feel if you meet the passengers there. It's a wonderful feeling.
Long live the Queen ❤️
Took the QM2 in 2018 for a crossing from NY to SH. It was awesome. I loved the speakers which included Lord Astor, a cartoonist from the New Yorker, a naval historical, art expert, and others. Looking forward to another trip someday
Cunard. We’ve done all three (QM2, QE and QV) and even dinner aboard the QE2. They are all a better version of everyone else’s cruise ships. Formal nights aren’t just dinner, they are dining events. Cunard are the best and we can’t wait to cruise on their new ship when it arrives.
Thank you so much for not playing music during your video. Ahhh, so nice.
Great video, too. We're doing the NY UK crossing in late October. Our first cruise!
I am not onto the big mega cruise ships at all, however this is a ship I would LOVE to sail on. It's elegant!!
Thank you Emma, I really enjoyed watching this as I love everything about Cunard but in particular their dress code. I find it such a wonderful excuse to dress up in the evenings and probably the main reason I stick with Cunard. But you are right about finding your way around QM2, it can be a bit tricky until you get used to it.
Yes!! Ha ha. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
If you don’t feel like getting dressed in the dressy evenings on the Queen Mary two then you can always eat in the buffet and you don’t have to dress for it on those nights.
QM2 is the greatest ship ever built. Full stop. I've also stayed on Queen Mary in Long Beach and QM2 is definitely the second Queen Mary class liner. Both are beyond compare.
Some things don`t change, her Great Aunt? The original Queen Mary from the 1930`s was always a classier ship than her Sister The Queen Elizabeth from the 1940`s.
This is a great video! I've always thought Cunard would be far too 'stuffy' for me, but I actually now think I should give it a try - it looks beautiful!
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Wonderful video! I’ve been on two cruises and enjoyed it a lot, but I hope one day to go all out and try a trip on Queen Mary 2 now. I love the history, design, and aesthetic on display here.
I pretty much grew up on the QE2 as my Dad was an officer on there and I passionately prefer Cunard over other lines. I've been on several other over recent years and every time my wife and I end up wishing we'd just booked a Cunard cruise instead. The food, professionalism of staff and general experience have always been a step above any other company I've ever sailed with. We also found the overall behaviour of passengers on the Cunard vessels tended to be a little more, erm, civil(?), if sometimes a little aloof than elsewhere. I can sympathise about the dresscode a little; I'm gonna need to get a new suit and tux before I go on another Cunard cruise!
I find all modern vessels terribly confusing to move around and perpetually get muddled. Older ships had the cabins on lower decks and all the ballrooms, restaurants and lounges, etc on top. QE2 had something like 8 colour-coded stairwells down the length of the ship so it was always easy to get where you wanted from more or less anywhere without having to travel far to find stairs. The move to 'hotels on the sea' with many rooms having balconies really changed up how ships are laid out now.
We sailed on her last December, only our second cruise. We had a fabulous time. A beautiful ship, fantastic crew, nothing was too much. The service and food was exceptional. The ship was decorated for Christmas throughout. Fantastic shows too. It was nice to dress up too. I would recommend it.
I’ve travelled on both QM2 and Queen Elizabeth, a total of 16 nights and I have to agree that they were the smoothest sailings I’d ever experienced.
Traveled from Southhampton to New York on the QM2.
Departed on my 73 birthday.
I was treated with great flair for my birthday.
The ship was so large, I agree with you it was easy to almost get lost, and forget how to get to your destination.
In addition the size of the ship makes it never seem crowded.
Travel on the QM2 from North America to England is a much better way to travel than flying.
The amount of time spent getting to and into airports, plus having to arrive early, then taxi time, plus retrieving luggage, and getting out of the airport, lack POSH.
Sure, if you are a person who enjoys dressing up, then the QM2 is for you; otherwise, consider an alternative ship.
Hi Emma, thank you so much for your very informative website... for someone like me, planning on taking their very first cruise... I appreciate you more than you will ever know! After watching many of your videos and podcasts... I think the best cruise for me would be on the Queen Mary 2...
I don't mind the strict dress code... and I'm absolutely a huge fan of ocean liners.
Thank you for helping me make my decision. Btw, I plan on doing my cruise in early 2025... from Southampton to NYC... can't wait, so excited!!!
For people wondering why it was called ‘White Star Service’. It was because the famed white star line (Company running the Titanic) was known for its excellent service. After it’s merge with Cunard due to financial issues it was renamed Cunard White Star line. Although Cunard bought out White Star’s 1/3 share eventually, it still wants to brand it self as having excellent service, so that’s why the chef’s have the White Star Line logo imprinted on their clothes, although they are hired entirely by Cunard. Hope this helped :)
Emma- trust me, if you do an Atlantic crossing, you'll have plenty of time/ 6 days to learn the ship inside out..
About formal wear-
I dressed up in really posh evening wear ballroom type dresses and I didn't look out of place and I Loved it !
Great review. I had the good fortune to be on one of QE2's last voyages and loved every minute of it. I've cruised with other companies, but Cunard is special!
Many years ago, my parents took the QE2 across the Atlantic and loved it. My dad brought his tux and my mom brought her long dresses-she even borrowed a couple from her friends! They said it was so calm and a lovely trip. This past summer, I had friends moving back to the states and they booked the trip on QM2. It allowed them to take more baggage and ended up being less expensive with the amount of baggage.
Great job with the video, narration and production. I love the traditional look and service of this ship and I'd really like to take a cruise on her some day. Since it's been over 6 years since I went away on vacation, maybe now is the time!
This is probably the most comprehensive and yet felt simple walkthrough. Amazing job!
Thank you that’s very kind ☺️❤️
To be fair, the coal bunker fire on Titanic was probably what saved the ship from a heavy list while sinking. Because of the fire, they put all the coal in that bunker to the other side away from the burning area, which put a lot of weight on that side of the ship. It counteracted the water rushing in during the sinking and most likely prevented a heavy list to starboard while the ship was going down.
Also, regarding Hamburg: Restaurants in Germany usually aren't actually closed on sundays, it's one of the busiest days of the week for them. They're one of the few types of businesses that are open on sundays.
Fun fact about Titanic (the 97 movie) was that the time it took for the ship to sink in the film, was the same as the real life sinking time.
@Jorge Garcia Erm...they put the coal on the other side to prevent the fire from spreading my guy
@shawdoKnights I understand what you're saying. The hull wouldn't have been weakened had it not been for the fire. shadowknights doesn't understand the fact that the ship wouldn't have sunk in the first place had the hull not been compromised so much by the fire. The fire also weakened the rivets. All this guy focuses on is the coal that countered the water that rushed in not realizing no water would have rushed in to begin with if the hulls integrity had been kept fully intact.
My Grandpa is a fan of this ship, spent quite a few journey here during his final decade, according to him its a small glimpse to the bygone time, a time when people are more polite.
Back In The Day which may have been as recently as the 1970s, the Matson liner Lurline was how some people traveled, say, from the island of Hawaii to the island of Oahu, or from there to the US mainland. Good old Matson!
I was on the same cruise and I have told everyone how stable she is. Amazing. Force 7-8 seas, we felt nothing!! I have crossed the Atlantic and we had amazing weather, but I have said the same about any future Atlantic crossings, QM2 all the way 😂😂
My husband was brilliant at knowing where we were and how to get where we wanted to - I could just about find our cabin as long as I was on stairway C 😂😂 Hamburg was like a Zombie apocalypse waiting to happen 🧟♀️😂 Overall I really enjoyed it, but the formal wear is something that would put me off a longer cruise with Cunard 🚢
Yes!!! I was the same with stairway c. But getting to stairway c was often difficult ha ha. Hope you had a great time 😊❤️
I absolutely love your videos and the sound/cadence of your voice. It’s incredibly relaxing and soothing - sometimes I’ll rewatch a video to sleep to. I usually dream about cruises on those nights, but that’s pleasant and wonderful anyway!
Hey Jenn!! I love that, thank you so much 😊❤️
This one looks so much more classy and interesting than the other cruise ships.
POSH had to do with the older ships (without air conditioning) From England to India being on the port side outbound was cooler than on the starboard side. Like wise going back to England being on the starboard side was more comfortable. They would put a POSH sticker on your luggage. But all of this from one hundred years ago.
Thank You.....Chitty Chitty Bang Bang seemed to give a entertaining explaination also....YT POSH - Lionel Jeffries
Interesting, that makes sense
Interesting! People had to know more about the prevailing winds back then. Even back home (Hawaii) we talk about the windward and leeward sides of the island.
Except there's no evidence for this explanation...
It's cool and it's in the film, but it's not true.
going on a cruise even just once is my biggest dream since i was a little girl but i’m extremely poor so these videos are the closest i can get to living that dream. i am so fascinated by cruise ships and ocean liners and i would absolutely KILL to go on one
You’ll get there girl im a fellow brokie and caught a blk Friday deal then got approved for a loan broke it all up in small payments I was so shocked I cried you’ll get there I promise you will
This is a journey I aspire to go on one day. To retrace the steps of my ancestors, but from nicer accommodations than steerage. Still have yet to go on my first cruise, and this would definetely not be it, but it's still something to aim for in the future!
😊😊😊
I'll keep cruising through you! Thanks for this one!
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I just want to say that I love your channel. I just discovered it last night & I’ve already watched several of your videos. Your accent is lovely & you always seem to find something positive in every situation. I want to watch all of your videos even if they do not apply to me. 😊
I'll be crossing on the QM2 in April with a group who are sailing with the Alex Mendham Orchestra. I posted your short review on the group's Facebook page and it was a real hit, especially with first time cruisers. All we really need now would be to have Fred Astaire or Noel Coward on board.
Excellent video. Do be prepared though for the ship to move quite a bit in rough north atlantic swells during a crossing - even QM2 isn't immune! On my first crossing we hit a Force 12 2 days out of New York, and whilst rolling was minimal due to the incredible stability of the ship, the pitching was quite extreme. More notable in the foreward & upper areas of the ship. Still, it was quite comfortable, nothing smashed, people weren't falling all over the place, just be prepared for movement.
I recall a trip from New York City to the Caribbean on the QM2. The Captain was giving a speech. He said "A cruise ship will normally take 4 - 5 days to make the trip to the Caribbean. But we are NOT a cruise ship! We are an Ocean Liner! We will be there in 3 days..." Also, on a QM2 transatlantic we loved it when they announced that we were only 12 miles from where the Titanic sank...
Ha ha!! Zoom zoom 🏎
Having done a cruise before and not enjoyed the experience, it's very refreshing to see cruises from the perspective of someone who knows how to get the most out of them. Emma, you're a gem!
I LOVE the incredible detail you go into. I don't even cruise and this is so so satisfying thank you
1:24 - having worked on the Queen Mary for a few months in 2019-20 leading right up to the pandemic, I agree it's very confusing getting your reigns of the place. Something that should be mentioned - the ratio of passenger to square footage of public space is MUCH higher than any other typical American or British cruise ship. There are a lot of different, unique guest areas scattered across all decks of the ship. On the RCCL and Princess ships I've worked on, there are a few large venues, the main promenade & offshoots, the top deck, and everything else are staterooms. I enjoyed my time on the Queen Mary more than the other ships I had worked on.
Fun fact regarding 12:24 - Cunard features Ed Sheeran's song "Photograph" in one of their production shows.
Another fun fact - the QM2 employs more musicians than every other cruise ship in the world. 4:18, 5:57, 7:37, 13:40
We made the crossing on the QM2 in 2019. We will be cruising to the Caribbean on her next month and to Quebec City in September. We didn't have the closed-off areas that you had. These are due to COVID quarantine areas. As originally constructed, the ship had a midship pool (very small) on the upper deck. It was removed in 2016 and replaced with cabins. One big difference between the QM2 and cruise ships (besides its construction) is that the passenger to crew ratio on cruise ships is usually 5 to 1. On the QM2 it is 2 to 1. The normal number of passengers on board is 2,400 which is quite low for a ship of this size. I am glad to see that you are a young woman who enjoys dressing up. You looked very nice.
Definitely a generational difference. I'd have been hugely disappointed if they had made an exception for some minor celebrity. I can't imagine why you think they would.
While I don't think your wrong, Ed Sheeran isn't a minor celebrity
i agree, but ed sheeran is a pretty big celebrity
I whole heartedly agree and I am quite glad that NO EXCEPTIONS are made in the dress code. And yes for most of us Ed Sheeran IS a MINOR celebrity. In fact I had never heard of the man before he showed up in a cameo role in Game of Thrones.
@@ashleighelizabeth5916 haha but you personally thinking he’s a minor celebrity doesn’t change the fact that he’s a world famous singer.
😂
Exactly. Rules (be it dress code rules or otherwise) are meant to apply to EVERYONE. Sheeran is neither special nor different, despite what society may say.
G/day Emma,
Love your cruise vids. I'm an Aussie and really started to get into cruising when I retired about 6 years ago. Really missing it at present as there is only one cruise company operating in Oz at present and it is very expensive. We have had 4 cruises cancelled so far, one we booked 4 years in advance, (Around Australia.)
My reason for this comment is your reference for pastries, mainly donuts, onboard the QM2. I used to live in Far North Queensland, Australia and regularly sailed over to Green Island out from Cairns. There I met the head chef on the island and he & my wife and I became friends. He had many tales of his time at sea. He was the head pastry chef on the original Queen Mary. In fact he was on her last voyage to the USA. Brian was a great guy, but sadly passed in Western Australia several years ago. His name is Brian.
Keep up the great vids.
Cheers,
Rosco.
Thank you for sharing information about an ocean liner, I never thought about the difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner. Your nails were beautiful on the cruise 😍
Emma, thank you SOOOO MUCH for posting this detailed review! I must say I NEVER thought i'd be the slightest bit interested in this ship until i saw your review! I have only gone on NCL and i hate the idea of having to be POSH or formal, but it actually looks quite nice and relaxing! I can't believe how similar it is to cruise ships as far as shows, food and activities. It looks actually ideal for a group of gals to go on a fun girly trip together and hang out! Do they have daily activities or is it more like you just wander about and chill most of the time?
Hey Sara! They do but it’s mostly trivia, lecturers and live music, things like that. No game shows that I saw ha ha 😅❤️
@@EmmaCruises sorry, i forgot i have another question since you mention motion sickness alot - why don't you use the little patches? I couldnt believe how well they worked since i can get ill just feeling the movement in the top of a tall building!
They also had fencing lessons and dance lessons both for couples and solos. That was back in 2018 I believe
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957 yes and lectures, movies, knotting groups, flower arranging etc etc. Lots of things every day but @EmmaCruises was only on a 4 day voyage so maybe not everything was happening.
@@thebraff yes you’re right I had forgotten that the video said she was only on four day cruise so quite naturally they wouldn’t have as many activity and event possibilities as a week or 10 day cruise.
We’re sailed on Queen Mary 2 several times in Princess and Queen Grill cabins. The ship has two outdoor pools aft as seen at 3:06. Since the ship was designed to spend half the year on the transatlantic run to New York the weather is often not conducive to outdoor pool activities.
Every time I see the QM2 I'm reminded of the two Keeping Up Appearances revolving around the QE2. The first where Hyacinth is trying to get people to notice her QE2 travel brochures and the second episode where they're on the QE2 and they thought her poorer relatives stowed away on the ship.
That was hilarious. She kept trying to get the captain to invite her to dine, only for Daisy and Onslow to get the invite, which definitely got her knickers in a twist 🤣
I appreciate the huge effort you put into all your videos Emma.
I’ve been on just two cruises in my life - both family trips to celebrate my parents’ anniversaries - one from Vancouver to Whittier and the other up the Norwegian coast and back to Southampton. I honestly thought I was going to be completely bored and surrounded by old people, but both cruises were full of people my age (let’s just say ‘under 50’ 😅).
I watch your channel hoping I’m going to take another cruise one of these days, but in the meantime I’m traveling vicariously through your videos - many thanks!
Just wanted to say I'm going on my first cruise in about two weeks, and that's partly due to your chanel making it look approachable. This particular ship is stunning, the kind I wish I could afford to spend a lot of time on, thank you for sharing!
She is such a graceful and elegant ship! Not all cluttered and overcrowded, just perfect! I love dressing up formally as well! Someday I'd love to take a trip on her!🌹
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I stayed in crew quarters for a few days when I went to see my son on Queen Victoria. I don’t know how navigating around the decks compares between the two ships, but I got so incredibly lost moving between crew and passenger areas. When accompanying my son, we often seemed to ‘pop’ up at locations that I was not at all expecting. It felt a bit like being in Hogwarts!
Ha ha!! That’s so cool 😅💕
wut
On my very first cruise, Southampton to NY, we were very lucky. Means there was a hurricane on the US east coast days before our trip and the waves had made it across the Atlantic to give the ship (QE 2) a good workout. I first thought with a ship at about 290m length one would not notice much of it. But I was totally wrong. Sitting on the pool deck looking aft I could see the horizon going up and down considerably. And with a head wind of 9 Beaufort I had problems to stand on deck and hold the camera steady. We were rolled, not tossed, around in our beds. So no need for a nanny to sing us to sleep. The waves had a length of about 30 meters from top to top. The restaurant had noticably less customers and some from the staff were missing from action. So the captain decided to reduce speed by two knots to make the ride a little less taxing. I must say one of the best of my cruises so far. And the best choice I had ever accidentially made.
For the not so knowledgable: The QE 2 was built for the Atlantic crossing. It means the bow was very long and sharper as on those modern cruise ships. There they try to make the ship as rectangular as possible to cram in as many cabins as possible. And as cruisers and not ferries they are intended to be in calm sunny areas most of the time. So high waves are not featured into the design. The slender bow of QE 2 meant that it took a longer time until the buoyancy of the bow section lifted her up in heavy seas. So the rise is not as abrupt because she "cut" into the seas. A more stubby design will make the ship bob more than ride it out.
Your channel was randomly recommended to me only a week or two ago and today I've booked my first short cruise (really more of a 2 day crossing) on the Queen Mary 2 from Hamburg to Southampton 😅
I've always been interested in cruising but skeptical because I also tend to get travel sick easily. But then you spoke so highly about how little you felt the ships movements and I was planning a trip to the UK anyway so when I saw this opportunity I had to take it! I'm very excited to bask in this type of luxury I have admired since watching Titanic for the first time.
And I wanted to say thank you for your channel and all the detailed info on your blog!
Yesss 😁🙌
I crossed the Atlantic in 1958 when I was 11, going from NY to Southampton, touring Europe and then returning via Cherbourg. I loved it. It was an unforgettable experience. When I saw her turned turtle in Hong Kong harbor, I cried.
I used to work on the Queen Mary/Spruce Goose. Yes, she is haunted. I was waiting for my job interview at the bow of the ship. I heard people having a grand time laughing, splashing, jumping into the pool, running around the deck with wet feet. It even made me smile because I could hear what a great time they were having. When I mentioned it to the HR woman, she looked at me oddly. “There’s no pool” she said. “It has been empty for years. But I think you will be hired because they don’t do that for everyone.” As we left, she did take me past the COMPLETELY EMPTY pool area. I was stunned.
That was not the only Experience I had, that was the first one.
Ahhhh!!!!! So scary!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
So cool. I've only ever had one encounter with a spirit. I was around 5 and I could hear my wall talking to me saying mean things to me in a woman's voice.
No she is not
I love the sense of history. For example, calling it “White Star Service” as a tribute to the White Star Line which was Cunards big competitor and owner of the Titanic. Cunard merged with White Star.
Hi Emma, my wife and I took the crossing from Southampton to New York for our 20th, and did feel some significant swells in the middle of the Atlantic. They would have been terrifying in a cruise ship but were well-mitigated and felt like matter of course on the QM2.
I have crossed on The QM 2 , 3 times and then on The Norwegian Escape during a storm . The Norwegian Escape was fantastic , the cabins and the crew , were much nicer than The QM2 . Cunard could learn from Norwegian .
Very nice video. I was linked from your recent MSC video (23% capacity). Your delivery and pacing of the narrative and editing is great. It doesn't really matter the topic, I think you have that down perfectly. I could watch you do videos about Cruises (which is what brought me here), video games, or whatever.
Thank you! 😁❤️
Your videos are lovely and very well presented. Keep up the great work. Well done you.
You'd think they'd have a more subtle code word than 'FIRE' ...
It used to be FIRE! FIRE! They toned it down a bit.
EMMA: POSH DOES stand for "Port Out, Starboard Home". As the Ocean liners left South Hampton for New York, the best cabins were on the PORT side, because they would receive more sunlight (which comes from a southernly angle). Returning home to South Hampton from New York, the STARBOARD cabins are preferred, for the same reason. For this reason, cabins on the Port side, going from South Hampton cost most than Starboard cabins. Similarly, Starboard cabins on ships sailing from New York back to England were the most expensive. This was true with the ocean liners of the 20th Century; it may still be today (IDK). I enjoy your video, you have good videography skills. Kind Regards... Mark Senior.
Nice video! I've done 4 QM2 Transatlantics and will do number 5 once the COVID measures die down enough - masks to me ruin the experience. QM2 is a thoroughbred Ocean Liner and an outstanding seaboat too. BTW, one of the other "ocean liner" things that the site you linked doesn't say is the high freeboard (distance from the waterline to the deck where water could enter the ship (for QM2 this is deck 5 where there are protected balconies)).
Now we have to get you on a transatlantic - preferably in December so you can see QM2 decked out for Christmas!
Yesss 😁🙌 Sounds good to me!!! 😁🥳
I am amazed that all you You tubers who review the cruises, and enjoy all the deserts and meals and yet you seem to stay trim and never gain weight. Must all be on some kind of work out program, maybe doing laps on the boat I am guessing. Interesting tour once again.
Hi Emma, that was a great review. A few years back I was lucky enough to do the Eastbound transatlantic on QM2 in Queens Grill, and it really was something I will remember for ever. Watching your video brought it all back and I cannot wait to cruise Cunard again. Personally I find the formal dress evenings makes it all feel very special and that's one reason I'm reluctant to try other cruise lines. But thanks again for a great review, I just need to raid that piggy-bank again...
In high school, one of my history teachers explained that "Posh" came from Britishers taking a holiday on the Nile. You would be port (left) side out (heading south) so your cabin wouldn't be overheated by the afternoon sun. Likewise, you would be starboard side home (the "sh" in posh) so you would still be unaffected by the extreme heat coming from the afternoon sun. It made sense to me.
That is very likely a folk myth. The way more likely etymology is that it comes from the Romani word _posh_ (meaning "half"), especially via the romani expression _posh-kooroona_ meaning "half a crown" (the currency, not the royal insignia) used for somebody with a substential amount of money. And so the linguistic progression is money -> fancy dress -> high class.
@@QemeH it’s absolutely true and well documented, not just on the Nile but all British ports 👍
@@bugsy742 Yeah, but always as a _backronym_ - it's kinda like the american FUBAR meaning "Fucked up beyond repair", which actually comes from mis-hearing the _german_ word "furchtbar" (meaning terrible), but got the "abbreviation" meaning later.
@@QemeH fkd up beyond all recognition 👍🤝✌🏼
We may have had the same History Teacher, mine said exactly the same thing.
I'm so sad having watched this. My wife and I crossed the Atlantic on the Navigator of the Seas back in 2011, and were supposed to come back on the QM2. But we ended up leaving Europe early for financial reasons and booked on the MS Rotterdam to New York. We hit a gale off Ireland. The biggest seas I'd ever seen.
I wish we'd have waited on the QM2!
We had 28 foot seas crossing the Atlantic in winter on the QM2. If you walked down the passageway you would wobble from side to side, but otherwise the motion of the ship was barely noticeable. Compare that to a time we crossed the Atlantic on the Wind Surf, and 20 foot seas flipped the grand piano in the lounge upside down and completely trashed one of the restaurants.
That poor piano!!!! 😭
I've been toying with the idea of taking an Alaska cruise and I see that Cunard does them. After watching this video, I am sold.
I used to refit cruise ships. I worked on the QE2 multiple times and the QM2 just before her maiden voyage.