Is Queen Mary 2 Better? It Depends...

We took the plunge. We sailed on Queen Mary II, the last true ocean liner. Two months earlier we had sailed on the Royal Princess, and the differences were dramatic. Is QM2 more formal? Oh, yeah. But it goes much deeper than that.
In this video we point out 10 major differences between the two ships: 5 differences in the ship design, and 5 experiential differences. Tuxedos, teas, menus, crowds...it's all here. Come see what you think of our take on "The Princess versus the Queen!"
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[@kimkircher4025]

Very informative video. Thank you. Also, love that dogs can travel on QM2! Definitely looking into that.

[@mytravelwindow3061]

Thanks for the encouragement! Yes, they have kennels on board for dogs (and cats). The last I saw, the cost is $800 for a smaller dog and $1000 for larger. The dogs can't roam the ship, but you can go see them every day and take them for a walk on a doggie promenade. They have 24 spaces on board, and one note I read says they are usually about 90 per cent full. Check it out! Another quirk of a very different ship.

[@dawnolsen8877]

dogs can travel qm2???? i think you need to take this trip and comment from a pup's point of view ... i know just the puppy!

[@mytravelwindow3061]

Sorry, Dawn, we can't afford it. There are 24 kennels on the ship, and the cost is $800 for a small dog and $1000 for a large one -- for a 7-day cruise. Despite that, the kennels are usually full and you need to reserve almost a year in advance!

[@RogerWeldon-u4n]

Enjoyable video, we like the transatlantic crossing best, we met you on the fjords cruise in the commodore club

[@mytravelwindow3061]

We remember talking with you! How is the school year going? I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I plan another one next week on our "5 Loves and 5 Hates" of QM2 (although there is rarely ever a true "hate" on any ship). We have a QM2 transatlantic on our bucket list.

[@RogerWeldon-u4n]

School year is going well, look forward to your video next week, you never know we might meet again on a transatlantic!

[@mytravelwindow3061]

That would be great!

[@ajs11201]

I've crossed the Atlantic three times on QM2, first was a round-trip crossing about seven years ago (I'm counting that as two crossings), and again this past summer. This summer, we definitely noticed a decline in service and offerings. The QM2 is still a majestic vessel, but the staff were far less attentive, the food choices were fewer and more pedestrian, the entertainments were more lackluster, and there was just a general sloppiness about the crew interacting with the passengers. We had heard that with the very recent opening of the Queen Anne that Cunard basically "borrowed" many of the seasoned crew from the QM2 and put them onto the new ship, so maybe once the replacements on QM2 get a bit more seasoned, this will correct itself. I certainly hope so.

[@mytravelwindow3061]

Good observations! My wife felt that staff interactions were a little stiffer and "unsure" compared to other recent cruises, and I concur with your final comments about "seasoning." On every recent cruise I make it a practice to ask several of the staff how long they have worked for the cruise line. On recent HAL and Princess ships the average (stewards and dining room waiters) seemed to be about 10 years, and rarely anyone under 3. In fact, the steward on our last HAL ship was on his 25th contract! On this trip two different waiters answered that they were on their first contract: one in the main dining room and one at a specialty restaurant. At least one of those two was counting the days to go home, and I sensed that he's not planning to come back. Having said all that, service was never bad. The "Breakfast in Bed" room service in the morning was outstanding, and we did that most of the days of our trip. There were some very skilled veterans, particularly in some of the management roles. We were on Discovery Princess when she was new in 2022. Many staff said they were assigned as rewards for serving well on other ships. The captain revealed he was one of them. So this re-shuffling idea makes sense. Who better to work out kinks than seasoned veterans? I share the hope that everything will improve as the staff work together for a longer time.

[@ajs11201]

@@mytravelwindow3061 Interesting that our observations and experiences would be so similar. And, I agree, breakfast in bed on Cunard is a luxury--and it's absolutely free! I dearly love having freshly brewed coffee and a breakfast roll or croissant delivered to my cabin and at no additional cost!

[@mytravelwindow3061]

Agreed! In addition to all that, they always delivered on time or slightly early. If we said 7 to 7:30, it always came from 6:45 to 7. When we ordered room service breakfast on Princess the delivery times varied wildly. Part of that may be the difference of 900 fewer passengers!