QM2 vs QE2 - Is Queen Mary 2 or Queen Elizabeth 2 the ultimate ocean liner?

Queen Mary 2 is the most famous ship around today - but QE2 is probably the most famous ship of the last 50 years! In this video, we take a look at the two great ocean liners - QE2 and QM2 - to try and work out which one is the ultimate ocean liner!
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About QM2:
Ship Name: Queen Mary 2 (QM2).
Gross Tonnage: 149,215 tons.
Length: 1132 feet / 345.03 metres.
Beam: 135 feet / 41.14 metres.
Beam at Bridge Wings: 147.5 feet / 44.95 metres.
Draft: 32 feet, 10 inches / 9.75 metres.
Height (Keel to Funnel): 237 feet / 72.23 metres.
Passenger Capacity: 2,695 people.
Standard Crew Capacity: 1,253 people.
Top Speed: Approximately 30 knots (34.5 mph / 55.56km/h).
Power: 157,000 hp / 117074.88 kW.
Propulsion: Four pods of 20 MW each; 2 fixed and 2 rotating (360 degrees).
Stabilisers: Two sets of Denny Brown stabilisers.
Port of Registry: Hamilton (2011 - ) Southampton (2003 - 2011).
Callsign: ZCEF6 (2011 - ) GBQM (2003 - 2011).
Fleet Status: Flagship of the Cunard Fleet.
Cost: $800 million USD.
About QE2:
Ship Name: Queen Elizabeth 2.
Gross Tonnage (As built) : 65 863 tons.
Gross Tonnage (1994 - ) : 70 327 tons.
Decks: 12 passenger decks.
Length: 963 feet.
Width: 105 feet, 2 inches.
Builders: John Brown (later Upper Clyde).
Keel Laid: 5th July, 1965.
Launched : 20th September, 1967.
Launched By: HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Maiden Voyage: Dep. 2nd May, 1969.
Final Cunard Voyage: Dep. 11 Nov, 2008.
Maximum Passenger Capacity: 1,777 persons.
Standard Crew Capacity: 1,040 persons.
Port of Registry (Cunard): Southampton, UK.
Port of Registry (Istithmar): Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Official Number (Cunard): 336703
Signal Letters (Cunard): G.B.T.T.
Fastest Passenger Ship (in service): 1969 - 2008.
Chapters:
00:00 QM2 vs QE2
01:13 QM2 Engines vs QE2 Engines
02:39 QM2 Cabins vs QE2 Cabins
04:11 QM2 Amenities vs QE2 Amenities
05:54 QM2 History vs QE2 History
07:51 What do you think?
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Images with thanks from Alex Lucas, Pam Massey and Andrew Sassoli-Walker.
Thumbnail Line Image (where used): Dilon Choudhury / CC BY Attribution
#Cunard #cruisenews #QM2 #QE2

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

QE2 or QM2?

[@allutanic7332]

i love both of them

[@abacuscalculator7478]

I couldn’t choose.

[@thechonkywanderer1087]

QM2 for me

[@GardeningLadybug]

Both!

[@HelenCyprus1]

Both.

[@dillyhill2127]

I worked on the qe2 in the early 80s,she was a beautiful ship and turned heads when we arrived in ports

[@ralphwittig7069]

I certainly love both of them. They are unique ships build for a purpose: sailing the North Atlantic. While most cruise ships today are just copy and paste only build for sunny weather.

[@maggiegarber246]

I was privileged to sail on both of them, on transatlantic crossings and on other cruises. The QE2 was my first experience on any ship, and I was enthralled with the sailing experience.

[@dillyhill2127]

Did you work on them Maggie,if so were you a dancer by any chance?

[@211killermike]

qm2 dry Drydock after this, Nov. sail again🥰 they get back🥰

[@CruiseShowUK]

I never got to sail on the QE2, but totally understand how iconic she is. QM2 is probably my favourite ship sailing today, simply because she’s the QM2! A one off, very unique ship and I can’t wait to be back aboard her January 2022. Thanks for the video. Best wishes from the UK, David

[@EElgar1857]

I feel exactly the same way! I'm booked again on QM2 for 2022, transatlantic in both directions. Just hope it will be possible, COVID-wise.

[@ModelkitStuff]

For a modern passenger ship the QM2 has an elegance in her design that other modern passenger ships just don’t have, there is a clear ocean liner heritage in her look where newer passenger ship often look like some kid built it from lego and the look is less than aesthetically pleasing. As an Ocean liner she takes the best of 180 years of Atlantic luxury travel and moves it forward with grace. Its possible to love more than one ship, but there is only one Queen Mary 2.

[@janglass1883]

Love them both for different reasons but now QM2 is my favourite

[@janglass1883]

Great video by the way

[@elisewong2288]

Me to I love the Qm2 and good video

[@EmmaCruises]

Another great video! Loved the hearts and little sound affects. So cool! ❤️❤️

[@anormalcommentor9452]

lol hello again

[@GardeningLadybug]

Emma!!!

[@thechonkywanderer1087]

QM2 was the second ship I sailed on and is my favourite ship, cant wait to said on her again

[@gerardriordan1458]

Thanks for that very fair comparison... QE2...9 out of ten QM2...9 out of ten... QE2 funnel looked iconic QM2 bridge takes the visual... Prefer QE2 for looks... but QM2 has some too...cheers

[@josephwong5755]

It is hard to choose as they are very different and significant in their own right. For me personally though, it would be QM2 due to my personal connection to her as my wife and I spent our honeymoon onboard back in 2017. Wonderful video and hope to cruise onboard QM2 again soon!

[@margarettayler9980]

QE2 for me. She creaked and groaned whereas QM2 is quieter but QE2 had more character. I was lucky enough to sail on her 8 times inc. the first tandem NY to S'ampton when we had to keep slowing down for QM2 to keep up.

[@Doman9191]

Most passengers prefer quiet ship

[@alexandergroppe448]

Having sailed on both venerable ladies many times over, I can say that each has her own charms, delights, and quirks. Both are endearing vessels, beautifully appointed and icons of ocean travel. QM2, however, is the most magnificently appointed, second only to the iconoclastic late great S.S. Normandie. All that said, there is nothing like a TransAtlantic crossing and the only way to really capture that experience today is on the Queen Mary 2. It's a life-shaping experience!

[@John-up9nq]

Never been in the QE2 I’m hoping to visit her in Dubai one day though. QM2 is just amazing

[@Jim007baker]

I sailed on the QE2 across the Atlantic in 1976. It was an impressive ship. It seems more seaworthy than cruise ships of today, as they are so tall, but I am not a marine engineer.

[@JohnMitchellMusic]

My dad was chairman of Cunard in the 70s and i got to travel on QE2 many many times as a young kid.

[@laurencemacdonald5935]

QE2 wins out for me. She seemed to have a special personality. sailed 20+ times mostly cruises, but did 5 crossings on her, QM2 we have crossed 7 times. We have enjoyed our crossings on board her. Both ships handled them selves well in the North Atlantic.

[@johnster1964]

You;'re making me envious ! I sailed on the QE2 only once - the very last westbound crossing but I have been aboard many times in Dubai as I don't live too far away

[@alexboysen9472]

I ve been on the QE2 thrice ( including the very last two crossings) and on the QM2 once. Yes, QM2 is impressive but a bit too anonymous for me unless you have a good dinner table company. And then of course, QE 2 is real history. Maybe that patina will grow on QM2 in the next 20 or so years to come. However, I fear very much that the rest of the Cunard style will go with the new "Queen Anne" ( or so, expected in 2022 or 2023), which will just be another floating apartment block "a la Cunard".

[@laurencemacdonald5935]

@@alexboysen9472 I much prefer the "classic" liners of the past. It seems that Carnival, Costa, Cunard and HAL seem to use the same ship design with alterations unique to the cruise line the ship is being built for.

[@alexboysen9472]

@@laurencemacdonald5935 This, unfortunately, is true. QV and QE have less elegant sister ships sailing for other companies. QM2 is still unique.

[@johnster1964]

@@alexboysen9472 I was on the last Southampton-Manhattan too !

[@johnplod8984]

Sailed on both - each different in so many ways QE2 saved Cunard and maintained cruising when others failed. However, QM2 is epic and unique

[@johnsaxton5281]

Sailed QE2 in the Princess Grill in 1989, to this day the most amazing food and service on over 60 sailings.

[@guyelluzzi2705]

These magnificent ocean liners both have their time and place, and you really can't pick a winner. In my youth I always thought that the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth could never be topped. When the QE2 made her debut, I was rather surprised at first since she was such a departure from the original Queens, but came to appreciate her as well. Now the amazing QM2, designed for the 21st century, checks all the right boxes and proudly carries on the history, honor and tradition of Cunard and occupies a unique place in a changed industry.

[@williampolk9782]

Great video Chris! Your insight into Cunard keeps me enthusiastic about one day having an opportunity to sail the transatlantic route onboard QM2!

[@hayleydennis5269]

QE2 by a long way - she had more style and grace and sailed in the hey day of cruising when every voyage there was rich and famous. She drew huge crowds in every port she sailed into. Nowadays there are too many other "luxury ships" to make QM2 stand out .

[@baritonebynight]

I disagree ...QM2 is the only ocean liner built for the north Atlantic. Others are simply common cruise ships.

[@irvanc]

I was stationed in Scotland in the late 60's to early 1970... I chose to stay in Greenock... I saw the QE2 brought from Clydebank to Greenock for it's final outfitting... When outfitting was finished an open house tour was held onboard... At the time I was simply amazed by the extent of detail and refinement of every aspect of the ship... This stuck with me... When I returned to the states I always dreamed of some day making an Atlantic crossing on it... But financially and having enough time away from work for a trip was always out of the question... Finally since retiring I have made 4 round trip crossings on the QM2 and have been impressed by all of them... I can't say enough about the ship and the treatment you get onboard... I probably would live onboard if I were able to afford it... Impressive are the ship's stablizers, they are amazing in most all situations at sea... We never had anything like that on Naval vessels... I just wished I had been able to make a crossing on the QE2...

[@angellight495]

To me the Normandie is the ultimate liner but between these 2 the QE2. I do agree the QM2 has the nicer cabins but I love the more individualized layout of the QE2's cabins and I think her public rooms had a more efficient layout.

[@muai09]

"The utimate liner" which was a fire-cage death trap, no wonder she burned down so quickly. I bet it's solely because of her sleek look alone. Another snotty Normandie fanboy.

[@angellight495]

@@muai09 Actually she had the most complete and advanced fire protection system ever set up. The problem was when she was being converted into a troopship the US military didn't keep it up. They didn't have her fire protection office manned, they were in the process of changing her French firehoses to American ones but had not done it in a timely or systematic fashion, there was a fire alarm on the bridge that was tied to a nearbye land based fire house but it had been disconnected & no one had been told, and when the fire started no one had made any attempt to try to close the massive fire doors at either end of the Grand Lounge which would have contained the fire. Actually the reasons I love thee Normandie are legion. She represents the high point of luxury & ocean liner style. John Malcolm Brinnin said as much in his book on ocean liner interiors "Grand Luxe: The Transatlantic Style" No other ship reached into the outer bounds of luxury without falling into mere excess. She represents a way of style & grace that died with World War 2. I think Ludwig Bemelmans said it best: "I have always given more affection to the Normandie than to any other ship. I loved her for her gaiety, for her color, for that familiarity with all the world that was her passenger list. In her decor she leaned toward excess; there was something of the femme fatale about her. She assumed a seigneur's privilege of frowning on the lesser, fatter, slower, and more solid boats. Like all aristocrats, she had abominable moods. I think she was more female than all other ships that I have ever known. I think that's why I loved her so." So no, it was not just her sleek lines. So next time try not just offering ignorant assumptions & childish insults so you won't be proven wrong by someone who has an infinitely superior knowledge of ocean liners than you do.

[@angellight495]

@@muai09 Why am I not surprised that you, a troll, don't have the maturity to admit when you've been proven wrong.

[@angellight495]

@𝓐𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓷 𝓛𝓲𝓷𝓮 if you’re just going to be rude & nasty why should I talk with you?

[@gilbydog7350]

@ Angel Light. I agree, the Normandie is the ultimate liner. And between QM2 and the QE2 I would also go with the QE2. The QE2 was quite something in her day, even though some of the pictures of her do look a little outdated by modern standards.

[@midshipcinema]

Love this, Chris! Some nice arguments made for both ships.

[@alandickinson9064]

The QE2 was glamorous the QM2 is glitz .

[@wendyfox130]

Totally agree

[@Johnplod]

Luxury and passenger comforts - QM2 Saving Cunard - QE 2 Being innovative - both

[@martynmiller4247]

Having sailed on both, the answer is QM2 :-)

[@Mrpegs1]

QM2 every time 12 transatlantic crossing. Our favourite ship.

[@bosse1998]

Very interesting video! Learnt a lot!

[@gaynor247]

Another facinating video, Thanks Chris! We've booked a short break on QM2 - can't wait to get onboard...

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

She’s superb. You’ll love it. I am jealous haha

[@coloradomtnbiker99]

I say Qe2 .. I don't know about the Queen Mary 2 since I've never had a chance to sail on her but I plan on it in the future when this whole mess is over and I want to do a New England cruise on her.. back to the QE2 I was very lucky to sell on her when I was younger in my twenties because my mom worked for canard in Long Island City New York and got to see the qe2 many times and just even to go on the ship when it was docked here in New York for a visit it was awesome time back in the late '80s early 90s.

[@patrickryan6065]

The QE2 was probably the last “ship beautiful”. Designed before ships went way up and way out. She still looks ultra modern, and truely beautiful. The QM2 is ok compared to other ships of her size today, at least she has been made big to accommodate the amount of passengers and crew needed in a modern world, without being made gaudy as most other ships are today.

[@Edgetravelguy]

Very enjoyable & informative video. QE2 will always be my favorite. Sailed onboard 3 times- '73, '94 & 2008

[@db4239]

Terrific video and very well thought out. I'm a QE2 fan but certainly look forward to the day when I can enjoy one of your lectures aboard QM2.

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Much appreciated!

[@fannetastic8097]

QE2 was the last classic ocean liner which has that no balconies and yacht like superstructure. QM2 however is the first modern-era ocean liner which includes balconies and tall (very tall) superstructure and lots of windows and modern day luxurious interior, the furnitures and interior are nice. I never tried to travel on a ocean liner before but I would like to someday.

[@gilbydog7350]

The QE2 actually had some Queens Grill cabins with balconies on Signal deck and the deck below it.

[@garygrant9612]

Had our 50th anniversary on the QM2. Fourteen nights in the Queens Grill. Splurged yes, but it was worth it for my Queen. Only little complaint, was getting from one part of the ship to the next. But at our age it may have been age induced. Would love to do an Atlantic crossing but we're not fond of NYC. We are now thinking of an Alaska cruise on the Victoria.

[@janethoughton6094]

Great presentation and debate. Although close, I will give my vote to the current QM2. Her sheer size and prescence is exciting and gives me a feeling I can go anywhere safely anytime in luxury.

[@leschase1824]

Also the QE2 said a last "Goodbye "to the bramble bank as se entered Southampton for the last time. Yes after of over 650 times around the bank , QE2went aground on the bank for a while, and as I can recall, had to be tugged off. I also found, for looks QE2 a better looking ship when close by. I hope people do not mind my own personal opinion, that QM2 from the outside close up looks like a floating hotel block of stretched posh flats lengthwise. Qm2 still has still got great looks although. Also I was at Hythe opposite Southampton th see QM2 arrive for the first time. Also, I was on a boat to follow QE2 down the Southampton Water towards and around Bramble Bank, and I was on one of the last boats to see this. This was an emotional last goodbye to the QE2.

[@rubberyowen1469]

We know that the QM2 is the only true ocean liner in service at the moment but you are right as she was built to follow the modern ugly apartment block style of modern passenger ships which is a shame that we have lost the looks of the older elegant more streamlined looks and ease of telling each one from another. Times have changed but regarding looks things have changed for the worse. However I still think the QM2 is the best looking on the modern block and still carries the title of the one and only true LINER with the best interior luxury, elegance, and service.

[@baritonebynight]

QE 2 went on that sandbar on purpose to say "I don't want to go be a prisoner in that awful place!"

[@mohammednadeemanwar2213]

As for QE2. she's same age as me 👍 so glad she wasn't scrapped. Just wish she was in UK not Dubai.

[@baritonebynight]

I never got to sail on QE2.....I was freshly out of grad school when she was retired and just didn't have that kind of money or time. I have sailed on QM2 and I inquired about QE2 from the veteran staff and passengers. All say she was a much smaller ship and one could feel the ocean more....but were sad to see her retired vs having Cunard invest money in her to bring her up to code.

[@netzoomer]

I've sailed on the QM2 twice, but never on the QE2. I hope Cunard gives the QM2 a major overhaul to conduct much-needed repairs, especially in the gym and the mid-ship Pavilion swimming pool. Plus the rust stains in the balconies of the hole in the hull cabins. This was the cabin we sailed on in 2016 on one of its Caribbean cruises from New York. In 2006 our balcony cabin was located on deck 8 which had its view obstructed by a lifeboat. I wish the lifeboats were designed to be located on a deck where no balcony cabins had obstructed views. The design of the QE2 harkens back to the ocean liners in their heyday. Although the QM2 is the only ocean liner in service, its height and plethora of balcony cabins give it a hybrid feel between the QE2 and large cruise ships. I loved sailing on the QM2 because of its spacious, hotel-like feel and the fact that it had unique attributes such as the Illuminations Auditorium and the really large Queens Room. When we sailed the QM2 in 2006, it made its first trip around the horn to LA. We were fortunate to enjoy its maiden voyage from LA to Hawaii on a 10-day round-trip cruise. We happen to live in LA. Our departure was magnificent. There were thousands of onlookers along the dock to check out this iconic ocean liner. We were all given streamers to throw overboard as we departed the LA harbor. Fire Boats accompanied the ship spraying arcs of water as a sign of recognition. While in LA it visited the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach, where that iconic aerial photograph was taken of the meeting of the two namesake Queens. It was on this voyage that originated from Southampton that one of its engines got damaged in Florida. Hence, the QM2 completed its remaining itinerary using only three engines. Yet it was able to maintain sufficient speed to complete its LA Hawaii roundtrip voyage in the allotted 10 days, as well as the rest of its stops on time. Many ceremonies were held in LA as well as in Honolulu, Hawaii to welcome the QM2 on its maiden visit to these ports. Oh dear, I realized that I have written so much about the QM2 when this post is about comparing the QM2 with the QE2, I had friends who had sailed on the QE2 before Cunard was purchased by the Carnival Corporation and they spoke very highly about it. As you stated. both Queens had unique attributes and are excellent examples of their ocean liner genres.

[@graemejupp691]

Another great video, Chris! You are a very fluent speaker and narrator, which I imagine helps you no end when lecturing aboard QM2 and other cruise ships. Your books populate my ocean liner/cruise ship library and I hope we can one day meet again aboard a Cunard Line ship (we met briefly aboard QM2 in July 2015). My view is that it's a 'tie' when comparing QE2 and QM2. They are both very grand and well designed. I believe QM2 will complete 40 years' service. Here's hoping we can both be aboard the ship on Cunard's 200th anniversary voyage from Liverpool to New York on 4 July 2040!

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Let’s lock in that 2040 catch up! Golden Lion - the beer is on me :-)

[@graemejupp691]

@@ChrisFrameOfficial Sounds like a grand idea aboard a grand ocean liner! I'll be 69 years young in July 2040 and will have my birthday on board in mid-Atlantic... just as I did for "No. 44" in 2015. I'm also aiming to be at the Titanic wreck site on 15 April 2062 for the 150th anniversary... just as I was on 15 April 2012 for the centenary. One has to aim high!

[@anthonywatts2033]

first a confession - I have never travelled on either ship! While I look forward to travelling on QM2 at some stage, the lines and shape of QE2 are just those of a liner... I know this is unfair to QM2 as the demand for balcony cabins makes lines like QE2's impractical. so as they say horses for courses - and they both win their course.

[@standrewpics]

Yes can see the cabin situation between QE2 and QM2 . Yes both have an equal in Cunard history .

[@accyste72]

It has to be QE2 for me, but the cabins on QM2 are larger, quieter and more comfortable.

[@TheAussieHistorian2022]

QM2 it was my first ship to ever sail on

[@johndavies4892]

I can't comment on the QE2 as I have no experience of her. The QM2 is most impressive, 3 years ago we crossed the Atlantic in October as part of our 40 years wedding celebration. Some rough weather at times but the ship handled it wonderfully , I wouldn't have liked to have been on one of those typical cruise ships.

[@pumpkin462]

I remember summer 2006 when I went on QM2, crowds of people would long the streets and piers to see her off and welcome her, helicopters everywhere. It was like we were famous lol, I’ll never forget those amazing moments In this digital age I think QM2 is already much more famous than QE2

[@cunardcritic]

QE2 was our first ship, but QM2 is our favourite.

[@wellasang]

We can only compare them superficially, but both these ships are unique in themselves.

[@petermcgarrymusicandflying]

QE2 externally beautiful but in her early iterations her interior was just too late 1960s. Did you know that the Beatles once toyed with doing a concert on board QE2. I like QM2 but I really like the new QE

[@KenGoesCruising]

Hi Chris just had our first QM2 cruise cancelled today. Should we wait and rebook her or book on Queen Elizabeth instead?

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

QE is lovely but nothing quite beats QM2. She’s one of a kind.

[@adub1300]

QM2 wins for me just because she is my generations ocean liner. She came into her own at the same time I did. I’ve never sailed on her or even seen her for that matter but I am a big fan. Would have loved to see QE2 as well though.

[@diegosilang4823]

Never board either one of them, but I visited the Queen Mary at Long Beach. For me, the original Queen Mary is the ultimate ocean line ever existed. Nobody forgets the neck to neck race with Normandie for the Blue Ribband. During the beginning of WWII, the QE, the QE2 and the Normandie made a last reunion at NYC before the Normandie was accidentally burned to the ground. She served WWII in U-Boat and Luftwaffe infested Atlantic Ocean making the QE2 Falkland stint a walk in the park. QM survived a massive freak wave, a few more degree of list she could have been a goner! QM had carried most iconic Hollywood stars in history and appeared on many films. QE2 is very iconic in 80's yuppie culture and QM2 needs more time to prove herself, to me she is just size and technology.

[@broganswan6439]

A fantastic watch. QE2 will always be my number 1

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Aww :)

[@Kaidhicksii]

I've never sailed on either of them so I can't quite say from a personal perspective. Historically, I'd say QE2 is the winner. She single-handedly saved the breed of transatlantic liners, and were it not for her, we might not have QM2. Personally though, I'd say QM2 wins. She was launched only a few months after I was born, and she single-handedly continues what QE2 started. So when it comes to picking who's #1 overall, I can't say. I'm just looking forward to visiting them both someday. :D

[@Bigbwortha]

It’s definitely QE2 for me, because her design is just beautiful her bow and everything about her is just magnificent. But queen Mary 2 I dont really like her design her superstructure isn’t my style but she is a beautiful ship I just don’t like the modern design of her

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Fair enough!

[@grahampaterson9516]

I loved the QE2. Also prefer because I love smaller ships and less people on board

[@chrisbutler7883]

Like you, I lecture aboard Queen Mary 2, and I love her desperately. I grew up in California visiting (and working aboard) Queen Mary, and she remains my favorite ship, with QM2 firmly ensconced in second place. QM2 and I have sailed many times since her first season, and, well, "she is mine and I am hers". People form deep attachments to ships, don't they? I only had a day visit and lunch aboard QE2 on her last Los Angeles call. I found her beautiful, but perhaps a tiny bit claustrophobic - narrower decks and passageways, lower ceilings, etc. Her beauty and legend were well known to me, so I regard her with a deference and respect - but I only glimpsed her. I can't claim to know her. I agree about your assessments in your video, the matter of layout especially, but the library and Illuminations on QM2 are breathtaking! At a dinner on QM2, the Commodore raised his glass to, in turn, each of the other Queens, and when QE2 was called out, everyone responded with a deafening ROAR of applause. Any of QE2's people should rest assured her fame is untarnished and undying.

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Thanks for the great comment! Illuminations is wonderful isnt it!

[@markspradling6490]

Do you have John Maxton Grahms book The Only Way to Cross?

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

I have read it :)

[@co7580]

Question: how long can liners be in service before they are put out of service?

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

QE2 was in service from 1967-2008 however she was the longest serving liner and they did re-engine her in 1987.

[@mohammednadeemanwar2213]

True 21st century ocean liner. Irrespective of all balconies, she's still beautiful ship. I hope i can sail aboard her. She's 100% on my bucket list. Damn it, in 4 yrs I'll be 60!

[@wendyfox130]

I sailed on qe2 several times and she will always be my favourite by a long way. I have sailed once on qm2 and was disappointed

[@jonathanpardoe8722]

AS this year has gone by and QM2 is still sailing , I watched the transformation of QE2 into the worlds most exclusive hotel , staffed by some original crewmembers including Captain Warwick . It bought a tear to my eye ! Here is the gleaming beautiful QE2 looking better than ever and then I saw the qm2 and a ruefull shudder ran down my spine , awful memories of lowering of standards , our holiday full of stress , , surly staff , and a pig of a staff Captain who despite the ship rolling so bad that he couldnt use a pen to take down com plaints , wouldnt admit that his "boat " was inferior and substantialy unstable and in my opinion not fit for purpose .

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

I do admire your loyalty to QE2 and as you know she’s always been a special ship to me. But the thing is QM2 isn’t unstable and is fit for purpose. She’s extremely capable and has proven herself so for almost two decades. The Staff Captain wouldn’t acknowledge QM2 as inferior as she isn’t. Not sure why he offended you so, but there’s nothing wrong with QM2’s seakeeping capabilities. Having been aboard during a force 12 I can vouch for that!

[@charlesrabb5568]

I have not sailed aboard the QM2. But sailed 2 times on the QE2. To me you can't compare crossing the Atlantic in 5 days On QE2, to the 7 days it takes QM2. I Know this is to save fuel.

[@eoinrobson2725]

Any idea what made the steam-turbines so inefficient by comparison to the newer diesels on the QE2? Excellent videos - thanks for posting them.

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

In essence it was fuel burn. QE2 needed to burn more oil as a turbine ship than diesel. But the real problem with QE2’s original design was redundancy. Her engines had no built in redundancy. They were less than reliable but that could have been overcome had she had redundancy to allow for repairs. As it happens, she didn’t. So every time an engine broke down the ship was delayed and in some cases, left adrift. When they put the diesel plant in they included 9 engines. Never again would QE2 suffer a redundancy problem!!

[@eoinrobson2725]

@@ChrisFrameOfficial Excellent answer. Thanks.

[@eoinrobson2725]

@@ChrisFrameOfficial Excellent answer. Thank you!

[@johnster1964]

@@ChrisFrameOfficial Originally designed to have 4 boilers, Cunard needed to save money and so cut it to 3. That sealed the QE2's fate as a steamship.

[@rongendron8705]

I sailed on the QE2 in 2003 for the 15 day Mediterranean portion of a 31 day double Atlantic crossing from NYC.(flew both ways)! Even though the ship was 34 years old then, it still looked brand new!? I've also been docked next to the QM2 numerous times but never booked a cruise because I just didn't care to have to "dress up" every night again! Only drawback to the Cunard Line!

[@baritonebynight]

You don't have to dress up every night. On a crossing, there are two formal nights. If you don't want to do that, you can eat in the Golden Lion or the Kings Court. Plenty of people don't like to dress up and can still enjoy the QM2.

[@williammj9715]

I actually prefer slower ships because you can enjoy more at the sea

[@wotan10950]

My first Atlantic crossing was on the SS Rotterdam. Beautiful old ship, but far less luxurious than the Cunard liners.

[@emilholmsten8600]

What are your thoughts on new eco friendly hydrogen/ elecric ocean liners! Me myself think we are soon entering a new ocean liner era! Lots of people would love to travel eco friendly

[@Beepscat1]

QM2 hands down.

[@metromaster2010]

I like QM2, but she doesn't have that ocean liner profile that QE2 did. Like so many modern vessels, her profile view looks more like a condominium sitting in the water. And, no ship has those commanding whistles that QE2 did. Cunard should have replicated those whistles on one of the new builds.

[@ssgooent]

I could be wrong but wasn't the food and the overall service better on QE2? It seems to me that the menus changed considerably with QM2 along with the quality of the waitstaff and room stewards. Just my opinion.

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

I noticed that too. QE2's menus were a lot more vibrant.

[@rossrreyes]

QM2 looks top heavy and out of proportion because of its massive super structure. QE2 looks much sleeker and proportionally sexy.

[@regenesisart1373]

QE2 wins, hands down, for looking like a ship which, at the end of the day and in spite of their respective amenities, is what they both are!

[@wendyfox130]

Exactly . She looked like a ship should

[@alanplatt6229]

Having cruised on both many times I would have to say now it would be the QM2. The QE2 was fantastic in her day but times move on. The accommodation on the QM2 is superior in the she is much newer as is the lido area. The entertainment has the benefit of being better as she has a proper stage area. In it’s day it would have to the QE2 but now the QM2. Sad to say it though.

[@ballantynemoyes8019]

The QE2 looks more like my idea of an ocean liner. The QM2 is a slightly more attractive version of the hideous trend in cruise ships to make them look more like livestock transporters - a race to see who can build the highest number of storeys. Purely a personal view as beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

[@markspradling6490]

QE2 went to the Falkland Islands as a troop ship!

[@michaelwhalen2469]

Stuff Call ! It’s kind of like asking a parent to pick a favorite child !! BOTH ships are fantastic in their own right. Standard bearers of their times !! But since this is the game topic, I would give the nod to QE2 for exterior styling. So sleek and elegant ! But I would give the nod to QM2 for interior design and beauty ! The Wonderful Britannia Dining Salon has no equal on the QE2 . It’s simply breathtaking , like the Dining Salons on Normandie, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth ( 1940) The Queens Room on QM2 is in my eye much nicer than the QE2‘S Queen Room. And QM2’s cabins are more elegant and modern. The QE2 interior styling looks more dated and hotel looking!?!

[@charlesmoss8119]

There is something about a vessel that has served its country - the images of the QE2 sailing to war in the same way as its ancestors makes this vessel incredibly evocative, a real Queen if you like - i hope the QM2 never has to serve as that will only be horrendous - but in terms of the ship etched in my mind it has to be the QE2

[@honeybadgerfacts3871]

QE2 hands down every time. Class over capacity.

[@crs2385]

I prefer QM2. Her cabins are more to standard with the modern world, where as QE2's seem bland but i'm sure where to people's needs in the 60s, 70's, and 80's. QM2 offers more luxuries, entertainment, and is more spacious, and her overall size makes here seem more solid, and steady. Each to their own, but the QM2 soars ahead for me. But both of the liners are great ships.

[@beatmueller6490]

I LIKE YOUR SIMPLE COMPARISONS. I haven't fact checked your claims, but like your style (assuming your facts are correct). Well done!

[@RandomTorok]

What is the difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship?

[@funnelvortex7722]

I love the QM2’s design but I can’t get over the idea of azipods being on an ocean liner. It just doesn’t feel right for some reason.

[@cruises_only_thanks]

QE2 every day and twice on Atlantic crossings!

[@generalkaiproductions8680]

QM2 is my favorite I'd def book a ticket on it I'd love to cruise on it and do an ocean liner voyage on it I like the QE 2 aswell but it's retired soo there's an excuse for not sailing on it🤣🤣🤣( no offense I don't meen it )

[@waynemerlo7448]

QM2 looks like a liner cruise ship hybrid.

[@johnfalstaff2270]

QE2 was an ocean liner while QM2 was designed with double purpose. She can be used as an ocean liner and also as a cruise liner. Queen Mary2 was built by the same French shipyard where s/s Normandie and s/s France (Norway) were born.

[@baritonebynight]

QE2 was used to cruise also.

[@johnfalstaff2270]

@@baritonebynight, many passenger liners did. Mauretania (both, old and new), Normandie, Andrea Doria. Just a few samples. Market and economy required that.

[@TheDannytre]

There can only be one, and the QM2!

[@johannesbols57]

Has QM2 rectified the problem of having no single occupancy staterooms?

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

She has. They added single rooms in the 2016 refit.

[@qasimmir7117]

I like the original Queen Mary. The speed and power.

[@akuapiatas]

When he started saying QE QM I got confused and thought wtfc's LOL

[@jackiegill1139]

I like Qm2 and my broother likes Qe2

[@Gre1ems]

Damn, I just got an e-mail saying my Christmas cruise on the QM2 has been cancelled. At least I get a full refund or 125% FCC.

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Nooo :(

[@mohammednadeemanwar2213]

Would love to sail aboard but cannot afford. Spent money on essential dental work. NHS do not cover! Sadly had to have dental treatment costing £4,150. Not sure that's even a return sail in balcony cabin/suite aboard this magnificent ship. Also being muslim my diet needs.

[@martyez2348]

QM2 is the only operational ocean liner in the world left!

[@glamrockplushproductions8086]

That fnaf moment tho 1:31

[@stephenjones5282]

Aren't they building another ship similar to QM2?

[@qe2836]

No, the new ship _Queen_ _Anne_ will be based on the MS Koningsdam, Holland America Line's Pinnacle-class cruise ship.