Cunard has many loyal passengers. We have sailed 22 times for a total of about 205 days. That sounds like a lot, yet we are far down in the ranks of loyal passengers who have sailed thousands of days. Many Cunard passengers have favorite ships and stick with them. Which is better?
Cunard currently has four ships in service. The oldest and largest is Queen Mary 2 (QM2), launched in 2003. Next in the fleet are the twin ships, Queen Victoria (QV) and Queen Elizabeth (QE), launched in 2007 and 2010 respectively. The most recent addition to the fleet is Queen Anne (QA), launched in 2023.
Most Cunard passengers have a favorite ship. This status is not automatically earned upon the launch. We have met veteran passengers who preferred QE2 and disliked QM2 when it was launched. They eventually came around. There are passengers who prefer QV over QM2. I have not heard of preferences between QV and QE since they are identical, except for décor.
Which is your favorite? Based on casual conversations with many passengers during our 22 voyages, here are their general thoughts when comparing QM2 with QV.
Design:
Winner: QM2. Queen Mary 2 is the clear favorite. Every veteran Cunard passenger can tell you it was built as an ocean liner and performs well in rough weather. (Which you hope you do not encounter.)From my observation, bearing in mind the Beaufort Scale (storm intensity) has a top level of 12, QM2 is very stable up to level 8. The officers will let you know the ship can continue on course, making forward motion even in rough weather.
Cabin size:
Winner: QM2. This is subjective in my opinion. Generally speaking, the Britannia grade cabins are like LEGO blocks. They are almost identical in size. If you view the ship from the pier, the Britannia balcony cabins are one glass railing panel wide. Princess Grill cabins at one and a half glass panels wide and Queens Grill cabins are two glass panels wide. We sailed in a Princess Grill cabin on QV and it felt like a slightly larger Britannia grade cabin.
Food:
Winner: Tied result. The Britannia dining rooms are substantially identical in layout and service. The menus in the Britannia dining room on both ships are similar. I found the food quite good from voyage to voyage. Although some people complain about small portions, you can ask for seconds.
Princess and Queens Grill:
Winner: Tied result. When QV was designed, they put the Princess Grill dining room alongside Queens Grill dining room on an upper desk, with elevator access by keycard only. The Grills cocktail lounge is on that level along with a sheltered outdoor courtyard area for warm weather dining. QM2 has the Princess Grill and Queens Grill dining rooms towards the rear of the ship but not isolated from public areas. It’s not a big deal.
Queens Room:
Winner: QM2. Upon its launch, Cunard called this the “largest ballroom at sea.” It is at the stern of the ship and can be a little tricky to access. The advantage is plenty of space for afternoon tea, which is very popular. QV has Queens Room midship, which is more convenient, but it gets crowded and you might have wait for seating for afternoon tea.
Library:
Winner: QV. Cunard passengers like their books. QM2 library is towards the bow, below the ship’s command bridge. You feel the weather in choppy seas. QV library is in the center of the ship. It is also two stories with a wooden spiral staircase.
Theaters:
Winner: Tied. This result is for different reasons. QM2 has two theaters, the theater itself and the Planetarium, which is similar in size and layout. QV has a theater designed in Victorian London style. Lots of red velvet. Private boxes on the upper tier. It is visually attractive.
Activities:
Winner: Tied. The activities on Cunard ships are similar, if not identical. They have lectures, films, meetup groups, supervised sports and many other activities. They both have good gyms. They have pools and hot tubs.
Internet access:
Winner: None. WI FI has not yet been perfected at sea. There are no cell towers in the ocean. WIFI is expensive. You might find you need to sign on again from time to time. It can be slow. Cruises are a time to relax, so this might not be a bad thing. Friends recently sailed on QM2 to the Caribbean and told us about poor internet service onboard.
In conclusion, people might feel QV is more intimate, since it is a smaller vessel carrying fewer passengers (2,000 vs. 2,600). You are not walking as far between activities. However, the nautical design of QM2 is a major advantage.
Editor’s Notes: See voyages All Cunard Ships
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Cover photo Queen Anne credit Cunard
