Queen Mary 2 outbound from Southampton.
Photo: Brian Burnell / Wikimedia Commons
Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
CruisePing verdict
The essential Cunard ship and an outstanding Atlantic crossing; choose another Queen for a conventional modern resort cruise.
Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship at a Glance
| Cruise line | Cunard |
|---|---|
| Ship class | Ocean liner |
| Entered service | 2004 |
| Gross tonnage | 149,215 GT |
| Length | 345 m |
| Guest capacity | 2,691 |
| Crew | 1,173 |
| Included dining | 4 grade-linked main restaurants plus Kings Court, Golden Lion and casual venues |
| Alternative / speciality dining | Steakhouse at The Verandah and Dinner at Kings Court |
| Swimming pools | 2 main pools plus Minnows children’s pool and the spa pool |
| Hot tubs / whirlpools | 2 at the Pavilion plus spa hydrotherapy facilities |
| Library | The largest library at sea: more than 8,000 hardbacks, 500 paperbacks and 200 audio books |
| Staterooms / cabins | 1,353 |
| Passenger decks | 14 |
| UK departures | Regular |
Best suited to
Transatlantic travellers, sea-day lovers, readers, dancers, enrichment-focused passengers and solo guests seeking a genuinely distinctive ship.
Think carefully if
Passengers prioritising a modern sunshine resort, frequent ports, extensive water attractions or the newest cabin design.
Queen Mary 2 is not merely the oldest or most famous ship in the Cunard fleet. She is the world’s only ocean liner offering a regular scheduled Transatlantic service, designed for speed, stability and repeated North Atlantic crossings. That specialised purpose creates a ship with proportions, sheltered outdoor areas and a maritime atmosphere that ordinary cruise ships do not reproduce.
Choose Queen Mary 2 for the voyage itself: Southampton to New York, days of open ocean, lectures, libraries, formal rooms and the feeling of travelling rather than taking a resort holiday. Do not choose her simply because she is the flagship if your real priority is warm-weather pool life, the newest cabin design or a port every morning.