Etiquette on Queen Mary 2 : And the different types of cabins

Etiquette on Queen Mary 2 : What to expect onboard

I was prewarned about the class system on the Queen Mary 2 Cruise ship and I didnt believe it until I went on board. But there did seem to be a bit of them and us attitude.

I had booked the cheapest inside cabin, for me going on the Queen Mary 2 was more about sightseeing and seeing what the experience on the Queen Mary 2 was like compared to other cruise ships I have been on. I didnt want to sink all my savings into one voyage so I was happy to have the cheapest if it meant I could save lots of money.

I was happy with the cabin, the service was excellent, the food was delicious however some of the passengers were not as nice as passengers I have met on other cruise lines.

The class system on the Queen Mary 2

During the previous year I had done many cruises and people often asked if I have been on a Cunard ship yet. I hadn’t and some of them explained how different cabins are allowed into different sections.

It is not so much a class system as I could be the queen of any country and only book an inside cabin it is more about the more you pay the more you get sort of thing. So, for example if you pay to go in one of the grill suites you may get a bit more than someone who paid to go in a bog standard inside, outside or balcony.

I was told that because of this, if someone gets in the lift who is in a grill everyone else has to get out of course this is an exaggeration and does not happen. But it does make me chuckle now every time I think about it as I have actually been told this a few times and its a wonder how people have different perceptions of this cruiseship. This of course is not true and I never take peoples word for things until I have experienced it for myself.

Where did I go on the Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship

I did a pre-cruise tour of India with Imagine cruising with 300 other passengers so quite a few of us got on-board. Many the people on our tour was booked into grills and this was mainly due to it being a holiday of a life time or a bucket list item.

I got the chance to visit a couple of Queen Grill suites and yes, they are spacious and luxurious and have amazing balconies but also at least 4 times the price of what I paid.

I was doing the last leg of the world cruise and some people had been on the ship the entire cruise so they must be quite wealthy to do this as it is not cheap.

Different types of cabins on the Queen Mary 2

As with any cruise ship there are different types of cabin, meaning different grades which will vary in price and amenities, location and size. The best ones tend to cost the most money but even the basic cabins are still luxurious on this ship.

The Princess Grill Experiences

What do you get in a Princess Grill experience cabin on the Queen Mary 2

• 335 to 513 square feet of space plus separate living area
• Dine when you choose in the Princess Grill restaurant between 6.30 and 9pm
• Exclusive access to the grills lounge and outdoor terrace
• Marble bathroom feature and exclusive Penhanligon toiletries
• Private balcony
• Sparkling wine and chocolates on arrival
• Fresh fruit daily
• Pillow concierge menu offering a choice of 9 different styles

The Queens Grill Experience

What do you get in a Queen Grill experience cabin on the Queen Mary 2

• Up to 2249 square feet of space plus separate living area
• Personal butler
• Dine when you choose in the Queen Grill restaurant between 6.30 and 9pm
• Have the Queens grill menu delivered to your stateroom course by course
• Exclusive access to the grills lounge and outdoor terrace
• Marble bathroom feature and exclusive Penhanligon toiletries, a shower and whirlpool tub
• Private balcony
• Chilled champagne and chocolates on arrival
• Complimentary stocked mini bar (stocked with two bottles of wine or spirits of your choice and soft drinks and beer. The spirit or wine is replaced once the bottle is empty
• Fresh fruit daily
• Pillow concierge menu offering a choice of 9 different styles

I did think I wouldn’t like to be in a Queen Grill room as it said personal butler. I imagined him to be standing in the corner all day long, obviously I am exaggerating here but I wouldn’t want to contact a butler to make me a cup of tea or open a beer that is in the fridge in my cabin and some people said this is what they were doing I was like what!!!!

I spoke to some guests who were in the Queens grill and they said, “it is definitely an experience of a lifetime and if you can do it then do”. They were doing it as it was a bucket list item and it was possibly their last holiday due to ill health so they wanted to make it a holiday of memories.

They did however comment that the food was not to the quality they were expecting but everything else was superb. It wasn’t until about day 15 of the 20-day cruise they realised they also got complimentary crisps and nuts on a daily basis so I said go and ask for everything you are entitled to!!!

There is also a designated deck area for the grill suites that had different sun loungers to the other decks but to be honest the position of this deck would not have been my preference anyway and when I did go on it as I was passing through shhhh don’t tell anyone it was actually getting falling soot from the chimneys as it was directly in the wind of them so I personally wouldn’t have sat here anyway.

I visited the room and it was huge compared to my inside cabin.

The balcony is the thing that I was most jealous of as I have never cruised with a balcony before although when we were going through pirate risk waters I was glad I didn’t have a balcony.

After experiencing a Cunard ship for myself the class thing is not a big a deal as people were making out before I got on the ship.

Yes, they are entitled to a few extra things but so are people who are loyal to the company and work their way through the tiers i.e. I am now a gold member so I will get invited to an extra cocktail party on my next voyage and when I become a platinum member I even get a chance to go to a wine tasting event.

I was extreme happy with my experience on the Queen Mary 2 and yes I wouldn’t turn down a grill if they would like to upgrade me but money wise I am happy with an inside cabin as it’s all about what you make of the journey.

The things they are getting are not actually complimentary as they have paid a lot more money to travel so I prefer cheap and more holidays thank you. Also check out how I managed to travel luxury on a budget.

More articles about the Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship

Spa on the Queen Mary 2
My Review of the Queen Mary 2
Pirates on the Queen Mary 2
How Accessible is the Queen Mary 2

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