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Join us on Queen Elizabeth and immerse yourself in her evocative art deco elegance. This stunning Queen exudes style and has an especially refined feel. Prepare yourself for a truly remarkable voyage.
Queen Elizabeth invites you to an uncrowded world where spacious decks set the perfect backdrop for you to savour a flawless Cunard experience. Immerse yourself in endless entertainment, luxurious accommodation and an array of dining choices. Her art deco features and gleaming chandeliers blend with contemporary attractions to ensure a remarkable holiday. Enjoy croquet on her Games Deck, stunning entertainment in her Royal Court Theatre or relax in her elegant conservatory. The choice, as always with Cunard, is yours.
Overall Impression This was a reminder of why we keep coming back to Cunard. If you value promenade walks, libraries, live orchestras, ballroom dancing, and a strong Main Dining Room (MDR) experience over water slides and video walls, Queen Elizabeth still delivers—especially at current shoulder-season pricing. Embarkation Paperwork listed a 14:15 arrival; we arrived at 12:15. That turned out to be wise. There was already a modest line, and anyone delayed by traffic who arrived “on time” would have been at real risk of missing the ship. We were checked in, cleared muster, and seated in the Golden Lion by 12:45. Embarkation was smooth and efficient. Cabin Oceanview cabins on QE are refreshingly spacious compared to many newer ships, complete with a loveseat. Our low-ball balcony upgrade bid was rejected, but we didn’t regret it. A bottle of bubbly and a half bottle of red were waiting—what was complimentary and what wasn’t was clear. One disappointment: the traditional stateroom tea biscuits are gone. A quiet but noticeable loss. Dining – Main Dining Room (MDR) The Britannia dining room is genuinely the heart of this ship—and Cunard knows it. Dinner quality was excellent throughout the voyage. Menus do trend more vegetarian and fish-forward, which suited us. Salads were a major upgrade over MSC (which we sailed recently). Service was fast, well-coordinated, and consistent—even at breakfast, which many ships struggle to execute well. We’ve abandoned MDRs on many ships over the years. Not here. We ate there repeatedly and happily. Standouts: Monkfish entrée, roasted grape salad Misses: None Casual Dining & Buffet Buffet offerings were in some cases clearly labeled for dietary needs, even during reduced afternoon service. Beverage stations worked reliably (a rarity lately). A water bottle filling station on Deck 3 discouraged buffet bottle filling – a remarkable unsanitary practice. Late lunch options after port days were weak. Items like Buffalo Chicken and fries felt institutional. Cunard could benefit from observing how Carnival handles casual food appeal. They can serve Mexican or Tapas back there on the pool deck. Golden Lion Pub We enjoy the Golden Lion, but changes are evident: Some items now carry a surcharge. The Indian curry dish other favorites have disappeared. The Signature Cheese Toastie ($7.50) was underwhelming. The venue was less than two-thirds full during late-morning sea days. The older menu—and UK ales—should return. Entertainment & Music This is where Cunard still shines. The Queens Room Orchestra now has nine members, including a male vocalist. Live dance music was plentiful and well performed. The Watson Duo handled dance numbers nicely. Motown night was particularly well received. Ballroom attendance was modest (~50 dancers), but the uncrowded floor was a pleasure. Recorded dance sessions were useful for practice. Sequence dancing was missed, though likely confusing for American audiences. Special mention to Gary, the bandleader, who clearly announces dances and recently received an award after covering multiple venues solo as a drummer. Activities & Enrichment Chair Yoga and Fun Fitness were popular and well run. Danced lessons were good. Afternoon Tea was by the book (thankfully without disposable jam jars). Library remains a highlight, though it needs longer hours and could use more outlets and fewer computers. Quiet spaces for early-morning reading or writing are limited. A simple 24/7 lounge with coffee and no TV—especially for loyal but non-suite guests—would be welcome. Ports Nelson’s Dockyard (Antigua): Historic, well maintained, worth the taxi ride ($40 each way). Barbados: Andromeda Botanic Gardens were excellent. Taxi for four hours: $150 for four people. St. Maarten: Underrated port. Docked right at the beach. Well-organized $7 water taxi. Walk far enough and the paid chairs give way to open sand. Cane Garden Bay: This is a pretty sailing yacht stop and the ride over in the open air cab was breathtaking. Internet The basic plan, which can be swapped between devices, is faster, but many non-streaming sites are blocked (including Reddit). Functional, but restrictive. Value With Cunard seven-day sailings dipping under $700, value is currently strong—driven in part by competition. Many passengers onboard were first-time Cunard guests attracted by price. This is a demanding market, and Cunard is navigating it carefully. Final Thoughts Queen Elizabeth remains a refuge for traditional cruising: live music, a real promenade deck, thoughtful dining, and a sense of calm absent on many contemporary ships. Yes, there are misses in the US market transition. But Cunard has largely protected what matters most. We came home relaxed, happy, and one voyage away from Platinum. Would we sail again? Absolutely. Who should sail Cunard? Travelers who value substance over spectacle. Until next time.
Just to say right up front before I go into detail, I LOVED this cruise and was sad to disembark but am sure I’ll be booking another in the next year or so! This was my first time on Queen Elizabeth (I’ve previously sailed on QM2, QA and QE2) and I’ve been hearing for years about what a lovely ship this is and I must say I agree. The size, number of passengers, space, décor and overall atmosphere was just lovely. I felt at home right away and there was no mistaking I was on board a Cunard Line vessel. After doing more than ten crossings in the last twenty years I was doing my first cruise since… 1974, when I was a kid with my parents. Loved every second of it and will look forward to mixing in more cruises with my crossings. Why did I wait so long? Short back story on how I booked, which was through the Cunard website and phone reps: For this cruise I started out booking Britannia Club (after previously sailing on Britannia base exclusively – okay and Mauretania level on QE2) because the last couple of crossings on QM2 and my one on QA I was feeling like cost-cutting, especially with food and service in the dining room was changing the experience too much. So I thought with Britannia Club the service might be a bit nicer and I know there are some culinary perks to it as well. Well then I decided to rebook (not bid on an upgrade through the site’s random method) because I figured out that the cost for Princess Grill was quite a bargain for this particular cruise especially considering there were so many sea days on this (five), which I love. Then I received a call from Cunard asking if I’d like to upgrade to Queens Grill for a ridiculously attractive amount of money and I said yes right away. It was myself and my husband traveling. Embarkation in Miami went quite smoothly and once we dropped off our luggage and went through security we were headed to the ship in no time. We did have priority boarding due to our loyalty level (and also being in Queens Grill) and I did notice a very long and slow moving line of those who did not. Felt sorry for those we whooshed by but glad for that perk for sure. Disembarkation was equally smooth and I don’t remember much about it, which I guess is a good sign. Our cabin was a Q3 and let me say, it will be hard to go back to anything less after 12 days of all that space and a butler and assistant butler. We both had to do a bit of work while on board and it was so great to each have our own desk areas. Having a dedicated sitting area separate from the sleeping area was fantastic. The large bathroom with separate WC and having both a bathtub and a shower stall was wonderful. Yes, I’ll be able to sail in a good old Britannia cabin again but I’ll always appreciate the roominess and luxe feeling this cabin had along with the stupendous, helpful yet inobtrusive cabin staff. Also, the balcony for this cabin was double-width and we loved watching the last remnants of sunset with our cocktails and complimentary daily canapes from there. The ship’s public rooms were kept in remarkable condition and to me all looked brand new. I do know that she went through a mini refresh earlier this year but even beyond the new carpets and chairs, etc., she is looking sharp and well kept and the overall feeling is that you’re on a luxury ship even if Cunard is essentially mainstream. Outdoor decks: Even if you factor in that we were Grills category this time around, there seemed to be plenty of deck space in general, which is so crucial for warm weather cruising. That said, I did make use of the Grills Decks each sea day every late morning and post lunch and luxuriated in the quiet space there with the newly installed shaded canopies. They even served tea out there! For sail aways we preferred the non Grill aft deck, which is quite roomy but also fun and lively for the occasion. Anyway, no shortage of deck space anywhere. My personal opinion only: the Games Deck forward seems a waste to me and a little hokey with croquet and lawn bowling, etc. and I didn’t see it being used much. A lot of wasted space for what seems like a “novelty”. I feel like something better could be put there along the lines of what Queen Anne has. Maybe it has its fans though. Note: I do know that the mid ship pool area had some issues starting with the cruise after ours and was off limits, though I believe all has been rectified now. Dining: So this is where I had my highest hopes and really the whole reason for me venturing outside of Britannia and up to Grills. As far as the actual room and service, all A+! The Maître D’ was so accommodating and friendly and never hesitated to any of our special requests and table-side preparations that are offered. That was really something that elevated the whole experience and you felt like you were First Class on one of the old liners of yesterday. The same for our server and his assistant, top notch and friendly and so helpful. Our table was right at the window and the room itself, while lacking the grandeur of the main dining room, felt exclusive and elegant. Our wine steward was a little inconsistent with his service and surprisingly lacking in knowledge. But overall the service and ambiance were lovely. The food…. Sadly I was less than impressed by the menu items and in all honestly it seemed very much along the lines of exactly what is in the MDR, including the preparation. This was a disappointment and I’m starting to think that Cunard has given up on the idea of offering gourmet food choices or at least seeing that they are prepared to perfection. Yes, there were more items to choose from and the daily “always available” ones but overall the food was lackluster. There were of course a few exceptions (Lobster Thermidor, for one) but mostly they were the ones you had to request ahead of time and have prepared table-side. We did request caviar service four times and they never batted an eye and that was an amazing included option. The Caeser Salad, for example, was like something you’d get on an airplane and we even went to the MDR one day for lunch and could see the preparation and most items were pretty much the same. Anyway, I hate to whine about the food, but come on Cunard! We did go to the Verandah one day for lunch, which was nice but we actually felt that of all these extra tariff restaurants on Cunard that we’ve tried, Sir Samuels on QA is the best by far. Verandah is a very pretty room, though, and the service was very good. Happy to say that Afternoon Tea is still a great treat and the standards remain. Most of the time we took it in the Queens Room (especially fun to partake after you’ve spent the day at the beach or whatever) and it was always perfect. One day I had it in Princess Grill (where they serve it for both Grills levels) and that was quite nice and you got to choose items off of a menu and another day I had it on deck. Queens Room is still the best venue, I’d say! Entertainment: We didn’t partake much of the big shows in the theater (maybe once or twice) but loved the Irish duo playing in the pub who we went to see at least four times and there was also a pianist (a Italian gentleman?) who played in various venues around the ship for the duration and he was mesmerizing. Somehow I skipped all the speakers this time! Maybe on a cruise it wasn’t as much of a draw for me as on a crossing. The open decks or time on the islands won out! Oh, the Yacht Club feels a bit tired to me and needs a remodel and maybe some live music. It was always a DJ when we were there. Ports: We had six ports and we loved them all. I won’t bother with a travelogue on them, but four out of six of them we went straight to the prettiest beaches we could research and loved doing that along with grabbing lunch nearby. In St. Lucia we skipped the beach and hired a driver to take us to a hot spring/mud bath and a waterfall. Great fun, if a little pricy. In San Juan we went to the two forts and found a rooftop seafood restaurant with great views. Otherwise it was all about the beaches. Minus my disappointment with the food, this was a wonderful experience and I was so glad to do it on Cunard, where you still have the traditions of getting dressed up, the World Club Party, Afternoon Tea and the “formality” that Cunard touts combined with the relaxed feeling of sunny days on deck. Also, service everywhere on the ship from the lounges to the shops to even the Purser’s Office (lost sunglasses) was just really the best I’ve experienced in a long time. I can’t wait to do it again!
Welcome to a world of refined elegance on Queen Elizabeth, where every suite and stateroom is a sanctuary you could call your own on board. Shoes off. Robe on. Tea poured. It’s your space to escape to, whenever you feel like it.
On a Queen Elizabeth voyage, you’re free to enjoy all your ship has to offer, or simply relax in your own suite or stateroom if that’s the order of the day. There’s no pressure to be anywhere or do anything. Find a haven in your accommodation, and perhaps spend an afternoon or more ‘in’, wearing your comfy cotton robe, room service on the way, and a blockbuster movie on screen or your holiday read in hand.
On Queen Elizabeth, every meal is a journey unto itself. Indulge your senses at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and perhaps a quintessential Afternoon Tea in between. Read on as we guide you through the culinary delights that await you on Queen Elizabeth.
As with all Cunard ships, Queen Elizabeth operates a stateroom-affiliated dining system, whereby your main dining room corresponds to your stateroom grade: Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill or Queens Grill. Guests can dine in their main dining room for all meals of the day, and it's all included in the cruise fare. However, these are just the beginnings of what your tastebuds can discover on board Queen Elizabeth. Read on as we introduce six of our favourite culinary experiences available to guests on Queen Elizabeth, wherever she sails.
Queen Elizabeth provides you with a wealth of engaging experiences to keep you entertained day and night. From spectacular theatrical performances to the excitement of the casino, there's something to keep everyone happy.
Whatever ‘wellness’ means to you, find a way to prioritise it on Queen Elizabeth. It could be spending time at the gym and taking laps in the pool. It might be a gentle evening stroll around the Promenade deck or making healthy choices at mealtimes. Or perhaps it’s simply enjoying a slower pace of life, taking time out to rest and recuperate during your holiday.
Our ships are ideal family holiday destinations, with plenty to keep our younger guests entertained.
Children of all ages are welcome on our ships, and our dedicated clubs offer activities and entertainment. These include arts and crafts, sporting activities, play areas, computer games and much more. They can make friends with other children at The Play Zone, for two- to seven-year-olds, and The Zone which is ideal for eight- to 17-year-olds. Our youth staff will supervise your children and organise events, activities and competitions.
Access to the children's clubs is included in your fare.
