Queen Elizabeth 2 review by Jeannie

Reviewer Profile

Age: 51-65
# of Cruises Taken: 6
Destination: Europe
Sailing Month: May 2008
Stateroom Type: OCEANVIEW
Cruising with Children: No

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Comments By Jeannie
This is the 4th cruise line that we have sailed with, and the food was the BEST !!! Selection, preparation, and willngness to prepare special items not on the menu all ranked HIGHEST. However, we paid up to be in the "Britannia Grill" category - similar to Conceirge level service on other lines. I think part of the reason we had such a good experience was because of this differeniation from what would have been the average cruiser's experience on this ship. Staff were very professional and knowledgeable, especially dining staff. However, the ship is definitely showing its age, and we thought it was a bit "long in the tooth" both in style and upkeep. Certianly the decor was no where near the calibre of that found on Oceania ships. And they allow smoking in many parts of the ship, which we did not appreciate. And many parts of the ship (including our room) smelled musty and stale, possibly because one cannot get fresh air in the room. It is definitely time that the mighty ship is retired.... Our stateroom was large, with lots of storage (but again, we paid up for a larger than average room). However it was our first time without a balcony (only a very few expensive suites have them on this ship; we had 2 port holes and consequently very litte view), and it will be our last time without a balcony - we like the view, both from the balcony and from the room since these rooms tend to have a wall of glass, and also the ability to get fresh air in the room. The itinerary was excellent, although the Captain refused to enter Malta due to windy weather. That was disappointing, but I guess unavoidable. Other stops, especially in Croatia, were OUTSTANDING. It was also a bit different sailing with predominantly British passengers, rather than the normally large American contingent that we have found on Oceania, Royal Caribean and Princess - a refreshing change for us.