one way cruise from new york to southampton

USA to England Cruises

There are cruises from the United States to England, including regularly scheduled Transatlantic voyages between New York and Southampton. A cruise is the comfortable and luxurious way to get to the UK. See the full schedule of departures below.

US to England cruises depart from New York, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Large cruise ships cannot fit up the river to London, so the trips go to Southampton or Dover, England. Southampton is 80 miles south-west of London. Harwich is 85 miles north-east of London.

January 3, 2024: 8-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

January 11, 2024: 10-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from Miami (Florida) to Southampton (England). Non-stop cruise.

March 9, 2024: 16-day cruise to England on Princess Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores), Funchal (Madeira), Casablanca (Morocco), Cadiz (Spain) and Lisbon (Portugal).

April 5, 2024: 15-night cruise to England on Royal Caribbean . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit CocoCay (Bahamas), Tenerife (Canary Islands), Cadiz (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal) and Vigo (Spain).

April 5, 2024: 16-day cruise to England on Princess Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores), Lisbon (Portugal), Bilbao (Spain) and Cherbourg (France).

April 25, 2024: 14-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England). Visit Halifax (Canada), Reykjavik (Iceland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Dublin (Ireland) and Le Havre (France).

April 28, 2024: 12-night cruise to England on Royal Caribbean . One-way from Cape Liberty (New Jersey) to Southampton (England). Visit Funchal (Madeira), La Coruna (Spain) and Le Havre (France).

April 29, 2024: 14-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England). Visit Halifax (Canada), Dublin (Ireland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Le Havre (France).

April 30, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

May 2, 2024: 13-night cruise to England on Celebrity Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores), Cork (Ireland), Dorset (England) and Bruges (Belgium).

May 4, 2024: 15-day cruise to England on Princess Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores), Cork (Ireland), Falmouth (England), Portland (England) and Le Havre (France).

May 26, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

July 5, 2024: 21-day cruise to England on Princess Cruises . One-way from New York to Southampton (England). Visit Halifax (Canada), Corner Brook (Canada), St Anthony (Canada), Qaqortoq (Greenland), Nanortalik (Greenland), Reykjavik (Iceland), Stornoway (England), Glasgow (Scotland) and Portland (England).

July 7, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

July 21, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

August 18, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

September 11, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

October 13, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

December 8, 2024: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

January 3, 2025: 8-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

January 4, 2025: 13-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from Miami (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores), Lisbon (Portugal), Vigo (Spain) and Le Havre (France).

February 7, 2025: 12-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from Miami (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores).

March 9, 2025: 15-day cruise to England on Princess Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Funchal (Madeira), Casablanca (Morocco) and La Coruna (Spain).

March 14, 2025: 14-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England) on the Queen Victoria. Visit Port Canaveral (Florida), Hamilton (Bermuda) and Ponta Delgada (Azores).

March 22, 2025: 12-night cruise to England on Celebrity Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Royal Naval Dockyard (Bermuda) and Ponta Delgada (Azores).

March 29, 2025: 8-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

April 4, 2025: 14-day cruise to England on Princess Cruises . One-way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Ponta Delgada (Azores), Brest (France), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium).

April 12, 2025: 15-night cruise to England on Royal Caribbean . One-way from Miami (Florida) to Portsmouth (England). Visit Grand Bahama Island (Bahamas), Royal Naval Dockyard (Bermuda), Ponta Delgada (Azores), Porto (Portugal) and La Coruna (Spain).

April 24, 2025: 14-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England). Visit Halifax (Canada), St John's (Newfoundland), Reykjavik (Iceland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Dublin (Ireland) and Le Havre (France).

April 27, 2025: 14-day cruise to England on Norwegian Cruise Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England). Visit Halifax (Canada), St John's (Canada), Reykjavik (Iceland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Liverpool (England) and Le Havre (France).

April 28, 2025: 14-night cruise to England on Royal Caribbean . One-way from Miami (Florida) to Southampton (England). Visit Royal Naval Dockyard (Bermuda), Ponta Delgada (Azores), Lisbon (Portugal) and Vigo (Spain).

May 5, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

May 23, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

June 13, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

July 8, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

August 8, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

September 3, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

October 17, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

October 31, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

December 8, 2025: 7-night cruise to England on Cunard Line . One-way from New York to Southampton (England) on the Queen Mary 2. Non-stop cruise.

The Man in Seat 61

The transatlantic ferry

Cunard's queen mary 2.

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Train travel UK & Ireland...

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This is a guide to travel between Europe & the United States using Cunard's Queen Mary 2. 

Cunard maintain a scheduled transatlantic passenger service between Europe and the United States, usually one sailing a month in each direction between Southampton & New York from April to December taking 7 nights.

You travel aboard the greatest ocean liner in the world, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (QM2).  It's a crossing , not a cruise , and many people use the QM2 as their preferred mode of transport between Europe & the United States.  The Queen Mary 2 is a proper ocean liner, built with the extra structural strength & power to withstand the rigours of the North Atlantic in all weathers.  The QM2 took over the transatlantic service from Cunard's 1967-built QE2 in 2004.

You can forget being bored, it's a week of relaxation, with cinema, theatre, interesting lectures, spa treatments, swimming pools, cocktail bars, restaurants, an excellent library, shops and even the world's only sea-going planetarium.  Plus the cold grey Atlantic which I never tire of watching.  You can also forget seasickness, the 150,000 ton QM2 is rock-steady in most weather amidships, you'll need to walk forward towards the bows to feel any up and down movement.  Westbound, the crossing is rounded off by an awe-inspiring early-morning arrival into New York City, in my opinion the best way to arrive in the Big Apple. 

Crossing the Atlantic by ocean liner needn't cost much more than a business-class flight, fares for two people sharing the cheapest Britannia stateroom start from £1,099 per person each way, for 7 nights accommodation, all meals & entertainment.

The Man in Seat Sixty-One says:   "From personal experience, staggering round a transatlantic liner in a dinner jacket with a martini is the normal, rational, reasonable way to cross the Atlantic.  Heading for an airport and strapping yourself to a flimsy aluminium tube is an unfortunate and eccentric aberration."

Transatlantic sailing dates

Southampton ► new york.

2024 transatlantic sailings:   28 April, 16 May, 9 June (6 night), 23 June (6 night), 21 July (6 night), 16 August, 15 September, 17 October (8 night), 13 November, 14 December.

2025 transatlantic sailings:   9 January (9 nights, Queen Anne), 8 March, 27 April (8 nights), 16 May, 6 June, 24 June, 27 August, 26 September, 24 October, 19 November, 15 December.

All crossings are now 7 nights except where shown.  The Queen Mary 2 usually sails from Southampton at 17:00, arriving in New York 7 nights later at 06:30-07:00.  The terminal she uses in Southampton varies.  In New York she arrives at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

New York ► Southampton

2024 transatlantic sailings:   3 January (8 nights), 5 May, 23 May, 15 June (8 nights), 6 July (8 nights), 27 July (8 nights), 23 August, 4 October (9 nights), 25 October, 3 December.

2025 transatlantic sailings:   3 January (8 nights), 6 April (8 nights), 5 may, 23 may, 13 June, 8 July, 8 august, 3 September, 17 October, 31 October, 8 December then 3 January 2026 (8 nights).

The QM2 usually sails from New York Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at 17:00, with check-in opening at 13:00 and closing at 15:45.  She arrives in Southampton at 06:30 seven nights later.

How to check sailing dates, times, prices & availability

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How much does it cost?

Typical Cunard one-way fares for transatlantic crossings.  Late bookings in late season can often be cheaper than this!

Inside = without window, oceanview = with porthole, see the cabin accommodation guide .  All other staterooms & suites have a balcony, except the two Q3 Royal Suites.

Britannia = allocated to the Britannia restaurant for meals.  Princess or Queen's Grill = allocated to the superior Princess or Queen's Grill restaurants for meals.

How to find cheaper tickets:   You'll often find cheaper fares if you buy your tickets from a cruise specialist such as www.cruisenation.com (UK-based) or www.cruisedirect.com (in the USA or Canada), both of which have online booking for transatlantic crossings and cruises.  Agencies like these can save perhaps £100 per person or more off the official Cunard price, and you'll also find cheaper fares if you shop for last minute deals and late-season crossings, as low as £799 or better, for example.  However, be aware that in high summer transatlantic sailings can get full many months in advance.

Round trip fares:   There are special round trip fares covering two back-to-back crossings with just 1 day in New York, but if you plan to spend more than a day at your destination you'll need to pay one-way fares each way.  In other words, for all practical purposes a round trip on the QM2 means buying two one-way tickets.

Cunard Fare & Saver fare:   The Cunard fare lets you choose a specific cabin & dinner sitting up front.  The Saver fares are several hundred pounds or dollars cheaper and guarantee a cabin in the booked grade or higher, but the cabin and dinner sitting time are allocated for you.  You can log in to Cunard's voyage personaliser at my.cunard.com/en-gb/mycruise/login a couple of weeks before departure to see what cabin & sitting you have been allocated.

Child fares:   See here .

What does the fare include?   All Queen Mary 2 transatlantic fares include your cabin accommodation, all meals & afternoon tea, on-board entertainment such as shows, lectures, films, access to the swimming pools & library, plus the tea, coffee & juices available in the Kings Court self-service.  The fare does not include alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks served in bars or at meals, Canyon Ranch Spa access & treatments, or internet access .  Also, a 'discretionary' fee of around $11-$14 per person per day will be added to your on board account each day as a gratuity for staff.

How to buy tickets

  if you live in uk & europe,   if you live in the usa or canada, how does the ticketing work , westbound transatlantic guide.

Here is a typical transatlantic timetable, port transfer, embarkation arrangements & journey information for a typical westbound transatlantic sailing on the QM2.  Although they normally follow this same pattern, always check the sailing time & check-in times for your specific date.  If you find that something has changed, please let me know .  If you're sailing eastbound, see the eastbound information .  Are  westbound or eastbound crossings better?

Take the train from London Waterloo

Fast air-conditioned trains run from London Waterloo to Southampton Central every 30 minutes taking around 1h17.  No reservation is necessary, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train.

London to Southampton costs £43.10 adult one-way Super Off-Peak in standard class or £86.80 one-way Off-Peak in 1st class.

These tickets have unlimited availability, you can buy them on the day, the price doesn't change.  Children under 16 half price, children under 5 free.

If you book in advance and commit to a specific train, cheaper Advance fares are available from around £10 in standard class or £16 in 1st class.  These tickets have limited availability at each price level.

Check train times & fares from London Waterloo or anywhere in Britain to Southampton at www.thetrainline.com .  Direct trains run from Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford, Reading, Bristol & Cardiff to Southampton, so you won't have to cross London.  See a beginner's guide to UK train travel .

For train connections from Paris or any other European city to London, see here .  I'd recommend a night in London before taking the train to Southampton on sailing day.

Transfer by taxi in Southampton

Make sure you know which of the four possible terminals the QM2 is sailing from, the QEII terminal (dock gate 4), City Cruise Terminal (dock gate 10), Mayflower Cruise Terminal (dock gate 10), or the new Ocean Terminal (dock gate 4).  Map of Southampton, showing all cruise terminals, Southampton Central Station & the historic Ocean Terminal .

A taxi from Southampton Central station takes 10 minutes and costs around £10 to the Mayflower or City cruise terminals, around £13 to the QEII terminal or Ocean Terminal.  You'll find plenty of taxis waiting at the station, the taxi rank is on the same side of the station where most trains from London arrive, so no bridges or subways to negotiate., level access from platform to booking hall to forecourt.

QM2 check-in procedures

Check-in typically opens at 13:00 and closes around 15:45.  Cunard will give you a specific check-in time on your e-ticket to stagger people arriving, but you can arrive earlier if you like, it's not a problem.

Visitors are not allowed on board, so anyone seeing you off will have to leave you at the terminal.   Cunard either send you or allow you to download labels showing your departure date & cabin number, remember to put one on each bag before arriving at the terminal.

When you get out of the taxi at the terminal drop-off point your large bags are immediately taken from you and whisked away, they will magically reappear later in your stateroom.  No bag should exceed 23Kg (50lb) but you can take as many bags as you like as long as they will all fit into your stateroom.

You then walk into the check-in hall and go to the first available check-in desk, this usually doesn't take long.  At the check-in desk, you show your e-ticket, your passport & your credit card for on-board purchases, and a webcam photo is taken of each passenger for security purposes.  You may be asked to fill out a brief health form to notify the ship of any fever you have or any diarrhoea you've had in the last 48 hours.  Each passenger is given a credit-card sized plastic card which is your embarkation card, your cabin key and your charge card for buying drinks & souvenirs on board. 

After check-in there's an airline-style X-ray & metal detector security check, then straight onto the gangway onto the QM2, entering the Grand Lobby on deck 3.  It's a painless process compared to airports.  If you feel like a late lunch, or just a tea, coffee or juice when you board, you'll find the King's Court self-service restaurant on deck 7 open for business and offering all of these.

What's an Atlantic crossing like?

The Queen Mary 2 is usually due to sail from Southampton at 17:00.  This is the most usual time, but please check for your sailing date.  Once on board and settled into your stateroom, listen for announcements about emergency drill.  This is held at 16:00 and takes about 20 minutes.  You listen for the alarm bells, fetch your lifejackets from your stateroom and go to your allocated muster station where staff will brief you on emergency procedures and you'll listen to an announcement by the captain.  When it's over, return your lifejackets to your stateroom and head up on deck for departure...

Soon after 17:00 the QM2 sails, with a band playing on her aft decks and glasses of champagne available (around $17).  She is sometimes moored facing upstream, sometimes downstream, and if she's moored facing upstream at the City or Mayflower terminals, she'll first head further upstream before turning around, somehow managing to turn her 1,130 foot length without hitting the far bank of the river or the small boats moored there.

Southampton's historic Ocean Terminal:  Cunard no longer use the traditional and historic Ocean Terminal dock, from which the original Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and even Titanic would have sailed.  Indeed, the old 1950 terminal building was demolished in 1983 and this hugely historic location now looks totally unremarkable, a freight dock with a couple of multi-storey car parks next to it for vehicle exports.  You won't know that you're looking at it unless you know where it is, so see this map .  It's just north of the QEII terminal, just south of the City & Mayflower terminals.  About the old Ocean Terminal .

The Queen Mary 2 heads downstream into the Solent, heading directly towards Cowes on the Isle of Wight before making a tight turn to port (left) in the deep water channel, passing Ryde to starboard (right) and Portsmouth to port.  The QM2 rounds the Isle of Wight using the deep water route to the east (although this looks like the long way round on a map) and heads out into the English Channel.  By breakfast next morning, you're well past Bishop Rock lighthouse and out in the Atlantic...

Seven nights at sea on the Atlantic.  Cunard slowed down their crossings from 6 nights to 7 nights from 2011 onwards, although an occasional crossing may take 6 or 8 nights.  This is two days slower than it used to be, as the weekly service operated from 1946 to 1967 by the original Queen Mary and her consort Queen Elizabeth took just 5 nights for the 3,150 nautical miles (3,625 miles). 

There may be no coastline or islands to see in mid-Atlantic (or even other ships, usually), but I never tire of gazing at the brooding waters of the North Atlantic.  It changes from day to day, sometimes smooth and glassy, sometimes choppy and sombre, sometimes sunny, sometimes foggy with the Queen Mary 2's fog horn blaring at regular intervals.

You may get rough crossings especially in October, November or December, but my summer crossings on the 150,000 ton Queen Mary 2 or 70,000 ton QE2 have been rock steady all the way.  You could be in a 5 star hotel rather than on board a ship!

The QM2's clocks are put back an hour at 2am on 5 of the 7 nights because of the time difference, giving you a welcome extra hour's sleep in this direction.  You will pass within a few miles of the resting place of the Titanic (within 38 nautical miles on one of my westbound crossings) and an announcement may well be made on board.  Naturally, you'll find a whole programme of entertainment & activities on board every day, and if you really want to be bored you'll have to work hard at it.

The QM2 arrives in New York at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at 06:30.  This is the highlight!  Whether you're a natural early riser or not, make sure you're up and on deck by 04:45 on the morning of arrival in New York, as the arrival into New York by ocean liner is something you will remember all you life.  There's a forward-facing observation deck on deck 11,  immediately below the bridge, accessed from 'A' stairway.  You'll see the lights of Long Island to starboard (the right-hand side), Staten Island to port, and the Verrazano suspension bridge dead ahead at the entrance to New York harbour.  The Queen Mary 2 passes under the bridge with just a few precious feet of clearance above her funnel, and as she does so the fabulous Manhattan skyline comes into view.  The QM2 no longer uses Cunard's traditional terminal at Pier 90 on Manhattan itself, so she no longer steams right past the Statue of Liberty, but instead she turns to starboard (to the right) opposite the statue and heads into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, berthing within sight of the famous Statue and Manhattan skyline.

QM2 disembarkation in New York

A note explaining QM2 disembarkation procedures appears outside your stateroom a day or two before arrival, and each deck is allocated a disembarkation time.  Disembarkation takes place between 08:00 & 11:00.  The upper decks with the more expensive cabins disembark first (e.g. decks 9, 10, 11, 12), other decks such as 4, 5 or 6 later.

Labels for your bags appear outside your stateroom the day before arrival.  You put a label on each of your bags and place them in the corridor outside your stateroom between 20:00 & midnight before arrival.  Your bags will disappear and will be waiting for you in the terminal hall next morning, in an area marked with the same colour as your labels.

It's then just a matter of going through the U.S. immigration check, a slowish process but no worse than any airport.  They you walk out of the terminal.

Express disembarkation:   If you want to get off sooner and are happy managing all your own bags, you can register for Express disembarkation at the purser's desk on deck 2 the day before arrival.  You are given an express disembarkation card.  Express disembarkation passengers gather in the Queens Room from 06:45 onwards with all their luggage, and at around 07:00 when the gangway opens you simply walk off the ship with your bags, straight into the terminal.  With a Deck 4 cabin we were allocated an 11:00 disembarkation time, which would have meant half a day in New York wasted, so I'd go for express disembarkation every time!

Transfer by taxi to Manhattan

The Tour Office on deck 2 offers private transfers by minivan from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to any Manhattan hotel for a ridiculous $429, or they can sell you tickets for a transfer bus for $59 per person. 

However, both options are crazy, because a normal yellow cab from the terminal taxi rank to anywhere in Manhattan costs only $40 for up to 4 people and all your bags, and you'll find plenty of taxis waiting right outside the terminal building.  Enjoy the drive across the famous Brooklyn Bridge in a New York Yellow Cab!

You'll also find plenty of black private hire vehicles outside the terminal with a fixed price of around $55 to a Manhattan hotel, also a good relaxed option.  The ride takes 20 minutes.

Alternatively, the cheapest option (just $4) is to take the frequent ferry from Brooklyn's Red Hook ferry terminal to Pier 11 on Wall Street at the southern end of Manhattan.  Red Hook ferry quay is only 100m from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and it'll take you to Manhattan in a matter of minutes, see www.ferry.nyc .  It's aimed at locals, but taking a suitcase isn't usually a problem.  See walking map cruise terminal to Red Hook ferry .

By train from New York to other U.S. cities

You can be at Penn Station by 11:30 or earlier, for onward train connections.  Washington DC is only 3 hours away by train, Boston 4 hours or less.  The Lake Shore Limited train to Chicago leaves Penn Station around 15:45 arriving in Chicago next morning, with connections for all points west including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Seattle.  You'll also make the afternoon Crescent overnight train to Atlanta & New Orleans, or the afternoon Silver Meteor overnight to Florida.

You can book any of these trains online in advance at www.amtrak.com , collecting your ticket from the self-service machines at Penn Station.  Note that between New York & Washington or New York & Boston you'll be offered two different types of train:  The premium-fare Acela Express 150mph high-speed train with business class and first class, but no coach class, and the slower but cheaper Northeast Regional trains with coach class and business class. 

You can book Amtrak trains yourself, but if you want an agency to sort a package of train connections and hotels from New York to other US cities, call Railbookers on 0207 864 4600 (UK office) or 1-888-829-4775 (US office).  Beginner's guide to train travel in the USA .

By train from New York to Toronto, Montreal & Canada

Two daily trains link New York with Canada, the Maple Leaf to Toronto and the Adirondack to Montreal.  Both trains leave New York in the morning, so you'll need to spend the night in New York.  It's a very scenic run along the Hudson River valley, past West Point Military Academy, Storm King Mountain and Bannerman's Island.  As it's name suggests, the train to Montreal also passes through the scenic Adirondack Mountains and past Lake Champlain.  Information on trains from New York to Canada .  Change in Toronto for the famous Canadian trans-continental train 2-3 times a week to Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper & Vancouver. 

You can book Amtrak & VIA Rail trains yourself, but if you want an agency to sort a package of train connections and hotels from New York to major Canadian cities, call Railbookers on 0207 864 4600 (UK office), 1-888-829-4775 (US office, toll-free) or 1-855-882-2910 (Canada, toll-free).  Beginner's guide to train travel in Canada .

Eastbound transatlantic guide

Here is a typical timetable, transfer & journey information for most eastbound trans-Atlantic crossings.  Although they usually follow this pattern, please check sailing & check-in times for your specific date when you book in case they are different.  If you find that anything has changed, do let me know .  If you plan to travel westbound, click here .  Are  westbound or eastbound crossings better?

By train from Washington DC & other US cities to New York

Amtrak trains link Washington DC & New York in less than 3 hours, Boston to New York in under 4 hours.  The daily Lake Shore Limited links Chicago & New York overnight, with connections in Chicago from LA, San Francisco, Seattle, etc.  However, the Lake Shore arrives at New York's Penn station in the early evening, too late for same-day connections with the 'Mary, so you'll need to leave Chicago two nights before the 'Mary sails and spend a night in New York before sailing day.  You can check schedules and fares and buy tickets for any of these trains online at www.amtrak.com .  Note that between New York & Washington or New York & Boston you'll be offered two different types of train:  The premium-fare Acela Express 150mph high-speed train with business class and first class, but no coach class, and the slower but cheaper Northeast Regional trains with coach class and business class.  You can book Amtrak trains yourself, but if you want an agency to sort a package of train connections and hotels from other US cities to New York for you, call Railbookers on 0207 864 4600 (UK office) or 1-888-829-4775 (US office.  Beginner's guide to train travel in the USA .

By train from Toronto, Montreal & Canada to New York

Two daily trains link Canada with New York, the Maple Leaf from Toronto and Adirondack from Montreal.  Both trains arrive in New York in the evening, so you'll need to spend a night in New York before sailing day - Check hotels in New York .  It's a very scenic run down the Hudson River valley, past West Point Military Academy, Storm King Mountain and Bannerman's Island.  As it's name suggests, the train from Montreal also passes through the scenic Adirondack Mountains and past Lake Champlain.  Information on trains between Canada & New York .  The famous Canadian trans-continental train links Vancouver & Toronto three times a week, via Jasper, Edmonton & Winnipeg.  You can book Amtrak & VIA Rail trains yourself, but if you want an agency to sort a package of train connections and hotels from a Canadian city to New York for you, call Railbookers on 0207 864 4600 (UK office) or 1-888-829-4775 (US office, toll-free) or 1-855-882-2910 (Canada, toll-free). Beginner's guide to train travel in Canada .

By taxi from Manhattan to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal

A normal yellow cab from New York Penn Station or any hotel in Manhattan to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal costs around $40 for up to 4 people and all your bags.  Enjoy the drive across the famous Brooklyn Bridge in a traditional New York Yellow Cab!  The taxi ride takes 20 minutes.

Alternatively, a frequent ferry operates from Pier 11 at the end of Wall Street in Manhattan to Red Hook ferry terminal in Brooklyn, this is just 100m from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, fare $4, see www.ferry.nyc .  See walking map from Red Hook ferry terminal to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal .

QM2 check-in procedures in New York

Check-in usually opens around 13:00 and closes around 15:45.  Cunard will give you a specific check-in time on your e-ticket to try and stagger people arriving, but you can arrive earlier if you like.  Visitors are not allowed on board, so anyone seeing you off will have to leave you at the terminal then wave from the shore.

Cunard will have sent you adhesive labels showing your departure date & cabin number, remember to put one on each bag before arriving at the terminal, as when you get there your larger bags are immediately taken from you.  They will magically reappear later in your stateroom.  No one bag should exceed 23Kg (50lb) but you can take as many bags as you like as long as they will all fit into your stateroom.

You then walk into the terminal and join the short queue for a ticket check, then another short queue for the X-ray and metal detector security check, then you join a long zig-zag queue for check-in proper.

At the check-in desk, you show your e-ticket, your passport & your credit card for on-board purchases, and a webcam photo is taken of each passenger for security purposes.  You also hand in a brief health form notifying the ship of any fever you have or any diarrhoea you've had in the last 48 hours. Each passenger is given a credit-card sized plastic card which acts as your embarkation card, cabin key and charge card for buying drinks & souvenirs on board.  You then go up the gangway onto the QM2, entering the Grand Lobby on deck 3.

Apart from the time spent in the main queue (have a reading book and some refreshments to hand), it's a painless process compared to airports.  If you feel like a late lunch, or just a tea, coffee or juice when you board, you'll find the King's Court self-service restaurant on deck 7 open for business and offering all of these.

What's an eastbound Atlantic crossing like?

The ship normally sails from New York at 17:00.  This is the usual time, but please check for your specific departure date.  Once on board and settled into your stateroom, listen for announcements about emergency drill.  This is held at 16:00 and takes about 20 minutes.  You listen for the alarm bells, fetch your lifejackets from your stateroom and go to your allocated muster station where staff will brief you on emergency procedures and you'll listen to an announcement by the captain.  After this you're free to go up on deck and admire the Manhattan skyline astern and the Statue of Liberty to starboard (right-hand side).  At 17:00 she casts off, and with a band playing on her aft decks and glasses of champagne available (around $17) she heads out to sea.  Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty slowly disappear astern, and the QM2 heads toward and then underneath the huge Verrazano suspension bridge out into the Atlantic.  There is just a few precious feet of clearance above her red funnel!  An NYPD police boat follows behind (seeing you off the premises?), and a police helicopter buzzes overhead.

Seven nights at sea on the Atlantic.  Cunard slowed down their crossings to from 6 to 7 nights from 2011 onwards, although an occasional crossing still takes 6 nights.  Naturally, you'll find a whole programme of entertainment & activities on board every day, and if you really want to be bored you'll have to work hard at it!  There are no islands or coastline to see in mid-Atlantic (or even other ships, usually), but personally I never tire of gazing at the brooding waters of the North Atlantic.  It changes from day to day, sometimes smooth and glassy, sometimes choppy and sombre, sometimes foggy, sometimes sunny.  You may get rough crossings especially in October, November or December, but my own transatlantic crossings on the 150,000 ton Queen Mary 2 or 70,000 ton QE2 have been rock steady all the way.  You could be in a 5 star hotel rather than on board a ship!  The QM2's clocks are put forward an hour at 2am on five of the seven eastbound nights because of the time difference, giving you an hour's less sleep in this direction - if there's one reason why a westbound crossing can be nicer than an eastbound one, this is it!  (update 2013:  Cunard has tried the crazy idea of putting the clocks forward at midday on recent crossings, much to passengers dismay, as it can be confusing and means dinner is too soon after lunch!)  You will pass within a few miles of the resting place of the Titanic and an announcement may well be made on board.  On the last evening at dinner you may catch site of the Isles of Scilly in the distance (about 35 miles west of Land's End), and later the lights of Cornwall twinkling to port.  A first view of Great Britain!  You're now past the Bishop Rock lighthouse an in the English Channel.  Incidentally, a modern transatlantic crossing is now two days slower than it used to be, as the weekly service operated by the first Queen Mary and her consort Queen Elizabeth from 1946 to 1967 took just 5 nights.

The ship arrives in Southampton at 06:30.  You'll need to be up early, at around 04:30, if you want to see the ship round the Isle of Wight and head past Portsmouth & Ryde and into Southampton Water, although this hardly lives up to the spectacular arrival in New York on a westbound transatlantic.  There's a forward-facing observation deck on deck 10, immediately below the bridge, accessed from 'A' stairway.  Otherwise, you'll find the ship docked at the Southampton Terminal when you awake, and the Kings Court & Britannia restaurants serving a welcome cooked breakfast to send you on your way.

QM2 disembarkation in Southampton

It's then just a matter of going through the UK immigration check.  They you walk out of the terminal.

Express disembarkation:   If you want to get off sooner and are happy managing all your own bags, you can register for Express disembarkation at the purser's desk on deck 2 the day before arrival.  You are given an express disembarkation card.  Express disembarkation passengers gather in the Queens Room from 06:45 onwards with all their luggage, and at around 07:00 when the gangway opens you simply walk off the ship with your bags, straight into the terminal.

Transfer by taxi to Southampton Central station

The Queen Mary 2 can use any one of four different terminals in Southampton, either the QEII terminal (dock gate 4), City Cruise Terminal (dock gate 10), Mayflower Cruise Terminal (dock gate 10), or the new Ocean Terminal (dock gate 4).  Map of Southampton, showing all cruise terminals, Southampton Central Station & the original historic Ocean Terminal .  A taxi to Southampton Central station costs around £10 from the Mayflower or City cruise terminals, or around £13 from the QEII terminal or Ocean Terminal.  You'll find plenty of taxis waiting at the terminal, although there can be a long wait as there are so many other passengers.  The taxi ride takes just 10 minutes.

Take the train to London Waterloo

Cunard no longer organise a special 'boat train' in connection with QM2 sailings.  However, fast air-conditioned trains link Southampton Central with London Waterloo every 30 minutes taking around 1h17.  No reservation is necessary or even possible for Southampton-London trains, you just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train.

Southampton to London costs £43.10 adult one-way Super Off-Peak in standard class or £86.80 one-way Off-Peak in 1st class.

I would not buy a cheaper advance-purchase Advance fare because this commits you to a specific train and you are not in control of exactly when you arrive and disembark.  Super Off-Peak, Off-Peak and Anytime fares can be bought on the day and used flexibly, so you can catch the next train.

You can check train times & fares from Southampton to London Waterloo or anywhere in Britain using www.thetrainline.com .  Direct trains run from Southampton to Reading, Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol & Cardiff, so you won't have to cross London.  Beginner's guide to UK train travel .  Find a hotel in London .

Onward trains from London to Paris & beyond

Onwards to Paris:   Allow plenty of time for onward connections, certainly several hours, and maybe stay in London overnight.  For Paris, take a UK domestic train from Southampton central to London Waterloo (no reservation necessary, see the section above), then take a taxi or Underground across London to St Pancras Station.  Eurostar runs every hour or so from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord in central Paris, journey time 2 hours 20 minutes.   For a beginner's guide to Eurostar travel, see the London to Paris by Eurostar page .  You can book tickets online in advance at www.eurostar.com , and you should indeed pre-book, as London-Paris prices start from £52 in advance but up to £200+ if you wait and buy on the day of travel.

Onwards to other countries:   See this page for information on getting from London to any country in Europe .  Having crossed the Atlantic on the luxurious Queen Mary 2, how about taking the Venice Simplon Orient Express vintage luxury train to Italy ?  This runs on most Thursdays from April to October, and takes 24 hours from London to Venice, a real treat.  You can book European trains yourself, but if you want an agency to put together a package of train connections and hotels from anywhere in Europe to Southampton for you, call Railbookers on 0207 864 4600 (UK) or 1-888-829-4775 (US office).

Which cabin to choose?

There are a bewildering range of staterooms on the Queen Mary 2 at varying prices, but they basically fall into these categories, in ascending order of cost:

Britannia Inside:   An Inside cabin means it has no window, but even though this is the cheapest option, these staterooms are spacious, beautifully designed and have all the facilities mentioned above.  They have double or twin beds for 2 people, although some rooms are fitted with an additional two drop-down upper berths making a 3 or 4-berth room.  Some cabins are wheelchair-accessible.  Allocated to the Britannia restaurant.  Typically 155 sq ft.

Britannia Atrium View:   There are a handful of standard inside cabins on decks 4, 5 & 6 which have a small window opening onto the atrium above the Grand Lobby.  They have double or twin beds for 2 people, but none of these rooms are fitted with additional berths.  Also allocated to the Britannia restaurant.  Typically 161 sq ft.

Britannia Oceanview:   These are outside cabins meaning they have a small non-opening porthole for sea views.  Some seasoned travellers will tell you that with no coastline or islands to see on a 6 day transatlantic crossing, a window is unnecessary.  However, I enjoy seeing where I am and love gazing at the vast and always-changing waters of the North Atlantic.  Paying the extra for a Standard Oceanview is well worth it, both for the views and the natural light.  These staterooms have double or twin beds for two people, but some rooms are fitted with an additional two drop-down upper berths making a 3- or 4-berth room.  Some are wheelchair-accessible.  Also allocated to the Britannia restaurant.  Typically 194 sq ft.

I've crossed with an inside cabin and with an outside cabin, and I think it's well worth the extra for a porthole.  It lets natural light into the cabin and it gives you a much greater sense of place - not to mention sunsets over the Isle of Wight and views of the Statue of Liberty as you pack up on arrival!

Britannia Balcony (Obstructed View) :  The cheapest cabin type to have its own balcony, allocated to the Britannia restaurant.  These are all on Deck 8 above the promenade deck, but with their view heavily obstructed by the ship's lifeboats.  They have a double or twin beds for 2 people, and a few cabins have a 3rd berth in the form of a pull-out sofa bed.

I'd definitely pay a little more for an sheltered balcony, without any obstruction.

Britannia Sheltered Balcony:   The next cheapest cabin type to have its own balcony, allocated to the Britannia restaurant, also with a double or twin beds for 2 people, a few cabins have a pull-out sofa bed as well.  Sheltered balcony cabins are on decks 4, 5 & 6 below the promenade deck with a small balcony cut into the hull.  Typically 269 sq ft, including balcony.

This is my own first choice (unless you can afford a megabucks suite, of course), arguably a better choice for a transatlantic crossing than a more expensive cabin with a more windswept balcony in the ship's superstructure.  See the photos below.

Britannia Balcony:   Also allocated to the Britannia restaurant, these are slightly smaller than the Sheltered Balcony rooms, but have a glass-fronted balcony higher up in the ship's superstructure, on deck 8 and above.

The open glass-fronted balcony lets even more natural light into the cabin than a sheltered balcony, but it'll be more windswept than a sheltered balcony on a transatlantic crossing!   Typically 248 sq ft, including balcony.

Britannia Club Balcony:   Similar to a Britannia Balcony, but allocated to the single-sitting 'Britannia Club' restaurant, a separate off-shoot of the main Britannia restaurant.  Typically 248 sq ft, including balcony.

Princess Balcony Suites:   Suites with balcony, all allocated to the Princess Grill restaurant.  Typically 381 sq ft, including balcony.

Queens Balcony Suites:   Various types of suite, up to and including the extravagant Grand Duplex suites, all allocated to the Queen's Grill restaurant.  All have balconies, except the two Q3 grade Royal Suites.  Size varies from 506 sq ft to 2,249 sq ft.

QM2 deck plans in PDF format

If you pay the more expensive Cunard fare so you can choose a specific cabin, here are some things to consider.

You can feel a slight up & down movement of the ship towards at the bows, but will feel hardly any movement at all amidships.  For this reason mid-ships cabins are higher-graded and cost more (Even if you pay the cheaper Saver fare, you can select a higher grade to ensure a mid-ships cabin).

Some people have reported noise from below when occupying sheltered balcony cabins on 4 deck directly above the Illuminations or Royal Court Theatre, so 5 or 6 Deck may be preferable.  However, we had 4101 & 4105 over the Chart Room bar and these were perfect.

Adjacent cabins with connecting doors are marked on the QM2 deck plan .  Choose these if four of you are going to book two cabins.  But don't choose these if you're only booking one cabin, as a wall with connecting door is never as totally soundproofed as a wall without.

Facilities in all cabins

Even the cheapest QM2 cabin (or stateroom as Cunard calls them) features comfortable beds, a private bathroom with shower, sink & toilet, a dressing table, flatscreen TV, a small coffee table & chair, 240v UK & 110v US style power sockets, pay-per-minute internet access , soap, shower gel, shampoo & conditioner, bathrobes, hairdryer, plenty of wardrobe space, room service menu and a solid electronic safe for your valuables that's large enough for a 14" laptop.  A bedtime chocolate is delivered to your stateroom when the steward turns down your bed.

Where cabins can be configured with either twin beds or a double, you can select your preference in advance using the online voyage personaliser at my.cunard.com/en-gb/mycruise/login the same online system where you download and print your luggage labels and e-ticket.  You log on with your Cunard booking reference and personal details.

Britannia sheltered balcony  See 360º image

This is cabin 4101 on 4 Deck.   The Man in Seat 61 says , "This is my own preferred cabin for a transatlantic crossing.  Even at 20 knots in mid-Atlantic the balcony remains wind-free just as the word sheltered suggests.  Some people say you won't get much use out of a balcony on the Atlantic, but I loved being able to stroll outside at any time and stand at the rail watching the Atlantic drift past.  On a sunny summer crossing off Newfoundland we did indeed sit outside, and even when inside, the French windows let in lots of natural light, making it a far nicer room than an inside or outside cabin, so upgrade if you can.  I have yet to travel with a more expensive full-balcony cabin, but I expect those are a lot more windswept!".  Click the photos for larger images.

Britannia inside & oceanview

Qm2 restaurants, which restaurant.

The fare includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as afternoon tea in the Queen's Room or King's Court.  It does not include drinks, other than the basic water, tea, coffee & juice available at the drink stations in the Kings Court buffet restaurant.  Bottles of wine start at around $30 and real ale lovers can choose Old Speckled Hen or Spitfire for around $6 a bottle.

Your allocated restaurant:   Each stateroom is allocated a restaurant.  Most cabins, including the Inside, Oceanview & Sheltered Balcony, are allocated to the Britannia restaurant on decks 2 & 3. The more expensive staterooms are allocated to the more intimate Princess Grill on deck 7, and the very best staterooms to the Queen's Grill , also on deck 7.  The food is excellent, and you choose from a menu of half a dozen different starters, main courses and desserts, which changes every day.

Optional dining venues:   You can also choose to eat any given meal in the informal King's Court buffet on deck 7, or pub grub in the Golden Lion pub on deck 2, instead of your allocated restaurant.  It's entirely up to you, you can decide on a day by day basis.

There is also the Veranda Restaurant aft on deck 8.  This does seafood and steaks, and is an extra-cost option - you reserve a table and pay extra to dine there instead of your allocated restaurant.

Room service:   If you'd rather eat in your cabin, every cabin has free room service from a simple menu including burgers, pasta, cheese & crackers.  You can order by phone at any time, it's all included in your fare.  However, if you order any drinks from room service, including soft drinks, these are charged at bar prices.  You can also choose to have breakfast delivered to your stateroom, except on the morning of arrival.  Just hang the breakfast order form on your cabin door before retiring.

Britannia restaurant

Most staterooms are allocated to the Britannia restaurant , a magnificent two-storey 1,300 seat restaurant spanning decks 2 & 3 and reminiscent of the grand dining saloons of the great ocean liners of the past.  There are two sittings for dinner, 6pm & 8.30pm.  If you pay the Cunard fare you can choose a sitting when you book, if you pay the cheaper Saver fare you will be allocated a sitting, perhaps the less popular 8.30pm one.  If you log onto your online voyage personaliser at my.cunard.com/en-gb/mycruise/login with your booking reference and personal details it will confirm your sitting before you travel.  Evening entertainment is arranged so that both sittings can enjoy it, although the 6pm sitting gives you the rest of the evening free, and is arguably more relaxed than the later one.  If you've young children, see the section below .  There are no specific sittings or allocated tables for lunch or breakfast, you are allocated a table when you walk in, choosing your own table for 2, table for 4 or if you prefer, seats at a shared table so you get to meet other passengers.

Princess Grill & Queen's Grill

More expensive staterooms are allocated to the Princess Grill , the most expensive suites to the Queens Grill .  Both are aft on deck 7, served by the same galley.  There are no sittings, you can dine any time you choose when the restaurant is open.  If you want a drink before dinner, the Grill Lounge is a lounge and bar exclusively for Princess & Queens Grill passengers, on 7 deck aft, directly opposite the entrance to the Queens Grill.

Kings Court

The Kings Court buffet restaurant takes up most of the centre section of deck 7, and it's open almost continuously from early until late, with only half an hour here and there were breakfast dishes are swapped for lunch or lunch for dinner.  There's a wide variety of food, all good quality, including a carvery.  The window tables with sea views cross the promenade deck are the nicest.  Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water & juices can be had for free from the drinks stations in several locations around the Kings Court area.  Stewards will take your order for wine, beer, cocktails, mocktails or fizzy soft drinks and deliver them to your table, these drinks must be paid for, added to your on board account.

The Man in Seat 61 says , "If you fancy a first breakfast in the Britannia restaurant then a second breakfast in the Kings Court, why not?  After all, Second Breakfast is the most important meal of the day..."

The Verandah restaurant

The Verandah restaurant aft on deck 8 is an extra-cost option, specialising in steaks and seafood.  You can make a reservation at the Verandah restaurant whilst you are on board, or you can book a table for one or more nights at your desired time before you travel, by logging into your voyage personaliser at my.cunard.com/en-gb/mycruise/login booking the table and paying the extra.

The Man in Seat 61 says , "With our normal Britannia sitting not until 8.30pm, we booked a table at the Verandah for 6pm on our last evening before getting up early to see the arrival into New York.  I wished we'd dined there on more than just one occasion, the steaks were top class."

QM2 bars & lounges

There is no shortage of watering holes on the Queen Mary 2.  Personally, the Chart Room works for cocktails before or after dinner as it's near the social centre of the ship on deck 3, but for quiet reading, working on a laptop and generally getting away from it all, the Commodore Club with its forward view over the bows is my top choice.  Drinks are not too expensive:  A tea is $2, a glass of wine perhaps $6, a cocktail $10.  Although I'm a non-smoker 99.9% of the time, one of Havana's Montecristo number 2 cigars and a 1979 Armagnac were sound recommendations from the barman on the last night of a return crossing from New York.

Champagne bar

Sponsored by Veuve Cliquot, the Champagne Bar is on 3 Deck, on the upper level of the Grand Lobby in the centre of the ship.

Commodore Club

Located on deck 9 on 'A' stairway at the forward end of the superstructure.  It's away from the hustle and bustle, a quiet and relaxing place for a cocktail and a read or chat.  You get a great forward view over the bows, although blinds are drawn at dusk so the light does not interfere with the view from the bridge above.  This is my favourite place on QM2 - it does a great range of cocktails and other drinks, the Churchill Cigar Lounge opens off the Commodore Club, the library is one deck down also on 'A' stairway, and the open-air observation deck below the bridge is two decks up on 'A' stairway.  There's a huge illuminated model of the QM2 behind the bar.

Chart room bar

Located on deck 3 near the Britannia restaurant, this is the largest and busiest of the QM2's bars.  Click the photo for larger image.

Golden Lion Pub

Located on deck 2 near the Britannia restaurant, this is not only a good place for a pint of London Pride, you can take meals here too, with pub-style food such as fish and chips or sausages and mash.  Click the photo for larger image.

Carinthia Lounge

Located on deck 7 next to the Kings Court buffet with doors opening onto the promenade deck.  This is a good place to sit, read, and have a tea or coffee.  You may also find some complimentary snacks or soup here too, at the kitchen counter.  Click the photo for larger image.

Afternoon tea in the Queen's Room

Every day at around 3.30pm, afternoon tea is served in the Queen's Room, on 2 Deck aft.  A choice of teas comes with daintily-cut sandwiches, scones and cakes, served by stewards in white gloves.  Afternoon tea is included in the fare, but a glass of champagne is extra.

Grill Lounge

The Grill Lounge is a lounge and bar exclusively for passengers travelling in the upmarket staterooms and suites allocated to the Princess and Queen's Grill restaurants.  It's located on 7 Deck aft, directly opposite the entrance to the Queen's Grill and the ship's width away from the entrance to the Princess Grill.  It seemed to be empty most of the time even with the ship sailing full, it's main purpose seems to be drinks before dinner.

Churchill's Cigar Lounge

This is a sealed and specially-ventilated room opening off the starboard side of the Commodore Club.  Here you can order a whisky or cognac and choose from a cigar menu.  The rest of the ship's accommodation is of course non-smoking!

QM2 activities & entertainment

A daily programme for the following day is delivered to your stateroom each evening.  It shows details of the entertainment and activities on board, along with navigational & itinerary information and the opening and closing times of all restaurants, bars and other facilities.  There's an ongoing programme of shows, plays & lectures.  For example, recent crossings featured talks by John Cleese about his work on Monty Python & Fawlty Towers, excellent lectures by an expert on New York skyscrapers, an edited version of Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew' and Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of being Earnest'.  The QM2 also features the world's only sea-going planetarium, called the 'Illuminations'.  And of course there are several live bands on board, with dancing every evening, sometimes themed such as the 'Black & White Ball' and 'Ascot Ball'.  If it's disco you prefer, you'll find that in the G32 nightclub.  You'll also find the Canyon Ranch spa on deck 7, offering a wide range of treatments from manicures to massages, Jacuzzis to saunas.  If you want to be bored, you'll have to really work at it.

Library & bookshop

The QM2 has an excellent library - for me, one of its best features - located on 8 deck forward on 'A' stairway directly below the Commodore Club.  You can take out books using your cabin key, or read them in the library, with comfy seats, some with a forward-facing view over the QM2's bows.  The library is open during office hours every day, outside these times the bookshelves are locked but the library itself remains accessible.  As you'd expect, the QM2's library has a particularly good section of books about ocean liners.  Next to the library is a bookshop selling travel guides, QM2 souvenirs & ocean liner/QM2 books.  Click the left-hand photo for larger image .

Swimming pools

The QM2 has several swimming pools.  The most popular (certainly on a transatlantic crossing) is the Pavilion Pool on 12 deck, with sun loungers, two hot tubs, see the photo below.  The roof can slide away when the QM2 visits warmer climates, but it remains closed on the Atlantic.  Towels are provided, there are toilets (visible below behind the two hot tubs) which you can use as changing rooms, or you can change in your cabin and use your bathrobe.  You can see the funnel from the pool through the glass roof, towering above you.  Don't jump when the ship's horns are tested at midday!  There's also a bar here, open at certain times of day.  In addition to this indoor pool there are two outdoor pools on the open decks aft (7 & 8 Deck), one of which is only shallow for kids, the other designated as adults-only.  Click the photo for larger image .

Illuminations

The QM2's Illuminations towards the forward end of Deck 2 can be used as a lecture theatre, cinema or (with an ingenious dome lowered from the ceiling) the world's only ocean-going planetarium.  You'll usually find varying recently-released films shown most evenings, and planetarium sessions at various times on most days.  There's also usually a lecture series or two during each crossing with subjects varying from New York Skyscrapers to pirates on the high seas to the design and build of the QM2.  Click the photo for larger image .

Royal Court Theatre

The QM2's Royal Court Theatre is used for various shows and performances, for example I have seen an interview with John Cleese here, and some stand-up comedy.  Click the photo for larger image .

Spa & gymnasium

The QM2's Canyon Ranch Spa is at the forward end of Deck 7, with with treatment rooms and pool, plus a small beauty salon above on Deck 8.  You can make appointments at the reception desk, treatments & massages are billed to your on-board account.  There's a free-to-use gymnasium at the forward end of Deck 7, pictured below right.

The Cunard heritage trail

The Queen Mary 2 is filled with paintings, information panels and even interactive screens telling the history of Cunard Line, its ships, and the famous people who crossed the Atlantic aboard them.

Travelling with children

You won't be the only family on the QM2, especially on a transatlantic run!  You'll find plenty of entertainment for children in the Play Zone at the aft end of 6 deck.

Arrangements for children & pregnant women on the Queen Mary 2

The play zone & child care.

The Zone is aft on deck 6, staffed by a team of friendly young British-trained nannies.  It has a toddler zone for ages 1-3, a Play Zone for ages 4-6 and The Zone with various computer games and other activities for older kids up to 17.  There's plenty to do, and activities such as treasure hunts or ship tours are organised by the Play Zone team.

Children from 2 to 7 inclusive can be left free of charge with the nannies in the Play Zone during its opening hours, 09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00, 18:00-24:00 (shorter hours apply on the first and last nights).  In other words, you can sign them into the Play Zone at 9am, pick them up at noon and take them to lunch, sign them back in at 2pm and enjoy an afternoon show, pick them up at 5pm and take them to the children's tea provided in the King's Court 'Chef's Galley' area between 16:30 & 17:30.  Then you can check them back into the Zone at 6pm until midnight, leaving you free to enjoy a formal dinner and evening entertainment while the kids play happily in the Zone and later settle down and fall asleep in front of some cartoons.  Outside the Play Zone, children 1 to 7 must always be accompanied by an adult around the ship.

Children 8 and up to 17 can also use the Zone, signing themselves in and out.  They are free to wander the ship solo.

I suggest calling Cunard to check current childcare arrangements as they tweak them from time to time, but they don't properly explain them on their website - indeed, we didn't know how extensive their childcare facilities were until we we actually on board!

Cabins & dinner sittings

If you have young children, it's worth asking for a cabin towards the stern of the ship.  We were given a stateroom at the extreme forward end of deck 6, whereas the Play Zone is at the extreme aft end of deck 6.  That meant we had to walk a sixth of a mile from cabin to Play Zone to sign the kids in, then a sixth of a mile back again to get changed.  It proved impossible sign the kids in at 6pm when the Zone opens, walk all the way back to the cabin, get changed into formal dress, then walk forward again to the Britannia restaurant for a 6pm sitting. 

From this experience on our outward crossing, we changed our sitting for the return crossing to 8.30pm.  The evening then worked better, although some after-dinner films or shows finished after midnight so could not be attended without leaving early to collect the kids.  The dinner tended to take up much of the evening.  A stateroom near the Zone, and dressing for the 6pm dinner sitting before taking the kids to the Zone, might be the ideal solution, but my wife's and my opinion is divided!

If you've small children, remember to take your folding buggy (stroller).  It's a big ship!

Other useful information

There is no baggage limit on the Queen Mary 2, either in terms of total weight or the number of bags.  You can bring what you like, as long as it all fits in your stateroom.  However, for safe lifting by staff, no one item may exceed 23Kg (50lb).  Bags are taken from you on arrival at the terminal and they reappear in your stateroom on board.  At the end of the crossing, they are transported ashore for you.  See the embarkation & disembarkation arrangements above.  If you plan to go one way by ship, the other by air, one advantage of taking the ship on the return leg is that you can take as much shopping as you like!

Cunard sometimes have to fight off a stuffy image, and it didn't help that until 2013 they had a three-tier dress code as complicated as a Virgin Trains Saver Ticket restriction.  However, they now have just two codes, formal and informal.  One of two dress codes will apply each evening after 6pm in all the main restaurants and bars, although not in the Kings Court buffet restaurant.  You'll be told which dress code applies on which night in if you log on to your voyage personaliser and it's also stated in the daily programme delivered to your stateroom.

Payment on board

Everything on board, including drinks in the bar, books from the bookshop, massages in the spa, purchases in the shops or internet access, is billed to your on board account.  You simply show your cabin card and sign for the payment.  At the end of the crossing, the total is automatically deducted from the credit card you gave them at check-in and you'll get a summary of your account delivered to your stateroom half-way across and at the end of the voyage.  Just be aware that Cunard follow the American practice of quoting you one price but charging you a slightly higher price, as all bar prices shown on the drinks menu have 15% service fee added to them automatically.  As service is then included, there is no need to add a gratuity unless the service has been particularly special. 

Internet & mobile phone access

Internet access is available for a fee throughout the QM2, both in your cabin and in all the public areas including bars but excluding the theatres & restaurants.  It generally works well with good download speeds.  You pre-pay for a bundle of minutes and this is added to your normal on-board account.

2019 prices:  $15 for 30 minutes (= $0.50 per minute), $45 for 120 minutes (= $0.38 per minute) or $80 for 240 minutes (= $0.33 per minute).

You can spend these minutes individually, so for example you can buy 120 minutes and spend them over the course of the whole voyage, logging on to download emails, logging off again to compose replies offline, then logging on again to send, and so only using a few minutes at a time.

To use your own laptop, simply click on the 'Qm2_Guest_internet' internet connection and open a web browser to see the log-in screen.  Register with your name & cabin number on this log-in page and the cost will be billed to your QM2 stateroom account.  If you don't have your own laptop, the Cunard Connexions rooms on deck 2 or the library on deck 8 have self-service internet PCs which you can use for the same rates.  You'll find power sockets for laptops (both British 3-pin and US 110v) in your cabin, and (if you hunt for them) British 3-pin sockets in certain areas of most bars including the Commodore Club on deck 9 forward and the Chart Room on deck 3.  Tip:  I found that the Commodore Lounge on 9 deck was the quietest and nicest place to work, there's a 3-pin power socket near the skirting in the 'bridge wing' far side of the lounge.  Mobile phone access is available on board throughout the crossing, although it isn't cheap, you'll need to ask your phone network for their rates.

The QM2 is entirely non-smoking apart from the open decks and the Churchill Cigar Lounge forward on deck 9 next to the Commodore Club.

As well as a hotel-style pay-per-item laundry service for laundry collected from your stateroom, you'll find a small free-of-charge self-service laundrette on cabin decks 4, 5, 6 & 8, see the photo below.  These have washers, driers, free detergent sachets, iron & ironing board.  This came in very handy on both our outward and return crossings on a 7-week trip to the States, as we arrived in the US with bags full of clean clothes and arrived back in Blighty without a huge laundry backlog.  Also useful for ironing dress shirts that have become creased in the baggage.

Taking your dog

Yes, you can take your dog across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2, but they will be kept in the ship's kennels on 12 Deck during the crossing and (except for guide dogs) are not allowed in the public areas.  Contact Cunard for details.  There's an exercise area next to the kennels.

Visiting the QM2's bridge

There are no official bridge visits, but there is a viewing room behind the bridge with two large soundproofed windows so you can see what's going on.  It's normally open 09:00-16:00 on sea days, although it's closed in bad weather.  The entrance is on the port (left-hand) side of the ship on deck 12, accessed via 'A' stairway.  No photography is allowed now - the photos below were taken in 2010 although little has changed here.

Which is better, a westbound or an eastbound transatlantic crossing ?

If you really haven't got the time or money to go both ways by sea, you might want to go one-way by sea and the other by air.  You can often find one-way QM2 fares with a 'free' air fare in the other direction.  If you're British and a shopaholic, the obvious advantage of going out westbound by air and back eastbound by sea is that you can shop in New York and bring back as much as you like, as there are no baggage limits on the Queen Mary 2.  And you'll have the leisurely voyage back home to look forward to at the end of your trip.  However, for my money (not being a great shopper), westbound is much better.  There's the growing anticipation as you near America at the end of an outward westbound crossing, there's the significant advantage of 25-hour days as the clocks are put back on 5 of the 7 nights due to the time difference, and best of all the spectacular arrival into New York harbour in the early morning, with that Manhattan skyline lit by the rising sun.  When you're enjoying your evenings on the town (or rather, the ship) until late at night, the 23-hour days on an eastbound crossing as the clocks are put forward can be a killer!  On the other hand, if I were an American heading for Europe, I might well be tempted to head out by sea eastbound, returning west by air.

Forum for cruise reviews, questions & the latest advice

A good place to find advice & reviews about the Queen Mary 2 and other ships, and to post your own questions and reviews of your trip, is the online cruise forum at www.cruise.co.uk .

About Queen Mary 2

The QM2 was built in 2003 at St Nazaire in France, by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the same shipyard that built the famous French Line ships Ile de France , Normandie and France .  The Queen Mary 2 is no longer the biggest passenger ship in the world in terms of Gross Tonnage, as the Queen Mary 2's 148,528 tons have now been exceeded, first by Royal Caribbean's 154,000-ton Freedom of the Seas in 2006, and then by the 225,000-ton Oasis of the Seas in 2009.  However, the QM2 remains the tallest, longest and widest ship ever built, at 1,132 feet long and 148 feet wide.  For comparison, the original Queen Mary is just 81,237 tons, 1019 feet long, 118 feet wide, and the Titanic was only 46,000 tons, 883 feet long, 93 feet wide.  Queen Mary 2 uses an unconventional propulsion system:  Four large diesel engines and two gas turbines generate electricity, and this powers four electrically-powered propellers each housed in a 'pod' attached under her stern.  The rear two pods swivel to steer the ship, so the QM2 does not have a conventional rudder.  The propellers face forwards rather than backwards, and give her a top speed of around 30 knots (1 knot = 1.1 mph), although she normally crosses the Atlantic at 20 to 25 knots.  See Queen Mary 2 Wikipedia entry .

Souvenirs & books about the QM2

Buy a superb model of the Queen Mary 2:   The souvenir shop on board QM2 on deck 3 has a couple of models of the Queen Mary 2, but neither (in my opinion) are particularly well detailed, and yet they aren't cheap, either.  If you become a QM2 aficionado during your crossing (highly likely!) and want a top-quality model of the QM2 to sit on your shelves or desk, I highly recommend the 1:1250 Queen Mary 2 model at www.galerie-maritim.de .  It is hand painted in die-cast metal.  You can buy either a full hull version in a glass case, or a waterline model without a case.  The models are small enough not to take up too much room, yet are superbly detailed.  They are very expensive, but you won't be disappointed!

Books about the Queen Mary 2:

The book by John Maxtone-Graham is beautifully written and illustrated, a great souvenir, search for it at Amazon.com (USA) or Amazon.co.uk (UK).  It's also available in the bookshop on board the QM2.

But by far the best book about the design, construction and operation of the QM2 is written by its designer, Stephen Payne, "RMS Queen Mary 2 Manual: An Insight into the Design, Construction and Operation of the World's Largest Ocean Liner", buy it at www.amazon.co.uk (UK) or www.amazon.com (USA).  Highly recommended!

QM2 video guide

Alternatives to the queen mary 2, passenger-carrying freighters, hotels & accommodation, hotels in new york.

New York has hundreds of hotels, the two most famous being the New York Plaza Hotel opposite Central Park and the Waldorf-Astoria on 4th Avenue.  I've never stayed at the Plaza, but have to say I was not impressed by the rooms at the Waldorf, on either occasion I stayed there.  Here's my top tip for New York:

The Algonquin Hotel

The Algonquin is New York's oldest operating hotel, opened in 1902, and a designated New York City Historic Landmark.  Perfectly located in mid-town Manhattan, a block or two from Times Square one way and Grand Central the other, with a lovely wood-panelled lobby and even its own hotel cat, which you may find wandering the corridors or sitting on the reception desk.  To check prices & book, click here .  For the Algonquin's history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquin_Hotel .

In Los Angeles:  Hotel Queen Mary, Long Beach

If you get as far as Los Angeles after your transatlantic crossing, it has to be the Hotel Queen Mary , doesn't it?  She makes a good base to explore the Los Angeles - Hollywood - Disneyland area.  The original Queen Mary of 1936 has been permanently moored at Long Beach in California since the late 1960s, some 25 miles from Los Angeles Union Station (about a $90 taxi ride), and it's undoubtedly the most fascinating place to stay in LA.  The hotel consists of most of the Queen Mary's original first class cabins, and there are plenty of restaurants and bars available on board, too.  Hotel guests can more or less wander the ship at will, and even sign up for ghost hunts at night on board (and yes, from my own experience there is definitely something going on aboard that beautiful but ageing ship!).  Wood panelled art deco interiors have been preserved, although a few modern items have been installed such as televisions, and (as we worked out from a historic deck plan) in some cases two of the Queen Mary's original cabins have been knocked into one hotel suite by turning one of the en suite bathrooms into a connecting corridor.  She is one of the most atmospheric places I have ever stayed.

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• RMS Queen Mary 2 Cruises

CUNARD QM2 SHIP CRUISE ITINERARY, SCHEDULE, PRICES, INFORMATION

• World Cruises
• Transatlantic
• QM2 Transatlantic Crossings

This is the Cunard Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic cruise 2024-2025-2026  schedule of all one-way and round-trip Atlantic Ocean crossings. It shows all departures from New York ,  Southampton-London , and Hamburg as dates and prices per person. RMS Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic crossings are part of the Cunard Line’s regular Atlantic Ocean crossing service between the UK and the USA (London/Southampton and NYC New York). Next is the link to our complete  QM2 itineraries and schedule  (all sailing dates with the lowest prices comparison). This link is to our review of QM2 cruise ticket prices .

Longest QM2 Transatlantic crossings are between New York and Hamburg (Germany /9-day itinerary with Southampton, England). The longest QM2 Transatlantic cruises are when the Caribbean or Canada New England is part of the Atlantic Ocean crossing itinerary.

RMS Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic cruise experience

The Cunard Line maintains a scheduled Trans-Atlantic Ocean passenger service between the UK and the US. It’s almost like a ferry cruise service – but it’s absolutely not a ferry one!

The Cunard Transatlantic cruise schedule offers at least one crossing a month between UK/Southampton and USA/New York City, in the period from April to November or early December. Most of the crossings are 6 nights / 7 days in length. On the Cunard’s RMS Queen Mary 2 ship, it’s definitely the most civilized and adventurous exciting way to visit the UK and USA – or both!

Doing the 7-day voyage on Queen Mary 2 is not a Transatlantic cruise – it’s an Atlantic crossing. Most of the Transatlantic cruises are operated only in the low season when quite a number of cruise ships reposition between Europe and the North or South American continents. But the huge number of QM2 passengers use the Cunard crossings as their preferred travel mode between Europe and the USA. And QM2 is not any ship and not a regular “cruise ship” – she’s a real-deal ocean cruise liner, which power and hull strength helps her to withstand the nasty North Atlantic weather.

Celebrating the 200th QM2 Transatlantic Crossing

To mark her 200th Atlantic Ocean crossing, RMS Queen Mary 2 performed on July 6th a sail-by of NYC’s most famous attraction – the Statue of Liberty. The list of onboard special events includes lectures and presentations by renowned speakers (by the “Cunard Insights” enrichment programme), Big Band musical performances, a most special Gala Dinner (on 11 July). Stephen Payne (a naval architect, responsible for the QM2 design) will present an insight into her construction. He is also guest of honour at the Gala Dinner. Another renown speaker is the BBC’s Nick Owen. Performing onboard is a jazz orchestra of 13 musicians and 1 vocalist from the Juilliard School (juilliard.edu). They will perform in the Royal Court Theatre (in the evening), an afternoon tea dance, lunchtime jam sessions (in the Chart Room), and a late evening in the Illuminations (planetarium).

RMS Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing statistics and facts

• This cruise liner is one of the biggest (weight 151,000 tons, capacity 2,500+ guests, and 3,056 max/all berths, 1,250 crew), longest (1,132 ft), tallest (550 ft) and most expensive (cost to build USD 800 million) passenger ships ever built. QM2 is also the only one still operational ocean liner, and she is the fastest cruise ship in the world (service speed 34 mph). RMS QM2 is the most famous cruise ship afloat – simply there’s no other ship in the world to enjoy such respect and recognition.
• In the course of the vessel’s 200 Transatlantic Crossings over 500,000 passengers were carried. They have consumed more than 8,400,000 cups of tea; more than 980,000 scones; over 481,000 bottles of champagne; more than 644,000 eggs; nearly 960,000 liters of milk, and 22,400,000 meals have been served. More than 1,000 dogs have been transported in the QM2 kennels.
• In comparison to other Cunard ships, QM2 has many seasons still ahead – RMS Queen Mary (1001 crossings), RMS Queen Elizabeth (896 crossings), ms Queen Elizabeth 2 (812 crossings).

The Cunard’s flagship QM2 cruise liner is a classic/authentic Trans-Atlantic Ocean liner offering deals on regular one-way and round-trip Cunard crossings between UK/England and USA/New York (NYC, Brooklyn). The regular QM2 crossings also offer cruises between New York and Hamburg (Germany) – again with both one-way and longer round-trip itinerary. In this survey, we list only the regular crossings which do not include additional ports of call.

Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic 2024-2025-2026 crossings (UK-USA-UK-Germany)

The following tables show all Queen Mary 2 ship departures from Southampton to New York and the reverse from New York to Southampton. They are part of the ship’s scheduled regular service on  Cunard Transatlantic Crossings: Westbound routes (from the UK to the USA) and Eastbound routes (from the USA to the UK). Prices are only indicative and subject to change.

QM2 schedule from Southampton to New York (UK-USA crossings) and Hamburg (UK-Germany)

The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship is usually departing from Southampton at 5PM and arriving in New York from 6:30 to 7AM. For exact New York USA arrival times please visit the Cunard Line’s website.

Cunard QM2 Southampton cruise port embarkation

There are four possible Southampton cruise terminals where you can board the Queen Mary 2 ship – so check your booking for the exact terminal:

• QE2 Terminal (dock gate 4)
• City Terminal (dock gate 10)
• Mayflower Terminal (dock gate 10)
• Ocean Terminal (dock gate 4).
• The taxi service from Southampton Central is ~10 min, costs ~£7 to Mayflower/City, and ~£10 to QE2/Ocean terminals.
• For schedules and price information on all the trains to Southampton from London and other major UK cities please visit nationalrail.co.uk. For the port’s cruise ship schedule you can visit CruiseMapper (cruisemapper.com/ports/southampton-port-115).

Queen Mary 2 Southampton boarding/check-in services open at 1 pm, and close ~3:45 pm (the exact check-in time is on your Cunard ticket). The line will also send you or you can download and print information about your departure date and room number (print them and put one on each of your bags). Remember that the baggage weight limit is 23 kg / 51 pounds per bag (no limit about their number).

At the check-in service desk, you show your ticket, passport, and credit card for on-ship purchases, and a photo will be taken for security purposes. You will be given a plastic card acting as an embarkation card, room key, and charge card on the ship. After the security check, you embark on the RMS Queen Mary 2.

Cunard QM2 New York cruise port disembarkation

All QM2 NYC disembarkation procedures are delivered to your cabin 1/2 days before the Brooklyn arrival. The Cunard’s “Express disembarkation” service allows you to leave the QM2 ship ~1/2 hour after docking (~7:30am). The standard procedure includes delivering to your cabin of colored labels for your baggage 1 day before the NYC arrival (put one on each of your bags, move them outside your cabin by the door between 8-12 pm the night before arrival. Your bags will be st the Brooklyn cruise terminal next morning, in a dedicated zone marked with your labels color. Know that they disembark the more expensive rooms guests first. The QM2 disembarkation time is 8-11 am.

QM2 schedule from New York to Southampton (USA-UK crossings) and Hamburg (USA-Germany)

Qm2 new york cruise information.

The Queen Mary 2 ship is usually departing from the New York cruise port terminal in Brooklyn at 5 PM. The ship’s check-in services start at 1 PM, and close at 3:45 PM. QM2 arrives at the Southampton cruise port at 6:30 AM. Again, please visit the line’s website for the exact Southampton UK arrival times confirmation.

QM2 New York/Port Brooklyn embarkation

Queen Mary 2 New York boarding/check-in services open at ~1 pm to ~3:45 pm (local time). The embarkation time, along with the other standard procedures information are the same as those about the UK departures from Southampton, since this is the Cunard policy and not the port policy-related issue. So you have the e-tickets with all the info, Cunard will send you labels with departure dates/room numbers, the bag weight limit is again 23kg per bag, you get through the security check, join the queue for check-in, show tickets/passports/credit cards, they take your photo, give you the plastic card for onboard uses, and you embark the cruise ship Queen Mary 2.

The QM2 Southampton disembarkation procedures are also the same as those for the NYC disembarkation – you’ll receive a note explaining them outside your cabin 1 or 2 days before the UK arrival, you can choose standard or “Express” disembarkation, put labels on your bags, place the bags outside your cabin between 8-12 pm the night before the UK arrival, etc. The London/Southampton disembarkation is between 8-11 AM local time.

Note: For exact times and prices on trains to NYC leaving from major US cities please visit amtrak.com  (the Amtrak train schedule).

QM2 schedule from Hamburg to Southampton and New York (Germany-UK-USA crossings)

You can share our “QM2 Transatlantic” review and the RMS Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic cruise schedule via our social buttons. Enjoy the ever best of the best British cruise ships departing from Southampton and New York, and be always happy on your uniquely special Cunard Transatlantic crossings on Queen Mary 2 – the Royal Mail Ship of the 21st century!

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Starting in New York you’ll discover the best cities of North America as you sail East across the Atlantic. Weave your way from bold Boston in the United States, to bustling Halifax in Nova Scotia in Canada and on to the wild and rugged shoreline of St. John’s. From there you’ll enjoy five relaxing days at sea before you reach lively Cobh in Ireland, lovely Falmouth in England, St Peter Port in Guernsey, and Saint Malo in France before arrival in glorious Southampton.

The excursions are provided as a sample of what may be offered on this voyage and are subject to change. We are constantly updating our shore excursion programme with immersive and authentic experiences, so please do not hesitate to review your tour programme choice closer to your sail date. We invite guests to visit my.silversea.com for the most updated information.

Silversea's oceanview suites are some of the most spacious in luxury cruising. All include the services of a butler thanks to the highest service ratio at sea and almost all have a private teak veranda so that you can breathe in the fresh sea air by merely stepping outside your door. Select your suite and Request a Quote - guests who book early are rewarded with the best fares and ability to select their desired suite.

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A new world of luxury is waiting aboard Silver Dawn. Elegant and modern, Silver Dawn is the natural evolution of our fleet. Large enough to offer eight dining options – including the superb Sea and Land Taste (S.A.L.T.) programme – yet small enough for the famed Silversea onboard ambience, Silver Dawn inherits the best features of her sister ships Silver Muse and Silver Moon , but is in a class all of her own. With sumptuous suites, outstanding itineraries, plus cutting-edge design and technology and the outstanding OTIVM wellness concept, Silver Dawn sets new standards of luxury. Wake up to a new dawn with Silversea.

Silver Dawn Dining Options : 8 Restaurants

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How to Choose a Panama Canal Cruise

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Sail like the royalty on a Cunard ocean liner. This regal line has been sailing its famed transatlantic crossings since the 1840s.

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• Queen Mary 2 - Passenger Capacity: 2,691 (double occupancy) Year Built: 2004 Last Refurbished: 2020

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14 Night Cruise to Europe

• You want a big, reasonably sized ship with lots of amenities
• You like having fun diversions like an onboard bowling alley
• You're traveling as a family and want fun options for all
• You're looking for the biggest, newest cruise ships at sea
• You want thrill-seeking options like ziplines and racing tracks
• You are looking for a quiet, subdued onboard experience

8 Night Cruise to Transatlantic

• You want to cross the Atlantic on the only true ocean liner
• You enjoy vibrant nightlife with plenty of live entertainment
• You like the grandeur and elegance of the transatlantic liners
• You are looking for a true ultra-luxury cruise experience
• You are looking for wacky activities, amenities and pool games
• You dislike formality; dressing up is part of the experience

21 Night Cruise to Transatlantic

• You want plenty of choice on a more traditionally styled ship
• You love open deck space; this ship has lots to go around
• You enjoy a wide array of family-friendly entertainment choices
• You've cruised on Coral Princess and loved the experience
• You want cabins with ultra-luxe features and amenities

31 Night Cruise to Transatlantic

18 night cruise to the baltic sea, 9 night cruise to transatlantic, 27 night cruise to the baltic sea, 83 night cruise to around the world.

• You are a discerning traveler seeking the ultimate luxury cruise
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• You want lavishly-appointed suites that spare no expense
• You prefer the intimacy of a smaller ship with fewer people
• You are watching your pennies; Mariner commands high prices

7 Night Cruise to Transatlantic

14 night cruise to transatlantic.

• You want to sail on one of Norwegian's slightly smaller but more spacious next generation of ships
• You seek the greatest selection of activities, bars, dining (al fresco included) and entertainment options
• You like a refined social atmosphere with places to escape to like a traditional observation lounge
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• You are turned off by The Haven exclusives separate from public amenities
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10 Night Cruise to Transatlantic

17 night cruise to the baltic sea, 16 night cruise to trans-ocean, 18 night cruise to transatlantic, 109 night cruise to around the world, 31 night cruise to the baltic sea, 26 night cruise to the baltic sea, explore new york city.

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New York to Southampton Cruise on Queen Mary 2 from New York

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• Cruises Transatlantic

New York to Southampton

7 nights sailing from New York on cruise ship Queen Mary 2

Cruise New York to Southampton

Cruise Itinerary

7 nights Cruise on Queen Mary 2.

Everyone loves New York and there are a million reasons why. Here are but a few: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, the Ellis Island National Monument, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, Times Square, Broadway, Greenwich Village, 5th Avenue and Central Park. 

Southampton offers a perfect port for the best cruise ships that sail from the UK due to its size, design and great organization. It's also an ideal port for all those ships visiting the UK. Southampton offers various parking options around the area if needed and also a wide range of hotels if you need a pre-cruise stay before sailing. See our amazing cruise deals sailing from Southampton. Please contact us if you need information about Southampton's cruise terminals.

The ship: Queen Mary 2

Setting sail in 2004 to replace the original Queen Mary, with over 151,000 tonnes she can cater for 2,620 guests on her journeys around paradise destinations, from the impressive sights of Northern Europe to the golden sands of the Caribbean.

In January 2014, ten years will have passed since Queen Mary 2 set sail for the first time. Her scale and elegance makes her as much of an attraction today, wherever she goes. Just ask who flock to see her arrive in ports across the world.Spend your time as you please, go for a fantastic programme of daytime activities, relax at the the fine arts gallery, enjoy events such as art classes and dancing lessons, go for a swim, play tennis or step into the 51-course golf simulator. You also have a selection of bars and after dinner entertainment. Have a glass of champagne at the Terrace Bar, or try a rum or whisky from the great selection at Churchill´s. The Golden Lion offers a traditional English pub experience while the Commodore Club offers the best view. If you fancy a late night, don´t miss the two-level G32 nightclub.

Queen Mary 2's highlights

Traditional Dining - Fine Dining & Impressive Wines

Three times a day, you'll know your table is waiting in one of our main restaurants, depending on the stateroom you've chosen. It's a Cunard tradition, one which ensures you never have to wait to be seated. Fresh lobster...

Alternative Dining - Todd English, Kings Court & more

While you can be assured that your table is always reserved withing your main restaurant, there are numerous other tempting options. For a change of culinary scene, you could treat yourself in the renowned Todd English r...

Evening entertainment- Queens Room, Royal Court Theater & Illuminations

Queen Mary's size translates into an impressive feeling of space. The Queens Room, a hive of sociable activity day and night, fills the height of two decks. The Royal Court Theatre also has two tiers, with a rich interio...

Wide range of Bars & lounges

Cunard's ships offer 24-Hour Room Service, Churchill's Cigar Lounge, Commodore Club, Golden Lion, The Pavilion, The Queens Room-White Glove Afternoon Tea Service.Plus Queen Mary 2 includes the following bars: Chart Room ...

Daytime activities

On our ship, no two days are ever quite the same. That's down to the huge number of activities on offers. These allow you to decide how any given hour will unfold: enriching, strenuous or seriously pampered. Of course, y...

Also see more about Queen Mary 2 : technical details, deck plans, sailing schedules by ship and destination...

see more about Queen Mary 2

What's included onboard?

Port and handling fees and UK/US taxes

Accommodation, on board meals and entertainment (please note exceptions: charges are payable in the Todd English Restaurant on Queen Mary 2 and The Verandah Restaurant on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria and in the speciality dining options offered in Kings Court on Queen Mary 2 and the Lido Restaurants on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria)

International fligths where indicated

Drinks: tea, coffee, water and fruit juice are available 24 hours a day in the self service restaurants (the Lido on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria and Kings Court on Queen Mary 2).

Group transfers between airport and the ship at the international port of embarkation or disembarkation when your international flights is purchased through Cunard (excluding Transatlantic Crossings to or from New York. However, if passengers arrive into or depart New York by flight from or to the UK on the day of embarkation or disembarkation, transfers will be available)

What's not included?

Travel insurance

Speciality teas and coffee at all bars

Hotel and dining charges will be charged to y our on board account (except Full World Cruise passengers sailing for 112 nights on Queen Elizabeth, 103 nights Queen Victoria and 113 nights on Queen Mary 2 or any of the Two Shnips, One World Cruise options)

Incidental expenses (including but not limited to: laundry charges, bar expenses, spa and salon treatments, shore excursions and add-on hotel programmes)

Day and evening entertainment in the casino

Your benefits & more

From BIRMINGHAM EDINBURGH GLASGOW LONDON and MANCHESTER. A flight supplement may be added depending on the airport selected

Similar cruises

Queen Mary 2

8 nights sailing from New York

Departures: 15 Jun; 6, 27 Jul

Itinerary: New York, Southampton

Atlantic Crossing

Departures: 3 January 2025; 29 March 2025

United Kingdom

7 nights sailing from New York

Departures: 23 May; 23 Aug; 25 Oct; 3 Dec

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Queen Mary 2's Literature Festival at Sea 2024

Queen Mary 2’s Literature Festival at Sea brings together authors, journalists and critics for a week-long celebration of the written word.

Find yourself in literary heaven, surrounded by authors, poets, journalists, historians, and fellow book lovers, on this seven-night sailing, dedicated to the power of the pen.

Curated by the programming team of Cheltenham Festivals, this unique voyage celebrates the written word in its many forms.

Sailing aboard Queen Mary 2 is the ultimate way to cross the Atlantic. You’ll find an incredible sense of freedom from the space she offers. Whether you’re in the mood for complete relaxation or something more active, you can find it. Immerse yourself in enthralling entertainment, be indulged in the on board spa, or simply relax with a book in her vast library.

Enjoy a daily dose of news from Times journalists. Lose yourself in thought-provoking conversation at Q&A sessions. Meet your favourite writers at intimate book signings. Listen as literary greats dissect everything from art and film to history and politics. You could fill every day on board with all kinds of literature-based activities and experiences. And that’s on top of exploring the range of signature experiences you can already look forward to when you holiday with Cunard.

Discover a line-up that includes acclaimed crime writer Mark Billingham, Scottish novelist Chris Brookmyre and his co-writer and wife, Marisa Haetzman, former US ambassador to the UK Matthew Barzun, and Sunday Times journalist Decca Aitkenhead, with more authors to be announced. The Literature Festival at Sea is a must for book lovers and free thinkers everywhere.

For all Times readers, quote TIMES while booking^ to enjoy exclusive access to additional events with your favourite writers, speakers and journalists.

Price Includes

• Seven-night Transatlantic Crossing aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York
• Economy-class flights and transfers from New York to the UK
• All meals and entertainment‡
• Programme of literary events throughout the voyage†
• Complimentary money to spend on board**
• Access to additional events when you book direct with Cunard and quote TIMES^

Your Itinerary

Depart Southampton

Literature Festival at Sea

Accommodation - Queen Mary 2

Meals included - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arrive in New York

Confirmed experts, chris bookmyre.

Chris Brookmyre worked as a sub-editor for Screen International and The Scotsman before becoming a full-time novelist. He is the author of twenty-seven crime and SF novels, including Black Widow , which won the 2016 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and was named the 2017 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Under the pseudonym Ambrose Parry, he has collaborated with his wife, Marisa Haetzman, to produce the historical crime novels The Way of All Flesh , The Art of Dying and A Corruption of Blood . His work has been adapted for stage, television, radio and even a video game. His latest novel is The Cliff House .

Decca Aitkenhead

As Chief Interviewer for the Sunday Times , Decca interviews leading figures in public life across the world, from politics to the arts, entertainment to science, literature to sport. Her subjects have included Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Tony Blair, Johnny Depp, Hillary Clinton, Usain Bolt and Boris Johnson, and her work has won multiple awards. She is the interviewer A-listers most fear - and most want to talk to.

Decca has been a journalist for more than 25 years. The author of two memoirs, she also ghostwrites celebrity autobiographies, and appears on BBC radio and TV. 

She lives in London with her two sons, but they spend as much time as possible in Jamaica, visiting their dog who lives there.

Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham is one of the UK’s most acclaimed and popular crime writers. His series of novels featuring DI Tom Thorne has twice won him the Crime Novel of the Year Award. His debut novel, Sleepyhead was published in 2001 and was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade. A television series based on the Thorne novels starred David Morrissey as Tom Thorne and a major new drama based on In The Dark and Time of Death was broadcast on the BBC in 2017. His latest book, The Last Dance , is the first in a brand new series, featuring Detective Declan Miller.

Matthew Barzun

Matthew Barzun has always been fascinated about how we can stand out and fit in at the same time. He helped countries do both when he served as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom and to Sweden. He helped citizens do both as National Finance Chair for Barack Obama by pioneering new ways for people to have a stronger voice in politics. And he helped tech consumers do both as an entrepreneur when he helped start CNET Networks in the early 90’s. Barzun was raised on the East Coast, started his career on the West Coast, and settled in the middle in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, Brooke, and their three children.

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a features editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including  The Sunday Time s, the  Guardian  and  Cosmopolitan .    

Mike became a full-time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his  Sunday Times  top ten bestseller  My Legendary Girlfriend , which was hailed by the  Independent  as 'full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations', and by  The   Times  as 'a funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic'. Since then he has written eighteen novels, including  The Man I Think I Know , selected as a World Book Night title, and  Half A World Away , selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages. In 2021, Mike was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association. 2023 will be the 25 th  anniversary of  My Legendary Girlfriend.

Mike lives in Birmingham with his wife, kids and greyhound.

Patrick Gale

Patrick Gale is a keen cellist, gardener and artistic director of the North Cornwall Book Festival. He lives with his husband, the farmer and sculptor, Aidan Hicks, on their farm at the far west of Cornwall. In addition to his latest, Mother’s Boy , his seventeen novels include Take Nothing With You ( 2018), which was his fourth Sunday Times bestseller,   Rough Music (2000), Notes From an Exhibition (2007), A Perfectly Good Man (2012) and A Place Called Winter (2015). In 2017 his two part drama Man in an Orange Shirt was screened by BBC2 as part of the Gay Britannia season. Continuing to be broadcast regularly around the world, this won the International Emmy for best miniseries and is now a musical in search of producers. He is currently working on stage versions of Rough Music and Take Nothing With You and Love Lane, a sequel to A Place Called Winter set against the 1950s coronation preparations. He’s a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Robin Niblett

Sir Robin is a leading expert on the relations between Europe, the US, and Asia and their implications for risk management by governments and private institutions. Robin is the author of numerous Chatham House and CSIS reports on British, European and US foreign policy. His commentary and analysis have appeared in the world’s leading journals and newspapers, including Foreign Affairs , Foreign Policy , The Financial Times , The Washington Post , The Times , and The Guardian . He is a regular commentator on Bloomberg and CNN International and speaker at major international conferences. He has testified to committees of the House of Commons and US Congress and regularly briefs boards and senior executive of global companies, financial institutions, and private foundations.  Robin was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 Birthday Honours for services to international relations and British foreign policy, and CMG in the 2015 New Year's Honours.

Tracy Borman

Tracy Borman is joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust. She studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a PhD in 1997. Tracy is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books including  Crown & Sceptre, Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him ,  The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty ,  Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England, Elizabeth's Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen  and  Witches: A Tale of Sorcery, Scandal and Seduction . Tracy is also a regular broadcaster and public speaker, giving talks on her books across the UK and abroad.

Marisa Haetzman

Marisa Haetzman worked as a consultant anaesthetist, her career taking her to London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow before stepping down to study for a Masters degree in the History of Medicine. Her dissertation research into the early use of chloroform led to her collaborating with Chris Brookmyre, under the pseudonym Ambrose Parry, to write crime fiction set in the world of Nineteenth Century Edinburgh medicine. The couple’s first three novels were all shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize, with A Corruption of Blood also shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger. Marisa Haetzman has also collaborated in adapting both the Ambrose Parry novels and Chris Brookmyre’s The Cut for television.

Denise Mina

Denise Mina is the author of the Garnethill trilogy, the Paddy Meehan series and the Alex Morrow series. She has won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award twice and was inducted into the Crime Writers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2014. The Long Drop won the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2017 as well as the Gordon Burn Prize and was named by The Times as one of the top ten crime novels of the decade. Conviction was the co-winner of the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2019 and was selected for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club. Denise has also written plays and graphic novels, and presented television and radio programmes. She lives and works in Glasgow.

Ayesha Hazarika

Ayesha Hazarika MBE is a columnist and broadcaster who is known for her insightful and witty opinions and observations on current affairs and politics. She hosts the weekend drivetime show on Times Radio every Saturday and Sunday and in 2019 she took over as Editor of The Londoner , the Evening Standard’s Daily Diary section. In 2022, Ayesha began co-hosting  Take on Tomorrow , the latest podcast series produced by PwC aiming to understand the role business can play in solving some of the biggest issues facing society today. Having started her career as a stand-up comedian playing clubs across the country, she then took what she thought was a natural diversion into politics as a Special Adviser for the Labour Party, working with them for eight years both in Government and Opposition. During her time in Westminster she worked for Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband, advising them on Prime Minister’s Questions, speeches, media and policy as well as heading up initiatives on topics such as Women and Equality.

Since leaving front line politics, Ayesha has become a much sought after pundit due to her unique position to analyse and comment on current affairs with great wit and insight. She has appeared on Question Time (BBC), Sky Papers (Sky News), The Andrew Marr Show (BBC1), Newsnight (BBC2), The Agenda (ITV) and The Today Programme (BBC Radio 4) as well as using her comedy chops on Have I Got News For You (BBC), The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), Breaking the News (BBC Radio Scotland) and Matt Forde’s Unspun (Dave). In 2022, she became a regular face on the brand-new political panel show The Talk , launched by TalkTV. She has also presented BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Review leading discussions of cultural events. She went from regularly commentating on CNN Talk 3 days a week to being the face of political conversation every Thursday on Good Morning Britain .

Marina Hyde

Marina Hyde is a columnist for The Guardian , where she writes on subjects from politics to sport to celebrity. She has won multiple awards for her columns, including Columnist of the Year at the British Journalism for three years running, and is the only woman in 46 years to have won the Sports Journalism Association’s Sportswriter of the Year.

Her book, What Just Happened?! , was published in 2022, and was a Sunday Times bestseller. She lives in London.

Sophie Raworth

Sophie has worked on BBC1’s national news bulletins for the past 20 years, presenting the BBC News at One, Six and Ten . Before that she spent 5 years getting up at 3am for BBC Breakfast with Justin Webb and then Jeremy Bowen.  Sophie has fronted many of the BBC’s big events programmes over the years - from the Queen’s funeral and Royal Weddings to Remembrance Sunday, the World War One centenary, D-Day commemorations to the London Olympics. She’s worked on numerous current affairs documentaries including Panorama and has presented a number of other programmes including Watchdog, Watchdog Daily, Child of our Time, Tomorrow’s World and Crimewatch.

In 2014 Sophie became the new face of the BBC’s Chelsea flower show coverage on BBC1.  Sophie joined the BBC in 1992 as a news trainee after studying French and German at Manchester University. She is also a long distance running addict. She started running in 2011 and has completed almost 20 marathons all over the world and several ‘ultra’ marathons including the Marathon des Sables and the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc’s 36 mile race across the Alps.

Laura Hackett

Laura Hackett is deputy literary editor of the Times and Sunday Times. When not whipping the books pages into shape, she's writing across the paper, from magazine features to travel pieces and news reporting. Laura has previously been a judge for the An Post Irish Book Awards and before she started at the paper, she was a contributor to the Irish Times, Literary Review, the TLS, Radio 4 and more

Clare Chambers

Clare Chambers began her career as a secretary at the publisher André Deutsch in 1990 when Diana Athill was still at the helm. They not only published her first novel but made her type her own contract. She has written eight further books including  Learning to Swim (1998) which won the Romantic Novelists’ Association best novel award and In a Good Light (2004) which was longlisted for the Whitbread novel prize. Her most recent book, Small Pleasures , published after a ten-year interval, became a word-of-mouth bestseller and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2021 and won Page-turner of the year at the British Book Awards 2022. She was born and still lives in south-east London. Photography credit: Anna McCarthy

Richard Rogan

Richard Rogan has been editing the cryptic crosswords for The Times since 2014. In addition to vetting clues from other compilers, he contributes several of his own puzzles each month. Richard also does an annual stint at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, where for five days he leads an informal café session, taking solvers of varying degrees of experience though the day’s cryptic and quick cryptic crossword. A native of Northern Ireland, he lives in Cheltenham with his family of two and an adopted Bengal cat.

Julia Wheeler

Julia Wheeler is an experienced journalist and interviewer who worked for the BBC for more than 15 years, including as the BBC’s Gulf Correspondent, based in the UAE between 2000 and 2010.  She continues to work as a freelance journalist, for broadcast and print, in London. Julia has moderated large-scale conferences and chaired inter-governmental forums. She is chair and interviewer at several festivals including Cheltenham (Literature and Science), Stanfords Travel Writers Festival at Olympia and the Emirates Literature Festival. She also chairs panels at The British Library. Julia wrote the award-winning book ‘Telling Tales: An Oral History of Dubai’, capturing stories of court intrigue, pearl diving and gold smuggling, plus the early days of education and banking.  She is an alumna of the Faber Academy and has completed her first novel, set in Dubai. Julia read Economic and Social History before postgraduate study in Broadcast Journalism at City University, London.

Ruth Jones is best known for her outstanding and award-winning television writing, most notably BBC One's Gavin and Stacey , which she co-wrote with James Corden and in which she played the incorrigible Nessa Jenkins. The most recent Christmas Day special of Gavin and Stacey gained national critical acclaim, drawing an audience of over 18 million, winning a BAFTA for TV moment of the year and a National Television Award for Impact, and gaining an RTS nomination for Ruth's performance. Ruth also created and co-wrote Sky One's Stella , which ran for six series. As well as being Bafta-nominated for her role as the eponymous Stella, Ruth has starred in several other television comedies and dramas. Her debut novel Never Greener has now sold over a quarter of a million copies. It was chosen as WHSmith Fiction Book of the Year 2018, was a Zoe Ball Book Club pick, and was a Sunday Times bestseller for fifteen weeks, three weeks at number one. Ruth's second novel, Us Three , was an instant Sunday Times bestseller in hardback and paperback. Her third novel, Love Untold , was published in July 2023.  Photography credit: Tom Jackson 

Cruise Ship

Queens Room

Head here for Cunard's signature afternoon tea or to dance the night away at one of the glamorous gala evenings.

Here you can really appreciate the amount of space there is on board, take in the view with a walk around the promenade deck which circumnavigates the ship.

Commodore Club

Enjoy a signature cocktail as you sail towards the horizon or try the Martini Mixology or Whisky Tasting classes.

Entered Service: 2004

Tonnage 149,000

Number of Decks: 13

Passenger Capacity: 2,691

Total Crew: 1,257

Number of Cabins: 1,355

Wheelchair Accessible Cabins: Yes

Number of Pools: 4

Number of Restaurants: 4

Kids Club: Yes

Useful Information

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Cunard’s three exceptional ships are the perfect setting from which to explore iconic destinations. Offering an unrivalled sense of freedom and possibility so you may do as much or as little as you please. It’s your world, to savour in your own way.

To view Cunard’s supplier’s terms and conditions, click here .

For details on Cunard's temporary flexible transfer policy, click here . and to find out more about Cunard's "Sailing with confidence" protocols, click here .

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Cunard cabins and suites guide: Everything you need to know

In its more than 180-year history, Cunard Line has evolved from offering essential transatlantic transportation to leisure travel. Its current fleet offers several classes of cabins with plush furnishings and modern comforts that still evoke nautical ocean-liner style. Although the options might seem confusing at first, they're fairly easy to understand once broken down.

Across inside, outside, balcony and suite categories, Cunard offers four accommodation classes, each with its own dining room. Regardless of cabin type, passengers have access to the same public areas — including pools and sun decks, gyms, theaters and spas. Although, some categories do have their own lounges and outdoor spaces.

Here, we'll go through the types of cabins available and what they include in the way of amenities, square footage and dining experiences.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Cabin square footage varies by ship and location on the ship. Cabin configurations also vary by vessel. Multiple configurations can exist within the same cabin type, which accounts for differences in square footage. Accessible cabins are larger than standard cabins, and those measurements are included in the ranges given. Contact your travel agent or cruise line representative for specific details before booking.

Cunard cabin primer

Cunard ships feature four main categories of cabins: inside (no window or balcony), outside (a window or porthole), balcony (with a small, semi-private outdoor space) and suites. They fall into four experience tiers — Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill — each with different perks, inclusions and dining assignments. (See below for more details, or check out Cunard's amenity comparison chart .)

Britannia cabins come only in inside, outside and basic balcony categories, while Britannia Club rooms are available only in the balcony category. The latter rooms are a step up from basic Britannia balcony accommodations. Cruisers booked in these categories will be assigned to either the Britannia Dining Room or Britannia Club Restaurant, respectively.

Passengers wanting an elevated experience — complete with more space, lots of added perks and more expensively outfitted accommodations — will want to look to the Princess Grill Suites and Queens Grill Suites. Standard rooms feel more like any cabin on a mass-market vessel, while Grill accommodations are outfitted with more elegant furnishings, richer colors (think regal hues like purples and reds), and more plush linens and furniture.

Depending on the suite booked, you'll find walk-in closets, separate living and sleeping areas, and bathrooms with higher-quality amenities (such as marble countertops and mirrors with built-in makeup lights). These rooms provide access to either the Princess Grill Restaurant or Queens Grill Restaurant, as well as the Grills Lounge, which is exclusive to travelers staying in suites.

Cunard offers a variety of accessible rooms in all cabin categories, from inside cabins to suites. They are designed for passengers who use wheelchairs, walkers, scooters and other mobility devices or who otherwise require features like wider doorways, flush zero-entry thresholds, extra square footage for maneuvering, and wet bath-style bathrooms with grab bars and pull-down shower seats. (You can find more accessibility specifics on Cunard's website.)

Cunard was one of the first cruise lines to offer accommodations for one — something that has become standard on many cruise lines' newest vessels. You'll find a selection of solo cabins in inside and ocean-view categories under the Britannia experience if you're traveling alone and don't want to pay a single supplement. The former range from 152 to 243 square feet; the latter come in between 133 and 201 square feet.

All rooms, no matter the category or type, feature rich furnishings in nautical colors like bright blue, sunny yellow and deep red. Each room provides passengers with a queen-size bed that can be converted into two singles on request; bedside tables with lamps; a vanity area with a desk, chair, mirror and both 220-volt U.K.-style outlets and 110-volt North American-style ones ( Queen Anne also has USB ports); a closet and drawers for storing personal items; a TV, safe, hair dryer, phone, refrigerator, minibar and tea- and coffee-making facilities; bathrobes and slippers; and an in-cabin bathroom with a shower and Penhaligon toiletries.

Each cabin also includes 24-hour room service options and the daily services of a room steward who will clean up and provide you with any items — like ice, extra towels and the daily activity schedule — you might need. More expensive cabins come with additional or upgraded amenities, extra space and more furniture. Details about inclusions, square footage and more can be found below.

Inside cabins on Cunard ships

Britannia insides range from 152 to 243 square feet and include all of the amenities listed above, plus a half-bottle of sparkling wine at embarkation. Passengers booked in these cabins are assigned to eat in the Britannia Dining Room, which is basically a standard cruise ship main dining room but with ornate art deco touches.

On Queen Mary 2 — known for its iconic transatlantic voyages between New York City and Southampton in the U.K. — cruisers can also choose from special inside cabins that overlook the ship's atrium.

Outside cabins on Cunard ships

Britannia ocean-view rooms provide between 133 and 201 square feet of space. Passengers in these cabins also take meals in the Britannia Dining Room.

Outside cabins include the same amenities as inside ones. The most obvious difference is that you'll have a window to look at the ocean as you sail.

Balcony cabins on Cunard ships

Britannia balconies.

Ranging from 228 to 472 square feet, these cabins feature the same general furnishing style as insides and outsides but with semi-private balconies. These balconies offer passengers their own outdoor space, where they can enjoy fresh air from the comfort of their room, complete with chairs and a table.

These accommodations include the standard amenities listed above and dinner in the Britannia Dining Room. On Queen Mary 2, passengers can select cove-style balconies; they offer a bit of shelter from the wind since they're more akin to an enclosed pod with an open window than a balcony open on all sides.

Britannia Club balconies

Britannia Club rooms, a step up from Cunard's Britannia balcony accommodations, come in the balcony category only. In addition to slightly more square footage (248-470 feet), they include additional amenities.

All previously mentioned features come with these cabins. They also include upgraded tea and coffee makers, a pillow menu, velour bathrobes, a full bottle of sparkling wine at embarkation, daily fresh fruit on request, and priority embarkation and disembarkation. Cruisers booked there can dine in the Britannia Club Restaurant, which is a bit more understated and refined than the Britannia Restaurant but offers similar food.

Suites on Cunard ships

Princess grill suites.

Princess Grill Suites are the first-tier of suites on Cunard ships; they offer access to an exclusive restaurant, Princess Grill, featuring elevated food options. Guests can also order menu items from the Grill via room service and order off-menu in the restaurant with advance notice. Passengers in Princess Grill Suites share a dedicated Grills Lounge or Concierge Lounge (found on Queen Mary 2) and sun deck with passengers booked in Queens Grill suites (see below).

The 335- to 513-square-foot Princess Grill Suites feature separate living and sleeping areas and private balconies. Passengers can enjoy all above-mentioned inclusions, plus elevated perks like an in-cabin atlas, dedicated concierge service, sparkling wine and chocolates at embarkation, complimentary spring water, afternoon tea in the Grills Lounge, and a bathroom with a bathtub and a shower. (Note that bathtubs aren't available at the Princess Grill level on Queen Anne.)

Queens Grill Suites

The most lavish rooms on board Cunard's vessels are the Queens Grill Suites, featuring 484 to 2,249 square feet of space. They come with all of the above perks, plus additional in-cabin books, binoculars for use on board, fresh flowers, complimentary minibar items, a bottle of Champagne and chocolates at embarkation, and priority tendering where applicable. (Note that Queen Anne offers bathrooms with tubs and showers at the Queens Grill level.)

Passengers booked in these accommodations have access to the Queens Grill Restaurant in addition to the shared spaces — Grills Lounge, Concierge Lounge (where available) and sun deck — that cruisers booked in Princess Grill Suites also can use. Each suite's butler will deliver in-cabin canapes daily prior to dinner.

Queens Grill Suites are impressive, especially the duplex-style suites found only on Queen Mary 2. Three 1,566-square-foot Duplex Apartments (Windsor, Buckingham and Holyrood) and two 2,249-square-foot Grand Duplex Apartments (Balmoral and Sandringham) are all the way aft on decks 9 and 10. These accommodations — some of which are larger than land-based apartments — offer stunning wake views via two-story windows.

Bottom line

Although Cunard's cabin experience types might seem confusing at first, they're fairly straightforward. The relatively small number of cabin types and categories makes the booking process easier to navigate while still offering enough variety to cater to many tastes and budgets.

Whether you choose to sail in a basic Britannia inside cabin or the most swanky Queens Grill Suite, you're sure to enjoy Cunard's upscale nautical vibe.

Curious about Cunard? The Points Guy has you covered:

• A guide to the Cunard World Club loyalty program
• The best destinations you can visit on a Cunard Line ship
• Why Cunard is excellent for solo cruisers
• Inside Queen Anne: A peek at Cunard's first new ship in a decade
• Cunard proved me wrong about transatlantic cruises
• Cunard's steakhouse is one of the best at sea; here's why

When cruises are cheaper than trains and planes

P lanes, trains and automobiles may be the obvious and often most cost-effective ways to get from A to B but, surprisingly, cruise ships can be, too.

Repositioning sailings are the unsung bargains of the cruise world, where canny travellers can often pick up voyages at vastly reduced rates – and give more orthodox forms of transport a run for their money.

The key to finding such a deal comes from studying cruise schedules for sailings – some of which may be just one or two nights – that go directly from one place to another. 

While low-cost flights are generally accepted as the cheapest way to travel internationally, global airfares are on the rise – and by the time you pile on charges for luggage, food and drink and the cost of travelling from the airport to the city centre – where cruise ships invariably dock – taking the sea-going route can emerge as the unlikely winner (and you’ll arrive in considerably more style).

It can even work for travelling to different parts of the UK, though options tend to be restricted to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines when it repositions ships on overnight voyages between the likes of Southampton and Newcastle, Rosyth or other ports further north. 

Italy to Spain from £54

For city-hopping stays in and around Europe, MSC Cruises is the one to watch, as it enables customers to book many of its Mediterranean cruises on a port-to-port basis, rather than taking the entire voyage.

For instance, travellers can book one-nighters between Genoa and Barcelona or Genoa and Marseilles for as little as £54pp, while an overnight sailing between Valencia and Marseilles is £72pp, with these prices obviously including meals. The £54 figure is based on an October 11 departure. For a flight from Genoa to Barcelona on the same date, Skyscanner (skyscanner.net) quotes a service with ITA Airways for £111.99pp, including luggage.

Tony Andrews, the managing director of travel agency cruise.co.uk, says: “MSC doesn’t talk about this enough, as these one-nighters are a great way for people to have a city-break-style experience with a cruise as part of it. It’s a really interesting way to do it.”

The leisurely way to cross the pond

Transatlantic crossings are another potential area to pick up a sea-going bargain, but it’s a question of waiting until the price is right, as rates continually fluctuate.

Many lines offer transatlantic repositionings in spring and autumn, while Cunard runs the only regular crossings between Southampton and New York on its liner Queen Mary 2.

On one occasion some years ago, when prices dropped to just a few hundred pounds, I was sailing from Southampton on the QM2 and met a passenger who had opted to do the same purely because the rates were so much cheaper than flying and he wasn’t in a rush (the crossing takes a week).

Cunard’s prices have since risen overall, but there are still reduced rates on some departures that make this tactic worth pursuing if you fancy a more leisurely way to cross the pond.

Alison Earnshaw, the managing director of online agencies Cruise 118 and Six Star Cruises, says that when rates drop to £600 or £700, taking the ocean route becomes more cost-effective as transatlantic flights have become so expensive.

Another plus is the lack of luggage restrictions, because on cruises you can famously take as much as will fit in your cabin.

“We’ve had people booking to sail to see family in the States with lots of luggage that they’re taking out for them, and then flying back lighter,” she explains. “Alternatively, we’ve had customers who’ve flown to New York for the shopping and sail back as they can bring as much as they want.”

Swap Blighty for Barbados – for £1,129

The Caribbean is another region that comes up trumps for value, with P&O Cruises offering a two-week repositioning voyage from Southampton to Barbados (with stops in Antigua, St Kitts and St Lucia) from £1,129. This price is for an October 18 departure, and includes the flight back to Britain. 

A return fare to Barbados with British Airways (including luggage) during the same period is £733pp. Inter-island flights with Caribbean Airlines (caribbean-airlines.com) between Barbados and other islands in this itinerary amount to approximately £714pp. Add in hotel stays and it’s clear just how much you can save by taking to the water. 

Going global

Miles Morgan, the founder of Miles Morgan Travel, cited world cruises as another option for good-value deals, when cruise companies carve itineraries into segments if they haven’t been selling well, enabling customers to buy legs such as Sydney to Singapore.

“You need to look at sailings a few months in advance, as this is when they tend to be carved up,” he says. “So look now for autumn sailings and at Christmas for the spring. There might be nothing going or you might do well.”

I soon found a 17-night sector of a world cruise on Cunard’s Queen Victoria, departing Singapore on March 26 and arriving in Cape Town on April 12. It calls at Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Port Elizabeth in South Africa. From £1,099pp, not including flights, it works out at £64pp a night – about the same as a Travelodge. 

Flights for the same routing between Singapore and Cape Town for the same time period via Skyscanner amount to approximately £1,150pp, including luggage. Another win for the cruise. 

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How to see tonight's northern lights – the strongest in 20 years

A rare geomagnetic storm not seen for nearly 20 years could cause a stunning aurora borealis on 10 and 11 May

By Leah Crane

10 May 2024

People across the UK and US may glimpse a special light show tonight

Marc Hilton/iStockphoto/Getty Images

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, are expected to be more active than they have in decades the evening of 10 May, according to an announcement by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They could be visible as far south as Alabama in the US and Scotland in the UK. This marks the first severe geomagnetic storm watch from NOAA since 2005.

This shimmering green, purple and red glow in the sky occurs when charged particles from the sun smash into Earth’s atmosphere. The sun emitted several huge plumes of particles, called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) between 8 and 9 May, and they are expected to reach Earth on 10 and 11 May.

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When these particles reach Earth, many of them are deflected by the planet’s magnetic field. But the field is weaker around the poles, so some of them manage to sneak in and hit the atmosphere, where they impart energy to its constituent gas molecules. When these molecules re-emit the energy, it comes out as the light that we see as the aurora . The colour of the aurora depends on what type of gas was hit and where in the atmosphere it is located – green, the most common colour, comes from oxygen molecules around 120 to 180 kilometres up in the air.

The more powerful the CME, the more particles sneak into the atmosphere and the brighter and bigger the aurora is. The CMEs that just blasted off the sun are more powerful than any that have hit Earth since January 2005. Solar storms this powerful can even disrupt satellites and the electrical grid by releasing powerful currents that may damage their components.

To see the aurora, you need to be as far as possible from any major light pollution – it can be impossible to spot even an incredibly powerful aurora from urban locations. Once away from city lights, let your eyes adjust to the darkness and look to the northern sky.

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In the US, people may see the aurora by late 10 May or early 11 May over most of the northern half of the country, and potentially as far south as Alabama to northern California, according to NOAA. As for the UK, the Met Office predicts it will be visible across the northern half of the country toward the end of 10 May or early 11 May – but there is a chance the entire country could glimpse it.

Auroras may appear in photographs as bright, shimmering sheets of light , but to the human eye, without the power of a long exposure time, they tend to look more like a faint, shifting green glow. For those that live outside of the Arctic Circle, this may be the clearest auroral show in 19 years.

One of the biggest mysteries of cosmology may finally be solved

The expansion rate of the universe, measured by the Hubble constant, has been one of the most controversial numbers in cosmology for years, and we seem at last to be close to nailing it down

• star gazing

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