Queen Mary 2: The Refit

Booster Blog

queen mary 2

p>After a 25-day dry dock refurbishment, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 left Hamburg looking fresher than ever. More than just a twist and a tweak here and there, the legendary ocean liner underwent a major refit.

It’s fair to say that passengers will be pleasantly surprised by the face-lift the Queen has received. Contractors worked day and night stripping framework from the 2,600 passenger vessel, repainting the outer and refining the inner. Their efforts certainly paid off.

Single cabins have been introduced, as well as 30 Britannia Club Balcony cabins. The Grill restaurants have undergone a transformation, and the Kings Court Buffet has been totally redesigned; the Todd English restaurant is now The Verandah, and The Winter Garden is now the Carinthia Lounge.

Whilst QM2 has acquired a loyal following since its debut in 2004, there were areas that were felt to be unfavorable or slightly impractical. Namely the Kings Court buffet and the Grand Lobby, both of which have been revitalized in the refurbishment.

This part of the ship is now perhaps the most stunning. The Grand Lobby has been made much more functional for passengers, having had two elevators stripped away from the center of the space. This has reinvented the lobby into a spacious lounge, with a starburst art-deco style carpet adding colour and vibrancy to the room, as well as a baby grand piano for some accompanying music.

The Verandah and the Carinthia Lounge add to the kudos of the cruise line in more ways than one. Yes, they’re extremely stylish, with The Verandah taking inspiration from a restaurant on the original Queen Mary, but more than that; they’re tasty. Whilst the Carinthia Lounge doesn’t have a menu, it offers an array of small gourmet dishes for passengers to dip into from morning till afternoon.

The Verandah is a French specialty restaurant with playful circus inspired artwork. Its stylish décor is inspired by the Verandah restaurant that featured on the original Queen Mary. But beyond the aesthetics is high culinary standards; the kitchen offers food that is sure to impress. The space has had elevators removed, which has opened it up as a superb dining area.

Whilst the renovation has brought areas to life with contemporary decor, the grandiose romance of the ship still remains. Cunard have achieved a fine balance of fresh designs mixed with sensitive updates to the classic features of the cruise ship.

Even the pooches are getting pampered up in the recent refit with some additional facilities and kennels added to the Kennels Suite.