Cunard, reviewed honestly

Who Cunard genuinely suits

People who want the crossing itself to be the holiday. Cunard is the only line here where a transatlantic is a scheduled service rather than a repositioning afterthought, and Queen Mary 2 is built for open ocean in a way most modern cruise ships are not.
Anyone who actively enjoys dressing for dinner. Gala nights are real here, and observed.

When you'd be better off elsewhere

Anyone who finds a dress code tiresome. It is a known, avoidable mismatch if you know before booking rather than after.
Families wanting a resort at sea. There are children aboard, but the ship is not organised around them the way P&O's newest ships are.

What the ships are actually like

Grill accommodation is a genuine two-tier system, and it changes the holiday. Princess Grill and Queens Grill guests each dine in their own private restaurant, separate from Britannia and from each other, and both tiers share access to the exclusive Grill Suites lounge, sun terrace, and priority disembarkation. Butler service, though, is a Queens Grill exclusive: Princess Grill guests instead get a dedicated suite steward and a Grills concierge, a real distinction rather than a marketing one. Worth understanding before you compare fares, because a Britannia fare and a Grill fare are not the same product wearing different prices.

Call it what it is: a British maritime class system

Nobody at Cunard will phrase it this way, so here it is plainly: the Grills are a class system, by design, and the modern descendant of how ocean liners have always worked. That is not an accident anyone is embarrassed about, and knowing it before you book is worth more than discovering it at dinner.

What it actually buys you: Princess Grill and Queens Grill each dine in their own restaurant, and both share a private lounge and sun terrace. What it does not buy you is a separate ship. The theatre, the Queens Room, the grand public spaces, everyone uses those together, and that is the point rather than a compromise.

So it cuts both ways. Book Britannia expecting the whole ship to treat you identically and you will notice the doors you cannot open. Book a Grill suite expecting to float above the rest of the ship and you have overpaid for something Cunard never offered. Book either one knowing exactly where the line falls and it is one of the most characterful holidays at sea.

Where Cunard sits

Class

Premium, on our ladder from Mass Market through Ultra-Luxury.

A sample sailing

Queen Mary 2, 7 nights: Transatlantic, Southampton to New York, guide price from £1,199pp.

Where Cunard boards in the UK

In the UK, Cunard sails from Southampton. Our guide covers who it suits, what actually sails and how to reach it.

Cruises from Southampton

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See what Cunard actually has available

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