Cunard Remastering Brings Fresh Energy
Truly a floating hotel operation as good or better than top land-based counterparts, cruise ships take a tremendous amount of work to keep clean and maintained. Still, from time to time ships are pulled out of the water for dry dock maintenance that can’t be done while in service. When it was time to go through that process with Queen Mary 2, Cunard Line chose to go a different direction. More than a remodeling, the Cunard remastering of their flagship brought far more than new carpet and a fresh coat of paint, addressing a number of ongoing issues that extend beyond the hardware.
Cunard Remastering: New Features
One part of the Cunard remastering of Queen Mary 2 included adding a number of new features. That’s not a total surprise; other cruise lines do that as well, adding popular features from the newest ships to older ships. Unlike other cruise lines though, new Cunard remastering features are unique to this ship and not available anywhere else. The quick list:
- 15 new Single Staterooms
- 30 new Britannia Club Balcony Staterooms
- 10 new Kennels
- Restyling of all suites and staterooms
- Restyling the Grills Dining Experience
- Tea and coffee makers in each stateroom and suite
- Debut: The Verandah dining venue with regional French cooking
- Winter Garden now an elegant, airy gathering venue
- Debut: The Carinthia Lounge, a light fare venue
- Kings Court moves beyond “the buffet” to a chef-manned demo of food journeys
Cunard Remastering: Fresh Energy
The Cunard remastering of Queen Mary 2 solidly positions the ship, if not the entire cruise line to sail smoothly into the future. Long time fans will be happy with what has been done. At the same time, the extensive effort effectively positions Cunard Line as a viable choice for a much broader range of cruise traveler.
“The Remastering is a testament to Cunard’s attention to detail, incorporating inspiration from our past that continues to propel the powerful Cunard story, which we think will strongly resonate with today’s travelers,” – David Noyes, CEO, Cunard Line”
Drawing on 80 years of heritage from her namesake RMS Queen Mary (now a permanent hotel in California) remastered Queen Mary 2 will continue to define luxury ocean travel with the most offerings, unique excursions, and the widest range of entertainment and leisure options available at sea today.
Cunard Remastering: Solidly On Top
Queen Mary 2, recently earned a new accolade as #1 cruise ship on the 2016 Travel + Leisure magazine’s World’s Best Awards in the mega-ship category (2,200 passengers or more). When Travel + Leisure asked readers to evaluate individual ships on their accommodations, dining, service, itineraries, destinations, excursions, activities and value, Queen Mary 2 came out the clear winner.
“We pride ourselves on the level of service and offerings we provide our guests and our ongoing commitment to offer world-class luxury in the cruise industry.” -Richard Meadows, Cunard North America President.
The extensive $132 million Cunard remastering, brought far more than over a half million square-feet of new carpet. Continuing Cunard’s commitment to elevate and improve the guest experience and remain at the top of the industry, remastered Queen Mary 2 is truly a unique experience we recommend for all fans of cruise travel.
Cunard Remastering: A Viable Alternative To Flying
Lisa and I sailed Queen Mary 2 during her inaugural year over a decade ago. Walking on to the ship to see what had been done brought back memories of one our more unique sailing experiences. We sailed a crossing from New York to Southampton, losing an hour each day on the way. To do it over, we would probably pick the westbound itinerary, adding an hour each day. Either one is far easier than the jetlag caused by a long flight from or to North America.
Cunard Remastering: Planning and Booking
For more information about Queen Mary 2 or sister ships Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Agent, call Cunard Line toll-free at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com.
Beyond the Cunard Remastering Of Queen Mary 2
Perhaps one of the most unique benefits of the Queen Mary 2 remastering has little to do with remodeling. When Lisa and I sailed the ship over a decade ago we brought back with us a number of takeaways from the upscale travel experience. Comparing to other lines we had sailed at the time, every night was formal night, just some more formal than others. To those who enjoy such things, it would be hard to top Cunard in that area. That continues. Long time fans of the line: relax. Cunard Line has you covered like a blanket.
Remastered Queen Mary 2 injects a fresh breath of relevant air into that experience, adding new venues and stateroom features. I’m betting Cunard does not stop there though. Poised to define what I believe could be a new ‘Golden Age’ of cruise travel, Queen Mary 2’s remastering takes care of the hardware and gives the ship a fresh new look. Stop right there and Cunard Line would have satisfied long time fans and position the ship to offer a unique cruising experience well into the future.
But there’s more.
The effect of remastering has put a contagious smile on the face of crew members that was previously absent. Look for Cunard Line to be a viable experience for far more cruise travelers for one really interesting reason.
It has been said that the olden days of cruise travel were mainly focused on “the newlywed or nearly dead”. Those days are long gone but Cunard Line seemed to be clinging to them for life. This remastered Queen Mary 2 will take good care of those two groups of people while widening the net to catch other upscale travelers as well.