After celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, Cunard will give its iconic flagship vessel the Queen Mary 2, a well-deserved vacation next summer to be retrofit with new luxury-class renovations. The multimillion dollar refurbishment will reveal a new look in several areas of the ship including the Cunard Grills experience, which promises the best of Cunard’s accommodation and dining. Cunard Grill restaurants and all 172 elegantly modern Grill suites will be redecorated and reconfigured with artwork and motifs reminiscent of Cunard buildings. Cabins will feature such historic touches as custom carpet with original designs from the legendary Queen Mary.
During her 25-day revamp, Queen Mary 2 will also add a new venue, the power-blue Carinthia Lounge, for light meals and tea service featuring baked goods from its dedicated patisserie. Cabin upgrades focus on 30 new Britannia Club Balcony staterooms, and remodeled Britannia Club Balcony cabins with design elements that give a nod to the Queen Mary’s original art deco style. And notably, for the first time in Cunard’s history it will add 15 single Britannia staterooms. Club guests will receive the VIP treatment with specially-appointed balcony staterooms in prime locations, plus dining privileges in the intimate Britannia Club Restaurant. Stateroom amenities will be upgraded to include a pillow menu, 24-hour room service, Penhaligons toiletries, and satellite TV with multi-language film and music channels.
“Queen Mary 2 is the pride of the Cunard fleet and we are committed to ensuring her reputation grows ever stronger,” said the president of Cunard North America, Richard Meadows in a statement. “These enhancements are just the beginning of an exciting refurbishment for Queen Mary 2.” Onboard highlights will continue to include Broadway-style performances at the Royal Court Theatre, the lavish Canyon Ranch SpaClub at sea, a library with more than 8,000 volumes, and the only actual planetarium onboard any cruise liner.
Following her dry-dock in Hamburg, Germany from May 27 to June 21, 2016, the grand lady’s post-refit cruises will include the Atlantic Crossing from Hamburg, Germany to New York City on June 21-July 1, 2016; the July 1-13 Grand Eastbound Crossing from New York to the Queen Mary 2’s home port in Southampton, England; and a 15-night roundtrip Transatlantic cruise July 17 through August 1. These will be bucket-list sailings, romantic reminders that the original floating palaces of the great Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were the first-ever ships to sail transatlantic crossings.
