First Impressions of the Cunard Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth is beautiful, classic and elegant. Rather than filling every available space with another attraction or venue, the ship has plenty of comfortable areas to sit, read, talk, listen to music or simply watch the ocean or the people.

Even at full capacity, the ship rarely felt crowded. For me, that was one of Queen Elizabeth’s biggest pluses. Luxury isn’t always about marble, champagne and butlers. Sometimes it’s simply having room to breathe.

The ship was also remarkably easy to navigate, which matters to me because my internal sense of direction is not exactly one of my strengths. I only got lost trying to find our stateroom once all week!

One of My Favorite Spaces: The Library

It spans two levels, connected by a beautiful spiral staircase, and contains more than 6,000 books guests can check out during the cruise.

This is one of those signature Cunard touches that doesn’t necessarily make the list of flashy cruise-ship amenities, but I think it’s part of what makes the experience so special.

Another favorite was the card room. Throughout the week, we saw people working on puzzles, playing Mahjong and enjoying card games. On Gala Night, we were dressed for the evening and had some time before the show, so we joined other guests working on a puzzle. Elegant, but comfortable—a little moment sums up much of the Cunard experience.

What Is Cunard’s White Star Service?

You hear the term White Star Service frequently when researching Cunard, but what does that mean when you’re onboard?

Cunard trains its crew through its White Star Academy, with an emphasis on thoughtful, attentive service and anticipating guests’ needs.

For me, White Star Service wasn’t about someone hovering over us or making the experience overly formal. It was the little things. Our dining team remembered our preferences after just a couple of evenings. Crew members were available when we needed something without constantly inserting themselves into our experience. The service felt polished and professional, but genuinely friendly.

The service was present without being intrusive. We felt taken care of while still being left alone to enjoy our vacation.

Our Cunard Britannia Balcony Stateroom

We stayed in a Britannia Balcony stateroom on Deck 5.

[caption id='attachment_32283' align='alignleft' width='206'] Cunard Britannia Balcony Stateroom[/caption]

For an Alaska cruise, I highly recommend having a balcony—but I’ll share much more about why in my separate Alaska cruise review.

My assessment of the room itself is that there was “enough” space for two adults for a week. It wasn’t huge, but we were comfortable.

Closet space was plentiful, and we stored our empty luggage in the closet and under the bed. Drawer space, however, was fairly limited.

One pleasant surprise was the hair dryer. Anyone who has used some of the older cruise-ship hair dryers knows what I'm talking about! The one Cunard provided worked really well, and I was happy I hadn’t packed my own.

The One Area That Needs an Update: The Bathroom

The biggest downside of our stateroom was definitely the bathroom.

Unlike newer ships, the shower still has a shower curtain rather than a solid door. Counter space is very limited, and the sink is quite small. Would I have preferred an updated bathroom? Absolutely. Did it detract from our overall experience? No. We made it work, and it certainly wouldn’t prevent me from sailing Queen Elizabeth again.

 

Dining in the Britannia Restaurant

We had early seating in the Britannia Restaurant, and I really enjoyed traditional assigned dining.

Having the same waiter, assistant waiter and bar attendant each evening was a highlight. They quickly learned our preferences, and we enjoyed getting to know them throughout the week.

Overall, I thought the food was better than what I experienced on my most recent Princess cruise, with one notable exception: seafood. We didn’t have great luck with the seafood dishes onboard, so after a couple of tries, we learned to choose something else. If fresh seafood is important to you, I’d save that experience for a meal in port—or even better, a food-focused shore excursion.

The desserts surprised me in the opposite direction. Cruise desserts often look much better than they taste. Not this week! The desserts on Queen Elizabeth were consistently very good.

Cunard’s Alternative Dining: Here’s How It Actually Works

Cunard refers to its additional-fee dining options as “alternative dining.” If you’re familiar with specialty dining on other cruise lines, this is essentially Cunard’s term for the same concept: restaurants and dining experiences that are not included in your standard cruise fare and come with an additional charge.

I’ll admit, Cunard’s setup can be a little confusing when you’re researching it online. Not all of its alternative dining restaurants have their own dedicated venue, and not all are open every evening.

Steakhouse at The Verandah is the ship’s only dedicated alternative dining restaurant with its own permanent location.

The other alternative dining experiences work more like “pop-up” restaurants, which is the easiest way to think about them. On select evenings, Cunard transforms part of the Lido—the ship’s buffet restaurant—into a sit-down alternative dining venue while the other portion continues operating as the buffet. Different concepts rotate throughout the voyage, including cuisines such as Italian, Indian and seafood. These experiences also carry an additional charge.

This is a perfect example of how working with a travel advisor who has personally experienced the ship can make a difference. Once I experienced the setup firsthand, it made perfect sense. Now I can explain it and help my clients know what to expect before they board.

Would I Pay For The Veranda Steakhouse Again?

Probably not. We tried The Veranda one evening. It comes with the largest per person upcharge of all of the Alternative Dining options. My husband ordered the filet  and enjoyed it. I ordered the strip steak, which unfortunately was tough and didn’t have much flavor. I did really enjoy the bone marrow appetizer, though!

On my next Cunard cruise, I will skip the steakhouse. If I’m craving a really good filet, I’d rather pay for the filet upgrade offered in the main dining room.

One thing that surprised me was how easy it was to dine where we wanted. Even though our sailing was at 100% guest capacity, we never had trouble getting a dining reservation when we wanted one.

Don’t Overlook the Golden Lion Pub. We had dinner there one evening and thought the fish and chips and the Golden Lion Burger were excellent. There are a few options on the menu that have an additional charge, the burger being one. In our opinion, it was definitely it. The Golden Lion is going on my list for my next Cunard sailing. I definitely need to try the Michel Roux Signature Three Cheese Toastie!

What Is the Buffet Like on Cunard Cruises?

We tried The Lido Restaurant (Cunard's buffet) for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least once during the week. This was the only place on Queen Elizabeth that consistently felt crowded, although it was still nowhere near as hectic as buffets I’ve experienced on some larger ships.

The selection was adequate, but the biggest weakness was variety. We didn’t see much change from one day to the next. If you prefer eating most of your cruise meals at the buffet, that’s something I’d keep in mind. For us, it wasn’t a major issue because we preferred dining elsewhere.

Let’s Talk About the Cunard Dress Code

One of the biggest myths about sailing Cunard is that the dress code is stuffy and formal all day, every day.

That couldn’t have been farther from our experience.

During the day, dress is appropriate to the destination. Sailing the Caribbean? Shorts and warm-weather clothes are perfectly normal. Sailing Alaska like we were? Comfortable layers, jeans and warmer casual clothing fit right in.

In other words, you do not need to walk around Queen Elizabeth dressed for Afternoon Tea all day.

What Do You Wear to Dinner on Cunard?

On regular evenings, I would compare dressing for dinner on Queen Elizabeth to going out to a nice restaurant at home.

We saw slacks, chinos, dresses and skirts, with shirts ranging from button-downs and collared shirts to nicer, plain smart-casual T-shirts.

You look put together. You don’t need to look like you’re attending a wedding.

Gala Evenings Are a Little Different

Gala Evenings are where Cunard’s reputation for dressing up comes from—and yes, they are dressier. After 6 p.m., guests in many of the main public areas, including the dining rooms, Queens Room and theater, are encouraged to embrace the evening’s more formal atmosphere.

I use the word “formal-ish” because there is still room for personal interpretation. You’ll see guests in tuxedos and evening gowns, while plenty of others interpret formal in a more understated way.

In our increasingly casual world, I found myself looking forward to dressing up a couple of times during the week. It made the evening feel special.

There are some expectations in the dining rooms. Jackets and collared shirts for gentlemen are required. But Cunard really does try to make it easy. If a gentleman arrives without an appropriate jacket, Cunard keeps some available to loan right at the dining room entrance. Quite literally, Cunard has your back.

What If You Don’t Want to Dress Up?

This is probably the part I most want my clients considering Cunard to know: You don’t have to participate.

If you don’t want to pack dressier clothing or simply don’t feel comfortable in that environment, there are areas of the ship where casual clothing remains perfectly acceptable—even on Gala Evenings. You can still have dinner and enjoy your evening without putting on formalwear.

I know the dress code can make some travelers hesitant to try Cunard because they worry the experience will feel too restrictive. That simply wasn’t my experience. Cunard gives you the opportunity to embrace the elegance and tradition when you want to, while still providing options when you don’t.

Cunard is classy and sometimes wonderfully elegant, but never felt stuffy or judgmental.

Entertainment on Cunard Is Different—and I Loved That

If your favorite cruise-night activity is watching a movie on a giant screen by the pool, you won’t find that experience here. But there is plenty to do in the evenings, and I really enjoyed Cunard’s approach to entertainment.

Cunard is the Official Cruise Partner of the Tony Awards, which makes sense when you see the emphasis the cruise line places on theater and live performance. During our sailing, we saw Come From Away.

Seeing a Broadway production with that level of talent at sea was an enjoyable experience. The cast was so talented, and other than an occasional sway of the ship, you would think we were in a NYC Broadway theater.

What I enjoyed just as much was the overall style of entertainment. The entertainment team was talented, knowledgeable and friendly without being “in your face.” There wasn’t a constant push to create bigger, louder, more energetic activities.

No belly-flop contests. No awkward dating shows. No uncomfortable dance competitions. For me, that was refreshing.

Cunard also has professional ballroom dancers onboard, and watching them became one of my favorite things to do. It took me right back to my own theater and dancing days. They offer dance lessons during the day as well. We didn’t participate this time, but it's already on my list for our next Cunard cruise.

Who Will Love Cunard and The Queen Elizabeth?

After spending a week onboard, I don’t think Cunard is trying to be the cruise line for everyone—and that’s one of its strengths.

I think Queen Elizabeth is particularly well suited for travelers who appreciate:

• A smaller, less crowded ship experience


• Classic elegance rather than flashy attractions


• Attentive service and getting to know the same dining team


• Live music, theater, ballroom dancing and enrichment


• Quiet spaces to read, relax or have a conversation


• Traditional cruise experiences such as Gala Evenings


• Entertainment without constant hype or pressure to participate


• Having time to actually enjoy the ship

If your ideal cruise revolves around water slides, giant pool-deck parties and high-energy activities from morning until midnight, Cunard may not be your best match.

If you’d rather spend an evening with the ballroom dancers, enjoying a show, having a drink at the pub or—in our case—working on a puzzle in gala attire before heading to the theater, Queen Elizabeth might be exactly your kind of ship.

Would I Sail Cunard Again?

Absolutely.

Was everything perfect? No. I’d love to see the bathrooms updated. I’ll skip The Verandah next time. And I’d save my seafood appetite for a great meal in port.

But those are relatively small criticisms compared with everything Queen Elizabeth did well.

What stayed with me most was the space, elegance and pace of the ship. We could find a quiet place when we wanted one, enjoy excellent entertainment when we wanted something to do, and simply settle into the rhythm of being at sea.

Most importantly for me as a travel advisor, I came home with a much clearer understanding of who I would—and wouldn’t—recommend Cunard to. That’s something I simply can’t learn from a brochure.

And yes, I'll be sailing Cunard again! In July 2028, I’m hosting a 7-night Transatlantic Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York. Our group includes exclusive amenities, special group pricing and bonus onboard credit, with an optional pre-cruise stay in London planned closer to departure.

Learn more about my 2028 Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing

Thinking about sailing Cunard and wondering which ship is right for you? I’d love to help you decide. I can help match you not only with the right itinerary, but with the cruise line, ship and stateroom that fit the way you like to travel.