Sailing in style in a Cunard Queen Mary 2 Sheltered Balcony Cabin

Thinking of cruising on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and wondering what cabin to choose? Discover if a sheltered balcony cabin is the right cabin for you in my detailed review.

I’ve been considering a transatlantic cruise with Cunard but wasn’t sure if they were the cruise line for me. I’m probably not their target market and I was worried they might be a bit too formal or stuffy for me. So, before I took the plunge, I tried a short mini cruise with them to see what they were like.

As a solo traveller, I often end up booking inside cabins. Much as I’d love a balcony cabin every cruise, they are often a lot more expensive than an inside one and I usually prefer to put that money towards my next cruise. 

However, when I booked a mini cruise on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a sheltered balcony cabin was exactly the same price as an inside. They didn’t have to mention that twice, it was perhaps the quickest cruise I’ve ever booked!

As I had never cruised with Cunard before I was looking forward to seeing what they had to offer. 

My cabin reviews are designed to give you an idea of what it would be like to stay in this type of cabin should you be considering booking one. Using my experience I take an in-depth look at everything you need to know from the cabin layout to the amenities included and share any useful tips.

At a Glance: Queen Mary 2 Sheltered Balcony Cabins

Cabins on the Queen Mary 2 range from cosy inside cabins to spacious suites with different perks depending what class you are in.

The sheltered balcony cabins are located on decks 4,5 and 6. These cabins

• are a good size and feel quite spacious
• have a decor that doesn’t feel as dated as you might expect (sadly the same cannot be said for the bathroom)
• are ideal if you like to be on one of the lower decks or close to the sea
• have a huge balcony although as it is cut out of the ship’s hull it is covered. It is also high up so you have stand to be able to see out to sea
• can be disturbed by noise if you have one under an entertainment venue.

A little bit about Queen Mary 2

Before I get into the cabin review, I can’t not say a few words about the iconic Queen Mary 2. The last ocean liner in the world, a cruise on this ship offers a glimpse into the past and the romance of travelling on the seas.

At 1,132 ft in length, she can carry 2,691 passengers and 1,173 crew. However, perhaps unexpectedly, I found she never really feels crowded.

Built for sea days (and there are plenty of them on the transatlantic cruises she is famous for), the QM2 has a variety of dining and entertainment options to keep you occupied during your cruise.

Cabin Review

As the mini cruise I booked was a three nighter (with one sea day and a port stop in Le Havre, France. I chose a saver fare for this cruise. For only three nights I wasn’t too worried about decks or location. With hindsight perhaps I should have been. 

Location

I was given a grade upgrade and was allocated cabin 4180. As soon as I received my cabin number I did what most people probably do and googled it to see if there were any reviews or pictures. 

Big mistake. 

The first review I saw said avoid that cabin at all costs. It mentioned it being a noisy cabin and that it was difficult to get any sleep in. So, it was with a little trepidation that I boarded the Queen Mary 2. 

Located on deck four at the aft, the cabin was in a great location in terms of being able to get to many of the ship’s amenities and facilities quickly and easily.  

However, it was directly above the Queens Room & not far along from G32, the ship’s nightclub. That was the source of the poor review I had read. It mentioned being able to hear noise long into the early hours. So, I was a little worried about what the cabin was going to be like.

The first night was fine. I think the gentle hum of the ship’s engines probably covered most of the noise. Either that or it was a quiet night. I think that lulled me into a false sense of security and I wondered what the other reviewer had meant. Perhaps they had super sensitive hearing I thought. 

After the following two nights I understood exactly what they meant. The noise was constant most of the evening. Annoyingly you couldn’t work out the song being played or sung. As a big fan of music it would have made it a little easier to bear. Instead, all you could hear was the deep thud of the music. 

Thankfully it receded around midnight both nights so it didn’t disturb me as much as it could have done. That said, I honestly don’t know why you’d put cabins above a venue like that. You must know you’ll probably be dealing with complaints all night long.

One other potential issue with cabins in this location is you may feel more movement here than you would if you were midship. I definitely felt a bit of movement at times and there were lots of vibrations as we returned to Southampton. So, if you don’t fare well with sea sickness you may want to avoid cabins in this part of the ship.

Layout

Noise and movement issues aside, the cabin itself was great. All my cruises so far have been on new ships or recently refurbished ones so with the Queen Mary 2 being around 20 years old I was worried I would find the cabin a little dated. However, that wasn’t really the case. It was actually a really nice cabin. 

Entering the cabin, a large wardrobe is to your left & the bathroom to the right. This makes a little corridor-like space before you get into the main cabin area. 

There is a full-size mirror on the wall next to the bathroom door along with the air conditioning controls. Pro tip here, definitely check they are at a comfortable temperature for you. I spent the first day freezing before noticing them and realising I could make the cabin warmer. It had been a long week beforehand is all I’m saying. 

The king sized bed – they missed a trick there – takes up most of the space in the centre of the room. It can be configured to two single beds if required. Like all cruise ship beds it is super comfortable. 

On either side of the bed is a unit with a drawer & shelf. A large lamp sits on top of both. The one thing that is missing here are plug sockets or USB ports. If you want to plug something in here you’ll have to unplug the light. As a slightly older ship, it’s perhaps not a surprise this is the case but in today’s world when most people have multiple devices it is a little frustrating. 

A large flatscreen TV hangs on the wall opposite. There is a fairly decent range of channels including international news, sports and movie channels.

The last third of the cabin is taken up with a sofa, a small table & a desk/dressing table. The desk has two narrow drawers and a cupboard that hides a fridge.

Tip | Don’t forget to look in here for your welcome bottle of sparkling wine when you board.

One of drawers contains a hairdryer. Though I’m being generous when I say that as it’s one of the worst hair dryers I’ve ever used. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s a hair not dryer. It has never taken me so long to dry my hair. If you have long hair you’ll definitely want to plan in some time to dry your hair so you don’t miss any reservations or plans you may have. 

On top of the desk are the all-important tea-making facilities. Here you’ll find a kettle, two cups, coffee sachets & plenty of tea bags. Above the desk is a mirror with two lamps on either side. Lighting is definitely not an issue in this cabin. 

Overall, the cabin was much nicer than I was anticipating. The decor may be a little understated but it still has a regal feel. It felt light and airy. Surprisingly, bathroom aside, it felt more modern than I was expecting.

Storage

The large wardrobe in the cabins offers a good amount of storage. It has one single door behind which you can store long or full-length clothes. Next to this is a half-length single door with four shelves behind, one of which is taken up with life jackets and another with a safe. Below this area are four drawers.

Two double doors lead to a long clothes rail with a shelf above. You can store mixed length clothes here. 28 double hangers were provided. Though if you need more you can just ask the cabin steward. I saw more than one walking down the corridor with an armful of hangers on the first day.

As a solo traveller, it was more than adequate. Especially as it was a short trip. If there are two of you & you are on board for a week or two I think it should be enough unless you like to take the kitchen sink with you. 

Bathroom 

The one part of the cabin that does feel a bit dated is the bathroom. That said, it’s perfectly fine. It’s compact, clean and does the job. It’s just doesn’t look or feel very modern.

It is a little small, there isn’t much floor space but it’s enough to do all you need to do. The shower is probably one of the best I’ve used on a ship. Powerful and with a good water temperature. I wasn’t really expecting that. The only downside is that it has the dreaded shower curtain.

You won’t find any toiletries on the wall here like on most cruise ships. There is a shelf where you can put your own or you can use the Penhaligon toiletries provided by the ship that are on the unit next to the sink. 

What is a Sheltered Balcony Cabin on Queen Mary 2?

This cabin had a sheltered balcony. I’ve had a similar style of balcony once before on a different cruise ship and discovered from chatting to my cabin neighbours that not everyone knew about this style of cabin.

A sheltered balcony on Queen Mary 2 is a balcony that is cut out of the ship’s hull. Perhaps not what you expect when you envisage a cruise ship balcony, they do offer more privacy than the usual balcony as they are almost fully enclosed.

A single door leads out from the cabin onto the balcony. As it is cut out of the ships body, if feels like you are outside but not if that makes sense. Almost like an extension of the cabin. It is also like having a picture window that changes every day. They make for some great photos. 

These cabins are located on decks 4,5, and 6 so you are low down on the ship and relatively close to the sea. In rough seas or not so great weather they provide some shelter from the elements so you can still use your balcony.

This is particularly handy on transatlantic crossings as the weather may not be sitting out on your balcony weather. However, with a sheltered balcony you can still get some fresh air and day light while being protected from the worst of the weather.

Another benefit of this style of balcony is that they are huge. They are very deep so there is a lot of space. Two recliner chairs and a small table are provided. Both are more than adequate to sit outside and get some fresh air. The only downside is that you can’t sit down and enjoy the view as the cut-out is higher up. You have to stand up to look out to sea. Well unless you are very very tall when sitting I guess.

One other thing I did notice was that it was the rustiest balcony I have seen so far on a cruise. I guess some of that is down to the journey’s it takes and the weather conditions it encounters. 

I was very lucky with the weather and had a great sunset one night. The view was truly spectacular. 

Tip | If the weather is in your favour make sure you don’t miss the sunset view from your balcony.

The Last Word

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when cruising with Cunard. I was a little worried I’d find it old and too dated for me. However, I really enjoyed my cruise and was impressed with the cabin.

Despite the noise issue, I actually ended up spending a lot of time in my cabin, more than I have on most other cruises I’ve taken so far. Apart from the bathroom the cabin didn’t feel dated at all really and was very comfortable. 

I’m still undecided on which cruise line to take a transatlantic cruise with but after my experience, Cunard is definitely going to be an option I consider.

Have you taken a cruise with Cunard? Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your experience.

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