How does Cunard compare to Disney?

[tinkerbellerina]

We are trying to decide if we should take another Disney cruise or if we should try Cunard's Queen Mary 2. I don't know anyone who has sailed on any of Cunard's ships. I would love to get some thoughts on how they compare to Disney from people who have sailed on both lines, or if you haven't sailed with Cunard but you have info that you think would be helpful to me. TIA

 

[CandyMandy]

Have sailed on both. As compared to DCL:

A. Completely different clientele. Generally older and definitely more discerning about dining and service.
B. A true transatlantic legacy, not a "faux" one.
C. An aura of formality, but not a suffocating one. Think "Palm Beach Ritz Carlton."
D. Much better live music (than just about any other line, not simply DCL).

Similar to DCL:

A. The ships get relatively quiet after 10:30-11pm.

 

[jjgarv]

DH and I have sailed on both Queen Mary 2 (a 5-day cruise up the coast to Boston, Nova Scotia, etc.) and DCL... I agree with pretty much what CandyMandy said. Here are a few other observations... 1.) Your dining room is determined by the type of room you stay in. Folks with more expensive rooms eat together and so on. 2.) We were surprised at the lack of activities on sea days. One afternoon, the only two choices were a workshop on scarf tying or a seminar on lower back pain...I kid you not. (We would have been happy to sit on deck and read, but it was too cold and windy.) We are not typically go-go-go people, but compared to the crowd in the QM2, we WERE the movers and shakers. 3.) No significant pool action on the upper decks. Not that we require serious pool time, but just an observation. It struck us as strange at first, as we typically cruise to warm climates and are used to pools and bars and lounge chairs covering the top decks. 4.) The best entertainment was listening to the older ladies at our dining table complain about how poorly the 'gentleman hosts' danced in the ballroom. And the best evening entertainment was watching these fiesty ladies dance with each other to avoid the gentleman hosts.

It's truly a vast difference between the two to us. The best parts of this cruise, for us, were the day in Boston and Nova Scotia. Sailing out of New York harbor was also cool...the captain stopped so that we could watch the fireworks shot off the Brooklyn Bridge in honor of the bridge's 100th birthday. At any rate, while the QM2 is truly a grand ocean liner, I don't see us sailing on her again. We chalk it up to 'interesting experience, but don't need to do it again.'

 

[tinkerbellerina]

Have sailed on both. As compared to DCL:

A. Completely different clientele. Generally older and definitely more discerning about dining and service.
B. A true transatlantic legacy, not a "faux" one.
C. An aura of formality, but not a suffocating one. Think "Palm Beach Ritz Carlton."
D. Much better live music (than just about any other line, not simply DCL).

Similar to DCL:

A. The ships get relatively quiet after 10:30-11pm.

DH and I have sailed on both Queen Mary 2 (a 5-day cruise up the coast to Boston, Nova Scotia, etc.) and DCL... I agree with pretty much what CandyMandy said. Here are a few other observations... 1.) Your dining room is determined by the type of room you stay in. Folks with more expensive rooms eat together and so on. 2.) We were surprised at the lack of activities on sea days. One afternoon, the only two choices were a workshop on scarf tying or a seminar on lower back pain...I kid you not. (We would have been happy to sit on deck and read, but it was too cold and windy.) We are not typically go-go-go people, but compared to the crowd in the QM2, we WERE the movers and shakers. 3.) No significant pool action on the upper decks. Not that we require serious pool time, but just an observation. It struck us as strange at first, as we typically cruise to warm climates and are used to pools and bars and lounge chairs covering the top decks. 4.) The best entertainment was listening to the older ladies at our dining table complain about how poorly the 'gentleman hosts' danced in the ballroom. And the best evening entertainment was watching these fiesty ladies dance with each other to avoid the gentleman hosts.

It's truly a vast difference between the two to us. The best parts of this cruise, for us, were the day in Boston and Nova Scotia. Sailing out of New York harbor was also cool...the captain stopped so that we could watch the fireworks shot off the Brooklyn Bridge in honor of the bridge's 100th birthday. At any rate, while the QM2 is truly a grand ocean liner, I don't see us sailing on her again. We chalk it up to 'interesting experience, but don't need to do it again.'

Thanks for your replies. They were very helpful.

 

[disneyholic family]

i would only sail on Cunard to cross the atlantic on the QM2...

i would never cross the atlantic on any ship other than an ocean liner, which the QM2 is...

other than that, there are many other cruise lines to choose from...

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The Cunard vessels today are still more of the liner type hulls and layouts.

However most of the cruise ships, all of the DCL vessels RCL, HAL, Princess, today are perfectly safe and comfortable on long ocean voyages like across the great pond.


AKK