The remastering saw the public areas refreshed, state rooms refurbished and restaurants and entertainment areas enhanced. While the decor was modernised, the style and theme stayed true to the original Queen Mary and everything she presented - travelling at sea in comfortable luxury, seeing the world and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Thousands of square metres of carpet, thousands of tiles and millions of pounds later, she's back at sea and breaking waves, her guest happily traversing her halls to indulge in all the ship has to offer, which is a lot.
Our tour included only a few decks, of which there are 17, and we barely scratched the surface of the onboard offering. We started with refreshments, delicious little pastries and the captain's greeting in the Commodore Club - a comfortable space with access to a bar and 180-degree views. I suspect they provided the refreshments and pastries because they knew we would need all the energy we can get to complete a tour on a ship that is roughly 345 metres long.
On to Illuminations, the only planetarium at sea in the world and, in my opinion, the best part of the tour. Filled with a countless amount of tiny lights, this multi-purpose venue is used for planetarium shows, 2D and 3D movies, prominent speakers sharing their insight, and culinary demonstrations. The dome comes down over guests to give them an immersive experience of the universe.
From here we made our way to the Royal Court Theatre with seating on two decks which can accommodate just under a thousand guests. With a large proportion of passengers being seniors, the remastering saw greater wheelchair access implemented in this space. Boasting state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting, a revolving platform and elaborate stage sets, passengers can take a seat and be entertained by a variety of productions and shows.
Other public spaces include the Golden Lion - a relaxed, traditional English style pub where guests can enjoy draft beer, a wide selection of ales and lagers and traditional British pub food, a game of darts, quiz night, as well as catch up on major sports games. The Queens Room - a formal ballroom with seating for 412 guests and the main venue for afternoon tea, cocktail parties, and themed balls. If ballroom is not your thing, you can pop in at G32, a nightclub named after the ship's hull number while in the shipyard, where passengers can grab a drink and get down to the beats provided by the DJ or live music from the party band.
The ship is a sailing gallery - besides beautiful sculptures and wood carvings, artwork covers most of the many passages, but there are a few choice pieces that will make a lasting impression. For example, the murals detailing the multiple continents that Queen Mary's route connects, including the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Interestingly, the American mural has Homer Simpson hiding somewhere and guests are encouraged to spend some time in front of the mural to find him. An impressive bronze relief mural in the Grand Lobby depicts the Queen Mary bursting from the transatlantic ocean. The ship also has its own art gallery with some beautiful and interesting paintings that are for sale.
The tour included much more, including a casino, the Lady Godiva which is home to coffee and chocolate specialists, a champagne bar, the Chartroom, the many pool decks and the Kings Court dining venue. Unfortunately, we only had a few hours so we didn't get to see the entire ship and all activities and areas available for passengers to experience and explore at their leisure.
Feet sore, thirsty, and hungry, our humorous guide left us at the Britannia Restaurant, the ship's main restaurant with a sweeping central staircase and classic columns connecting two levels. Here we unwound and further ooh-ed and aah-ed together about the grandeur we just witnessed. Welcomed with service a standard above, we relished a smooth glass of wine and struggled to choose between the pan roasted lemon sole and grilled beef tenderloin, the macadamia and ricotta cheese crème-brûlée and the millionaire's salted caramel and chocolate truffle cake.
The Queen Mary 2 came very close to leaving for Port Elizabeth with a few stowaways onboard.
