Staff excellent, food excellent and the ship is a British icon of the sea. A wonderful experience and a superb way to spend time at sea. Very, very relaxing, & shore tours are very good. My fourteen year old daughter thought it was the best experience ever.

The QE2 is cruising the old fashioned way and not to be sniffed at. There was a high degree of elegance although the ship is looking a little tired after her 40 years duty. Dining options are plentiful with a number of restaurants (only allowed in your level restaurant and the Lido) and the food quality was excellent as was the service.
We were in an M1 stateroom on deck 4 which was adequate although fairly basic with two single beds. If you want to sun yourself on the boat deck (where there is some degree of shade) then there is a bit of a fight for the sun loungers. Other, less considerate passengers leave towels, books and even walking sticks (do they really need them) on sunbeds for hours to reserve them however, this was in part rectified by announcements and crew/disgruntled passenger action.

Whatever you do, don't miss afternoon tea at 16:00 hrs, it's a spectacle.

Without doubt, the holiday of a lifetime.

The food in the Caronia Restaurant on the QE2 Cunard Canary Island cruise was brilliant, as was the service. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Very relaxing - seemed longer away than five nights. Drinks on-board were surprisingly reasonable. Two formal nights and three informal, and everyone seemed to enjoy the dressing up! Lots going on during the day time, including lectures (Lord Geoffrey Archer included) which were popular, amusing and informative. The C5 cabin, although on the smallish side and the furniture slightly dated, was spotlessly clean and comfortable - complimentary half bottle of champagne in cabin on arrival, which was a nice start to the break.

There was a long queue to embark, unless you were in the Grill restaurant cabins. It was noisier early in the morning as the ship was getting into port, but I wish we had spent longer than 5 days on the cruise. It exceeded my expectations, and I would love to travel on the QE2 again; hopefully on a longer trip!

The QE2 real ship with a wonderful crew transported us to Portugal with little effort. Do not expect a glitzy cruise experience - this is real liner stuff - this old lady is built for speed and bad weather with timeless elegance rather than luxury and now rather dated in parts. Some bathrooms have been re-done in tasteful decor and modern fittings but some (even in dearer staterooms) are still original and showing wear and tear - worth checking. Although due a re-fit in April 06 many of the public rooms are already re-decorated. Take your ear plugs as a moving ship can be creaky and engine noise is a fact of life. Lisbon in December can be chilly as was Barcelona re-scheduled as an earlier stop due to Gibraltar port being closed - bad weather. Did make Gibraltar - to load passengers (and for passengers and crew to stock up on booze?) We booked Princess grill cabins last time, but preferred the look of the Caronia restaurant - we were not disappointed. The people were less stuffy and the food just as good served in a stunning restaurant where you can please yourself what time you eat and you keep the same table for breakfast and dinner.
Las Palmas not much sun but pleasant - other parts of G.C. did have some sun. We rate the tourist bus available from the bus station which takes you through the old town.
Champagne cocktails in the Champagne bar with canapes before dinner (little bar totally non-smoking) reached only from staircase C on the port side at about $8 each for a treat before dinner.
Dakar - rather scary Africa - police escort for one tour - we stayed on board to catch the brilliant sun. Up on the Sun deck (most of the passengers never find this deck as it is only reached by stairs) you really get looked after with towels, drinks and blankets for the chillier times of day.
Come prepared for bugs with over 2,000 people they spread like wildfire and some sad people told us they had found it a challange to avoid the hand sanitiser! Needless to say after this we took every opportunity to sanitise our own hands and manged to avoid all the colds, flu, upset tummy etc. Bring the pills with you although reports of doctor were fantastic (very thorough and charming) it does cost!
Another day sun bathing on the way back to Tenerife. Despite a full ship we never failed to find 2 sunbeds together! Next stop - wonderful fireworks in Funchal harbour, Maderia. Took the cable car with a combined ticket for the gardens - well worth a visit and we include in our itenerary tea or coffee on the terrace in the hotel just across the street from the cable car top station - wonderful views and a pleasant experience.
Back on board - shore gangways from deck 4 or 5 reminded us how stuffy is seems down there. Mauretania customers should try to get decks 3 upwards for wider corridors and to be nearer the facilities as lifts are well used.
For a classic cruise experience and excellent food you will not be disappointed on the QE2 providing your expectations are realistic.

My only comment if only the M.D. would listen, is to build a new ship to carry 6-700 passengers and return to the old Cunard tradition like it was in the 80s and 90s and I am sure the ship would be full all the time without trying to entice people with special deals which seems to be the order of the day now.

This ship is like a comfy pair of slippers and to slip into this ship is to be in a homely relaxed atmosphere. On sea days there has been so much to do that there is never a dull moment. I even had a go at painting with water colour and as usual the teacher was of a high standard.
Many friends were made mainly through the chat on Cruise Critic. For anyone with an interest in Cunard we are all now chatting on Cunard Critic the one stop for everything Cunard. Our special, unique happening was the three Cunard Queens meeting in NY by Liberty. The music from the ships matched perfectly with the firework displays. The cold pouring rain could not spoil the moment.
Fairwell my lovely