It’s the little things.

I returned home a few days ago from taking a Luxury transatlantic cruise on Cunard Queen Mary 2. But how is it different from a premium line?  

The number one thing that stood out to us as being luxury was the quality of the love music. No piped in music or DJ, just very good musicians playing a wide variety of music. There are many lounges around the ship and live music is happening all the time.  The Queens Room is a giant dance floor!

A lot of guest speakers on a wide range of topics. Topics include  British Army Invasion, Astrophysics and Underwater Cameraman Record Producer. While the topics may not appeal to all, there was plenty of opportunity to immerse yourself with serious lectures. There was always a trivia game somewhere, and the number of game tables by windows was amazing! A library not to be matched anywhere at sea! The range of topics and a nice selection of foreign language publications was impressive. It was the little things that added up to luxury.

Another luxury, are the simple things that are no longer seen on premium lines. Things like quality paper coasters with the lounge name on them. The drink stirrer was made from wood with the Cunard logo. The dinner plates and accompanying dishes all had the gold rim and Cunard logo.

For shows in the evening, it was quite normal to get an actual playbill of either what the music was about or performance information!

Shortly after booking the Cunard Queen Mary 2, I got a formal reservation form on quality card stock and nicely engraved! About 6 weeks before the sailing I received a very nice booklet about what to expect on the voyage. It is the little things I noticed the most. Even upon disembarkation your account was printed and held in a nice envelope.

The open decks have a complete wrap around deck! And a dog kennel for those going to and from the US and UK/Germany. I did go visit the dogs and they looked nice. And who could not appreciate sailing past the Statue of Liberty?

Many people think that luxury cruising is very expensive. Yes a few lines are, but the prices are not as different as you would think. It comes down to what you want from your cruise and how a cruise can meet your expectations.

I will be sailing 2 more Luxury Lines later this year, Amawaterways and Virgin Voyages.  The cruise industry as we once knew it is under a transformation and I want to see how even the luxury lines are changing. There will always be a cruise just for you, and I am glad to help you find what pleases you most.

Kathy Hays Cruises