A cruise on the Queen Mary 2
1. September 2016
TOP 10 activities on board the AIDAperla
9. November 2017

TOP 15 activities on sea days on board the Queen Mary 2

We were always very lucky with the weather on the sea days of our Norway cruise on the Queen Mary 2. Bright sunshine and a bit of wind greeted us in the morning on our balcony with loggia. But what can you do on board? We were already excited about the offer and the possibilities. Here are our TOP 15 activities on sea days on the Queen Mary 2:

  1. Breakfast in the cabin

A particularly great offer is the free 24-hour room service and the free breakfast service. Every evening the door hanger with a selection of breakfast dishes to tick off is on the bed. You can leave your order on the door handle outside until 1 am. You can choose from various juices (e.g. apple, orange, grapefruit, cranberry), coffee, cocoa, tea and different types of muesli (e.g. Bircher muesli, Special K, Frosties, Weetabix), various types of eggs (e.g. scrambled eggs with or without salmon, fried eggs), potato pancakes, bacon, beans, fruit, toast, jams, honey, croissants and muffins. There is something for everyone. We loved the quiet breakfast in the cabin, especially on sea days!

breakfast-cabin-queen-mary-2

breakfast-queen-mary-2

  1. Attend a lecture

There are interesting guest speakers on board every cruise. On our Norway cruise, for example, Konrad Beikircher (Rhenish cabaret artist), Bernd Stolzenberger (former managing director of Hurtigruten) and Dicke Arbiter LVO (former press secretary to the Queen) were on board. Some of the lectures are even recorded and broadcast on the on-board television. The lectures will take place either at Illuminations or the Royal Court Theatre.

royal-court-theatre-queen-mary-2

  1. Enjoy the view from the Observation Deck

There is a great corridor at the front of the ship’s bow, directly under the bridge. The Observation Deck on deck 11 offers a unique view over the ship’s bow, the spare propellers and the sea.

observation-deck-queen-mary-2

observation-deck-aboard-queen-mary-2

queen-mary-2-bow

  1. View the bridge

It is possible to take a look at the bridge on sea days. There is a door with a glass insert with a direct view of the captain’s headquarters. Unfortunately, you are not allowed on the bridge itself or to take photos. But you can at least take a little look behind the scenes of the cruise ship in motion.

  1. Try out the sun loungers on deck 7

Where better to relax than on a cushioned sun lounger with a view of the sea? We love the sun loungers on deck 7 because you can really relax here. As you know, a picture is worth a thousand words.

lie-on-deck-7-queen-mary-2

queen-mary-2-sunbeds

  1. Pub lunch at the Golden Lion Pub

A special highlight is the British pub lunch in the Golden Lion Pub. From 12 noon to 2:30 p.m., you can enjoy a selection of dishes that you would normally find in a typical English pub. The fish & chips dish is particularly recommended. You can get it even if it’s not on the menu. So don’t be shy and just order! All at no extra charge, of course.

pub-lunch-queen-mary-2

  1. Eat an ice cream or chocolates at the Godiva Café

The new Godiva Café in Sir Samuel’s on deck 3 invites everyone to arrive in chocolate heaven. There are delicious chocolates, cakes, hot chocolate and ice cream. All this is available for an extra charge. An ice cream costs 4.50 US dollars and 6 chocolates in a gift box cost 10 US dollars. But there are also tasting offers if you order a drink in the café. It is definitely a great experience on board.

Godiva Ice Cream Queen Mary 2

  1. Watch a show at the planetarium

There are shows in the ship’s own planetarium in the Illuminations Hall every day at sea. On our trip there were even performances in English and German, but there are always translation devices with headphones for other languages. There are 150 adjustable armchairs that invite you to explore the history of space. Tickets for the performances can be obtained from 9 a.m. at the ConneXions counter on deck 2. They are simply placed in an open plastic stand for removal.

planetarium-queen-mary-2

  1. Play board games on deck 3L

On the intermediate deck 3L, next to the Royal Court Theatre, there is a lovingly used corridor for game lovers on the left and right side of the theater. There are a few tables and chairs by the windows overlooking the sea. But these are not just tables for sitting and resting, but for playing. There are different games on each table, such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit or Clue (Cluedo in Germany). There is even a wider table in the middle of the row of tables for large puzzles.

queen-mary-2-games-area

  1. Borrow a book from the library

Queen Mary 2 has a unique selection of books on board. It is the only cruise ship with a library with around 10,000 books in various languages. The majority (over 8,000) of the books are in English. But there are even more than 800 books in German as well as books in Japanese, Spanish, Italian and French. The library is located on deck 8 at the bow of the ship. Here you will find travel guides, non-fiction books, fiction and magazines. You can either devour a book in an armchair in the library with a view of the sea or borrow a book.

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library-queen-mary-2

library-area-queen-mary-2

The library is also directly connected to a bookshop where you can even buy the latest bestsellers. You can also buy coloring books with pencils for children here. There are also greeting cards in case you have forgotten your birthday on board, and souvenirs.

  1. Relax at the Canyon Ranch Spa

The wellness area covers almost 2,000 square meters. For 40 US dollars you can buy a day pass and relax in the Thalasso Pool with whirlpool and water jets, the separate whirlpool, the aroma steam bath, the herbal sauna and the Finnish sauna. There are also two foot baths with hot or cold water and massage jets. You can simply go to the spa in your bathrobe. It is advisable to take bathing sandals with you. In addition, you may only enter the saunas in a swimsuit or swimming trunks.

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spa-sauna-and-showers-queen-mary-2

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To relax after swimming or a body treatment, there is a relaxation area with a drinks corner (tea, water and juice) and loungers with sea views. There are also plenty of magazines to read and towels to cover up with.

traenketheke-spa-queen-mary-2

canyon-ranch-spa-relaxation-area-queen-mary-2

recliner-spa-queen-mary-2

There are also offers for longer fun. For example, you can buy the 6-day pass for 105 US dollars. You shouldn’t be put off by the high prices of the body treatments in the spa’s service menu (e.g. 80-minute canyon stone massage for 446 US dollars), as you can always find good offers in the daily program. For example, there was an 80-minute offer with hot stone massage, head massage and foot massage for 159 US dollars. Below the offer there is always a code word that you can enter when making a reservation to save another 20 US dollars.

  1. Feasting at afternoon tea

At 3:30 pm it’s time for afternoon tea in the Queens Room on deck 3. It’s best to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early because there’s always a long queue at the entrance. The doors to the hall are opened on time, you get hand sanitizer pumped onto your hands by a crew member and then go inside to choose a nice seat. The tables are already set and the small jam jars and milk are ready.

queens-room-queen-mary-2

afternoon-tea-queens-room

We loved the front row seats right next to the dance floor. Don’t worry, there’s no dancing here at afternoon tea. But there is always a great musical accompaniment, which you can see and hear particularly well from up here. Then the waiters come running in. All in a row with trays or teapots in their hands. Sandwiches, small cakes and scones with clotted cream are served one after the other.

sandwiches-afternoon-tea-queen-mary-2

cakes-afternoon-tea-queen-mary-2

The scones with raisins are simply fantastic. To drink, there is of course English Breakfast tea. But you can also get decaffeinated tea, Darjeeling or Earl Grey on request. It is a wonderful spectacle and is always fun.

afternoon-tea-queen-mary-2

scones-afternoon-tea-queen-mary-2

scone-with-jam-afternoon-tea-queen-mary-2

  1. Watch a movie at Illuminations

Fancy a movie? No problem. In the Illuminations on deck 3 you can watch a movie in a cinema atmosphere. There are more than 470 seats for movie lovers. On our trip we were able to watch movies in German and English. There were films such as “Hail Caesar!”, the new movie “The Jungle Book” and “Zoomania”. But there were also films in 3D, such as “Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens”. Films are shown at different times, so it is worth taking a look at the daily program.

illumination-queen-mary-2

  1. Enjoy the sea view in the whirlpool

On deck 8 there are two beautiful whirlpools with a view over the stern of the ship and the sea. Here you can really relax and unwind.

pooldeck-queen-mary-2

whirlpool-queen-mary-2

  1. Drink a port wine in the Carinthia Lounge

The Carinthia Lounge on deck 7 is brand new. It offers comfortable armchairs, sofas, normal chairs and bar stools. There is a suitable seat for everyone. This lounge has a unique collection of port wines, inviting you to enjoy the calm and dignified atmosphere with a glass of wine.

carinthia-lounge-port-wine

We recommend the Port Tasting Flight: a selection of four port wines from 10.95 US dollars. We tried The Port Sampler: White, Rosé, Ruby & Tawny with 30 ml each. The port wines were Taylor’s Chip Dry, Offley Rosé, Grahams’s LBV and Ferreira Dona Antònia Reserve. A single glass of these port wines otherwise costs 6.95 US dollars. The Port Tasting Flight was really tasty and fun.

port-tasting-flight-queen-mary-2

 

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