The Queen Mary 2 Balcony room is the most popular accommodation type onboard and it’s easy to see why. Each spacious QM2 Balcony room is stylish as well as being a comfortable retreat at sea.

In June 2016 the QM2 (as she’s affectionately known) had a major refit, including a makeover of all the Britannia Balcony rooms. The result is a great improvement, with new carpet and soft furnishings. However the bathroom remains largely unchanged.

Guests staying in a QM2 Balcony room can choose to dine in either the Britannia Restaurant, Kings Court, or in the specialty Verandah restaurant.

Balcony room layout

The layout of the Queen Mary 2 Balcony room will be familiar to regular Cunard guests. There is a small entry hall which has a wardrobe on one side and a small bathroom on the other. The main living area in the QM2 Balcony cabin is bright and roomy and the decor has an unmistakable English-chic feel in tones of cream, dove grey and blue.

At one end of the living space is a comfortable king-size bed, while at the other is a small sitting area. Of course floor-to-ceiling glass doors lead on to a spacious balcony.

Comfortable living space

Each Queen Mary 2 Balcony room is comfortable and roomy. During the ‘Remastering’ in 2016 they received new cream coloured carpets, drapes and a stylish dove-grey sofa. In fact the decor now has a subtle nautical theme that evokes the great ocean liners of the past. In addition there are also new black & white photos on the walls.

The space is divided into two zones: A sleeping space and a sitting area.

The bed configuration in the sleeping space can be either king or twin. Either way the mattress is extremely comfortable and the bedding is also luxurious. In addition, the bed is framed by a soft leather bedhead that reaches all the way to the ceiling and handy bedside drawers sit on either side as well.

A small sitting area occupies the space between the bed and the balcony. It features the smart new 2-seater sofa and a coffee table which can also be converted to a compact dining table when required.

Opposite the sofa is a writing desk. This also doubles as a vanity table too, with a hair-dryer cleverly hidden away in a purpose-built drawer next to it.

A minibar is hidden underneath, while above there are tea and coffee making facilities. When we reviewed the Queen Mary 2 Balcony room we especially liked the clever bar shelf above the power outlets. It’s a smart design feature that allows you to neatly store glassware and small beverage bottles.

A real improvement in the QM2 Balcony room is the new, flat-screen TV. It is mounted on the wall, opposite the bed and replaces the old free-standing television that used to sit above the minibar.

A private QM2 balcony

While the QM2 balconies are not as large as those her sister Cunard ships they are non-the-less a spacious and a delightful haven.

At any rate there’s plenty of room for a set of reclining deck chairs and small outdoor table. Glass fronted Balcony rooms offer wonderful views of the ocean too.

It should be noted that Balcony (sheltered) category rooms on decks 5 and 6 have metal fronted balconies from floor to teak rail, due to their location lower to the water. Balcony (obstructed view) category rooms on deck 8 have obstructed views because life boats are directly in front of them.

Compact bathroom

The bathroom of a Queen Mary 2 Balcony room is small, but practical. Sadly, they received little more than a tidy-up during the 2016 Remastering.

Regrettably storage space is limited on the stone vanity top. However there is ample room on the shelving underneath. The shower itself is small and unsuccessfully uses a shower curtain rather than a glass door to keep water from spilling out onto the bathroom floor.

However, top quality Quercus bath products by Penhaligons come as standard in every QM2 Balcony cabin.

Wardrobe space

The QM2 Balcony room has plenty of storage space in a large wardrobe. In addition, one section of the wardrobe contains drawers and a safe. We did note the wardrobe doors were very noisy when closed. There is room to stow luggage underneath the bed.

QM2 Balcony cabin positions

There are 737 Britannia Balcony cabins onboard QM2. These are located on passenger decks 5, 6, 8, 11 and 12. Each Queen Mary 2 Balcony room is categorised according to its position and balcony type. Understanding how this works will help you choose the best balcony cabins on QM2.

Balcony types

There are three different balcony types to be aware of when considering which Queen Mary 2 Balcony room is right for you:

1. Balcony
   These QM2 balcony cabins are located high on decks 11 and 12, therefore they boast a full ocean view with glass from floor to teak rail.
2. Balcony (sheltered)
   Positioned on lower decks 5 and 6, with metal fronted balconies from floor to teak rail.
3. Balcony (obstructed view)
   These have obstructed views because life boats are directly in front of them.

Based on this Cunard sell 10 different QM2 balcony room categories. These are:

Balcony

• BB – Midships, high on deck 11
• BC – Midships, high on decks 8, 11
• BF – Forward, high on decks 8, 11 and 12

Balcony (sheltered)

• BU – Midships, low on decks 5 and 6
• BV – Midships, low on decks 5 and 6
• BY – Aft, low on decks 5 and 6
• BZ – Forward, low on decks 5 and 6

Balcony (obstructed)

• DB – Midships, high on deck 8
• DC – Midships, high on deck 8
• DF – Forward, high on deck 8

Choosing a QM2 Balcony room

Queen Mary 2 is the worlds biggest luxury ocean liner. In fact she measures 340 m / 1,132 ft in length. So choosing a Balcony cabin in the best location is largely a matter of personal preference. For instance, cabins aft are closer to the Queens Room, Britannia Restaurant and the rear-facing pools. While mid-ship cabins have easy access to the new Carinthia Lounge, Grand Lobby and Kings Court. In contrast, forward QM2 balcony cabin are nearer the theatres and the famous Commodores Club.

Most decks have Balcony rooms from bow to stern, but for a greater sense of exclusivity we recommend selecting one of the ten Queen Mary 2 Balcony rooms on deck 12. In fact these are some of the best QM2 balcony cabins, because they are all located forward and share the floor with a relatively small number of Britannia Balcony Club rooms. As a result there’s less activity and noise in the corridors.

Balcony room amenities

QM2 Balcony room guests can order room service 24-hours a day from a limited menu. However, in the evening guests may order dinner in their cabin from the Britannia restaurant menu.

Guests in a Queen Mary 2 Balcony cabin dine at a reserved table in the Britannia Restaurant and choose either a 6:00pm or 8:30pm sitting. They can also dine in the Kings Court where a huge buffet is available. A more up-market option is The Verandah, the QM2 specialty restaurant serving contemporary French cuisine. However, there is a modest addition charge to dine at The Verandah.

Other standard QM2 Balcony room inclusions are:

• Bon Voyage sparkling wine
• Fresh fruit daily (on request)
• Cunard stationery
• Dine at your reserved table in the beautiful Britannia restaurant at either 6pm or 8.30pm
• Complimentary 24-hour room service in addition to Britannia Restaurant
• Choice of many other dining venues, including the famous Cunard Afternoon Tea in the Queens Room
• Either king sized bed or two single beds (on request) with exclusive Sealy Cunarder Mattress
• Full bathroom with tiled floor and shower, with Penhaligons toiletries
• Sitting area with elegant armchair or sofa
• Private balcony with either fully glazed or metal exterior, teak handrail on top of the balustrade and balcony furniture
• Writing desk with drawers and chair
• Wardrobes and drawer space
• Flat screen satellite TV with multi-language film and music channels
• Nightly turndown service with chocolate
• Air conditioning
• Baby equipment and bed rails on request
• Soft terry robes and matching slippers, and 100% cotton bed linens and towels
• Direct-dial telephone
• 220V British 3-Pin and 110V 2-Pin Sockets
• Daily Programme and daily shipboard newspaper
• Other essentials include: refrigerator, key code safe and of course, a hair dryer

QM2 Balcony cabin conclusion

The Queen Mary 2 Balcony room is a spacious and comfortable haven at sea. The decor has been significantly improved thanks to the Remastering in 2016. Now there is a greater sense of space. All things considered, we rate the QM2 Balcony room at 4.0-stars.

Editors note

Certain electrical items in your luggage may fall foul of security screening. Things like travel irons will be identified by x-ray and the luggage will be put aside rather than delivered to your room. If this happens you will need to retrieve your luggage and declare any offending electrical item before it is released to you.