Portsmouth & London30 Oct – 10 Nov 2026
Trafalgar to
the Thames
Seven nights crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2, then Nelson's flagship and four unhurried days in royal London, with the London Eye at sunset.
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Part one30 Oct – 6 Nov
The Crossing
Seven nights on the Queen Mary 2, from Brooklyn to Southampton: the only ship still sailing a scheduled transatlantic service, built as an ocean liner for North Atlantic weather.
Good to know aboard
- The clocks go forward. An hour at a time on most days, about four times on this crossing. Recent crossings have changed them at noon, so lunch comes quickly.
- The Daily Programme arrives in your stateroom each evening with the next day's times, dress code and events.
- Dress codes: on Gala Evenings, a dinner jacket or dark suit and tie, and an evening or cocktail dress. Other evenings are smart: collared shirts, smart trousers, dresses or smart separates.
- The ship is nearly a quarter-mile long. Use the lift bank nearest where you're going, and take the folding chair for trips to the far end.
- Your phone may get confused. US clocks fall back on Sunday 1 November and the ship changes time too. Trust the ship's clocks.
The Crossing · Any sea day
A typical sea day
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
Breakfast
Waiter service in the Britannia Restaurant (Decks 2–3), or the Kings Court buffet on Deck 7.
Get planetarium tickets
Free tickets for the day's shows go fast. Collect them in the morning; the Daily Programme says where.
Cunard Insights lecture
Talks by historians, astronauts, writers and naval experts, usually twice a day in Illuminations or the Royal Court Theatre.
Ballroom dance class
In the Queens Room on Deck 3. Watching is half the fun.
Pub quiz
In the Golden Lion pub on Deck 2. Free; arrive early for a seat.
Lunch
The Britannia, the Kings Court, or a pub lunch in the Golden Lion.
Planetarium show
Illuminations is the only planetarium at sea, with about three shows a day.
The library
Deck 8, forward, with views over the bow. It was the largest library at sea when the ship launched, with about 8,000 books.
Afternoon tea Daily
In the Queens Room, 3:30 to 4:30, with white-gloved waiters, a string quartet or pianist, finger sandwiches and warm scones. The daily highlight.
A lap of the Promenade Deck
Deck 7 wraps all the way around the ship, with steamer chairs along the way. Windy, so bring a scarf.
Drinks in the Commodore Club
Deck 9, right at the front, looking out over the bow.
Dinner, a show, dancing
Dinner at your set time in your restaurant. The Royal Court Theatre puts on a different show each night, and the orchestra plays for dancing in the Queens Room.
Crossing · Friday 30 October1 of 8
Boarding and sailaway
Sailing from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Red Hook
Check in at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
Arrive at your assigned check-in time. Cunard's mobility team, in high-visibility jackets, meets you at the mobility registration area and escorts you aboard.
Lunch in the Kings Court
The buffet on Deck 7, open while you wait for your stateroom.
Safety briefing Required
Required for everyone. Your assembly station and time are in your boarding information.
Visit the Purser's Office
The ship's front desk. Confirm your dinner time and ask which nights are Gala Evenings. Register for wheelchair-assisted disembarkation on 6 November now, so it's on file.
Sailaway Don't miss
Go out on deck, toward the front. You'll pass the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, then slip under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with very little room to spare. Check the exact time in your boarding information. Wrap up; it's windy.
First dinner aboard
At your set time in your assigned restaurant. Then an early night.
Crossing · Saturday 31 October2 of 8
Finding your sea legs
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
Feeling the motion? It's calmest low down and in the middle of the ship. The onboard shop and medical centre have seasickness remedies.
Explore, one deck at a time
Deck 2–3: the Britannia, Illuminations, the Royal Court Theatre, the Golden Lion and the Queens Room. Deck 7: the Kings Court and the Promenade. Deck 8: the library. Deck 9: the Commodore Club. Pick up planetarium tickets on the way.
Your first Insights lecture
A good way to meet the guest speakers whose talks you'll follow all week.
Clocks go forward
Likely today. Check the Daily Programme.
Afternoon tea
Your first in the Queens Room.
Halloween at sea
It's October 31, so watch the Daily Programme for celebrations. The first Gala Evening, often with the Captain's welcome, usually comes early in the crossing.
Crossing · Sunday 1 November3 of 8
A Sunday at sea
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
Clocks: US daylight saving ends today, and the ship may also move its clocks. Go by the ship's clocks, not your phone.
Sunday service
A short non-denominational service is a Cunard tradition on Sundays at sea, often led by the Captain. Check the Daily Programme for the time and place.
Pub lunch and quiz
Fish and chips or cottage pie in the Golden Lion, then the quiz.
Planetarium show
Use the tickets you picked up that morning.
Afternoon tea
The Queens Room.
A show in the Royal Court Theatre
Different every night. It plays twice, so go to whichever performance doesn't clash with your dinner time.
Crossing · Monday 2 November4 of 8
Books and the bow
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
Morning in the library
Deck 8, forward. Find a window seat over the bow; the maritime bookshop is next door.
Insights lecture
Dance class or a deck walk
Practise for the week's Gala Evenings, or take a lap of the Promenade Deck.
Afternoon tea
Cocktails in the Commodore Club
Watch the sea from the front of the ship before dinner.
Gala or themed night?
Crossings often have themed evenings, such as a Roaring Twenties night or a Masquerade Ball. The Daily Programme will say.
Crossing · Tuesday 3 November5 of 8
Mid-Atlantic
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
US Election Day. You'll be at sea, so vote early or by mail before you leave home.
Insights lecture, then a film
Illuminations doubles as a cinema, usually with films twice a day.
Pub quiz rematch
The Golden Lion.
Planetarium show
Catch one you missed earlier in the week.
Afternoon tea
Dinner and dancing
The orchestra plays for dancing in the Queens Room.
Crossing · Wednesday 4 November6 of 8
Dress up and dance
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
Spa time or a deck walk
Book spa treatments at the spa reception, ideally early in the crossing.
Dance class
Learn the steps for tonight.
Afternoon tea
Gala Evening and ball
If tonight is a Gala Evening, the Queens Room ball is the grand event of the crossing. On Gala Evenings, some bars and the ballroom ask guests to follow the dress code.
Crossing · Thursday 5 November7 of 8
Last full day at sea
Times are typical. The Daily Programme left in your stateroom each evening has the real ones.
Read the disembarkation letter
It arrives in your stateroom with your disembarkation time, luggage tags and when to put bags out.
Purser's Office
Settle your onboard account. Confirm the wheelchair escort and a porter for tomorrow morning, and ask which Southampton terminal you'll arrive at.
Get the Uber app ready
Sign in and check your card on file while you have the ship's Wi-Fi. Tomorrow you'll take an Uber or a black cab from the terminal to Portsmouth; no booking needed.
Last afternoon tea
Pack and put the bags out
Put the big cases outside your door by the time in your letter. Keep a day bag with passports, medicines, the folding wheelchair, a change of clothes, and your Stasher, Dockyard and Addison Lee bookings.
Early night
The ship docks at 6:30 am. Tonight is Bonfire Night in Britain, when bonfires and fireworks mark the failed 1605 plot to blow up Parliament.
Crossing · Friday 6 November8 of 8
Arrival in Southampton
Sunrise about 7:04 am
Optional: on deck before dawn
The ship rounds the Isle of Wight and passes Portsmouth on its way into Southampton Water. That's where you'll see HMS Victory in a few hours.
The ship docks
Breakfast aboard
The Britannia or the Kings Court.
Disembark with the wheelchair escort
When your group is called, the mobility team takes you through the terminal to collect your bags.
Part two6–10 Nov
London
From the ship to HMS Victory in Portsmouth, then four days in London.
Before you start
Good to know
- The ship docks in SouthamptonHMS Victory is 20 miles east in Portsmouth, which is on the way to London. That's Friday.
- Sunday 8 November is Remembrance SundayWestminster is packed that morning, so Sunday starts in Bloomsbury. Paper poppies are sold everywhere; wearing one is a kind gesture.
- Bring the folding wheelchair everywhereThe London Eye has none to lend, and loan chairs elsewhere are first come, first served.
How to get a black cab
Every licensed London black cab has a built-in wheelchair ramp, seats five and takes cards. Typical fares around central London are £15–30.
- At the hotel: ask the front desk to call one. Allow about 15 minutes.
- On the street: wave at any black cab with its orange TAXI light on.
- By app: FREENOW books licensed black cabs. Download it and add a card before you go.
- At a restaurant or attraction: ask the staff to call one for you.
Using this guide
Swipe left and right, or use the arrows below. The ☰ button jumps to any page, and during the trip a "Today" button appears there. Green "Book" buttons open each place's booking page. "Map" opens the place in Google Maps, and "Cab route" or "Walking route" shows the way, so you can follow along in the cab or walk between nearby stops. Tap a phone number to call. Every number is also on the Contacts page at the end. This guide works offline: open it once on Wi-Fi and it saves itself to your phone. The menu shows whether it's saved.
Day 1 · Friday 6 November1 of 4
From the ship to Portsmouth
Typical 55°F / 46°F · rain 1 day in 3 · sunset 4:30 pm
The ship docks at Southampton
Breakfast aboard. Ask the Purser's Office the day before for a wheelchair escort through the terminal and a porter for the bags.
Uber or black cab from the terminal
Turn cellular back on once you're ashore, then request an Uber XL (room for three and the luggage) to the Premier Inn Portsmouth Dockyard. Or take a black cab from the terminal's taxi rank. Either way, ask the driver to wait at the Premier Inn while you drop the bags, then carry on to Victory Gate.
No luck with either? Radio Taxis and West Quay Cars are local Southampton firms you can call.
Drop the bags with Stasher Book ahead
At the Premier Inn Portsmouth Dockyard on Queen Street. Show your Stasher booking at reception. The driver waits. The Dockyard won't admit large cases.
Stasher is a website that books luggage storage at hotels and shops. About £6.85 a bag.
Taxi on to Victory Gate
Two minutes away. Pay the driver here; about 10% is a normal tip.
Day 1 · Friday 6 November2 of 4
Nelson's flagship
Into the Historic Dockyard Booked
You have the "3 Ships or Museums" tickets for today: HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and one more. Have them ready on your phone. At the desk, ask for a loan wheelchair.
HMS Victory Limited access
Launched in 1765, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar in 1805, where he won Britain's greatest naval victory and died on board. Still a commissioned warship, the oldest in the world. Viewing platforms on her repair scaffolding get you close to the hull, and a lift serves them when work allows. Inside are steep ladders: you and Dad climb the gun decks while Mom takes the lift and the Victory Gallery's filmed tour.
Call the Dockyard when its lines open at 9:30 am to check the lift is running.
Lunch at Boathouse 7 Walk in
The Dockyard's café-restaurant, all on one level, a short roll from the Victory.
Day 1 · Friday 6 November3 of 4
The Mary Rose, then London
The Mary Rose Lifts
Henry VIII's favourite warship sank in front of him in 1545 and lay in the mud for 437 years until she was raised in 1982. Half her hull survives, with thousands of her crew's belongings: longbows, nit combs, dice and the ship's dog.
Walk back to the Premier Inn
Out through Victory Gate and along to Queen Street, about 5 minutes.
Addison Lee car to London Booked
Your booked Addison Lee car collects you at the Premier Inn and takes you straight to the Royal National Hotel. About 2 to 2½ hours. Running early or late? Call them.
Addison Lee is London's biggest pre-booked car service, like a car service at home. A driver comes at a set time to a set address, for a fixed price.
Day 1 · Friday 6 November4 of 4
First night in Bloomsbury
Check in, Royal National Hotel
38–51 Bedford Way. Ask for a room near the lifts; the corridors are long. Ask how the front desk calls black cabs; you'll use it all week.
North Sea Fish Restaurant Booked
7–8 Leigh Street. Your table is at 7:00. Proper sit-down cod and chips and a pint of London Pride.
Early night
Day 2 · Saturday 7 November1 of 2
Royal London by bus
Typical 55°F / 46°F · rain 1 day in 3 · sunset 4:23 pm
Ask the front desk for a black cab
Cab to Westminster
Ask for the Big Bus stop by Westminster Pier, at the foot of Big Ben. About 20 minutes.
Hop-on hop-off loop Booked
Two hours past Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and St Paul's. Mom rides the lower deck, which has a ramp; if she can step to a seat, the folded chair rides too. Your tickets cover the bus and this afternoon's river cruise.
Big Bus is the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus company.
Hop off at the Tower of London
It's a few hundred yards downhill from the bus stop to the entrance. Borrow a free wheelchair there if you need one.
Lunch, then the Tower Booked
Your Tower tickets are for today. Start with lunch at the New Armouries Café inside the walls (walk in). William the Conqueror began the Tower after 1066; it has been palace, prison and place of execution.
Historic Royal Palaces is the charity that runs the Tower.
Crown Jewels and ravens Cobbles
See the crown used at King Charles III's coronation and the Cullinan I, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. Legend says if the ravens leave, the kingdom falls, so at least six are always kept. Tower Green has the memorial where Anne Boleyn was beheaded. The last Beefeater tour is around 2:30.
Day 2 · Saturday 7 November2 of 2
The river at sunset
River cruise to Westminster Booked
Included with your Big Bus tickets. Under Tower Bridge and past HMS Belfast (a WWII cruiser that fought on D-Day), Shakespeare's Globe, St Paul's and Parliament as the lights come on. Sunset is 4:23.
If the gangway is too steep at that tide, take an Uber Boat instead: London's river-bus service, with step-free piers. Pay by tapping a contactless card.
Rest at the hotel
Black cab to Dishoom
Ask the front desk to call one. About 10 minutes to Stable Street, King's Cross.
Dishoom King's Cross Walk in
Walk-in only from 6 to 9 pm, so arrive right at 6 for the shortest queue. A Bombay-style café in an 1850s railway goods shed. Order the black daal (slow-cooked for over a day), the chicken ruby and a pot of house chai.
Walk to Platform 9¾, if there's time Step-free
About 10 minutes down King's Boulevard into King's Cross station: the luggage trolley vanishing into the wall, house scarves for the photo, and a Harry Potter shop. Photographer until about 9 pm (around £9.50), or take your own.
Black cab back to the hotel
From the taxi rank outside King's Cross station. About 10 minutes.
Day 3 · Sunday 8 November1 of 2
Treasures of the world
Typical 54°F / 45°F · rain 1 day in 3 · sunset 4:21 pm
Remembrance Sunday. The Cenotaph service on Whitehall starts at 11 am, so the morning stays in Bloomsbury.
Walk to the museum
About 350 yards, 7 minutes with the chair, to the Montague Place entrance at the back, which has a lift.
The British Museum Booked
Your entry tickets are for 10:20. Have them ready on your phone.
- 10:20Rosetta Stone, Room 4, the key to Egyptian hieroglyphs
- 10:30Giant bust of Ramesses II, Room 4
- 10:45Assyrian lion hunts, Room 10 (ask for the step-free way past Room 6)
- 11:05Parthenon sculptures, Room 18
- 11:25Coffee under the Great Court roof
- 11:45USA 250 display, Room 3: a medal engraved by Paul Revere in 1777. Then the Enlightenment Gallery, Room 1
- 12:00Easter Island statue, Room 24, by the Montague Place exit
Two minutes' silence
The whole country pauses, marked by guns on Horse Guards Parade.
Black cab to Holborn
Out through Montague Place. Hail a cab on Russell Square, or ask museum staff to call one. About 10 minutes.
Day 3 · Sunday 8 November2 of 2
A roast, and the Eye at sunset
Sunday roast Booked
Your table is at 12:30. Holborn Dining Room in the Rosewood hotel, an Edwardian building from 1914. Grand wood panelling, roasts and famous pies. Ask for the main dining room.
Rest at the hotel
Your solo half hour, if you like: walk back to the museum's upper floor for the mummies (Rooms 62–63), the Standard of Ur (Room 56), the Sutton Hoo helmet (Room 41) and the Lewis Chessmen (Room 40).
Black cab to the London Eye
Ask the front desk to call one, and ask the driver to drop you as close to the Eye's entrance as possible. About 20 minutes.
The London Eye Booked
Built for the millennium, 443 feet tall, 32 capsules, one slow 30-minute turn into the late-afternoon light; you're down about 20 minutes before the 4:21 sunset. If you haven't yet, email your booking reference to reserve a wheelchair space. Bring your own chair.
Sunset by the river Level
Jubilee Gardens, right beside the Eye. Watch the sun go down at 4:21, then Big Ben and Parliament light up across the water.
A light supper near the hotel
Nightcap option: The Lamb, a pub since 1729 with Victorian "snob screens" over the bar, about 10 minutes away on Lamb's Conduit Street. Walk in; call first about the step at the door.
Day 4 · Monday 9 November1 of 2
The Abbey and afternoon tea
Typical 54°F / 45°F · rain 1 day in 3 · sunset 4:19 pm
Ask the front desk for a black cab
Cab to Westminster Abbey
Taxis can drop off right outside the Great West Door. About 20 minutes.
Westminster Abbey Booked
Your entry window is 10:00 to 10:30. Every coronation since 1066 happened here. See the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary I, Poets' Corner and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Marshals lend wheelchairs.
Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries Booked
Your gallery window is 10:30 to 11:00. A lift rises to the galleries 70 feet above the Abbey floor, with views straight down the nave and the Abbey's treasures on display.
Field of Remembrance
Thousands of small crosses and poppies on the Abbey lawn, planted by regiments and families every November since 1928.
The scenic cab ride
Hail a cab on Broad Sanctuary, outside the Abbey's west front. Ask for Whitehall past the Cenotaph and the mounted guards, through Admiralty Arch, down The Mall to Buckingham Palace, then to Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly. About 25 minutes.
Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly
Grocers since 1707. Watch the clock out front, where Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason appear on the hour.
Afternoon tea Booked
Your table for three is at 1:30. Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, fourth floor by lift, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. Finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, little cakes. Smart casual.
Day 4 · Monday 9 November2 of 2
Shops, Harry Potter, and a farewell feast
Cross Piccadilly to Burlington Arcade
Use the crossing outside Fortnum's; the arcade entrance is almost opposite. About 2 minutes.
Burlington Arcade
London's covered Regency arcade from 1819, still patrolled by Beadles in top hats. Step-free entrances.
On to Regent Street
Out the far end onto Burlington Gardens, then right to Regent Street. About 5 minutes.
Regent Street and Liberty
Window shopping up Regent Street as the Christmas lights come on, past Hamleys (founded 1760). Liberty's 1924 Tudor building was made with timbers from two Royal Navy warships. Step-free door on Great Marlborough Street, lifts inside.
Along Oxford Street
About 10 minutes east from Liberty under this year's Harry Potter-themed lights. Take a cab if anyone's tired.
Rest at the hotel
Black cab to Rules
Ask the front desk to call one. About 10 minutes to Maiden Lane, Covent Garden.
Rules Booked
Your table for three is at 7:00. London's oldest restaurant, on Maiden Lane since 1798, where Dickens dined. Game from its own estate, steak and kidney pudding, treacle sponge. Ask for a ground-floor table.
Day 5 · Tuesday 10 November
Homeward
Typical 54°F / 45°F · rain 1 day in 3
Breakfast and check-out
Settle the hotel bill and get the bags down to the lobby.
Uber or black cab to Heathrow
Request an Uber XL for three people and the luggage, or ask the front desk to call a black cab the night before so it's waiting. London black cabs have a wheelchair ramp and plenty of room for bags.
Drive to Heathrow
Allow 60 to 90 minutes in the morning rush. Check which terminal your airline uses and tell the driver. The evening before, check the weather and your flight: morning fog can slow the roads and the airport.
Check in with airport assistance
Booked with your airline at least 48 hours ahead: a wheelchair from check-in through security to the gate. Ask at your airline's check-in desk.
Flight home
Safe travels.
ReferenceOutlook as of Sat 24 Oct
Weather
Early outlook Low confidence
- Fri 6 – Sun 8 Nov: probably mostly dry and fairly calm, with high pressure near Britain. It may be grey. Daytime temperatures near normal, about 54–55°F (12–13°C). Chilly nights, with a chance of morning fog, or a touch of frost outside the city.
- Mon 9 – Tue 10 Nov: too far ahead to call. Expect a typical November day; the Met Office sees rain and wind becoming more likely as the month goes on, but can't yet say when.
This is a trend from the Met Office long-range forecast, updated 24 October, not a day-by-day forecast. Weather apps already show numbers for these dates, but this far ahead they are mostly seasonal averages, and they disagree about rain.
Check the live forecast
These Met Office pages are quick to load on ship Wi-Fi.
- About Sun 1 – Mon 2 NovFriday in Portsmouth comes into the Met Office's detailed 7-day forecastFirst real look
- About Tue 3 – Wed 4 NovFriday to Sunday become reliablePlan 6–8 Nov
- About Thu 5 – Fri 6 NovMonday and Tuesday become reliablePlan 9–10 Nov
- Evening of Mon 9 NovFog or wind can slow the drive to Heathrow; check your flight tooBefore flying
Typical for these dates
| Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 55°13°C | 55°13°C | 54°12°C | 54°12°C | 54°12°C |
| Low | 46°8°C | 46°8°C | 45°7°C | 45°7°C | 45°7°C |
| Rain | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 |
| Sunset | 4:30* | 4:23 | 4:21 | 4:19 | 4:18 |
Typical means the average for that date in central London, 1980–2016. "1 in 3" is the chance of measurable rain on a given day. Highs rarely fall below 42°F or rise above 63°F. It's cloudy more often than not, and the wind off the river makes it feel colder. *Portsmouth.
You can also ask Claude to refresh this page with day-by-day forecasts around 3–4 November.
What to pack
Days around 50–57°F (10–14°C); nights anywhere from about 37–50°F (3–10°C). Bring layers, a warm mid-layer, a windproof and waterproof jacket, a compact umbrella, water-resistant walking shoes, and light gloves or a hat for chilly mornings. A lap blanket helps on the bus and the boat.
Celsius at a glance
0°C = 32°F · 5°C = 41°F · 10°C = 50°F · 15°C = 59°F · 20°C = 68°F
Reference
Where you'll eat
Booked
- North Sea Fish RestaurantFri 7:00 pm
Cod and chips after the long travel day.
- Holborn Dining RoomSun 12:30 pm
Sunday roast. Ask for the main dining room.
- Fortnum & Mason teaMon 1:30 pm
Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Piccadilly, table for three.
- RulesMon 7:00 pm
Table for three. Ask for a ground-floor table.
Just walk in
- Dishoom King's CrossSat 6:00 pm
Walk-in only, 6 to 9 pm. Arrive at 6 for the shortest queue.
- Boathouse 7Fri lunch
The Dockyard's café-restaurant.
- New Armouries CaféSat lunch
Inside the Tower walls.
- The LambSun nightcap
A pub; no booking needed for a drink.
Reference
Money and tipping
£1 = $1.32
Quick math: add a third. £30 is about $40; £75 is about $100. Rate as of October 12, 2026.
What to tip
- Sit-down restaurantsCheck the bill: 12.5% is often already addedIf not, 10–12.5%
- Black cabsRound up£1–3 ($1.30–4)
- Pre-booked cars and longer cab ridesFriday transfers, Heathrow. Uber: tip in the app if you likeAbout 10%
- Help with the wheelchair or bags£2–5 ($2.65–6.60)
- Hotel or terminal porter£1–2 a bag
- Pubs at the bar, cafés, Beefeater tourNo tip
If a card machine offers to charge you in dollars, choose pounds (GBP). Its exchange rate is worse.
Contactless cards work almost everywhere, including black cabs. Keep £20–40 in coins and small notes for porters and cabs.
Reference
Contacts
Tap the phone to call or the copy button to copy. Numbers already include +44 for calling from a US phone.
Emergencies
- Police, ambulance, fire999 (112 also works)
- NHS 111Britain's free urgent medical advice line, for anything that isn't an emergency111
Getting around
- Royal National Hotel front deskYour hotel. Ask them to call you a black cab.+44 20 7637 2488
- Radio Taxis SouthamptonSouthampton taxi firm. A backup for Friday if Uber or the terminal taxi rank doesn't work out.+44 23 8066 6666
- West Quay CarsAnother Southampton taxi firm, as a backup for Friday.+44 23 8099 9999
- Addison LeeLondon's biggest pre-booked car service. Your booked car from Portsmouth to the hotel on Friday.+44 20 7387 8888
- Cunard (US)The cruise line, for disembarkation help.+1 800 728 6273
Portsmouth
- Historic Dockyard (option 1)HMS Victory and the Mary Rose. Lines open 9:30 am.+44 23 9289 1370
- Premier Inn Portsmouth DockyardThe hotel holding your bags for Stasher.+44 330 128 1342
- StasherThe luggage-storage booking company.+44 20 3355 3544
- Portsmouth ShopmobilityWheelchair and scooter hire in Portsmouth, as a backup. Needs 3 days' notice.+44 7493 132948
London sights
- British MuseumYour 10:20 entry on Sunday. Loan wheelchairs.+44 20 7323 8181
- Historic Royal PalacesRuns the Tower of London, your Saturday tickets. Phones Mon–Fri, 9 am–2 pm.+44 333 320 6000
- Westminster AbbeyYour Monday tickets: Abbey 10:00, galleries 10:30.+44 20 7222 5152
- London EyeYour Sunday 3:30 pm ride. Email your booking reference to reserve a wheelchair space.customer.services@londoneye.com
- Big BusThe hop-on hop-off bus. Email a photo of the wheelchair to confirm it fits.info@bigbustours.com
- LibertyThe department store on Monday's shopping walk.+44 20 7734 1234
Restaurants
- North Sea Fish RestaurantFriday dinner, booked for 7 pm.+44 20 7387 5892
- Dishoom King's CrossSaturday dinner, walk in from 6 pm.+44 20 7420 9321
- Holborn Dining RoomSunday roast, booked for 12:30 pm.+44 20 3747 8633
- The LambPub for a Sunday nightcap. No booking needed.+44 20 7405 0713
- Fortnum & MasonMonday afternoon tea, booked for 1:30 pm.+44 20 7734 8040
- RulesMonday farewell dinner, booked for 7 pm.+44 20 7836 5314
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: London Eye at twilight, Diliff (CC BY 2.5); Queen Mary 2, Oceanhistory46 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Queens Room, David Jones (CC BY 2.0); Britannia Restaurant, Spielvogel (CC BY-SA 4.0); Statue of Liberty, William Warby (CC BY 2.0); Queen Mary 2 at Southampton, Ronald Saunders (CC BY-SA 2.0); HMS Victory, Cimosteve (CC0); Mary Rose hull, Bob Harvey (CC BY-SA 2.0); Russell Square, Secretlondon (CC BY-SA 3.0); Tower of London, Duncan of Nottingham (CC BY 2.0); Tower Bridge, Fuzzypiggy (CC BY-SA 3.0); British Museum Great Court, Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0); London Eye sunset, Damien Everett (CC BY 2.0); Westminster Abbey, Antiquary (CC BY 4.0); Liberty, Luis Villa del Campo (CC BY 2.0); Palace of Westminster, ThatsTheBoss (CC0). Hours, prices and contacts checked October 2026 and may change.
AppendixQueen Mary 2
Ship map
One page per deck, from Deck 2 at the bottom to Deck 14 at the top. On every plan the bow (front) points up. Each deck is split in two: the front half on the left, the back half on the right. Tap a plan to zoom in.
Most useful decks
Key to the symbols
Lifts are marked "L"; the groups of small squares are the lift banks, at the front, middle and back of the ship. The coloured blocks are staterooms, coded by category.
Deck plans © Cunard Line, from the Queen Mary 2 brochure deck plans (August 2026 – January 2029), cut into single decks for this family guide. Cunard notes the ship has a refit in 2027; these plans show the ship as it is for your crossing.
Ship map1 of 13 · bottom to top
Deck 2
Theatres, the Grand Lobby and the pub
Deck 3L is a half-deck, shaded grey on the plans. It links the Grand Lobby with the Queens Room without walking through the Britannia Restaurant.
On this deck, front to back
- Illuminations: planetarium and cinema (lower level), at the very front · ★ planetarium shows and lectures
- Cunard ConneXions: classrooms
- Royal Court Theatre (lower level) · ★ evening shows
- Tour Office, Voyage Sales and the Empire Casino
- Grand Lobby (lower) and the Purser's Office, the ship's front desk · ★ questions, wheelchair help, settling your account
- Photo Gallery
- Golden Lion pub · ★ pub quiz and pub lunch
- Britannia Restaurant (lower level) · ★ breakfast and dinner
- G32 nightclub, at the back (reached from Deck 3L)
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Deck 3
Shops, bars, the Britannia and the Queens Room
On this deck, front to back
- Illuminations (upper level)
- Royal Court Theatre (upper level)
- Shops around the Grand Lobby (upper)
- Champagne Bar, Sir Samuel's and the Chart Room bars
- Britannia Restaurant (upper level)
- Art Gallery, along Deck 3L
- Queens Room ballroom · ★ afternoon tea at 3:30, dance classes, Gala balls
- G32 nightclub, at the back
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Deck 4
Staterooms
On this deck, front to back
- Staterooms from front to back
- Lifts and stairs at the front, middle and back
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Deck 5
Staterooms
On this deck, front to back
- Staterooms from front to back
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Deck 6
Staterooms and the children's areas
On this deck, front to back
- Staterooms
- Children's Play Zone and Minnows Pool, at the back
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Deck 7
The Boat Deck: buffet, spa and the Promenade
On this deck, front to back
- Observation Deck: an outdoor deck at the bow
- Fitness Centre
- Spa: reception, relaxation lounge and therapy pool
- Carinthia Lounge and bar
- Kings Court buffet · ★ lunch on boarding day, casual breakfasts
- Grill Suites Lounge, Princess Grill and Queens Grill, at the back
- Promenade Deck, the wooden deck all the way around the outside · ★ your daily lap
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Deck 8
The library, and the Terrace Pool
On this deck, front to back
- Spa (upper level) and beauty salon, at the front
- Library, at the front, with views over the bow · ★ library mornings
- Staterooms and a launderette
- The Verandah restaurant, toward the back
- Terrace Pool, Terrace Bar and bandstand, outdoors at the back
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Deck 9
The Commodore Club
On this deck, front to back
- Commodore Club bar, right at the front · ★ pre-dinner drinks over the bow
- Boardroom and Churchill's cigar lounge
- Staterooms, with duplex suites at the back
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Deck 10
Staterooms
On this deck, front to back
- Staterooms and suites
- Launderette
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Deck 11
The Atlantic Room and the Observation Deck
On this deck, front to back
- Observation Deck, outdoors at the front, around the Atlantic Room (cards and board games)
- Staterooms and a launderette
- Grill Suites Terrace, at the back (for Grill guests)
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Deck 12
The Pavilion Pool and the kennels
On this deck, front to back
- Staterooms at the front
- Pavilion Pool and Bar, under a sliding glass roof
- The Fairways golf area and shuffleboard
- Open deck
- Kennels, at the back: the only ones at sea, for dogs crossing with their owners
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Deck 13
The Lookout and the sports area
On this deck, front to back
- Stairs up to The Lookout on Deck 14, at the front
- Staterooms
- Sports area, toward the back
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Deck 14
The Sun Deck
On this deck, front to back
- Sun deck, the highest open deck on the ship