The London Eye lit blue at twilight

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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The Queen Mary 2 at the quayside

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

  1. 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.
  2. The Daily Programme arrives in your stateroom each evening with the next day's times, dress code and events.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 Queens Room ballroom aboard Queen Mary 2
The Queens Room, home of afternoon tea and the evening dancing.

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.

  1. Breakfast

    Waiter service in the Britannia Restaurant (Decks 2–3), or the Kings Court buffet on Deck 7.

  2. Get planetarium tickets

    Free tickets for the day's shows go fast. Collect them in the morning; the Daily Programme says where.

  3. Cunard Insights lecture

    Talks by historians, astronauts, writers and naval experts, usually twice a day in Illuminations or the Royal Court Theatre.

  4. Ballroom dance class

    In the Queens Room on Deck 3. Watching is half the fun.

  5. Pub quiz

    In the Golden Lion pub on Deck 2. Free; arrive early for a seat.

  6. Lunch

    The Britannia, the Kings Court, or a pub lunch in the Golden Lion.

  7. Planetarium show

    Illuminations is the only planetarium at sea, with about three shows a day.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. Drinks in the Commodore Club

    Deck 9, right at the front, looking out over the bow.

  12. 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.

The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor
You'll pass the Statue of Liberty on the way out.

Crossing · Friday 30 October1 of 8

Boarding and sailaway

Sailing from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Red Hook

  1. 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.

  2. Lunch in the Kings Court

    The buffet on Deck 7, open while you wait for your stateroom.

  3. Safety briefing Required

    Required for everyone. Your assembly station and time are in your boarding information.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Your first Insights lecture

    A good way to meet the guest speakers whose talks you'll follow all week.

  3. Clocks go forward

    Likely today. Check the Daily Programme.

  4. Afternoon tea

    Your first in the Queens Room.

  5. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Pub lunch and quiz

    Fish and chips or cottage pie in the Golden Lion, then the quiz.

  3. Planetarium show

    Use the tickets you picked up that morning.

  4. Afternoon tea

    The Queens Room.

  5. 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.

The Britannia Restaurant aboard Queen Mary 2
The Britannia Restaurant, with its tapestry of an ocean liner.

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.

  1. Morning in the library

    Deck 8, forward. Find a window seat over the bow; the maritime bookshop is next door.

  2. Insights lecture

  3. Dance class or a deck walk

    Practise for the week's Gala Evenings, or take a lap of the Promenade Deck.

  4. Afternoon tea

  5. Cocktails in the Commodore Club

    Watch the sea from the front of the ship before dinner.

  6. 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.

  1. Insights lecture, then a film

    Illuminations doubles as a cinema, usually with films twice a day.

  2. Pub quiz rematch

    The Golden Lion.

  3. Planetarium show

    Catch one you missed earlier in the week.

  4. Afternoon tea

  5. 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.

  1. Spa time or a deck walk

    Book spa treatments at the spa reception, ideally early in the crossing.

  2. Dance class

    Learn the steps for tonight.

  3. Afternoon tea

  4. 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.

  1. Read the disembarkation letter

    It arrives in your stateroom with your disembarkation time, luggage tags and when to put bags out.

  2. 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.

  3. Tell the taxi which terminal

    Call or email Radio Taxis Southampton with the terminal name, ship and your 9:45 am pickup. You'll need the ship's Wi-Fi or a phone plan that works at sea.

  4. Last afternoon tea

  5. 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 and Dockyard bookings.

  6. 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.

Queen Mary 2 docked at Southampton
The Queen Mary 2 in Southampton docks.

Crossing · Friday 6 November8 of 8

Arrival in Southampton

Sunrise about 7:04 am

  1. 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.

  2. The ship docks

  3. Breakfast aboard

    The Britannia or the Kings Court.

  4. Disembark with the wheelchair escort

    When your group is called, the mobility team takes you through the terminal to collect your bags.

  5. Meet your taxi

    Now the London part of the trip begins.

    Cruise terminals
The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben

Part two6–10 Nov

London

From the ship to HMS Victory in Portsmouth, then four days in London.

Before you start

Good to know

  1. The ship docks in SouthamptonHMS Victory is 20 miles east in Portsmouth, which is on the way to London. That's Friday.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

  1. At the hotel: ask the front desk to call one. Allow about 15 minutes.
  2. On the street: wave at any black cab with its orange TAXI light on.
  3. By app: FREENOW books licensed black cabs. Download it and add a card before you go.
  4. 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.

The Queen Mary 2 at the quayside
The Queen Mary 2.

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

  1. 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.

  2. Meet your taxi at the terminal

    Your pre-booked minivan waits at the terminal taxi rank. Running early or late? Call them.

    Radio Taxis is the Southampton taxi firm the city's tourist office lists for cruise passengers. West Quay Cars is the backup.

  3. Drive to Portsmouth

    About 45 minutes east along the M27 motorway.

  4. 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.

  5. Taxi on to Victory Gate

    Two minutes away. Pay the driver here; about 10% is a normal tip.

HMS Victory in dry dock
HMS Victory, before her current repairs. Expect scaffolding.

Day 1 · Friday 6 November2 of 4

Nelson's flagship

  1. Into the Historic Dockyard Book ahead

    Buy the "3 Ships or Museums" ticket online before you go (£46 each, valid a year): HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and one more. At the desk, ask about a free carer ticket and a loan wheelchair.

  2. 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.

  3. Lunch at Boathouse 7 Walk in

    The Dockyard's café-restaurant, all on one level, a short roll from the Victory.

The preserved hull of the Mary Rose
The Mary Rose's hull in its museum.

Day 1 · Friday 6 November3 of 4

The Mary Rose, then London

  1. 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.

  2. Walk back to the Premier Inn

    Out through Victory Gate and along to Queen Street, about 5 minutes.

  3. Collect the bags

    Show your Stasher booking at the Premier Inn reception.

  4. Car to London Book ahead

    Your pre-booked car collects you at the Premier Inn. Ask for a "multivan" for three people and all the luggage. About 2 to 2½ hours to the hotel.

    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.

    By train instead: Portsmouth Harbour station is 2 minutes from the Premier Inn, with trains to London Waterloo about every 30 minutes (1 hr 35). Book Passenger Assist, Britain's free rail help service for travelers with limited mobility. At Waterloo, take a black cab from the taxi rank.

Russell Square gardens in Bloomsbury
Russell Square, around the corner from the hotel.

Day 1 · Friday 6 November4 of 4

First night in Bloomsbury

  1. 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.

  2. Black cab to dinner

    Ask the front desk to call one. About 5 minutes.

  3. North Sea Fish Restaurant Book to be safe

    7–8 Leigh Street. Proper sit-down cod and chips and a pint of London Pride.

  4. Black cab back to the hotel

    Ask the restaurant to call one. About 5 minutes.

  5. Early night

The Tower of London from above
The Tower of London, with Tower Pier on the river.

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

  1. Ask the front desk for a black cab

  2. Cab to Westminster

    Ask for the Big Bus stop by Westminster Pier, at the foot of Big Ben. About 20 minutes.

  3. Hop-on hop-off loop Book ahead

    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. Buy a 24-hour ticket that includes the river cruise.

    Big Bus is the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus company.

  4. 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.

  5. Lunch, then the Tower Timed ticket

    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.

  6. 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.

Tower Bridge lit up at dusk
Tower Bridge at dusk, as you'll see it from the boat.

Day 2 · Saturday 7 November2 of 2

The river at sunset

  1. Walk to Tower Pier

    On the river right outside the Tower, about 3 minutes.

  2. River cruise to Westminster

    Included with your Big Bus ticket. 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.

  3. Black cab back to the hotel

    Hail one on the Embankment by Westminster Pier, or book with FREENOW. About 20 minutes.

  4. Rest at the hotel

  5. Black cab to Dishoom

    Ask the front desk to call one. About 10 minutes to Stable Street, King's Cross.

  6. Dishoom King's Cross Must reserve

    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. Small groups can only book before 5:45 pm.

  7. 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.

  8. Black cab back to the hotel

    From the taxi rank outside King's Cross station. About 10 minutes.

The glass-roofed Great Court of the British Museum
The Great Court, the largest covered public square in Europe.

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.

  1. Walk to the museum

    About 350 yards, 7 minutes with the chair, to the Montague Place entrance at the back, which has a lift.

  2. The British Museum Free · book a slot

    Free, but book the free 10:00 entry slot online.

    • 10:00Rosetta Stone, Room 4, the key to Egyptian hieroglyphs
    • 10:15Giant bust of Ramesses II, Room 4
    • 10:30Assyrian lion hunts, Room 10 (ask for the step-free way past Room 6)
    • 10:50Parthenon sculptures, Room 18
    • 11:15Coffee under the Great Court roof
    • 11:35USA 250 display, Room 3: a medal engraved by Paul Revere in 1777. Then the Enlightenment Gallery, Room 1
    • 11:55Easter Island statue, Room 24, by the Montague Place exit
  3. Two minutes' silence

    The whole country pauses, marked by guns on Horse Guards Parade.

  4. Black cab to Holborn

    Out through Montague Place. Hail a cab on Russell Square, or ask museum staff to call one. About 10 minutes.

The London Eye silhouetted against a sunset
The Eye at sunset, your 3:45 pm slot.

Day 3 · Sunday 8 November2 of 2

A roast, and the Eye at sunset

  1. Sunday roast Must reserve

    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.

  2. Black cab back to the hotel

    The Rosewood's doorman will hail one. About 10 minutes.

  3. Rest at the hotel

    Your solo 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).

  4. 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.

  5. The London Eye Book 3:45

    Built for the millennium, 443 feet tall, 32 capsules, one slow 30-minute turn, timed so the sun sets (about 4:21) near the top. After booking, email your booking reference to reserve a wheelchair space. Bring your own chair.

  6. Riverside at dusk Level

    Jubilee Gardens, with Big Ben and Parliament lit across the water.

  7. Black cab back to the hotel

    Hail one near the Eye or book with FREENOW. About 20 minutes.

  8. 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.

The west towers of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey's west towers.

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

  1. Ask the front desk for a black cab

  2. Cab to Westminster Abbey

    Taxis can drop off right outside the Great West Door. About 20 minutes.

  3. Westminster Abbey Book ahead

    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. A lift rises to the galleries 70 feet above the floor. Marshals lend wheelchairs. Ask about free entry for a disabled visitor and a companion.

  4. Field of Remembrance

    Thousands of small crosses and poppies on the Abbey lawn, planted by regiments and families every November since 1928.

  5. 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.

  6. Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly

    Grocers since 1707. Watch the clock out front, where Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason appear on the hour.

  7. Afternoon tea Must reserve

    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. Book the Piccadilly salon, not the Royal Exchange.

Liberty's Tudor-style timbered building
Liberty, on Great Marlborough Street.

Day 4 · Monday 9 November2 of 2

Shops, Harry Potter, and a farewell feast

  1. Cross Piccadilly to Burlington Arcade

    Use the crossing outside Fortnum's; the arcade entrance is almost opposite. About 2 minutes.

  2. Burlington Arcade

    London's covered Regency arcade from 1819, still patrolled by Beadles in top hats. Step-free entrances.

  3. On to Regent Street

    Out the far end onto Burlington Gardens, then right to Regent Street. About 5 minutes.

  4. 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.

  5. Along Oxford Street

    About 10 minutes east from Liberty under this year's Harry Potter-themed lights. Take a cab if anyone's tired.

  6. The Harry Potter Shop Busy week

    134–140 Oxford Street, opened 4 November: the UK's largest, designed like Diagon Alley, with a dragon over a Gringotts hall and Butterbeer. Free entry; expect opening-week queues.

  7. Black cab back to the hotel

    Part of Oxford Street is now closed to traffic, so hail a cab on a side street or book with FREENOW. About 10 minutes.

  8. Rest at the hotel

  9. Black cab to Rules

    Ask the front desk to call one. About 10 minutes to Maiden Lane, Covent Garden.

  10. Rules Must reserve

    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.

  11. Black cab back to the hotel

    Ask Rules to call one. About 10 minutes. Finish packing.

The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben from Westminster Bridge
Parliament and Big Ben from Westminster Bridge.

Day 5 · Tuesday 10 November

Homeward

Typical 54°F / 45°F · rain 1 day in 3

  1. Breakfast and check-out

    Settle the hotel bill and get the bags down to the lobby.

  2. Your car arrives at the hotel Book ahead

    The pre-booked Addison Lee car (London's biggest pre-booked car service) meets you at the hotel entrance. Ask for a large car or "multivan" for three people and the luggage. If it's late, call them.

  3. Drive to Heathrow

    Allow 60 to 90 minutes in the morning rush. Check which terminal your airline uses and tell the driver.

  4. 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.

  5. Flight home

    Safe travels.

Reference

Typical weather

FriSatSunMonTue
High55°13°C55°13°C54°12°C54°12°C54°12°C
Low46°8°C46°8°C45°7°C45°7°C45°7°C
Rain1 in 31 in 31 in 31 in 31 in 3
Sunset4:30*4:234:214:194:18

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.

A first-look forecast replaces this table around October 28. For the day itself, the Met Office and BBC Weather apps are the most accurate.

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

Must reserve

  • Dishoom King's CrossSat 5:30 pm

    Small groups can only book before 5:45 pm; otherwise there's a queue.

  • Holborn Dining RoomSun 12:30 pm

    Sunday roast fills up.

  • Fortnum & Mason teaMon 1:30 pm

    Often booked 3 to 4 weeks ahead. Book the Piccadilly salon, not the Royal Exchange.

  • RulesMon 7:00 pm

    Ask for a ground-floor table.

Book to be safe

  • North Sea Fish RestaurantFri 7:00 pm

    Walk-ins are usually fine, but a booking means no wait after a long travel day.

Just walk in

  • 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.

£5$6.60
£10$13.20
£20$26.40
£30$39.60
£50$66
£100$132

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 carsFriday transfers, HeathrowAbout 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. Friday's minivan from the ship to Portsmouth.+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. Friday's car from Portsmouth and Tuesday's ride to Heathrow.+44 20 7387 8888
  • Rail Passenger AssistFree help on and off trains, only if you take the train from Portsmouth. UK number; may not work from a US phone.0800 528 2100
  • 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 MuseumFree entry slots and loan wheelchairs.+44 20 7323 8181
  • Historic Royal PalacesRuns the Tower of London. Phones Mon–Fri, 9 am–2 pm.+44 333 320 6000
  • Westminster AbbeyTickets and visitor questions.+44 20 7222 5152
  • London EyeEmail 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, 7 pm.+44 20 7387 5892
  • Dishoom King's CrossSaturday dinner, 5:30 pm.+44 20 7420 9321
  • Holborn Dining RoomSunday roast, 12:30 pm.+44 20 3747 8633
  • The LambPub for a Sunday nightcap. No booking needed.+44 20 7405 0713
  • Fortnum & MasonMonday afternoon tea, 1:30 pm.+44 20 7734 8040
  • RulesMonday farewell dinner, 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.

Side view of the ship showing deck numbers and the forward, midships and aft zones
Side view: which deck is which, and the zones (Forward, Mid Forward, Midships, Mid Aft, Aft). The dotted lines on each plan mark the same zones.

Most useful decks

Key to the symbols

Key to the deck plan symbols, including lifts and wheelchair-accessible staterooms

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

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 2 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 2 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

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

  1. Illuminations: planetarium and cinema (lower level), at the very front · ★ planetarium shows and lectures
  2. Cunard ConneXions: classrooms
  3. Royal Court Theatre (lower level) · ★ evening shows
  4. Tour Office, Voyage Sales and the Empire Casino
  5. Grand Lobby (lower) and the Purser's Office, the ship's front desk · ★ questions, wheelchair help, settling your account
  6. Photo Gallery
  7. Golden Lion pub · ★ pub quiz and pub lunch
  8. Britannia Restaurant (lower level) · ★ breakfast and dinner
  9. G32 nightclub, at the back (reached from Deck 3L)

Ship map2 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 3

Shops, bars, the Britannia and the Queens Room

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 3 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 3 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Illuminations (upper level)
  2. Royal Court Theatre (upper level)
  3. Shops around the Grand Lobby (upper)
  4. Champagne Bar, Sir Samuel's and the Chart Room bars
  5. Britannia Restaurant (upper level)
  6. Art Gallery, along Deck 3L
  7. Queens Room ballroom · ★ afternoon tea at 3:30, dance classes, Gala balls
  8. G32 nightclub, at the back

Ship map3 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 4

Staterooms

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 4 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 4 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Staterooms from front to back
  2. Lifts and stairs at the front, middle and back

Ship map4 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 5

Staterooms

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 5 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 5 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Staterooms from front to back

Ship map5 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 6

Staterooms and the children's areas

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 6 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 6 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Staterooms
  2. Children's Play Zone and Minnows Pool, at the back

Ship map6 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 7

The Boat Deck: buffet, spa and the Promenade

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 7 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 7 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Observation Deck: an outdoor deck at the bow
  2. Fitness Centre
  3. Spa: reception, relaxation lounge and therapy pool
  4. Carinthia Lounge and bar
  5. Kings Court buffet · ★ lunch on boarding day, casual breakfasts
  6. Grill Suites Lounge, Princess Grill and Queens Grill, at the back
  7. Promenade Deck, the wooden deck all the way around the outside · ★ your daily lap

Ship map7 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 8

The library, and the Terrace Pool

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 8 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 8 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Spa (upper level) and beauty salon, at the front
  2. Library, at the front, with views over the bow · ★ library mornings
  3. Staterooms and a launderette
  4. The Verandah restaurant, toward the back
  5. Terrace Pool, Terrace Bar and bandstand, outdoors at the back

Ship map8 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 9

The Commodore Club

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 9 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 9 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Commodore Club bar, right at the front · ★ pre-dinner drinks over the bow
  2. Boardroom and Churchill's cigar lounge
  3. Staterooms, with duplex suites at the back

Ship map9 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 10

Staterooms

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 10 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 10 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Staterooms and suites
  2. Launderette

Ship map10 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 11

The Atlantic Room and the Observation Deck

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 11 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 11 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Observation Deck, outdoors at the front, around the Atlantic Room (cards and board games)
  2. Staterooms and a launderette
  3. Grill Suites Terrace, at the back (for Grill guests)

Ship map11 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 12

The Pavilion Pool and the kennels

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 12 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 12 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Staterooms at the front
  2. Pavilion Pool and Bar, under a sliding glass roof
  3. The Fairways golf area and shuffleboard
  4. Open deck
  5. Kennels, at the back: the only ones at sea, for dogs crossing with their owners

Ship map12 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 13

The Lookout and the sports area

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 13 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 13 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Stairs up to The Lookout on Deck 14, at the front
  2. Staterooms
  3. Sports area, toward the back

Ship map13 of 13 · bottom to top

Deck 14

The Sun Deck

Front half ↑ bow
Deck 14 plan, front half
Back half ↓ stern
Deck 14 plan, back half
Tap the plan to zoom in. Read the left column first, then the right.

On this deck, front to back

  1. Sun deck, the highest open deck on the ship