If you are taking a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 you may be wondering if a sheltered balcony cabin is a good option for you. I’ve just disembarked a cruise onboard the QM2.
This review is based on cabin 6237.
What is a Sheltered Balcony?
A sheltered balcony on a cruise ship is a balcony that is set into the ship instead of being open to the air. Sheltered balconies are common on older cruise ships or those which are designed for poor weather. The sheltered shape of the balcony provides extra privacy for guests.
The Queen Mary 2 has multiple sheltered balcony cabins because she is an ocean liner, designed for transporting guests long distances, often in bad weather.
Sheltered Balcony Cabin Cabin Size
The size and design of QM2’s balcony cabins is very typical of an inside cabin in the industry.
The majority of balcony cabins are roughly 180 sq ft and this cabin is 195 sq ft.
To learn more about how the size of cabins compare across cabin grades, check out this post: How Big Are Cruise Ship Cabins? 27 Examples, All Cabin Types
The cabin is made up of the following:
- A Bed (Can be a Double or Twins)
- A Desk
- A Sofa
- A Small Table
- Drawers and Closet Space
- TV
- Phone
- A Fridge
- Tea and Coffee Making Facilities (Kettle)
- Bin/Trash Can
The balcony cabin felt very comfortable and felt spacious.
Cabin Design
The Queen Mary 2 was built in 2003 and this is reflected in the design.
The warm tones and wood do date the ship but I thought the design of the cabin was fine, nothing amazing, but totally fine.
Some of the artwork onboard was not to my taste but it’s impossible to have artwork that suits everybody!
The cabin had lots of mirrors which I liked, two above the bed, one above the desk and one by the bathroom.
I LOVED The Beds
The beds were incredibly comfortable and we all slept well on the cruise. I was cruising with family and friends and we all agreed that the beds were very comfortable.
The bedding felt of high quality and the pillows were very soft.
Which Plug Sockets Are There in Balcony Cabins On The Queen Mary 2?
There are 2 UK and 2 US plug sockets in the balcony cabins of the Queen Mary 2. All plug sockets are located on the desk and there are no USB sockets. Other cabin grades may have extra sockets.
If you are ever in doubt about which plug sockets a cruise ship has, check out this searchable table: Complete Cruise Ship Plug Socket Guide: Search by Ship
On many modern cruise ships, you’ll find USB sockets by the beds but QM2 doesn’t have any sockets like this. She was built in 2003 and this is reflected in the design of the cabin.
Also in the cabin was a kettle with two mugs, two glasses and on occasion even biscuits!
The TV showed a variety of shows in multiple languages. I watched a cooking show, a movie and a show about the rainforest. The quality wasn’t always great but it definitely isn’t the worst I’ve had at sea.
Was There Enough Storage?
We found there to be enough storage in the cabins.
There was a bedside table for each bed with had a small draw and a lower storage area.
There were only 4 large drawers (and 3 small drawers) in the cabin which wasn’t many but this was made up for by all of the hanging space in the closets.
Cunard are a cruise line that focuses heavily on formal wear so it made sense that we would need more hanging space. To learn more about Cunard’s dress codes, check out this post: Cunard Dress Code – (Mens, Womens, Childrens, Real Examples 2021)
The Bathroom Was Basic But Functional
The bathroom was a standard size with a toilet, sink, and shower. There were a couple of shelves in the corner as well as extra storage below the sink.
There was nothing particularly exciting about the bathroom but it was always very clean and functioned well.
Shampoo, soap, body wash, and body lotion were provided.
For some reason, there was a bottle opener beside the toilet and I’m still not too sure what is above the toilet roll?
The shower was a good size and was fairly powerful. There was a shower curtain instead of a screen which I know many people don’t like, but I didn’t mind this.
Often on cruise ships you’ll find that the water from the shower leaks into the main bathroom, I didn’t find that to be a problem onboard QM2.
The Cabin Was Nearest Staircase D
The location of our cabin was just below the buffet. We could get to our cabin from staircases C or D.
We found this to be a good cabin location, we were fairly close to most of the main public areas but we did hear some noise coming from the stairs/elevators.
Would We Recommend Our Balcony?
Our balcony was very spacious and had two chairs and a table.
The door to the balcony was hinged instead of the traditional sliding door that you find in most cruise ship balcony cabins. This did mean that we heard other guests slamming the door more than we otherwise would.
We enjoyed the privacy of the cabin and we were able to use the space even though the weather wasn’t great outside.
Due to the shape of the balcony, the sun didn’t come onto the balcony so it wouldn’t be great for sunbathers, but apart from this, we would recommend the balcony cabin.
What is The Difference Between a Standard Balcony and a Sheltered Balcony on The Queen Mary 2?
The sheltered balconies on the Queen Mary 2 are usually bigger than the standard balconies and are cheaper. Sheltered balconies are protected on all sides and built into the ship’s hull, standard balconies are open to the air and elements.
Moving from a protected balcony cabin to a standard balcony cabin is considered an upgrade by Cunard.
Would I Recommend This Cabin?
I would definitely recommend the sheltered balcony cabins on the Queen Mary 2. We paid less than standard balconies and enjoyed the increased privacy.
We would often have 6 or so friends over for pre-dinner drinks and we could all comfortably fit in the cabin.
The cabin was spacious, clean and we were very happy here.
To see the cabin in more detail, check out this video next:
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