Editorial – Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Is Entering Her Prime
A major 2027 refurbishment will bring new suites and renewed comforts to the great Atlantic liner, preserving the personality, style and elegance that make her a classic.
An artistic vision of one of the proposed new QM1 Duplex Suite Lower Level.
By Liam P. Cusack
Commentary
SOUTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM – 10 NOVEMBER 2026: When Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 returns from her 2027 refurbishment, her renewed interiors should feel virtually new. Cunard is shaping the work around her familiar Art Deco elegance, with one of her original designers, Chris Finch, guiding the project.
I have little patience for critics who dismiss Queen Mary 2 as “20-plus years old,” as though her age settles the question of her appeal. As far as I am concerned, a beautiful vessel begins her life at 20. Like a masterfully constructed instrument, she has benefited from years of care and fine-tuning. Her maturity is part of what makes her worth seeking out.
The cruise industry’s fascination with go-kart tracks, rock-climbing walls and amusement-park rides leaves me cold. I find little lasting pleasure in those headline-grabbing fads. Give me a ship with the assurance to make an evening of dinner, music and conversation. To my mind, Queen Mary 2 has grown into a fine five-star resort at sea, with the added grandeur of an ocean liner’s purpose and presence.
Cunard plans to send her into dry dock at Damen Shiprepair Brest in France on March 31, 2027, with a return to service scheduled for May 9. The design draws on classic Hollywood glamour and British tradition, an approach that suits a ship whose arrival can still feel like an event.
The work will add 31 staterooms, including 16 Princess Grill suites. Every existing Grill suite will receive new interiors and redesigned bathrooms, and the Queens Grill and Princess Grill restaurants will be refreshed. Additional deck space will offer more room to linger over a sunset. The Mareel spa will be transformed, and new luxury boutiques will be introduced.
Illuminations, the ship’s planetarium, will receive a major digital upgrade. The kennels will gain capacity, a refurbished owners’ lounge and a larger outdoor walking area, giving passengers traveling with pets a more comfortable crossing.
Cunard alone offers passage aboard the world’s only ocean liner in regular transatlantic service between Southampton and New York. There is something deeply satisfying about stepping aboard a ship built for that ocean and giving yourself the time to experience it.
Afternoon tea in the Queens Room, a turn around the promenade, an engaging lecture and dancing after dinner give the days their own rhythm. There is time for a conversation to run long and for an evening to become an occasion.
Years later, a passenger may have forgotten which suitcase came along. The memory of music in the ballroom, sea air on the promenade or Manhattan coming into view after days on the Atlantic can last a lifetime.