Cunard will add 31 staterooms to Queen Mary 2 during an extensive refurbishment at Damen Shiprepair’s Brest shipyard in 2027.
The ocean liner will enter drydock on 31 March and return to service on 9 May, with work also planned across its Grill accommodation, restaurants, wellness facilities, kennels, retail areas, and entertainment venues.
Of the 31 new staterooms, 16 will be Princess Grill Suites, while the remaining 15 will be added to the Britannia category.
The new accommodation will increase capacity aboard the 2004-built ship, which currently carries 2,620 passengers at double occupancy.
Earlier deck plans published by Cunard indicated that much of the additional accommodation would be created by converting existing areas aboard the ship.
Deck 13 is expected to receive a new accommodation area in space currently used as a sun deck. Other previously outlined changes included the conversion of the Concierge Lounge on Deck 9 into additional inside cabins and the use of part of the Teens and Kids Zone on Deck 6 for new accommodation.
Cunard’s latest plans also include an extensive update of the ship’s existing Grill accommodation.
All current Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites will receive new interiors, furnishings, and finishes. Redesigned bathrooms will also be introduced across all Grill Suite categories.
The Queens Grill and Princess Grill restaurants will be refurbished as part of the project, while additional outdoor deck space will be introduced.
Changes will also be made to Queen Mary 2’s kennel facilities, which allow passengers to travel across the Atlantic with their pets.
The kennels will be redesigned and their capacity increased, while the owners’ lounge will be refurbished and the outdoor walking area expanded.
Mareel Wellness & Beauty will undergo a wider transformation during the drydock, although Cunard has not yet detailed all of the changes planned for the facility.
New retail outlets will also be introduced aboard the ship.
Entertainment and cultural spaces form another part of the refurbishment programme. Illuminations, Queen Mary 2’s planetarium and cinema venue, will receive a digital upgrade intended to expand the experiences offered in the space.
Damen Shiprepair will carry out the work at its Brest facility in France during a drydock period lasting more than five weeks.
The project follows a wider cruise industry trend towards adding accommodation during major refurbishments of existing vessels, with several operators increasing capacity by converting public and other onboard spaces into new staterooms.
Queen Mary 2 entered service in 2004 and remains the only purpose-built ocean liner currently operating regular transatlantic crossings. The ship is scheduled to resume service on 9 May following completion of the Brest refurbishment.
Queen Mary 2’s 2027 refurbishment
- 31 new staterooms
- 16 new Princess Grill Suites
- 15 new Britannia staterooms
- Existing Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites refurbished
- Queens Grill and Princess Grill restaurants updated
- Additional outdoor deck space
- Expanded and redesigned kennels
- Refurbished pet owners’ lounge and expanded walking area
- Mareel Wellness & Beauty transformation
- New retail outlets
- Digital upgrade for Illuminations
- Drydock from 31 March to 9 May 2027
Categories: Cruise News
