Queen Mary 2 leaves Southampton on Monday 11 January 2027 and doesn’t dock again until Sunday 14 February, which is Valentine’s Day, so choose your cabin-mate wisely. Thirty-four nights isn’t a holiday, it’s a lifestyle choice. It’s a Caribbean round trip with Madeira on the way out and Tenerife on the way home (no Baltic in sight), with 22 sea days, two six-day Atlantic crossings and a 40-hour overnight in Barbados. The port list and times below come from retailer listings and aren’t yet confirmed by Cunard, so re-check the M703 voyage page before booking flights or excursions.
Start Here
- Now: check your passport was issued less than 10 years before 11 Jan 2027 and is valid to at least 14 Aug 2027 (our cautious reading of Cunard’s rules). Boring, yes, but cheaper than a dramatic scene at the gangway.
- 7 Dec 2026: last day to book Cunard’s CPS valet parking (0345 071 3939) if you’re driving.
- 21 Dec 2026: online check-in opens in My Cunard; it closes 10pm GMT on 10 Jan, so confirm the cutoff there.
- 28 Dec 2026: child registration forms open for anyone aged 17 or under on 14 Feb.
- Before you travel: a UK ETA (£20 each) if you’re not British or Irish. Whether guests who stay aboard at Southampton need one is unresolved, so ask Cunard. Add the Dominican Republic’s free e-ticket, reportedly needed about 72 hours before Amber Cove.
The Sailing at a Glance
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Ship | Queen Mary 2, ocean liner, built 2004, refurbished 2023 |
| Size | 148,528 GT, 18 decks |
| People | 2,726 passengers, 1,253 crew |
| Departs | Mon 11 Jan 2027, Southampton, listed 17:00 |
| Returns | Sun 14 Feb 2027, listed arrival 06:30 |
| Length | 34 nights (voyage code M703) |
| Sea days | 22 (six-day runs on 16–21 Jan and 4–9 Feb) |
| Port days | 11 across 10 ports (Barbados gets two) |
| CDC score | 88/100, inspected 17 June 2026 |
What to Do Now and the Deadlines That Bite
Three dates do the damage: 7 Dec for parking, 21 Dec for check-in and 28 Dec if kids are coming. Today is 20 October, so the parking deadline is 48 days away. Put them in your calendar now and future-you will be insufferably smug.
| Date | What happens | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Dec 2026 | CPS valet booking closes | Opens 72 hours after you book the voyage |
| 21 Dec 2026 | Online check-in opens | Finish it to download your boarding pass |
| 28 Dec 2026 | Child registration opens | One form per child aged 17 or under on 14 Feb |
| 24+ hours before sailing | Passage Contract signed | Every guest, minors included |
| 10 Jan 2027, 10pm GMT | Online check-in closes | Confirm in My Cunard |
Embarkation Logistics
You won’t know your terminal until days before sailing, so book nothing that depends on it. Yes, really: Southampton has five cruise terminals (Ocean, QEII, Horizon, Mayflower and City), and your boarding pass names yours. Think of it as a very slow reveal.
- Arrive at the time printed on your boarding pass. Earlier may mean waiting until Cunard can check you in, so keep the eager-beaver energy for the buffet.
- Boarding times depend on stateroom grade and are a guideline. Embarkation typically runs from around midday to about 3:15pm, but that’s a typical window, not a promise.
- Cunard suggests arriving after 2:30pm for a quieter experience and says there’s no priority or fast-track.
- On a Cunard coach, the coach arrival time sets your boarding time.
Parking
Cunard names the CPS valet as the only authorised parking inside the port estate, so ask for the 34-night price when you book. You unload at a drop-off lane, porters help, and a driver takes the car to long-term secure parking. Off-site operators advertise from £11.88 a day on an 8-day basis, and Southampton council multi-storeys list £5 a day after the first 24 hours. Neither is a 34-day quote, so don’t budget off them unless you enjoy surprises.
The Night Before
Pick a central hotel near Ocean or City and take a taxi. The QEII and Mayflower walks are 30 minutes or more from most hotels. Prices were correct at publication, so check them.
| Hotel | Access | Parking |
|---|---|---|
| voco Southampton | 6 min walk to City, 15 to Ocean | Packages from £354 a night for up to two adults, with up to 15 days’ parking (a 34-night cruise needs more than that), taxi and breakfast |
| Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour | About 15 min walk to Ocean | £14 per car per night |
| Harbour Hotel (Ocean Village) | About 5 min drive to QEII | £18 per 24 hours; packages cover 7, 14 or 21 days |
| Moxy (Westquay) | Not stated | £13.50 per night |
| Premier Inn West Quay, ibis budget Southampton Central, Novotel, Travelodge | Generally 5–10 min taxi to all five terminals | Check with hotel |
Getting There
- Heathrow by taxi: £119 to £180 and about 1h10 via the M3 from one operator; another fixes £182 (saloon) or £232 (executive), for up to four passengers. Those are per vehicle, not per person.
- Cunard coach: no current price published that we can point you to, so check Cunard’s London Airport Guide. One passenger reported a wait of nearly 2.5 hours, which is an anecdote, not policy (but pack a book).
- Train: there’s no direct Heathrow service to Southampton Central, so expect at least one change. A taxi from Central to the terminals is about £10 (low confidence).
The Ship and How to Work It
Your stateroom grade decides your restaurant, so know it before you pack for dinner. Dining is assigned by grade, and the ship’s full profile is on our Queen Mary 2 page.
- Britannia Restaurant: the largest room (over 1,000 capacity) for Britannia Balcony, Oceanview and Inside staterooms.
- Britannia Club Restaurant: for Britannia Club Balcony guests, dinner 6:30–9:00pm, no reservation needed.
- Princess and Queens Grills: assigned tables for suite guests, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Kings Court: casual buffet, included. Evening themed dinners carry a cover charge (amount not yet published).
- The Verandah: steakhouse with a cover charge, bookable in My Cunard before sailing. Booking ahead improves your odds of your preferred time. How far ahead the window opens isn’t confirmed.
- Also aboard: Carinthia Lounge (coffee and snacks by day, tapas and port or sherry bar at night). Boardwalk Cafe and Sir Samuel’s are listed as included, and the Golden Lion pub’s food is partly included, with drinks extra.
Alcohol, specialty coffee and some room-service items cost extra. Naturally.
- Pools: four main pools, per Cruise Critic: Pavilion (Deck 12, retractable glass roof), Terrace (Deck 8, ages 18 and over), Minnows family pool (Deck 6) and the Canyon Ranch SpaClub therapy pool (Deck 7, spa guests only). Don’t expect a bigger adults-only retreat.
- Kids: the Play Zone takes ages 2–7, is staffed by the Youth Team and is included in the fare. Infants 6–23 months can attend with a parent. Programmes for ages 8 and up aren’t confirmed, so ask Cunard. January is outside school holidays, so expect fewer children.
- Shows: the Illuminations theatre on Deck 3 houses the 150-seat Planetarium, with free tickets issued each morning from the ConneXions desk. The Royal Court Theatre hosts Broadway-style productions.
- Hygiene: the latest CDC Vessel Sanitation Program score is 88/100 (17 June 2026). Check any newer report in our CDC inspection lookup.
The Ports
Ten ports, 11 port days and a Barbados overnight, but treat the list as provisional until Cunard confirms it. Listings agree on most calls but differ on a few (Tortola, Dominica and Antigua appear differently on some), and the order zigzags St Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts, which looks odd on a map but isn’t necessarily wrong. Times below are the retailer-listed arrival and departure times; check Cunard’s M703 page for official all-aboard times. Dock versus tender isn’t stated for any port, so check the daily programme.
| Date | Port | Arrive | Departs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 15 Jan | Funchal, Madeira | 08:00 | 17:00 |
| Fri 22 Jan | Road Town, Tortola | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Sun 24–Mon 25 Jan | Bridgetown, Barbados (overnight) | 07:00 Sun | 23:00 Mon |
| Wed 27 Jan | Castries, St Lucia | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Thu 28 Jan | St George’s, Grenada | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Fri 29 Jan | Roseau, Dominica | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Sat 30 Jan | Basseterre, St Kitts | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Mon 1 Feb | Amber Cove, Dominican Republic | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Wed 3 Feb | Philipsburg, Sint Maarten | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Wed 10 Feb | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 08:00 | 18:00 |
- Funchal: Pontinha pier, with a flat 15–25 minute seafront walk to the old town. Taxis, ATMs and tourist info are at the port. Aim to be back at least an hour before all-aboard.
- Tortola: usually the Road Town Cruise Pier, expanded in 2015 for ships up to 180,000 GT, so QM2 should fit. Tortola Pier Park at the pier’s foot has about 50 shops and restaurants.
- Barbados: the terminal is about a mile west of downtown, and estimates run from a 10–15 minute walk to “a taxi might be necessary”. The route follows Princess Alice Highway to the pedestrian-only Careenage Boardwalk. Forty hours alongside means an evening ashore.
- St Lucia: ships use Pointe Seraphine or La Place Carenage, a 15–30 minute walk. A water taxi is about US$5 return. Level 2 advisory citing armed robbery, assault, burglary and rape: use ship excursions or vetted drivers, and agree taxi fares in advance.
- Grenada: large ships dock at Melville Street, while some deep-draft ships tender to the Carenage. Reports describe steep hills and uneven pavements, and some say it’s unsuitable for mobility aids.
- Dominica: Roseau’s small T-shaped pier has no terminal building, and some ships anchor and tender. Portsmouth is about an hour by road.
- St Kitts: mostly Port Zante, which gained a second pier in late 2019. Tendering still happens.
- Amber Cove: a cruise-only enclave, not walkable to town or beaches. One blog reports about $35 each way per vehicle (up to five people) for the 15–20 minute taxi to Puerto Plata, which is unverified. Excursions can run up to five hours, so build in margin. Emergency numbers are 911 and the tourist police (POLITUR).
- Philipsburg: about a 20 minute walk from the terminal, or a water taxi from Captain Hodge Pier to the Boardwalk. Carrying guns or ammunition is illegal and can mean long detention.
- Tenerife: Muelle Norte or Sur (unconfirmed). From Muelle Norte it’s about 1 km (15 minutes) to the centre, 20–25 minutes to Plaza de España. A free port shuttle exists, but shuttles and taxis are sometimes unavailable, so don’t count on them. Bus 910 stops in front of the terminal.
Three of the eight Caribbean advisories sit at Level 2 (St Lucia, Grenada and the Dominican Republic); the other five are Level 1. These are US State Department levels as of the dates shown, so re-check before sailing. Portugal and Spain weren’t checked.
| Port | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| British Virgin Islands | 1 | 22 May 2026 |
| Barbados | 1 | 10 Apr 2026 |
| St Lucia | 2 | 10 Jul 2026 |
| Grenada | 2 | 5 Jan 2026 |
| Dominica | 1 | 20 May 2026 |
| St Kitts | 1 | 7 Jul 2026 |
| Dominican Republic | 2 | 12 Jun 2025 |
| Sint Maarten | 1 | 24 Aug 2026 |
Conditions and Packing for This Season
Pack for English January, mild Atlantic islands and Caribbean heat, all in one suitcase. Godspeed. Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, so this sailing sits outside it, though the National Hurricane Center says activity sometimes occurs before and after those dates.
| Stop (January) | Mean max | Mean min | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 8.8°C | 3.2°C | 89 mm rain, about 63 sunshine hours |
| Funchal | about 19–20°C | about 13–14°C | 67.1 mm rain, 6.2 rain days; sea 18.7°C (a January 2026 reading, not a normal) |
| Barbados | 29.1°C | 23.3°C | 77% humidity, 8.5 sunshine hours a day; sea about 27.1°C |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 21.0°C | 15.4°C | 32 mm rain, 64% humidity (1981–2010 normals) |
Funchal’s temperatures and the Barbados sea temperature come from travel and weather sites, not official normals. No figures turned up for the other Caribbean stops, so use Barbados as a rough guide.
- Layers: a windproof jacket for decks and for Funchal and Tenerife, and tropical kit for the islands, which are humid with some showers.
- Dress code: gala nights have themes, and crew turn away guests who aren’t dressed appropriately. A 2013 Cunard update set formal evenings at twice a week on non-transatlantic sailings, but that’s dated and the count for this voyage isn’t established. Pack for several.
- Appliances: hair dryers, straighteners and curling tongs are allowed; irons and kettles are not.
- Seasickness: your open-Atlantic stretches are three sea days out, six days on 16–21 Jan, six days on 4–9 Feb and three after Tenerife. Passenger accounts say winter crossings can be rough, and stabilisers mainly reduce roll while the ship still pitches. Blogs suggest a midship, low-deck cabin for the least movement.
Money
Gratuities plus a basic Wi-Fi plan come to about US$1,190 per person over 34 nights on the rates we found, before a single drink. Brace yourself. That is $578 in Britannia plus $612 for Essential Wi-Fi. Gratuity rates are from 2026 guides, Wi-Fi prices are from an undated listing, and drinks packages are a UK agent’s list, so check Cunard’s app or site.
| Per person, 34 nights | Daily rate | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuities, Britannia | $17 | $578 |
| Gratuities, Grill suites | $19 | $646 |
| Wi-Fi Essential (whole voyage) | $18 | $612 |
| Wi-Fi Premium (whole voyage) | $24 | $816 |
| Alcohol-Free Collection | $18 | $612 |
| Premium Alcohol-Free Collection | $45 | $1,530 |
| Beverage Collection | $94.50 | $3,213 |
| Premium Beverage Collection | $108 | $3,672 |
- Gratuities: per person, so two sharing pay $1,156 in Britannia or $1,292 in Grills, assuming all 34 nights are charged. They can’t be prepaid, and you can adjust them at the Purser’s Office. Sources vary ($16 and $18 is an older rate), so confirm at booking. Bar and wine purchases carry a 15% service charge; our tipping guide covers extra tipping.
- Drinks: packages include the 15% charge. Whether a package has to cover everyone in your cabin isn’t confirmed, so check Cunard’s terms before you buy. Illustratively, if your average drink costs $10 after the service charge, the Beverage Collection needs about ten drinks a day to break even (94.50 ÷ 10 = 9.45). That’s a lot of drinks, even for a sea day.
- Wi-Fi: Starlink is fleet-wide. Essential costs $24 per 24 hours on board versus $18 a day for the whole voyage, so buying up front saves $6 a day. A discount for voyages of 16 nights or more exists, but the percentage isn’t published where we could find it.
- Verandah: no verified current price. Published figures run from $20 to $29 at lunch and $35 to $49.95 at dinner, and all are dated or undated. Booking in My Cunard gets 10% off versus on board.
- Your own bottle: older guidance lets guests over 21 bring one 750ml bottle of wine or Champagne each. Corkage is about US$20 in a restaurant or bar and none in your stateroom, and spirits can’t come aboard at embarkation. Alcohol bought ashore is held until the last day. Verify against our alcohol guide and Cunard.
Headline fares differ widely by seller, currency and cabin grade, and it’s often unclear whether a price is per person or per cabin. Get your grade’s price from Cunard.
Documents and Rules
Everyone needs a passport, and non-British, non-Irish guests should plan on a £20 UK ETA. Funchal and Tenerife are Schengen ports, so plan for the stricter of the passport rules.
- Passport: Cunard asks for one issued less than 10 years before embarkation for Schengen itineraries, and generally six months’ validity beyond the final disembarkation. We applied both: valid to at least 14 Aug 2027.
- UK ETA: £20 per person, including babies and children; British and Irish passport holders are exempt. It’s unresolved whether a non-UK guest who never leaves the ship in Southampton needs one, so assume yes and confirm with Cunard.
- Children: a registration form per child aged 17 or under, from 28 Dec. If a minor travels with one adult aged 21 or over, Cunard’s terms require passports for everyone on US WHTI voyages. Whether that applies to a Southampton round trip is unconfirmed. Notarised consent wording isn’t published where we could find it, so ask Cunard.
- Dominican Republic: a free online e-ticket entry form is reported mandatory for all nationalities, about 72 hours ahead. How it applies at Amber Cove needs confirming.
- EU systems: the Entry/Exit System began 12 Oct 2025, and its 10 April 2026 target for full operation has passed, so check the European Commission for where it stands now. How it treats cruise passengers isn’t confirmed. A July 2026 report says ETIAS isn’t required “until further notice”, which isn’t confirmed on an official EU source, so re-check close to sailing.
- Other nationalities: Caribbean visa rules aren’t established here, so use Cunard’s A–Z destination entry requirements page.
- Banned items: illegal drugs (including medical marijuana and CBD), firearms and replicas, and comms gear such as EPIRBs, ham radios, scanners, satellite phones, lasers, routers and switches. The list isn’t exhaustive, and items can be permanently confiscated. Drones and knives weren’t confirmed, so read Cunard’s page.
- Medication: Cunard’s own policy isn’t confirmed. General advice: carry it in hand luggage in original containers with a buffer (Holland America suggests 10 extra days).
FAQ: Your Queen Mary 2 January 2027 Questions
Which terminal does Queen Mary 2 use at Southampton?
It isn’t confirmed yet. Southampton has five cruise terminals (Ocean, QEII, Horizon, Mayflower and City), and Cunard tells guests which applies in the days before sailing. Your boarding pass shows it. Until then, book a hotel near Ocean or City and take a taxi.
Where does Queen Mary 2’s 34-night January 2027 cruise go?
It’s a Caribbean round trip, voyage M703, from Southampton on 11 January to 14 February 2027. Retail listings show Funchal first, then Tortola, Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts, Amber Cove and Sint Maarten, with Tenerife on the way home. That list isn’t yet confirmed by Cunard.
Do I need a UK ETA to cruise from Southampton?
Probably, unless you hold a British or Irish passport. An ETA costs £20 per person, children and babies included. Sources disagree on whether non-UK guests who never leave the ship at Southampton need one, so assume you do and confirm with Cunard before you travel.
How much are gratuities on Queen Mary 2 for 34 nights?
Most current guides say US$17 per person per day in Britannia and US$19 in Grill suites, charged automatically. Over 34 nights that is $578 or $646 per person, or $1,156 or $1,292 for two sharing. Rates vary between sources, so confirm at booking.
Can I bring wine on board Queen Mary 2?
Older guidance says guests over 21 may bring one 750ml bottle of wine or Champagne each. Corkage is about US$20 if you open it in a restaurant or bar, and none in your stateroom. Spirits can’t come aboard at embarkation. Check Cunard’s current policy before you pack.
Is hurricane season a worry for a January Caribbean cruise?
Not much. The Atlantic season runs 1 June to 30 November, so this sailing falls outside it, though the National Hurricane Center notes activity sometimes occurs before and after those dates. The bigger weather factor is winter swell on the two six-day Atlantic crossings.
What is Queen Mary 2’s CDC inspection score?
It’s 88 out of 100, from the inspection on 17 June 2026. That’s the latest score in our database, and a newer inspection could land before January. Check the full report in our CDC lookup tool.
The Bottom Line
This is a long, mostly oceanic voyage with 22 sea days, so the prep that matters is paperwork and logistics, and the deadlines are 7 Dec (parking), 21 Dec (check-in) and 28 Dec (children). Treat the port list and times as provisional until Cunard confirms them, and budget about $1,190 per person for gratuities and basic Wi-Fi before drinks. Then read the Queen Mary 2 profile, pack a coat and swimsuit, and may your Atlantic be gentle.
Ships in This Story
- Queen Mary 2 Cunard · Latest CDC score 88
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