Cunard Queen Elizabeth Southern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 1: October 27, 2026

I’m back onboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth for a nine-day Southern Caribbean cruise, and if you’re a regular follower, you may be experiencing a little déjà vu. I was on this very same ship during this same week last year, when she was beginning her first ever Caribbean season out of Miami.

That cruise left me with mixed feelings. Now I’m back to see what, if anything, has changed, and to enjoy one of my favorite Caribbean itineraries: an ABC cruise, with visits to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, plus a stop in Grand Turk.

Eastern Caribbean: Queen Elizabeth

Dates: Oct 27, 2026 – Nov 5, 2026

Homeport: Miami, FL

Ship Facts: 2010 build • 90,901 GT • 2,100 passengers

Date	Port	Country	Start	End
Oct 27	Miami, FL	United States		11:59 PM
Oct 28	At Sea	–	–	–
Oct 29	Grand Turk	Turks and Caicos	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Oct 30	At Sea	–	–	–
Oct 31	Willemstad	Curacao	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Nov 1	Kralendijk	Bonaire	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Nov 2	Oranjestad	Aruba	8:00 AM	4:30 PM
Nov 3	At Sea	–	–	–
Nov 4	At Sea	–	–	–
Nov 5	Miami, FL	United States	7:00 AM

If you missed that first trip, my Day 9 report from last year’s Queen Elizabeth cruise included the full rundown. The ship herself and the crew were the standouts. Queen Elizabeth was beautifully maintained, the public spaces were elegant with a nod to the golden age of ocean travel, and the service was consistently top notch.

The food was another story. The Britannia main dining room was mostly average, the Lido buffet was a disappointment, and while the specialty restaurants and dinner pop-ups added variety, I questioned the value of their cover charges. Activities were on the sparse side, entertainment was meh, and anyone looking for a bit of excitement after dinner had some searching to do. 

I appreciated the Cunard traditions, including the well attended afternoon tea, ballroom dancing, and traditional, dress code enforced Gala Nights. But the overall experience didn’t leave me rushing to book another sailing from Miami. In fact, I ended that review saying I probably wouldn’t do it again.

Well, here we are.

A year later, a favorite itinerary and another opportunity to try the ship have brought me back. Let’s see how round two goes.

Before getting into embarkation day, a little background on the Queen. The Cunard fleet currently consists of four ships, but that number is scheduled to drop to three in 2029. As I reported earlier this month, Queen Anne will transfer to sister brand P&O Cruises, while P&O’s Arcadia will move to Holland America Line.

That will leave Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth carrying the Cunard flag. Queen Mary 2 remains the flagship and the world’s only ocean liner in active service, operating regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York. I had the opportunity to sail on her several times during her inaugural season.

Queen Elizabeth entered service in October 2010 and was named by Queen Elizabeth II in Southampton. Built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy, she measures approximately 90,900 gross tons and 964.5 feet long, with accommodations for roughly 2,100 guests and a little over 900 crew.

She shares the modified Vista-class platform used by Queen Victoria, with plenty of familiar features for anyone who has sailed on Holland America’s Vista-class ships. Inside, the Art Deco styling, wood accents, stunning staircases, and traditional lounges give her that classic Cunard feel.

Thank Mother Nature for a Delayed Embarkation

Getting back onboard, however, took a little more effort than expected.

South Florida’s weather over the past week has been a mess – literally. Strong winds, rough seas, and coastal flooding around the king tides have created plenty of challenges, and cruise embarkation was not exempt.

Since Queen Elizabeth sails from PortMiami, I had booked a 10 a.m. Brightline train from Boca Raton to Miami. When I woke up, though, an email from Cunard was waiting for me with instructions to add a whopping seven hours to my original assigned check-in time of 2:45 p.m.

Queen Elizabeth wasn’t the only ship affected. As I covered in my report on the PortMiami delays, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Joy were also facing afternoon arrivals. For passengers getting off those ships, that meant potential flight changes and a scramble to rearrange travel. For those of us getting on, it meant a long day of waiting.

Being local made my part relatively easy. I moved my Brightline reservation to the 5 p.m. train, which would put me in downtown Miami around 6 p.m.

No big deal.

Then my Lyft arrived to take me to the Boca station at almost the exact moment I received a notification that the train was delayed by an hour.

Decision time. Play train roulette and hope the delay doesn’t get worse, or have the driver take me straight to the port? Avoiding the drive down I-95 is one of the main reasons I take Brightline in the first place, but after talking with the driver, we decided to keep going to Miami.

Naturally, that put us right into rush hour traffic.

The ride cost four times more than my original plan, but it did get me there sooner. By the time I reached the port, the train was only just leaving Boca Raton.

Embarkation at Port Miami

I arrived at Terminal D around 6:15 p.m., and there was hardly anyone there. I left my bag with a porter, walked through security, checked in, and was onboard within a few minutes.

Most guests had arrived in Miami much earlier and were waiting when boarding finally began. By the time I showed up, that initial crowd had already been brought onboard, leaving us latecomers with the express lane.

Once aboard, I stopped at my muster station to check in, then headed to my stateroom. Cunard uses an electronic muster process: visit your assigned station, have your boarding pass or keycard scanned, and watch the safety video on your stateroom television. That video comes on when you turn on the TV, and you can’t just bypass it.  It’s also incredibly long.

At my room, the attendant introduced himself, pointed out a few things, and let me know he would bring my luggage as soon as it arrived.

Interior Stateroom 7146 on Queen Elizabeth

For this cruise, Cunard provided me with a complimentary standard interior stateroom. All additional expenses, including daily service charges, beverage packages, and other onboard purchases, are my responsibility.

My room is 7146, on Deck 7, all the way aft. And by “all the way,” I mean at the very end of the ship.

On last year’s cruise, I stayed in solo oceanview stateroom 2018, an accessible room with a large picture window and considerably more space. This interior is smaller, although it’s certainly not the smallest inside cabin I’ve stayed in.

The setup is familiar: two twin beds that can be combined, a stocked minibar with items available for purchase, a (very) small television, a safe, a hairdryer, and a fair amount of hanging space in the closets. Shelf and drawer space, however, is a little on the light side.

The bathroom is small, the shower is equally small, and the showerhead sits unusually low.  I’m 5′ 9″ and if I was just an inch taller, I would be hitting my head it.

One thing to plan for: there are no USB charging ports in this room.

Zero. None. Nada.

Being an older ship, this Queen was not built with USB ports and she hasn’t been retrofitted with them yet either. There aren’t any at the desk or beside the bed. The outlets I found were two U.S. and two U.K. sockets at the desk, so bring the appropriate charging plugs and maybe a battery block to keep your devices going. So don’t assume you’ll find the bedside charging setup common on newer ships.

Rearranging the Schedule & Relaxing Some Rules

With embarkation running so late, there were still guests coming aboard with luggage in tow as I walked around at 7 p.m.

Normally, Cunard takes its evening dress code seriously, including in the main dining room. Tonight, those requirements were relaxed because so many people were still waiting for their bags.

At 7 p.m., I was one of them.

While waiting, I wandered around, spotted some familiar faces from last year, and settled in at the Midships Bar. That’s the name on the sign above it, although the app calls it Gin & Fizz. Either way, it’s the ship’s gin bar and a place where I spent plenty of evenings on my previous cruise, so it seemed like a reasonable place to begin this one, too.

The evening’s entertainment and activities had also been shuffled. The shops and casino remained closed, and there was only one theater show, featuring a Whitney Houston tribute artist. I didn’t make it to that performance. A shipwide emergency drill took place at 8:45 p.m., which put it right in the middle of dinner for some of us.

It was that kind of day. Everyone was adjusting as they went and the crew did a fantastic job considering their day got just as messed up. I’m sure they had their fair share of disgruntled passengers both going and coming to deal with, even though they had no control over the situation.

After a few cocktails, I returned to my room around 8 p.m. and found that my luggage had arrived. I unpacked, changed for dinner, and headed to Britannia.

Dinner in the Britannia Restaurant (MDR)

For anyone unfamiliar with Cunard, your main dining room is tied to your accommodation category. Guests in Queens Grill suites dine in the Queens Grill restaurant, while Princess Grill guests dine in Princess Grill. Britannia Club guests have their own Britannia Club restaurant.

Those of us in standard Britannia accommodations, jokingly dubbed “steerage,” dine in the main Britannia Restaurant, where the options include traditional early or late seating and open dining. I prefer flexibility, so open dining is always my choice.

I arrived around 8:20 p.m., close to the usual 8:30 p.m. cutoff for dinner service. The buffet’s listed dinner hours ran until 9 p.m., with late-night snacks from 10 to 11 p.m.

Tonight, dinner hours were being extended to accommodate the delayed boarding. Consider someone with an original check-in time of 2:45 p.m. Add seven hours, and that becomes 9:45 p.m. It was going to be a long evening for some guests and crew.

The dining room wasn’t busy, and I was taken to a table right away. My server and wine steward introduced themselves, made a few recommendations, and took my drink order.

QE Britannia Restaurant Caribbean Night 1

2026/2027 Caribbean Season

Available on: Queen Elizabeth

Open all sections

Appetizer4 items

Crispy Ham Hock Croquetas

burnt apple purée and sauce gribiche

Grilled and Raw Shaved Zucchini, Crumbled Feta

preserved lemon dressing

Poached Salmon

crab and shrimp, pickled cucumbers, radish, pink grapefruit curd

Shrimp Cocktail

brandy cocktail sauce

Entree12 items

Slow-Roasted USDA Striploin

whipped potato, string beans, pan gravy

Chicken and Truffle En Croute

carrots, onions and bacon, squash purée, parsley potatoes, Madeira sauce

Cheddar Cheese Crusted Pork Loin Steak

sauerkraut, glazed apple, roasted roots, creamy Calvados sauce

Grilled Tuna Steak

sautéed potatoes, tomatoes, beans, olives, red onion

Caramelized Onion and Cumin Tart Tatin

salt baked and pickled beetroot, creamed spinach, date ketchup

Macaroni with Pistachio Pesto

summer peas

Grilled Maine Lobster (Half)

$20.00

10-14oz, claw mac'n'cheese, garden salad, garlic and herb butter

Grilled Maine Lobster (Whole)

$35.00

21-28oz, claw mac'n'cheese, garden salad, garlic and herb butter

Prime USDA Filet Mignon

$35.00

8oz, triple-cooked chips, grilled asparagus, béarnaise sauce

Half Grilled Maine Lobster and Prime USDA Filet Mignon

$45.00

10-14oz lobster and 8oz filet, claw mac'n'cheese, garden salad, garlic and herb butter

Grilled Salmon

lemon pepper seasoning, broccoli, fingerling potatoes

Breaded Chicken Cutlet

buttered greens, crushed red skin potato, drawn garlic butter

Dessert5 items

Selection of Cheese and Biscuits

Lemon Bread and Butter Pudding

crème anglaise

Key Lime Pie

coconut shavings, fruit sorbet

Chocolate Marquise

orange coulis

Ice Cream

cookies and cream, strawberry, fruit sorbet

Soup2 items

Roasted Onion Soup

truffle

Clear Green Vegetable Soup

celery leaf pesto

Salad2 items

Classic Caesar Salad

garlic croutons, anchovies, shaved Parmesan

Iceberg, Cress, Carrot and Corn Salad

Kalamata olives, Dijon mustard vinaigrette

⬇ Download PDFAll Cunard Restaurant MenusAll Cunard Bar Menus

🖼️ Menu Images

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I started with the crispy ham hock croquettes. They delivered on the crispy part, but otherwise were fairly average. Nothing particularly memorable here.

Next came the iceberg, cress, carrot, and corn salad, which amounted to a small helping of lettuce with very little going on in the bowl.

For my main course, I chose the slow-roasted striploin. The plate came with two thin slices of beef cooked medium, a literal spoonful of mashed potatoes, and a few green beans. The beef was a bit tough, and the beans were overcooked.

If I was hoping for an immediate sign that the food had taken a big step forward since last year, this wasn’t it.  But it is the first night, so I’ll reserve judgement.  For now.

For dessert, I went with the selection of cheese and biscuits, which is pretty hard to mess up.

Service during dinner was what one would expect – friendly, polished, un-rushed, and professional. The sommelier also told me about the Lunch & Learn at The Verandah and a separate wine dinner. Both sounded right up my alley, so I signed up for both, at a whopping $100 and $140 each.

Speciality Dining Options on Queen Elizabeth

Beyond the ship’s main dining rooms, there are several other dining options and special experiences on the agenda. I’ll be trying each of the following during this cruise and sharing reviews as the days go on, starting with Steakhouse at The Verandah on night two.

• Steakhouse at The Verandah: The ship’s only specialty restaurant with it’s own space on Deck 2 that serves steaks and seafood, with options including a porterhouse for two, smoked short rib, and a fruits de mer platter. The cover charge is $70 per person. This is my dinner stop for night two, so we’ll soon see how it compares with last year.
• La Piazza: An Italian dinner pop-up in the Lido’s alternative dining area on Deck 9 aft, featuring regional Italian dishes. It runs $40 per-person offered at is being offered three times this cruise.
• Bamboo: The same Lido space switches to an East Asian-inspired menu with fusion dishes and is $40 per person, also being offered three times.
• Karibe: For this pop-up, the Lido alternative dining venue turns to the Caribbean, with Creole cooking, island spices, and smokehouse items. This one is also $40 per person, and like the other two popups, is offered three times on this journey.
• Lunch & Learn at The Verandah: This $100-per-person event pairs a four-course tasting menu with five wines, with the chief sommelier guiding the experience and answering questions.
• Champagne Afternoon Tea: While afternoon tea is served in the Queen’s Room at no additional charge, this kicked-up version will set you back $50-per-person and is held at The Verandah and adds a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne to tea and a selection of upscale munchies.
• Golden Lion Pub: A more casual option on Deck 2, with classic British pub dishes from a menu developed in collaboration with Michel Roux. The main pub menu is included in the fare, with some dishes carrying an additional charge. No reservations are needed and it’s open for lunch and dinner.

Between those meals and the wine dinner, there should be plenty of opportunities to find out whether dining on Queen Elizabeth has improved since my last visit. I’ll report back as I work my way through them.

Wrapping up the Day

After dinner, I took another walk around. The ship was quiet, a little drizzle was falling outside, and we were still docked in Miami.

Before calling it a night, I headed to the Commodore Club for one last cocktail. It’s all the way forward, with the kind of observation-lounge location that will feel familiar to Holland America cruisers who spend time in the Crow’s Nest.

Queen Elizabeth was scheduled to leave at midnight, so there wasn’t any sailaway celebration planned, as most on this ship hit the sheets well before that, including myself.  

I did, however, wake up once we were out at sea.

Things got rough pretty quickly. From my room at the very back of the ship, the motion was crazy, and there was noticeable vibration as well. Between the pitching, rolling, and movement aft, it wasn’t exactly an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

Several times during the early morning, the motion woke me up. At one point, I got up to use the bathroom and found that even that short walk required some effort.

By morning, conditions had calmed down quite a bit. There’s still some rolling as I write this, though, and we’re all walking around like we’ve just come out of one of those three-hour wine tastings.

And I haven’t even been to mine yet.

Queen Elizabeth Day 1 Daily Planner

Due to the late embarkation, event times on the planner were not adjusted, and many were canceled for this voyage.

Day-By-Day Personal Queen Elizabeth Cruise Review Links