Cruise ship tours: Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2

Designed to cruise trans-Atlantic voyages between Europe and the United States, the Queen Mary 2 was the world's largest passenger ship at the time of her debut.

The makeover of the Queen Mary 2 brought few changes to one of its most iconic features, its terraced rear decks.

The hub of the Queen Mary 2's exterior deck areas remains the Terrace Pool on Deck 8.

The Terrace Pool area on Deck 8 offers rows of comfortable lounge chairs, a pool and two hot tubs.

Facing the Terrace Pool on Deck 8 are two rows of seating.

The Terrace Pool is flanked on the ship's starboard side by the teak-lined Terrace Bar.

two decks down from the Terrace Pool at the rear of the Queen Mary 2 is its family pool area, home to the Minnows Pool.

The family pool area on Deck 6 also offers the shallow Splash Pool for toddlers.

The family pool area is home to a small play area for toddlers.

Mostly unchanged during the makeover of the Queen Mary 2 is the private outdoor lounge area on Deck 9 that's open exclusively to passengers in the ship's top Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites.

The teak lounge chairs at the Grills suite lounge area on Deck 9 now have plush blue and grey cushions.

Relatively unchanged during the makeover of the Queen Mary 2 was its exterior Boardwalk Cafe area on Deck 12.

The Boardwalk Cafe offers teak seating.

The Boardwalk Cafe area on Deck 12 also features rows of lounge chairs.

Passengers still can walk under the giant Queen Mary 2 signage on Deck 12.

Lounge chairs still line the sides of Deck 12 just outside of the interior, magrodome-covered Pavilion Pool.

One deck up and forward from the Boardwalk Cafe area is the Queen Mary 2's sweeping Sun Deck.

The Sun Deck now is home to a miniature tennis court.

Deck 13 also has a small golfing cage.

One of the most significant changes to the Queen Mary 2 during its refit was the removal of outdoor lounge areas near the front of the ship on Deck 13 to make way for 35 additional cabins. A wading pool and two hot tubs were removed.

Left alone during the overhaul was the Lookout, a small, forward-facing observation post at the very top of the ship on Deck 14.

A small nook in the Lookout holds the Queen Mary 2's ceremonial bell.

The hub of the Queen Mary 2's interior decks, the Grand Lobby, got a major update during the ship's overhaul.

Two panoramic elevators that descended into the Grand Lobby were removed during the makeover, allowing for a larger, grander space.

With the elevators gone, the Grand Lobby now functions as a lounge-like space more than ever before.

The Grand Lobby still is home to the Queen Mary 2's purser's office.

A portrait of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II hangs in the Grand Lobby. She christened the Queen Mary 2 in January 2004.

One of the interior spaces that remains largely unchanged after the makeover is Sir Samuels, a specialty coffee and wine bar named after Cunard's founder.

A stand at the entrance to Sir Samuels displays Godiva chocolates.

Regular Queen Mary 2 passengers also will find a lot that's familar in the Chart Room, across from Sir Samuels.

Located on Deck 3, the Chart Room boasts a circular bar that is a popular gathering point in the evenings.

The Chart Room also has plenty of cozy seating areas with plush chairs.

Veuve Clicquot, the Queen Mary 2's Champagne bar, received new soft fittings during the overhaul.

The Veuve Clicquot Champagne bar is located on Deck 3 just off the Grand Lobby.

The Queen Mary 2's soaring main restaurant, Britannia, was refreshed with new carpeting and other touches.

The Britannia restaurant is one of the Queen Mary 2's most soaring spaces.

The Royal Court Theater also was refreshed during the makeover.

Among additions to the Royal Court Theater was a high-resolution, 22-foot LED screen behind the stage.

The Queen Mary 2's Empire Casino has shrunken in size with part of its space now devoted to new single cabins.

The Empire Casino is located on Deck 2 just off the Grand Lobby.

Located on Deck 2, the Golden Lion Pub is an iconic spot on the Queen Mary 2 that also has gotten an update.

The circular bar at the Golden Lion Pub serves up a range of British and International beers and other libations.

A hoppy beer on draft at the Golden Lion Pub.

The Golden Lion is just outside of the Britannia restaurant's main entrance on Deck 2.

The overhaul of the Queen Mary 2 also brought a refreshing of the vessel's iconic ballroom, the Queen's Room.

With room for hundreds, the Queen's Room is the largest ballroom at sea.

The dance floor of the Queen's Room is home to nightly dances and balls accompanied by a live band.

A bronze bust of Queen Mary gazes over passengers near the entrance to the Queens Room.

G32, the Queen Mary 2's two-deck-high nightclub, remains tucked away behind the Queens Room on Deck 3.

G32's decor now is dominated by purples and blues.

One of the most significant changes during the makeover of the Queen Mary 2 was the addition of the Carinthia Lounge on Deck 7.

The Carinthia Lounge is located in the space that formerly housed the Wintergarden, an homage to the great winter gardens on ocean liners of old that never quite caught on.

The Wintergarden was completely gutted down to bare walls to create the Carinthia Lounge.

Also completely revamped is the Queen Mary 2's King's Court, the ship's casual buffet eatery.

Workers removed an elevator bank to allow the King's Court eatery to be expanded with new serving and cooking demonstration areas.

Formerly cramped and over-crowded, the King's Court eatery now features a much more navigable main food station area.

Comfortable seating nooks overlooking the sea are a feature of the King's Court eatery, which is located on Deck 7.

Hand washing stations now line the entrance to the King's Court eatery.

Coffee, tea and juices are available at self-serve stations within the King's Court eatery.

A wide selection of teas are available at the King's Court drink stations.

Another major transformation took place in the Queens Grill, the exclusive restaurant for passengers staying in the Queen Mary 2's top suites.

The Queens Grill now has an Art Deco-inspired decor that includes plush crimson-and-white chairs.

Also getting new decor was the Grills Lounge on Deck 7, a bar that's exclusively available to passengers staying in Grill suites.

The Commodore Club, which overlooks the bow of the ship on Deck 9, also has a new look.

The Commodore Club received new carpeting and furnishings. It now features stylish white lounge chairs.

The bar in the Commodore Club in the wake of the Queen Mary 2's overhaul.

Just off the Commodore Club on Deck 9 is Churchill's, the Queen Mary 2's cigar bar.

Churchill's is stocked with a range of cigars and fine spirits.

Also overlooking the bow of the ship on Deck 11 is the Atlantic Room, the ship's card room.

The Atlantic Room often is set up for bridge.

Every cabin on the Queen Mary 2 received an update, including its 76 Queens Grill suites.

Among the top cabins on the ship, Queens Grill suites now feature an all-new look with crisp white-on-white bedding with blue and red accents, and contemporary furnishings.

Large walk-in closets are a highlight of Queens Grill suites.

A built-in vanity sits across from the built-in closets in Queens Grill suites.

Another view of a bathroom in a revamped Queens Grill suite.

Queens Grill suites have large bathrooms with marble-topped sinks and bathtubs that double as showers.

A Queens Grill suite balcony.

Queens Grill suites feature a foyer area with a coffee bar area.

More storage is located near the entrance to Queens Grill suites.

Built-in wardrobes near the entrance to Queens Grill suites feature room for hanging clothes.

Shelving and a personal safe also can be found in the storage area near the entrance to Queens Grill suites.

Queens Grill suites feature a built-in miniature refrigerator stocked with soda.

One of the more unusual features of the Queen Mary 2, its Illuminations planetarium, remains a central attraction on the revamped vessel.

Illuminations is tucked away at the front of the ship on Deck 2.

The Pavilion Pool & Bar on Deck 12 also got a refresh.

Covered with a glass magrodome that can be opened on sunny days, the Pavilion Pool is surrounded by comfortable, cushion-topped teak lounge chairs.

The Pavilion Pool area also offers table tennis.

Some areas of the Queen Mary 2 haven't changed at all, such as the outdoor Observation Deck in front of the Atlantic Room on Deck 11.

From a bumped-out wing of the Observation Deck, passengers can look back cross the superstructure of the Queen Mary 2.

The Observation Deck offers panoramic views over the bow of the ship.

The Queen Mary 2's Canyon Ranch SpaClub, located on Deck 7, also received a significant overhaul.

The Canyon Ranch SpaClub offers a full range of salon services including hair styling, manicures and pedicures.

The Canyon Ranch SpaClub's beauty salon is located on Deck 8.

The Queen Mary 2's fitness center remains essentially unchanged in the wake of the ship's makeover.

Located at the front of the ship on Deck 7, the Queen Mary 2's fitness center is relatively small for a ship of its size and can feel crowded at times.

Little changed is the Queen Mary 2's Library, which is located at the front of the ship on Deck 8.

The Library is one of the most extensive at sea and is staffed by its own librarian who records the books that passengers check out.

A stately hallway on Deck 3 leads from the Grand Lobby to the main Britannia restaurant.

Hidden away toward the forward end of Deck 3 is a hallway lined with chairs looking out over the sea.

Another corridor lined with game tables is located along the front of the ship on a partial deckway that is known as Deck 3L.

Another large interior promenade can be found on Deck 2 leading from the Grand Lobby to the lower entrance to the Britannia restaurant.

The grand hallway on Deck 2 is lined with elaborate wall panels.

Teak benches line one of the walls of the Sun Deck.

A sales office for future cruises is located on Deck 3 near the Empire Casino.

Located on Deck 2, the Queen Mary 2's new photo gallery is now primarily a digital experience.

One of the features of the Queen Mary 2 that remains after its refit are the self-serve laundry rooms found on a number of cabin decks. Unlike on some other ships with laundry rooms, there is no charge to use the washing machines and dryers.

Queen Mary 2 also has a row of flexible classroom-like spaces on Deck 2 called Connexions.

Connexions includes a computer learning classroom.