It dates back to the early eighties when Trafalgar House, then owners of Cunard Line, acquired the Sagafjord and Vistafjord of Norwegian America Cruises. Our Reservations Manager Diana Mammato worked for both Norwegian America and for Cunard, whilst Caroline Roberts is also a Cunard veteran. In recent years, and particularly since we lost the much-loved Vistafjord/Caronia, we have suspected that our days of working closely with the company might be coming to an end. But our visit to see Queen Victoria has changed all that – we think this lovely ship will be a significant choice for luxury cruise buyers into the future.

At 90,000 GRT (so significantly smaller than Queen Mary 2) and with 2000 passengers, Queen Victoria is without question a large ship, but she has been designed with care to create a number of intimate and unusual public areas which give her an appealing and elegant cosiness.

I particularly liked the Grill area at the top of the ship, with the elegant forward facing Grill Lounge leading out to a private terrace, and both the Queens Grill and Princess Grill giving access to The Courtyard for al fresco dining, weather permitting. Light woods and neutral colours give a fresh and understated feel to these very special rooms.

Meanwhile on deck 10 there are two interesting and contrasting daytime/night-time venues, the contemporary Hemispheres with its gleaming surfaces and dark colours, and the classically elegant Commodore Club (with adjacent cigar bar)

Two large pools on Deck 9 are surrounded by plenty of deck space while the light and airy conservatory style Winter Garden is an excellent relaxing space, adjacent to the large casual lido café for buffet style dining. An extensive spa and fitness area is a tempting and tranquil space.

The main public areas are down on decks 2 and 3, and this is where you would expect to spend your evenings, enjoying dinner in the two level Britannia restaurant, or maybe for a special occasion, the lovely Todd English, preceded, maybe by drinks in the Chart Room, the champagne bar, or the Red Lion Pub.

Evening entertainment is performed in the lavish Royal Court Theatre, a most impressive space with excellent views from the stage, and some very special private boxes. Or how about a dance in the elegant Queens Room, where you feel a real echo of QE2.

At the heart of the ship around the Grand Lobby you can sit and watch the world go by, a stylish reminder of bygone days.

Accommodation is mixed, with some early teething problems relating to limited drawer and other storage space, and some noise. 70% of staterooms have their own private balcony, which guests will enjoy as they cruise the world on this special ship.
The Queens and Princess Suites offer plenty of space and comfortable surroundings, whilst the Grand and Master Suites have strikingly large balconies with most attractive furniture, and access from kitchen, living room and bedroom.

Initial reports suggest the vessel needs a little time to bed down, as normal, but reports back from the World Cruise indicate a ship of happy passengers pleased that the new Queen is deserving of their loyalty.