Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Queen Victoria
Cruise Details: October 2018 mini cruise to Guernsey from Southampton
If you have never cruised before then Queen Victoria may well be how you imagine a cruise liner to be. Ornate, plenty of wood, attentive service.
Unfortunately on this cruise I was only destined to be on the ship for three nights but it was enough to leave me wanting more.
Check-in was efficient and speedy.
The cabin was an outside cabin, no issue for a mini-cruise, it was spacious with a large picture window. There was sufficient space for hanging clothes and, of course, there was a nightly turn down service.
The public areas had a country house feel, plenty of glass and wood and little obvious plastic.
There is a proper wooden deck, not the horrible plastic composite found on many ships.
The food was good wherever you chose to eat.
The buffet didn't have the biggest choice but what was there was excellent.
The main dining room offered sublime food, with a varied choice and cooked to perfection.
We paid a premium to eat in The Verandah speciality restaurant one evening. This is, put simplistically, a steak house, but a steak house like no other. We opted for the Deluxe Three Beef Sampler for two, consisting of an 8oz 35 day aged black Angus fillet, a 12oz 28 day matured New York strip and Louisiana Short Ribs.
It was food heaven, cooked to perfection and beyond justifiable description.
Service is good but discreet, as it should be.
I absolutely loved the strict dress code, I don't want to share a dining room with slovenly dressed people who couldn't care less about their appearance.
Fortunately Cunard isn't the sort of cruise line to cater for the beer swilling, tracksuit wearing brigade and long may it stay that way.
The theatre isn't the biggest at sea but it's the first shipboard theatre I've seen with boxes and the entertainment was slick and professional.
The atrium is a great place to sit and people watch, with live music but being Cunard no brash bands performing her but string trios or harpists playing gentle music.
Is it really so perfect?
Well almost, there is a big negative and that is the cost of drinks, which are eye-wateringly expensive, especially if, like me, you are a casual drinker. If you like to knock back the booze then a pre-paid drinks package may suit but I think you would need to be a borderline alcoholic to get full value. I think I once read you would need to drink between 12-15 alcoholic drinks a day to get full value.
cunardatriummusic
In summary, Queen Victoria is as modestly sized ship, classy, formal and offering a classic cruising experience. I fully accept it will not be to everyone’s taste but there are plenty of other, more laid back, less formal options for those people.
Would I sail Cunard again?
Is the Pope Catholic? Is the chief Rabbi Jewish?