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Queen Victoria |
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| The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria is the youngest ship in Cunard's fleet of ocean liners. She was the first ship built for Cunard by Fincantieri, world-renowned shipbuilders. Released in 2007, she is an excellent addition to the Cunard family. From her large Grand Lobby to her Royal Court Theatre, featuring the first-ever-at-sea private boxes, Queen Victoria is an excellent option (particularly in the Europe and World Cruise markets). 86% of the staterooms onboad Queen Victoria have either an oceanview or balcony, while 71% of her staterooms have a private balcony. |
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| Queen Victoria will be featuring cruises in the following regions (subject to change, based on the cruise line's discretion): 2010: Europe, World Cruise 2011: Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal, Transatlantic, World Cruise |
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| Queen Victoria offers a wide range of accommodations, from basic inside staterooms all the way up to huge 2,100+ square foot suites. All of the staterooms onboard Queen Victoria come with 24-hour room service, TV, telephone, refrigerator, a Bon Voyager half-bottle of sparkling wine, safe, hair dryer, bathrobes, slippers, nightly turndown service with pillow chocolates, daily shipboard newspaper, daily fresh fruit (available upon request), as well as 220V British 3-pin and 110V 2-pin sockets. Inside Staterooms: The standard inside staterooms onboard Queen Victoria (categories D3 through D8) are about 152 square feet. These rooms feature two twin beds that can be converted into one King-size bed. The category D1 and D2 staterooms are deluxe inside staterooms, which are larger than the standard insides, at around 207 to 211 square feet each (depending on the specific room). All guests staying in interior staterooms are assigned to dine in Britannia Restaurant). Oceanview Staterooms: Queen Victoria's standard oceanview staterooms are categories C1 through C5. Such staterooms are about 180 to 201 square feet, depending on the particular room. These staterooms feature everything a standard interior stateroom does, plus a separate living area and a window (offering an exterior view). Categories C4 and C5 have an obstructed view. Such staterooms have a lifeboat outside of their window, blocking the view. All guests staying in oceanview staterooms are assigned to dine in Britannia Restaurant. Balcony Staterooms: The most basic balcony staterooms onboard Queen Victoria are her balcony staterooms (categories A1 through A7). These accommodations have everything an oceanview has, plus a private balcony. These staterooms are about 249 square feet in size, including their balconies. All guests staying in a balcony stateroom are assigned to dine in Britannia Restaurant. Suites: Cunard refers to their suites as Grill accommodations. This is because guests that stay in a suite onboard Queen Victoria get to dine in a very upscale Grill restaurant and use various exclusive Grill-guest-only spaces. The least expensive suites onboard Queen Victoria are her Princess Grill Suites (categories P1 through P4). Princess Grill guests have the following special amenities: access to The Grills Lounge, Terraces and The Courtyard, single-seating dining in the Princess Grill or al fresco dining in The Courtyard, in-suite dining, complimentary bottled water, priority embarkation and luggage delivery, Bon Voyage bottle of sparkling wine and strawberries on embarkation, fine linens & duvet, pillow concierge menu, concierge service, shoe shine service, personalized stationary, atlas and books, terry cloth bathrobe & slippers, nightly turndown service with complimentary chocolate, as well as fine soaps & shampoos. Such accommodations are approximately 367 square feet in size, including their balconies. These rooms feature two beds (that can be converted into one King-size bed), a bath with a shower and a spacious living area. The most premium level of accommodations onboard Queen Victoria are her Queens Grill Suites. Guest staying in these accommodations dine in the very upscale (single-seating) Queens Grill and get all of the special amenities that one in a Princess Grill Suite does, plus: complimentary canapes, bud vase with orchid, butler service, daily abridged newspaper, board games and computer games console, bar stocked with spirits, wines and soft drinks, priority disembarkation and tender service (only for categories Q1-Q4), and a DVD player (only for categories (Q1-Q4). The most basic Queens Grill Suites are categories Q5 through Q7 (called Queens Suites). Such staterooms are 508 (categories Q6 and Q7) to 754 (category Q5) square feet (including their balconies) and feature a spacious living area and bathroom with bath and shower. The next step up onboard Queen Victoria are her Q3 and Q4 Penthouses. Such accommodations are 520 to 707 square feet (including their balconies), depending on the particular stateroom. These suites feature a living area and a bathroom with a bath and shower. A category Q2 suite is a Master Suite, which is about 1,100 square feet, including a balcony. Located on deck 7, these suites have a living area, as well as a bathroom with a bath and shower. The most premium accommodations onboard Queen Victoria are her Q1 suites, called Grand Suites. These massive staterooms are 1,918 to 2,131 square feet (including their balconies). These lavish suites are located on decks 6 and 7, and have expansive living and dining areas, a bathroom with bath and shower, and an oversized balcony. It doesn't get much better than these suites when it comes to accommodations at sea. |
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| Queen Victoria features a nice selection of dining venues. Depending on your accommodations, you're assigned to a certain main dining room. However, you can dine in many optional venues if you'd prefer to do that. Among such venues are a specialty restaurant, a pub and a buffet. If you're staying in a non-suite (interior, oceanview, balcony) stateroom, you're assigned dining room is Britannia Restaurant. This elegant main dining room spans two decks (decks 2 and 3) and has two assigned dining times. The "early seating" time is 6:30 pm, while the "late seating" is at 8:30 pm. When making your reservation you must let your booking agent know which one you'd like to request. The one you want may be on a waitlist. If that's the case, you'll have to wait it out and see if you get the one you want. There is a five-course menu that changes each day, with excellent cuisine that is well above average for the cruising industry. One of the nice things about having assigned dining tables is that you get to build a rapport with your waiter, rather than having a different one each night (as some of the other luxury cruise lines do). This venue serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Those staying in suites have the pleasure of dining in one of the Grill restaurants (located on deck 11), which rival the finest dining venues on land. The Princess Grill is a single-seating venue exclusively for those that are staying in a Princess Grill Suite, while only those that are staying in a Queens Grill suite may dine in a ultra-gourmet Queens Grill (which is also single-seating). Each of the Grill restaurants serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Queens Grill features a special a la carte menu as well. Another special area reserved just for Grill guests is The Courtyard, where you can enjoy afternoon tea and enjoy the Grill dining al fresco. The Grills Lounge is another exclusive area, accessible by private elevator, where Grill guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks, canapes and champagne. The Grills Terrace (and Grills Upper Terrace) is yet another special area for Grill guests, offering a special outdoor oasis. Todd English is the upscale specialty restaurant onboard Queen Victoria, located aft on deck 2. Todd English is a famous, award-winning American chef that features a wonderful Mediterranean cuisine at this venue. Reservations are required for this restaurant, and a $30 per person for dinner and $20 per person for lunch (both being subject to change) cover charge applies. Besides the main dining rooms and the specialty restaurant, there are various more casual dining options available. Among them is the 450-seat Lido, a large buffet onboard Queen Victoria that is great for breakfast, lunch and a late-night snack. Another option is the Golden Lion, a British pub serving a gastro pub-style menu. The Queens Room offers a traditional British Afternoon Tea daily, served with scones, pastries and finger sandwiches. Don't forget that 24 hour room service is available for all passengers. There is a basic complimentary menu, but it's an excellent option for a late night snack, or for when you're feeling a little lazy and would rather the food come to you. There are a few items on the menu that you can order at an additional cost, such as bar drinks. The quality of the food served in Cunard's room service is very good relative to the rest of the cruising industry. |
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| Popular daytime activities available onboad Queen Victoria include ballroom dancing lessons (in the Queens Room), computer lessons, checking out Cunardia (a unique onboard museum focusing on maritime artifacts), relaxing in the library (featuring over 6,000 titles), being active on the sports deck (taking part in activities such as shuffleboard tournaments), shopping in the Royal Arcade (where various upscale boutiques are located) and strolling through the Winter Garden (a grand conservatory with a retractable glass roof, filled with various greenery). On deck 9 you'll find a couple of swimming pools (including the Lido Pool, towards the rear of the ship, and the Pavilion Pool, located slightly forward). Nearby each pool are a couple of whirlpools. There's also a bunch of outdoor lounge chairs and tables available for guests looking to enjoy the sun or just relax outdoors. This is a popular area of the ship, since it's where the outdoor entertainment is mainly based out of, and is also nearby the Lido buffet area. There are a bunch of entertainment venues onboard Queen Victoria. Among them are the Empire Casino, featuring various slot machines and gaming tables. The Royal Court Theatre is a grand West-End-style lounge (located forward on decks 1, 2 and 3) that features a wide range of live performances throughout each cruise. Among the types of shows that may be performed during a cruise are Broadway-style production shows, comedians, singers and acrobats. A very special feature available onboard Queen Victoria is performances and workshops given by members of London's much acclaimed RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts). This venue is the first-ever-at-sea theatre with private boxes. Cunard has as wonderful enrichment program in place onboard Queen Victoria. A main aspect of this program is called Cunard Insights, featuring stimulating lectures given by leading authors, politicians, historians, scientists and experts (of various fields). The Cunard Book Club is another aspect of this program, featuring intellectual discussions concerning various literatures. There are many bars and lounges onboard Queen Victoria. Among them are the Commodore Club, an intimate martini lounge located forward on deck 10. Hemispheres is Queen Victoria's nightclub, featuring a glass-domed roof. Churchill's Cigar Lounge is a popular place to spend some time in the evening. The Chart Room, located next to Britannia Restaurant, is a nautically themed bar and lounge that's great for a pre-dinner cocktail. The Midships Lounge is a nice wine bar, featuring an impressive variety of selections. The Golden Lion is a traditional British pub, serving various beers and ciders. The Queens Room is a large ballroom with double-height ceilings. This venue is where Queen Victoria's traditional daily afternoon tea is served, and is where ballroom dance lessons, bingo and Cunard's signature Royal Nights balls are held. These balls vary in theme each night, including themes such as an Ascot Ball and a Black & White Ball. The Cunard Royal Spa & Fitness Centre (located forward on deck 12) is a popular place to spend time at while onboard Queen Victoria. Among the many treatments available are facials, body rituals, massages, aromasoul ritual scrubs, various salon services, a thermal suite and a hydrotherapy pool. Within the fitness centre are various state-of-the-art exercise equipment and an aerobics area. Spa reservations are not available for guests under 18 years of age. Although Cunard is not well known for being a family-friendly line; however, they do offer nice facilities onboard Queen Victoria for children and teens. The Zone and The Play Zone, both located on deck 10, are where Cunard's youth program is based out of. It features a nursery and children's center. This venue offers a wide range of activities for children ages 3 to 12. There is also an outdoor area for children, as well as a separate area for teens. Worried about keeping in contact with those at home or work? Not a problem, as there are computers available for use in the ConneXions Internet Centre (located just off the Grand Lobby). Please be aware that charges apply for internet and email usage. |
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| Cunard describes their general onboard atmosphere as elegant, but relaxed. Casual attire is fine for the daytime, including in the buffet areas (except at night). Shorts and swimsuits are not permitted in the main restaurants. Swimsuits, brief shorts and exercise clothing should only be worn while poolside, while participating in the various deck activities or if you're at the spa. For dinner, Cunard does have a specific dress code in place. Depending on the night, there may be a formal, semiformal or elegant casual dress code. Cunard defines each one as follows: - Formal: Black tie or formal dark suit for gentlemen. Evening dress or other formal attire for ladies. - Semiformal: Jacket and tie for gentlemen. Cocktail dress or trouser suit for ladies. No jeans. - Elegant casual: Jacket, no tie required for gentlemen. Dress, skirt or trousers for ladies. No shorts or jeans. |
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| There is a children's nursery and children's center onboard each Cunard ship. Your children will be supervised by trained nannies and a youth staff. Children must be at least 1 year old to participate in the nursery program without parental supervision. Private babysitting is not available, but complimentary group child-sitting is available in the evening, in the children's center. The children's center is filled with various toys and games. Older children and teens will be able to play video games, sports, and participate in various activities (such as scavenger hunts, discos, and arts & crafts). |
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| Cunard Line automatically charges your onboard account to pay for the gratuities for your dining room wait staff, cabin steward and various other employees that service you during your cruise. They charge $13 per person per day if you have Grill dining, or $11 per person per day if you dine in the regular restaurant. If you feel that this fee is too high or low it is at your discretion (before the cruise ends) to go to the passenger services desk to ask them to adjust it to an amount that you are comfortable with. A 15% charge is added to any bar charges (including drinks ordered in the dining room) and salon services. Because of these automatic charges you don't really have to worry about tipping, unless you find that a staff member that deserves something extra (or if you'd like to tip a casino or spa employee, since they don't get a share of the standard charges). |
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| The official minimum drinking age on all Cunard Line ships is 18 years of age. If you purchase alcohol at a port of call it will be collected by Cunard at the gangway, and will be delivered to your stateroom on the last day of your cruise. You're allowed to bring one bottle (per person) of wine or champagne onboard. Each bottle you bring onboard is subject to a $15 corkage fee if you consume it in a dining room or restaurant. |
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| The official minimum gambling age on all Cunard Line cruises is 18 years of age. |
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