OWT's Katie and Shelley Visit Cunards Queen Victoria

Shelley's Experience Onboard Cunards Queen Victoria

Me and Katie, went on the Queen Victoria, on the 8/11/2023.

First impressions of the ship as we boarded the ship crew entrance was a very welcoming and relaxed experience. The design of the ship and feel was very elegant and everywhere was cedar wood and history of the ship and Cunard dotted on nearly every wall, as with all the Cunard fleet we received the iconic White Star Service from start to finish of the tour. Gareth Reast was our tour guide for the time we spent on the ship, he was very knowledgeable and very helpful throughout.

On the arrival we proceeded to the Queens room where they laid on a little show with two dancers doing the Rumba, which was lovely and something out of Strictly come dancing.

After the show we were shown the Royal Court Theatre, which was very similar to a London Theatre, it had stalls which for a small supplement you can purchase for the evening show, during the day showings only they are free, and you can book these at reception, or you can book in your cabin.

We then were shown the very spacious Britannia Restaurant which is located an the aft of the ship based on two tiers guests are not on top of each other and there is a lot of space between the tables , guests can book 1^st, 2^nd, and flexible dining between 6:30 and 2100.

We were shown state room cabin number 7071 starboard midships balcony it had a lovely spacious wrap around balcony which was slightly bigger than the other balconies, after being shown this stateroom we proceeded to the Carpathia Suite 7070 which was absolutely beautiful very spacious which has a dining area, dining table kitchen area, jacuzzi bath with Seaview, separate shower cubicle, and then another separate area with basin and vanity units, and then a separate bedroom with King size bed, the balcony stretches the width of about 3 standard staterooms, with sun- loungers, we were then shown a Princess Grill suite, which was slightly smaller than the Queens Grill there was a shower over bath and tea coffee making facilities, and a small dining area before the balcony. There is a separate dining area for the Princess and Queens grill suites they also have courtyard area exclusive for the grill suites too.

The grill suites, the exclusive courtyard and dining areas are reachable by lift when you use your cruise card.

hey have a play zone for the kids, in which is separate for different age groups that run through out the day.

We then visited the winter garden on deck 9, which is a lovely indoor area where you can sit and relax watch sports on the big screens and listen to live music and have a drink, directly next this is a pool and whirlpools outdoor area to sunbathe and with numerous deck chairs to relax and soak in the sunshine then after you walk past the pool, you get to the spa which has an inside hydrotherapy pool wit sauna and steam rooms and also you can experience all different kinds of massage experiences under the Mareel company.

I noticed in the Lido Restaurant they have a lovely pizzeria where you can create your pizza or choose your own bespoke pasta dish.

At 1230 we all dined in the Britannia Restaurant for lunch, I had smoked salmon, with wasabi mayonnaise avocado and cream cheese for starter, then roast beef watercress and horseradish mayonnaise on a crispy freshly cooked baguette and lemon meringue pie and black current puree, all washed down with a glass of chardonnay in which I thoroughly enjoyed and could not walk anymore after that.

After lunch we explored the gym area on deck 9 you get free use of the gym, you will need to book in and there also is a supplement for the classes, we then explored the top decks of the ship after the rain stopped and then

Made our way to the chart room for a cold coco cola, we then proceeded to leave the ship after a lovely experience.

Katie's Experience Onboard Cunards Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria Ship Visit 8^th November 2023

On Wednesday 8^th November myself, and Shelley had the pleasure of going onboard Queen Victoria for the day. We arrived at the Mayflower terminal where we boarded the ship and were greeted by the wonderful staff at Cunard. We were made to feel like real guests onboard, starting the day with a fabulous performance in the Queens room from their evening dancers. We then proceeded to the Commodore Club for a selection of pastries, fruit and of course tea and coffee to get our caffeine fix for the day ahead! From the Commodore Club you could imagine some of the beautiful views that guests would get to see whilst sailing on Queen Victoria. Unfortunately, we had a very rainy view of Southampton.

After some quick refreshments our tour of the ship began, we were able to see some of the fabulous facilities which guests would be able to enjoy. This included the theatre and I was surprised at how big this area was, going across 3 decks, making me forget that I was on a ship completely! Queen Victoria also enables you to book a private booth like you would at a regular theatre, making guests feel that little bit more special.

We continued our tour looking at all the different cabin types available. My highlight was of course getting to see inside the Queens suite. From the pictures below you can see that this cabin really would offer you the home from home experience. A very grand bathtub, spacious living area and your own dining table, you wouldn’t even need to leave your cabin! We also got to see the private dining area which guests have access to when staying in a Princess or Queen suite. These restaurants had a very luxurious feel to them with large windows surrounding the room.

After looking at the different cabins available we were lucky enough to enjoy a 3-course lunch in the Britannia restaurant. For starters I had goats cheese, followed by spinach, cheese and mushroom quesadillas. For dessert was a lemon meringue pie. Each dish was delicious and of course we received the very best service from the restaurant staff who would have happily let us choose every dish off the menu.

Following lunch, we were given some free time to explore more of the ship. During this time we explored more of the spa and fitness area, seeing which classes and treatments were available to guests. By this time passengers were starting to embark on their 4-night short break to Amsterdam so we got to see and smell some of the lovely food which was being served in the Lido restaurant, a buffet style dining area which included a fresh pizza & pasta station. Thats where you would find me! It was nice to see such a modern touch onboard. We then took some time to relax with a drink in the Chart room before having to disembark. This is a nice area for people to enjoy before or after a meal. Whilst finding our way off the ship, me and Shelley did our best to not get lost but somehow ended up on completely the wrong deck in between the cabins! I thoroughly enjoyed my time onboard Queen Victoria and was great to gain more knowledge on the Cunard brand.