MS Queen Victoria
Encyclopedia
MS Queen Victoria (QV) is a cruise ship
in the Cunard Line
fleet, named after Queen Victoria
.
Queen Victoria is the running mate to Queen Mary 2
, and the new Queen Elizabeth
. Until November 2008, she also operated alongside Queen Elizabeth 2
. Queen Victoria is of the same basic design as other Vista-class passenger vessels, though slightly longer and more in keeping with Cunard's interior style. At 90,000 GRT
, she is the smallest of all three Cunard ships, after the RMS Queen Mary 2
and Queen Elizabeth.
QV's facilities include seven restaurant
s, thirteen bar
s, three swimming pools, a ballroom
, and a theatre
.
(RMS) status.
Also unlike many previous Cunard Queens, Queen Victoria is not a true ocean liner
as she does not have the heavy plating throughout the hull nor the propulsion system of a dedicated transatlantic liner. However the bow was constructed with heavier plating to cope with the Transatlantic run, and the ship has a high freeboard. The recently completed Queen Mary 2 had cost approximately $300,000 US per berth, nearly double that of many contemporary cruise ships, so Cunard made the economical decision to base Queen Victoria on a converted Vista-class cruise ship
, and the Queen Elizabeth
retains the same design with some small modifications. Nonetheless, Ian McNaught, who was Queen Victoria's captain in 2009, has asserted that the ship is a liner based on her classic decor.
Some ship aficionados have criticised Cunard for naming this ship as a Queen; a designation customarily applied to the line's ocean liners and flagship
s (Queen Mary
, Queen Elizabeth
, Queen Elizabeth 2
, and Queen Mary 2
). It has been suggested that the Queen Victoria should have borne the name of one of Cunard's previous smaller ships, such as the , or , as was done with the last , which served Cunard between 1999 and 2004.
fleet, the order for a Vista-class vessel put into Fincantieri
was soon transferred by Carnival Corporation & plc
(parent company to Holland America, Cunard, and P&O) to Cunard with the intent that the vessel would become the MS Queen Victoria. The keel was laid down at the Fincantieri ship yard in 2003. However, due to restructuring within Carnival Corp., as well as a later decision by Cunard that modifications should be made to the design to bring in certain aspects which had proven successful on the Queen Mary 2 (such as decor, junior suites, dining alternatives, promenades, etc.), the hull was then designated to become the P&O
ship MS Arcadia
. A new Queen Victoria was subsequently ordered with Fincantieri in 2004, which was 11 metres longer, 5,000 tons larger, and with an increased passenger capacity of 2,000.
Her keel
was laid on 12 May 2006. 80 prefabricated steel "blocks", each complete with interior structure, cabling, and ducts, and each weighing 325 tons, were then added. The completed hull with superstructure was floated out on 15 January 2007, after having a bottle of Prosecco
smashed against her side by Maureen Ryan, a Cunard employee who has served on all four Cunard Queens. The ceremony also saw the traditional placing of coins on the mast - in this case a Euro
and a gold Queen Victoria sovereign
were welded beneath the radar mast.
QV left the Port of Venice
on 24 August 2007 to commence her sea trials, and, after handover to Cunard, arrived in Southampton to fanfare and media attention on 7 December; much of the coverage being focused on the ship's superlatives, and representing the QV as "Cunard's most luxurious ship." The same day, the ship was officially named by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, continuing the tradition of Cunard Queens being named by members of the Royal Family. The bottle of champagne did not break upon impact with the QV's hull, which according to nautical superstition is a bad omen. However, a backup bottle was immediately successful.
At the end of October 2011 Queen Victoria and her sisters will change their registry to Hamilton, Bermuda
in order to host weddings onboard. Also the word "Southampton" across the stern will be replaced by Hamilton.
QV undertook her maiden voyage, a 10-day cruise to northern Europe
, on 11 December 2007. Following this and a cruise to the Canary Islands
, the QV embarked on her first world cruise, circumnavigating the globe in 107 days. (The first ship to have previously done so—also named Victoria
—took 1,153 days in 1519 to 1522.) The first leg of this voyage was a tandem crossing of the Atlantic
with the , to New York City
, where the two ships met the Queen Mary 2 near the Statue of Liberty
on 13 January 2008, with a celebratory fireworks display, marking the first time three Cunard Queens had been present in the same location. Cunard declared that this would also be the only time the three ships would ever meet, owing to the QE2's impending retirement from service in late 2008, though the ships did meet again in Southampton on 22 April 2008, resulting from a change in the QE2's schedule.
In May 2008, QV struck a pier in Malta
after her thrusters malfunctioned. However, the damage was minimal, allowing the ship to continue operating, but repairs meant she would missed a port of call in La Goulette
.
Queen Victoria completed her third World Cruise in 2010 where she was joined by Captain Chris Wells who was aboard to familiarise himself with the Vista Class ship before taking command of Queen Elizabeth in late 2010. During a call at Sydney, QV was illuminated in pink in support of Breast Cancer Research.
On 9 December 2010, Cunard announced its first female captain, Faroese
born Inger Klein Olsen, would take command of Queen Victoria beginning on 15 December.
Two years after the first Cunard Royal Rendezvous on the same date the RMS Queen Mary 2
met up with the Queen Victoria and the brand new MS Queen Elizabeth
for another Royal Rendezvous in New York City on 13 January 2011. Both the Queen Victoria and MS Queen Elizabeth
made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic
for the event. All three ships met in front of the statue of Liberty at 6:45 pm for a Grucci fireworks. The Empire State Building was lit up in red to mark the event.
5 June 2012:
Once again all three Queens will meet again but this time in Southampton
in order to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee
of Queen
Elizabeth II.
Queen Victorias exterior design closely resembles that of Vista-class ships built for Holland America Line
and P&O Cruises
, like the , with a wrap-around promenade deck, private balconies.
A feature which will distinguish her from her new sister, , is her more angled sloping stern, as compared to the newer ship's vertical one. In addition to this she lacks the covered games deck above the bridge, a feature which is present on the newer ship.
side.
1 Deck, the lowest passenger deck, holds the lowest level of a three-storey stairwell lobby, as well as of the Royal Court Theatre. On 2 Deck can be found the mid-level of the Royal Court Theatre, casino
, Golden Lion Pub, Queen's Room, Todd English
à la carte
restaurant, Chart Room bar, and lower level of both the library and Britannia Restaurant. The topmost level of the theatre, Royal Arcade, Midships Lounge, and upper level of the library and formal dining room are all on 3 Deck, along with a wrap-around exterior promenade. The decks above these contain mostly passenger cabins until 9 Deck, on which is the Cunard Health Club and spa, Winter Garden lounge, Lido Restaurant, and two outdoor pools. On 10 Deck is the Commodore Club, Churchill Lounge (for smokers) and Hemispheres nightclub. The Queen's Grill and Princess Grill, with their attached lounge and an open courtyard between, are on 11 Deck.
Though QV is theoretically a classless ship, it has been argued that the Queen Mary 2
and Queen Elizabeth 2
, both of which follow the same practice of separating passengers into different restaurants based on the price of the cabin they booked (the Britannia as standard for regular cabins, the Princess Grill as middle for those in junior suites, and the Queen's Grill as superior for deluxe suite occupants), are actually ships divided into three classes, despite the fact that all other public rooms are used by all passengers equally. Though this situation is similar on the QE2 and QM2, it is further enhanced on the QV by the fact that Grill Passengers (those dining in the Princess Grill or Queen's Grill) also have two private outdoor areas on 10 and 11 Decks with the specific name "Grills Terrace", a feature which also appears on the QM2 at the aft section of 10 Deck.
QV's theatre is the first at sea to have private boxes. She also has a Winter Garden lounge with a retractable glass roof and a two-storey library with a connecting spiral staircase.
. Radiance class - a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Royal Caribbean International
MV Arcadia
- a similar Panamax
ship operated by P&O Cruises
.
Vista class cruise ship - a similar class of Panamax
ships operated by Holland America Line
"Signature class" cruise ship - a similar class of Panamax
ships operated by Holland America Line
Coral Princess
and Island Princess
- A similar set of Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises
Costa Luminosa
and Costa Deliziosa
- A set of Panamax ships operated by Costa Cruises
derived from the Spirit Class and Vista Class designs.
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
in the Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
fleet, named after Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
.
Queen Victoria is the running mate to Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
, and the new Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth is a Signature class cruise ship operated by Cunard Line. She is the second largest ship to be built by Cunard, exceeded only by the QM2 and she is running mate to the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Mary 2...
. Until November 2008, she also operated alongside Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
. Queen Victoria is of the same basic design as other Vista-class passenger vessels, though slightly longer and more in keeping with Cunard's interior style. At 90,000 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
, she is the smallest of all three Cunard ships, after the RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
and Queen Elizabeth.
QV's facilities include seven restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, thirteen bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
s, three swimming pools, a ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
, and a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
.
Characteristics and naming
In a departure from other Cunard Queens, Queen Victoria does not carry mail and thus will not receive Royal Mail ShipRoyal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, a designation which dates back to 1840, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail...
(RMS) status.
Also unlike many previous Cunard Queens, Queen Victoria is not a true ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
as she does not have the heavy plating throughout the hull nor the propulsion system of a dedicated transatlantic liner. However the bow was constructed with heavier plating to cope with the Transatlantic run, and the ship has a high freeboard. The recently completed Queen Mary 2 had cost approximately $300,000 US per berth, nearly double that of many contemporary cruise ships, so Cunard made the economical decision to base Queen Victoria on a converted Vista-class cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
, and the Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth is a Signature class cruise ship operated by Cunard Line. She is the second largest ship to be built by Cunard, exceeded only by the QM2 and she is running mate to the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Mary 2...
retains the same design with some small modifications. Nonetheless, Ian McNaught, who was Queen Victoria's captain in 2009, has asserted that the ship is a liner based on her classic decor.
Some ship aficionados have criticised Cunard for naming this ship as a Queen; a designation customarily applied to the line's ocean liners and flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
s (Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
, Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by the Cunard Line. Plying with her running mate Queen Mary as a luxury liner between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France, she was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two...
, Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
, and Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
). It has been suggested that the Queen Victoria should have borne the name of one of Cunard's previous smaller ships, such as the , or , as was done with the last , which served Cunard between 1999 and 2004.
Concept and construction
Originally destined to be an addition to the Holland America LineHolland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
fleet, the order for a Vista-class vessel put into Fincantieri
Fincantieri
Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. is a shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. It was formed in 1959 and is the largest shipbuilder in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in Europe...
was soon transferred by Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc , is a American-British Company, and the world's largest cruise ship operator. It is a dual listed company, with headquarters at Carnival Place in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida, USA, and at Carnival House in Southampton, England, UK...
(parent company to Holland America, Cunard, and P&O) to Cunard with the intent that the vessel would become the MS Queen Victoria. The keel was laid down at the Fincantieri ship yard in 2003. However, due to restructuring within Carnival Corp., as well as a later decision by Cunard that modifications should be made to the design to bring in certain aspects which had proven successful on the Queen Mary 2 (such as decor, junior suites, dining alternatives, promenades, etc.), the hull was then designated to become the P&O
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
ship MS Arcadia
Arcadia (cruise ship)
Arcadia is a cruise ship in the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship was built by Fincantieri at their shipyard in Marghera, Italy. At 83,000 tonnes, Arcadia is the third largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises...
. A new Queen Victoria was subsequently ordered with Fincantieri in 2004, which was 11 metres longer, 5,000 tons larger, and with an increased passenger capacity of 2,000.
Her keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid on 12 May 2006. 80 prefabricated steel "blocks", each complete with interior structure, cabling, and ducts, and each weighing 325 tons, were then added. The completed hull with superstructure was floated out on 15 January 2007, after having a bottle of Prosecco
Prosecco
Prosecco is an Italian white wine — generally a Dry or Extra Dry sparkling wine — normally made from Glera grapes. DOC prosecco is produced in the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy, and traditionally mainly in the areas near Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills...
smashed against her side by Maureen Ryan, a Cunard employee who has served on all four Cunard Queens. The ceremony also saw the traditional placing of coins on the mast - in this case a Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
and a gold Queen Victoria sovereign
British Sovereign coin
The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.Named after the English gold sovereign, last minted in 1604, the name was revived with the Great Recoinage of 1816. Minting these new sovereigns began in 1817...
were welded beneath the radar mast.
QV left the Port of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
on 24 August 2007 to commence her sea trials, and, after handover to Cunard, arrived in Southampton to fanfare and media attention on 7 December; much of the coverage being focused on the ship's superlatives, and representing the QV as "Cunard's most luxurious ship." The same day, the ship was officially named by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, continuing the tradition of Cunard Queens being named by members of the Royal Family. The bottle of champagne did not break upon impact with the QV's hull, which according to nautical superstition is a bad omen. However, a backup bottle was immediately successful.
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...
in order to host weddings onboard. Also the word "Southampton" across the stern will be replaced by Hamilton.
Service history
Captain Paul Wright was appointed master of Queen Victoria in October 2006. Captain Christopher Rynd became secondary master. Captain Ian McNaught (of QE2 fame) briefly commanded Queen Victoria before transferring to Seabourn.QV undertook her maiden voyage, a 10-day cruise to northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, on 11 December 2007. Following this and a cruise to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, the QV embarked on her first world cruise, circumnavigating the globe in 107 days. (The first ship to have previously done so—also named Victoria
Victoria (ship)
Victoria was a Spanish carrack and the first ship to successfully circumnavigate the world. The Victoria was part of a Spanish expedition commanded by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and after his demise during the voyage, by Juan Sebastián Elcano...
—took 1,153 days in 1519 to 1522.) The first leg of this voyage was a tandem crossing of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
with the , to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where the two ships met the Queen Mary 2 near the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
on 13 January 2008, with a celebratory fireworks display, marking the first time three Cunard Queens had been present in the same location. Cunard declared that this would also be the only time the three ships would ever meet, owing to the QE2's impending retirement from service in late 2008, though the ships did meet again in Southampton on 22 April 2008, resulting from a change in the QE2's schedule.
In May 2008, QV struck a pier in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
after her thrusters malfunctioned. However, the damage was minimal, allowing the ship to continue operating, but repairs meant she would missed a port of call in La Goulette
La Goulette
La Goulette is the port of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The Kasbah fortress was built in 1535 by Charles I of Spain but was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1574...
.
Queen Victoria completed her third World Cruise in 2010 where she was joined by Captain Chris Wells who was aboard to familiarise himself with the Vista Class ship before taking command of Queen Elizabeth in late 2010. During a call at Sydney, QV was illuminated in pink in support of Breast Cancer Research.
On 9 December 2010, Cunard announced its first female captain, Faroese
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
born Inger Klein Olsen, would take command of Queen Victoria beginning on 15 December.
Cunard Royal Rendezvous
January 2011:Two years after the first Cunard Royal Rendezvous on the same date the RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
met up with the Queen Victoria and the brand new MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth is a Signature class cruise ship operated by Cunard Line. She is the second largest ship to be built by Cunard, exceeded only by the QM2 and she is running mate to the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Mary 2...
for another Royal Rendezvous in New York City on 13 January 2011. Both the Queen Victoria and MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth is a Signature class cruise ship operated by Cunard Line. She is the second largest ship to be built by Cunard, exceeded only by the QM2 and she is running mate to the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Mary 2...
made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
for the event. All three ships met in front of the statue of Liberty at 6:45 pm for a Grucci fireworks. The Empire State Building was lit up in red to mark the event.
5 June 2012:
Once again all three Queens will meet again but this time in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in order to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
of Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Elizabeth II.
Exterior
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
and P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
, like the , with a wrap-around promenade deck, private balconies.
A feature which will distinguish her from her new sister, , is her more angled sloping stern, as compared to the newer ship's vertical one. In addition to this she lacks the covered games deck above the bridge, a feature which is present on the newer ship.
Interior
Queen Victorias public rooms are mainly located on the lower-level public decks of the ship, 2 Deck and 3 Deck. Unlike the Queen Mary 2, however, there is no central circulation access, the main corridors being to the portPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
side.
1 Deck, the lowest passenger deck, holds the lowest level of a three-storey stairwell lobby, as well as of the Royal Court Theatre. On 2 Deck can be found the mid-level of the Royal Court Theatre, casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, Golden Lion Pub, Queen's Room, Todd English
Todd English
William Todd English is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, entrepreneur, and television personality based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States...
à la carte
À la carte
À la carte is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in* A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, i.e. the usual operation of restaurants * To order an item from the menu on its own, e.g...
restaurant, Chart Room bar, and lower level of both the library and Britannia Restaurant. The topmost level of the theatre, Royal Arcade, Midships Lounge, and upper level of the library and formal dining room are all on 3 Deck, along with a wrap-around exterior promenade. The decks above these contain mostly passenger cabins until 9 Deck, on which is the Cunard Health Club and spa, Winter Garden lounge, Lido Restaurant, and two outdoor pools. On 10 Deck is the Commodore Club, Churchill Lounge (for smokers) and Hemispheres nightclub. The Queen's Grill and Princess Grill, with their attached lounge and an open courtyard between, are on 11 Deck.
Though QV is theoretically a classless ship, it has been argued that the Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
and Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
, both of which follow the same practice of separating passengers into different restaurants based on the price of the cabin they booked (the Britannia as standard for regular cabins, the Princess Grill as middle for those in junior suites, and the Queen's Grill as superior for deluxe suite occupants), are actually ships divided into three classes, despite the fact that all other public rooms are used by all passengers equally. Though this situation is similar on the QE2 and QM2, it is further enhanced on the QV by the fact that Grill Passengers (those dining in the Princess Grill or Queen's Grill) also have two private outdoor areas on 10 and 11 Decks with the specific name "Grills Terrace", a feature which also appears on the QM2 at the aft section of 10 Deck.
QV's theatre is the first at sea to have private boxes. She also has a Winter Garden lounge with a retractable glass roof and a two-storey library with a connecting spiral staircase.
Similar ships
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
. Radiance class - a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
MV Arcadia
A number of ships have been named Arcadia., in service 1997-2003, in service since 2004See also...
- a similar Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ship operated by P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
.
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ships operated by Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ships operated by Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
Coral Princess
The Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass...
and Island Princess
Island Princess
Island Princess is a cruise ship for the Princess Cruises line. She is the sister ship to the Coral Princess and together they are the only Panamax ships in Princess's fleet. Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique - France. The ship features a combined diesel and gas turbine electric powerplant. This...
- A similar set of Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share...
Costa Luminosa
Costa Luminosa
Costa Luminosa is a cruise ship, owned and operated by Costa Cruises. Costa Luminosa entered service on May 5, 2009. The ship's design is a Hybrid, taking the best elements of Spirit-class and Vista-class cruise ships. A sister ship, Costa Deliziosa was launched in February 2010 and is based on the...
and Costa Deliziosa
Costa Deliziosa
Costa Deliziosa is a cruise ship operated by Costa Cruises. Ordered in 2007 as part of a five-ship expansion of the Costa Cruises Fleet, Costa Deliziosa was constructed by Fincantieri, launched in March 2009, and handed over to Costa Cruises in January 2010...
- A set of Panamax ships operated by Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises is a British-American owned Italian cruise line, based in Genoa, Italy.Founded in 1924, the company originally operated cargo ships, until the introduction of passenger services in 1947, with regular services between Italy and South America...
derived from the Spirit Class and Vista Class designs.