Queen Victoria - Maiden Voyage!

Hi All,

Just wanetd to lete you all know that the ship is lovely...

However, a word of warning to anyone in Britannia cabins (though I haven't seen any others, I'm assuming they are the same)! There's a distinct lack of drawer space (only 3 small drawers in our cabin), so don't pack too many pants and socks!!! :rolleyes: :D Also no cupboard space in the bathroom so all your toiletries are on display!

Other than that, she's a lovely ship with a few teething problems that we've encountered (safe not working, cold food at dinner last night, toilet intermitently flushing), but everyone is so welcoming and happy to help, these minor things have faded into the background. And will give us something to laugh when we get home! :D

All in all, I think you'll enjoy this new addition to the fleet. Off now for some afternoon tea and a snooze!! :D

Lots of love from Aboard Queen Victoria!

Regards

Karen

All in all, I think you'll enjoy this new addition to the fleet. Off now for some afternoon tea and a snooze!! :D

Lots of love from Aboard Queen Victoria!

Karen,

Thanks for taking the time out from your voyage to post - and delighted to hear that you are enjoying Mrs Beige - the lack of drawer space seems mystifying given both QE2 & QM2 are well equipped - wonder if this is Princess in action (the Princess ship I sailed on did not have adequate drawer space - nor even, really, a wardrobe - just a pole between two uprights). And I'm glad that you are taking the inevitable niggles in your stride - the silence on the subject led me to suspect people were having too much fun to post complaints - though, no doubt we'll hear a few.....

Peter

Not all Princess ships had lack of drawers.

Sky Princess had so many we could not fill them on a 25 night cruise. Regal Princess also had a lot of drawers. Perhaps because those ships were designed for Sitmar Lines had something to do with the drawers.

If memory serves correctly, Coral and Island Princess also have enough (for us) drawers.

Not all Princess ships had lack of drawers.

I didn't say they did - I just said the one I sailed on (Golden Princess) did - and the layout of her Mini Suites & the QV's Princess Grill suites seems remarkably similar - which ship is this from?

However, a word of warning to anyone in Britannia cabins (though I haven't seen any others, I'm assuming they are the same)! There's a distinct lack of drawer space

Hi Karen,

glad you're enjoying your cruise and many thanks for the info. I'm taking a much greater interest now in all matters relating to QV for reasons that should be obvious from my revised signature.

A couple of questions:

what grade of Britannia cabin are you in, and

is there still room for suitcases to be stored under the beds; if there is, a bit of suitcase management should help me overcome the lack of drawer space.

Cheers,

Jimmy

which ship is this from?

I would guess at Princess. But only because I don't recognise it as a piece of Cunard material:)

Karen,

 

- the lack of drawer space seems mystifying given both QE2 & QM2 are well equipped - wonder if this is Princess in action (the Princess ship I sailed on did not have adequate drawer space - nor even, really, a wardrobe - just a pole between two uprights).

Peter

I would blame the lack of drawer space on the Vista class design having had a sailing on HAL's Oosterdam - knowing that the QV is based on the basics of that design. The miniature drawers and the lack of their numbers were a laugh. :( You would fold up a shirt and lay it in the cupboard and the door would still not close all the way. We had to put clothes into the night tables beside the bed if I recall. Yes, the Oosterdam had lovely cabins but the drawer space was one downfall that I definitely remember. So I am not surprised hearing this about the QV.

When I was on the QM2 I recalled being happy about having more storage space and even happier with my row of drawers and the walk-in closet in my C1 on the QE2 this summer. I'll be missing that for sure!

Anyway, glad to hear Karen that you are enjoying the initial run of the QV and are able to see any initial glitches as the norm - those I believe will be worked out as time goes on. Glad to also hear that the ship is lovely.:)

David

P.S. Don't know about the QV but on the Oosterdam we were able to put the suitcases under the bed!

Hi Karen,

Thanks for posting.

I am really sorry to hear about the lack of drawer space. I think I will have a real problem. Now what????

We are in a deluxe inside, whatever that means…… I hoped the storage would be a little bigger as well as the cabin size.

Oh well, we’ll make it work. We may need to go to Wal-Mart and buy some plastic drawers!

If you get a chance to check and don't mind, would you please tell me the lower limits on the Blackjack table bets?

Thanks, Jeanne

Hi Karen, thanks for posting.

Good to see you're taking the glitches in your stride. We're due on board next week when you come back so hopefully they'll all be ironed out by then. One of the reasons we chose the second "maiden".

We did the same when Arcadia was new. Even though it was not the first "maiden" I recall we still were given a nice Jasper Conran glass bowl as a momento. Any sign of such a gift for you yet?

Only thing I remember about Arcadia clothes storage was that if you put anything heavier than a handkerchief on the coat hanger it ended up at the bottom of the wardrobe in a crumpled heap! I also recall that food arrived not too hot on Arcadia's maiden which ended up with them installing some sort of re-heater at the serving stations I think for the second voyage.

Keep us posted if you can and enjoy your cruise.

Derek.

I would blame the lack of drawer space on the Vista class design having had a sailing on HAL's Oosterdam - knowing that the QV is based on the basics of that design.

 

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David,

 

I'm sure this is true, BUT..... HAL would NEVER use a Vista class ship for a World Cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Stephen

I didn't say they did - I just said the one I sailed on (Golden Princess) did - and the layout of her Mini Suites & the QV's Princess Grill suites seems remarkably similar - which ship is this from?

 

Yes, that would be the design on Golden Princess. Grand, Star, Diamond, Sapphire, Caribbean, Emerald, and Ruby Princesses also have the exact same cabin design, and I think Island and Coral do as well. Tahitian, Pacific, Royal, Sun, Sea, and Dawn Princesses have a different cabin design (the minisuites on Sun, Sea and Dawn are MUCH nicer, actually like the design of the full suites on the Grand-class ships). In the closet space itself, there are no drawers, but that tan box in the drawing is actually a floor-to-celing cabinet that has shelves. For drawers, you have to use the nightstands and the drawers in the desk. We just put our socks on a shelf in the cabinet in the closet area; since it has doors, the socks don't escape even in high seas.

Karen, glad you're having a great time! Keep us posted when you have a chance!

Hi All,

Well dinner was cold again last night, so I think our table has been marked down as trouble makers as we keep sending things back to be heated up a little!! Actually, the only hot food we've had on board so far as been a freshly made pizza which was yum! :rolleyes: :D

We're in an A6 I believe cabin and our table companions are scattered all over teh ship and also are suffering with a lack of drawer space... ho hum. I've suggested the next cruise we bring one of those collapsable crates to go into the useless space in teh bedsuide cabinets to store things in!! After all, one simply doesn't want ones pants on display! :o

All in all, still having a great time, though the cold I've been avoiding for weeks has finally caught up with me (I blame my work colleagues).:(

At least the weather and seas have been kind to us and we're having a very smooth crossing... actually, I wonder if the north sea would be warmed than dinner!!!! :D

Oh and for all you folks interested (or not) in the fencing classes.... they started this morning at 09:00am!!! far too early in my opinion as I was possibly one of the few people that was looking forward to that!!

And for an update on the theatre boxes they cost $25 per person on shownights only (ie when the cunard cast are doing their thing) and includes champagne and dessert followed by a soiree with the cast and photos aftewards. Half are reserved for Grill and half for the riff raff (myself included)!! Might try and do that one night.

Righto... off to dose myself up ready for the cocktail party!

Regards

Karen

Someone bring some hot food... pleeeeeease!!!

Just lovely to hear your views of the ship Karen, sorry to hear that you are experiencing cold food though!

Hope it improves for you soon.

Jackie:)

Thanks Karen yet again for another round of your voyage. Its nice hearing a balanced report - giving us the good and the bad.

Sorry that the food keeps being cold. I seem to recall hearing that the first year on the QM2 was troublesome in regards to the food preparation and serving so I hope that this is just a kink that Cunard will eventually work out.

Great info on the theatre boxes. I was wondering if just anybody could rent one for a show. I think the way they have it now is somewhat fair. $25 is not that extravagant either. Well within my price range.

I believe Copenhagen is your next destination?

David

I think that's a pretty nice deal for $25, to get to meet the cast and the autographed photo and all that. Whenever we end up on the QV, we might consider that.

Karen, sorry to hear your food isn't hot...but hope you're enjoying the cruise otherwise! Thanks for keeping us posted!

Thanks for your interesting reports.

What reason do they give for the food being cold? Once is forgivable, twice must be becoming tedious. Jane

This style ship was designed for short cruises of up to 14 days so the designers never gave much thought to lots of drawer space. It will be a challange for the world cruisers to pack 106 days worth of stuff into space designed for a 7- 14 day cruise.

Hopefully by the time the ship wades across the Atlantic and sets sail from NYC on the World most of the kinks will have been ironed out. It would be nasty to have to endure over 100 days of less than up to par meals.

Becoming more and more pleased to have booked the last world for the QE2 rather than the maiden world on Vicky. Though I think fencing lessons sound terrific and the private boxes at $25 with Champagne, dessert and a back stage tour etc are a great deal.

Karen

so glad you are enjoying the ship ..... as diplomatically as I can, might I enquire what the situation is regarding smoking onboard?

Ken

Karen

 

so glad you are enjoying the ship ..... as diplomatically as I can, might I enquire what the situation is regarding smoking onboard?

 

Ken

Hi Ken,

Karen has informed me that most Bar`s are non-smoking !!!

Gavin

Hi Ken,

Karen has informed me that most Bar`s are non-smoking !!!

Gavin

What, totally???? :D

Ken

What, totally???? :D

 

Ken

That is what she told me !!!

Hi Ken,

 

Karen has informed me that most Bar`s are non-smoking !!!

 

Gavin

What no fags on the Queen Victoria:rolleyes:

Smoking is permitted only at the Casino bar, and in the Churchill lounge, aft of the Commodore Club. At least that was the case on Monday night.

Karen thanks for your info on QV I am travelling Auckland to Singapore part of World Cruise so the info drawers interesting...

However are you able to advise suitcases do they fit somewhere in the stateroom like under the bed ?

Hope you keep enjoying and the food gets hotter... maybe by the time the ship Auckland they hopefully will have it all together .. then others I am sure are saying get it right NOW !!!!

Ian

And how about the cabins the balcony?? The Outdoordecks?? Thanks!