Queen Victoria

[English Voyager]

There is a report in one of our Newspapers that last wednesday there was a "float-out" of what was to be the Queen Victoria.
Apparently the name has been changed to Arcadia,and it will join P & O sailing out of the U.K.
A redesigned Queen Victoria,more in the style of a "grand liner",will be launched in 2007.
One wonders if the QM2 saga has had an influence on this change of plan.

[Druke I]

The fact that that hull had been reassigned to P&O and named Arcadia had been announced (on this side of the Pond anyway) several weeks ago, along with the transfer of Adonia back to Princess as Sea Princess, and transfer of Royal Princess to P&O as Artemis.

Same announcement indicated that a new hull would be laid for Queen Victoria.

Michael

[dougnewmanatsea]

I think the bit about the new QV being more of a "grand liner" is just a load of marketing nonsense. My sources say that it will just be another glossed-over Vista-class ship. Very sad that Cunard apparently did not take the opportunity to realise that calling a run-of-the-mill Carnival Corporation newbuild a Cunard QUEEN is a monumental error.

ARCADIA will be the world's biggest adults-only ship. She will also become flagship of P&O taking over from AURORA. This means that P&O's flagship will now be an adults-only vessel; rather ironic for a company that traditionally was very popular with families.

Personally I think the marketing that accompanies P&O's adults only cruises (most Americans probably haven't seen it) is quite offensive, aside from the fact that I object to the whole idea (I certainly understand it but I think it's misguided; they're barking up the wrong tree).

Doug Newman
Cruise Critic Message Boards Host
e-mail: shiploverny AT yahoo DOT com

[English Voyager]

From what you say,it would appear that I was wrong in thinking that Cunard's announcement of revised plans for the Queen Victoria,as a "grand liner",indicated that lessons had been learned from the QM2.
What one looks for,in luxury cruise in general,and a Queen in particular,varies from person to person,but for me personally luxury ship,and 2000 passengers are mutually exclusive,if only from a service point of view.
It appears that one is paying a premium for the kudos of sailing on the QM2,which money,for me is better spent on the likes of Silversea,Radisson,or Seabourn.
If only Cunard would replace the Caronia with a similarly sized,modern,luxury ship.

[dougnewmanatsea]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by English Voyager:
[B]From what you say,it would appear that I was wrong in thinking that Cunard's announcement of revised plans for the Queen Victoria,as a "grand liner"[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well, I haven't seen plans, so I can't be sure... But word is that this is just another modified Vista-class... NOT the totally new design that we had all hoped for.

Regardless I think it's flat-out wrong to call anything that isn't an Atlantic liner (like the four previous QUEENs) a QUEEN, but to give that distinction that is really just another Carnival newbuild is, to me, an insult to all the previous the QUEENs, Carnival's own masterwork QM2 included.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>[B]If only Cunard would replace the Caronia with a similarly sized,modern,luxury ship.[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That would be nice but I don't see it happening. In theory passengers from CARONIA, P&O's VICTORIA, and Swan Hellenic's first MINERVA are all supposed to find their way to MINERVA II. I doubt she will please many loyal passengers of any of those three ships; most loyal passengers of VICTORIA and MINERVA seem to have already found new homes outside the P&O Princess/Carnival family. I think most CARONIA pax will most likely go right with the ship to Saga, unless they are under 50.

This is a mistake that has been made by P&O Princess before and it seems that they (or rather Carnival of which they are now a part) are about to do it again.

Doug Newman
Cruise Critic Message Boards Host
e-mail: shiploverny AT yahoo DOT com

[msescada]

As an under 50 Caronia devoted passenger, and mother of a 9 year old veteran of her (4 times), there is NOTHING out there that can replace her. Period. We haven't sailed on Cunard since our last Caronia trip and won't be back unless the staff from Caronia recreates that atmosphere on QV, whenever she finally sails.

What Cunard has done to the remaining Caronia staff is unfortunate. They were supposed to largely transfer to the QV, but the delay has meant that they are split up among all of Carnival's other brands. With different benefits, lengths of contracts and other issues, one wonders how long that honeymoon will last. So not only were they originally not eligible to apply for QM2 jobs, the last remaining staff on Caronia is being given a highly uncertain future in exchange for years of fantastic service. Too bad.

[English Voyager]

It is interesting that in their 2005 brochure,Cunard refer to the QE2 as "the world's most renowned liner",and the QM2 as"most magnificent resort on the planet".
One hopes that the Queen Victoria will be the former rather than the latter.