Queen Victoria – Cunard Cruise Ship
Cunard expected Queen Victroia to join the fleet in 2005. However the original design for Queen Victoria (QV) was a pure cruise ship. This design did not include the Queens Room. Additionally, the hull was not ideal for transatlantic crossings. As a result, the incomplete Queen Victoria was moved to P&O Cruises and renamed Arcadia.
On 3 December 2004 a contract for another Queen Victoria was signed with Fincantieri, Italy. Work on the new cruise ship commenced on 14 April 2005 and it entered service in 2007 after being christened by HM. Queen Camilla (at the time the Dutchess of Cornwall).
The current Queen Victoria was modified to enable better handling on the trecherous North Atlantic. But the ship is a Vista-class cruise ship and is not an Ocean Liner. QV represented the first new-built cruise ship for Cunard since the Cunard Countess and Cunard Princess.
QV’s onboard interior is designed to reflect the stylings of Victorian-era Cunard Liners. Queen Victoria is just small enough to transit the original locks of the Panama Canal, so she can partake in another Cunard tradition, world cruises.
QV had a large scale 2017 refurbishment in 2017. The ship’s interior was modified, and delightful features such as the original large Chart Room Bar were removed, to make way for the Britannia Club restaurant.
Also, the existing Cafe Carinthia was combined with the original Champagne Bar and renamed The Chart Room. Extra cabins were added to her aft decks, leading to the ship sporting a boxier, more angular profile.
Queen Victoria has cultivated a loyal following, with many repeat guests. Many QE2 crew found a new home aboard QV in 2008 and have remained aboard. It is widely agreed that Cunard’s Queen Victoria is a happy ship.
