Will QM2 lovers be happy on QV?

[edgee]

DW and I are veteran cruisers (Holland,Princess,Celebrity, Crystal) and have recently taken 3 fantastic voyages on QM2, including 2 TA crossings. We are now considering first QV voyage (round trip LA to Hawaii) in early 2011. We are fine with the general layout of QV, as we have enjoyed Holland America Vista Class cruises and understand that QM2 is indeed unique, so we are prepared for the physicial differences between the ships. Question is whether Cunard places the same priority on and delivers similar (or even better) service, food, entertainment and enrichment speaker quality on QV as we have experienced on QM2. Since we will have nearly as many sea days on this cruise as two TA crossings, these are important considerations. Thank you for any advice that can be offered.

[Norfolk Brit]

Question is whether Cunard places the same priority on and delivers similar (or even better) service, food, entertainment and enrichment speaker quality on QV as we have experienced on QM2.

 

We found the service on QV equal to QM2, and the food in Britannia slightly better. Sorry, but don't like evening entertainment so can't help with that one, though reports from others were mixed.

Enrichment speaker quality on our one QV trip was poor from my perspective, but that's subjective - you may have been fascinated by the topics on offer.

 

Oh, and the Commodore Club is every bit as good, IMHO. We loved QV and will definitely be sailing on her again.

 

Mary

[Lanky Lad]

I found the food and service on Queen Victoria to be every bit as good as on QM2. I thought the lay out of the lido was much nicer than kings court.

 

The theatre on Queen Victoria is in my opinion much better than on QM2. :)

[Ray66]

Things you might want to consider are:

 

In Britannia rooms the bathrooms are smaller, especially the shower which is quite a bit smaller than on the QM2.

 

The Lido isn't divided into 4 sections as in the Kings Court and there is no waiter-served options in the evening as on the QM2.

 

There is no actual cinema but you can watch films in the theatre in the afternoon.

[southwestie]

I would fully agree with all the above, she is a wonderful ship although we only sailed on her twice. the commodore club is amazing, the theatre wonderful.

[guernseyguy]

there is no waiter-served options in the evening as on the QM2.

 

They do run waiter served 'specials' - I had the Fondue, and I've heard the Curry evening is great.

 

QV is a very pleasant ship - the theatre is spectacular and the Grills location better. I found service to easily be as good as QM2, except possibly for the Commodore Club - but then the QM2 Commodore Club is excellent.....

[Ray66]

They do run waiter served 'specials' - I had the Fondue, and I've heard the Curry evening is great.

 

Do they? We checked it out each night on our trip last year and never saw that. Is it screened off as it is in the King's Court though?

[Oahucruiser]

They don't have the special dinners every night; you have to watch for them in the Daily Programme or ask someone in the Lido about them and then make reservations. We had the fondue night, an Italian night and an Indian night and they were fabulous. They aren't screened off like they do on the QM2 but are in a special section of the Lido.

[Timtammi]

This is a very interesting question and something I have been pondering myself since recently returning from my 2nd QM2 trip. I did QM2 in 2007, QV in 2009 and QM2 again this year.

 

While I love the QM2 because she is special and just does have that "special" aura about here which I think the QV tries to emulate but just doesnt quite match, the QV does have some things going for her.

 

As posted by others:

1. Better Lido (Kings Court on QM2)

2. Better Theatre

3. Better general flow and layout of public rooms - its not so hard to get to things and less "going around"!

4. Less people. My last trip on the QM2 everyone was calling her the Queue M 2. The ship was full and it showed in the queues.

 

 

I found the service to be much of a muchness and the quality of the entertainment, enrichment speakers etc also much the same although we had more the larger production shows on QM2 but I think it might have been unlucky timing on the QV re what was on offer at the time.

 

Downsides of QV for me:

1. She is NOT the QM2, just trying to be like her.

2. Smaller bathrooms with hardly any storage.

3. General ambience not as elegant, she is nicely decorated and not gaudy but does seem to have more noticeable "fakeness" - fake wood panelling, fake teak decks that are really some plasticcy stuff "ick".

 

I guess it just depends on what is important to you! I've decided I would do the QV or the new QE again so they cant be all bad!

 

Cheers

[edgee]

Thank you all for your input. We feel better about the QV.

 

Small related question: I understand that due to the lack of drawers in cabins when the ship first sailed, storage drawers have been installed under beds. So the question arises, where can one store the luggage since the traditional underbed luggage storage option seems to be precluded?

[Bigmike911]

There was some room to store bags under the bed in my Q6 room, however, the storage was far less than QM2, even with the underbed areas. They missed some obvious places to put storage such as under the tv console and one side of the desk. The Wardrobe was much smaller, and it was necessary to put on bag in the corner of the room. The balcony however was as big or bigger than a Q5 on QM2

 

Generally, the service and food were as good on QV as QM2, The theatre is quite nice, I like the Grills area with the courtyard, the upper deck and the Grills lounge. The Queens room is more easily reached and is quite nice. The Casino is much smaller. Victoria feels like a much smaller ship than the Mary, lower ceilings, smaller hallways.

 

One of the biggest faults on the QV is the promenade does not go all the way around the deck, its cut off at the bow, so using it for long walks is difficult, and there is no teak, just some teaky looking man made surface which was a big disappointment.

 

But I am traveling her again, in fact to Hawaii next February.

 

Mike

[edgee]

...One of the biggest faults on the QV is the promenade does not go all the way around the deck, its cut off at the bow, so using it for long walks is difficult...

 

Thanks for the information. Sorry to hear about the lack of a wraparound promenade. We love exercise walking. How big is this problem for folks like my DW and me? Is it indeed possible to have an enjoyable exercise walk on the QV by just turning around at the end of the promenade and going back in the other direction, or is there an alternative walking track on the ship....or is it a real problem if you like to spend at least an hour a day on sea days exercise walking on deck?

[Lanky Lad]

...One of the biggest faults on the QV is the promenade does not go all the way around the deck, its cut off at the bow, so using it for long walks is difficult...

 

Thanks for the information. Sorry to hear about the lack of a wraparound promenade. We love exercise walking. How big is this problem for folks like my DW and me? Is it indeed possible to have an enjoyable exercise walk on the QV by just turning around at the end of the promenade and going back in the other direction, or is there an alternative walking track on the ship....or is it a real problem if you like to spend at least an hour a day on sea days exercise walking on deck?

 

There is a way of cutting trough from one side to the other if you like to walk in the same direction. Alternatively you can go to deck 10 and walk around, but you do have to go up some stairs to deck 11 along the front and back down to deck 10 again.

 

To me QM2 seems more solid like she is built to last, Queen Victoria does not have the same feel.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I was interested in reading these replies. I am a big QM2 fan (have sailed aboard the ship three times). Actually, I was an even bigger QE2 fan (sailed aboard that wonderful ship seven times). I am looking forward to trying the QV next month. Based on everything that I have read, I am predicting that I will like the QV but prefer the QM2.

 

Chuck

[guernseyguy]

...One of the biggest faults on the QV is the promenade does not go all the way around the deck, its cut off at the bow, so using it for long walks is difficult...

 

A 'fault' she shared with the QE2 - on many a crossing the Observation Deck was closed off due to high winds and one had to duck inside and cross over to the other side.....but we struggled on....

 

It is a legitimate question however, why this area on QV is not open, while I gather on other Carnival Corp Vistas (such as HAL's) it is....

[southwestie]

Hi,

 

I was interested in reading these replies. I am a big QM2 fan (have sailed aboard the ship three times). Actually, I was an even bigger QE2 fan (sailed aboard that wonderful ship seven times). I am looking forward to trying the QV next month. Based on everything that I have read, I am predicting that I will like the QV but prefer the QM2.

 

Chuck

 

I think your 100% right, we prefer QM2, but as she does not always go where we would like, the QV and now the new QE does , we are booked on the new QE for a Baltics cruise for 2 weeks in August 2011, we have been on the QV and really enjoyed the ship, she is a beauty and so much more intimate as well and unlike other lines not overcrowded.

 

If QM2 was going to the bal;tics then we would choose her,but QV is a great alternative.

 

We are however do 2 TAs this year as well on QM2 so that will be great as well and a couple short hops over the channel