A LESSER QUEEN VICTORIA

[deck chair]

Hello

 

I very recently returned from a 14 day Baltic cruise on the Queen Victoria.  I was very keen to sail on the ship for my third voyage after two  long cruises pre-refit.

 

Like many others I was very concerned that the changes to be made would make the ship less desirable:  The addition of more passengers.  A more crowded dining room.  The elimination of the beloved Chart Room. 

 

These are my observations: Of course, others who have sailed on the ship  pre-refit and now post refit may believe the ship has been enhanced.  Others may not even  have noticed any changes.    Others may  have noticed the changes and don't care.   

 

I can report the crew is still outstanding in every way providing the best possible service in the dining rooms, buffet and cabin.  The food in the  elegant dining room and buffet is still good to excellent.   There are still a wide variety off activities during the sea days.   The port lecturer and shore excursion staff are very good.   The staff at the purser's desk tremendous and helpful in all ways.  You will still meet the most interesting passengers from all the world. (Although a few passengers are incredibly rude to the crew.)

 

THE CHART ROOM:  In the past this was a beautiful lounge on the ship.  A lot of very comfortable uncrowded seating.  it was a great room to hang out during the day.   During the world cruise, a portion of the room was roped off during the day for the exclusive use of the full world cruise passengers.  This was space many passengers used during the day to read, chat with fellow passengers or to just gaze out to the passing sea.  In the evening it was beautifully candle  lit and great music provided  by a pianist and at times a jazz group.  The room was complemented by a bar with stools.  Pre-dinner,  many passengers enjoyed  drinks and  the live  muc re making the short walk to the Britannia Dining Room.  What a great lounge this was.  A lounge with buzz and atmosphere!!!!  Now it is GONE as if thrown overboard!!  The beautiful ebony piano that provided so much pleasure  now sits forlornly in a corner . 

 

The lounge has been taken over and replaced with the new Britannia Club dining room.  Yes, it is a beautiful dining room and no doubt the  food and service equals if not exceeds the Britannia dining room.  My question ins this:  Why couldn't Cunard simply carve out space in the Britannia dining room for a new club restaurant as they did  twice  on the Queen Mary 2?  Why couldn't Cunard just leave the beloved Chart Room alone??  I don't know about others, but I have never received a satisfactory answer to this question.  If you have, please educate us!!!

 

MORE LATER

 

Deck Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2018 by deck chair

[deck chair]

LESSER QUEEN VICTORIA PART TWO

 

 

So the real Chart Room is gone.  It has been moved to space which used to be called the Champagne Bar and Café Carinthia.

If you like crowded and  uncomfortable seating you will love this new Chart Room!  Many of the seats have no arms which makes it difficult to stand up.  Most of the seating is too low to the floor.  (Especially  the wing chairs) Some of the seating are just uncomfortable stools with no backs or arms which clutter up the room and go largely unused.  The space cannot compete with the original chart room with respect to space.  Pre-dinner it gets too crowded.  In my opinion because of the smaller space many passengers gravitate to the Commodore Club.  Perhaps they go to the Fizz bar but every time I passed that bar it appeared mostly under utilized.  No live music as a great bar should  have.  Of course, the fizz bar has about as much buzz as a broom closet!  By the way, I often went to the Commodore Club before dinner but if you didn't get there early there was a chance there would be no seat to be had.  The Commodore has buzz and is great space night and day.

 

What is really missing  in the Chart Room is real live music.  I know Cunard represents that there is live music in the Chart Room but it is being played either across the deck or from the deck below.  It was hard to hear.   No more piano music.  No more lively music.  On this 14 days cruise the music was mostly being provided by the very talented string quartet.  After many days it got boring  and dreary  one could easily think you were sailing in a funeral home.  What was Cunard thinking???

 

Here are some pictures:

 

You can see the crowded space and many low to the floor seating.  Note the chairs without arms.  Note the stools which clutter up the space and go unused.  Note no more beautiful ebony piano!!!

 

MORE LATER.

 

Deck Chair

 

 

Edited October 31, 2018 by deck chair

[deck chair]

LESSER QUEEN VICTORIA PART THREE

 

I cannot prove It but it feels to me the dining room is more crowded than before.   Tables too close together.  My table for 6 was 402 located way in the back by a stern window on the lower level.  I got the sense we were too close to adjoining tables and that the waiters had to squeeze in.  Unfortunately I neglected to take pictures.  IS this crowding due to more passengers on the ship? 

 

My conclusion:  While in many respects the Queen Victoria remains a splendid vessel I would be reluctant to sail on here again especially on a long cruise because of what Cunard did to the Chart  Room.  I will stick to the Queen Mary and I can happily report I am booked on a 40 day cruise on that marvelous ship from New York to Singapore.   Hope to see you on board!!   Please see other pictures below of awesome Ginta from the purser's and  Deck Chair.

 

Deck Chair

Edited October 31, 2018 by deck chair

[deck chair]

More pictures from Queen Victoria:

 

The view from table 402, library and promenade deck. Also pictures from Commodore Club.

[Abril222]

My first voyage on Cunard was a segment of the World Cruise on the QV 5 years ago.  I loved the Chart Room and the Champagne Bar. Unfortunately the way I remember them seems to be a thing of the past. 

The QM2 is my go to ship now. It still has the great music venues and never disappoints! 

[VintageCCG]

3 hours ago, deck chair said:

More pictures from Queen Victoria:

 

The view from table 402, library and promenade deck. Also pictures from Commodore Club.

 

 

 

 

 

That looks like a lot of messy churn in the wake!

Can i assume that she was making a cruising speed of about 22 knots?

I guess that's what you get when you push a rectangular ship (with a square transom stern) through the water.

 

 

 

[deck chair]

34 minutes ago, VintageCCG said:

 

 

35 minutes ago, VintageCCG said:

 

Hi

 

Frankly, not sure of the speed of the ship at that point.   Great location in the dining room no matter the speed!

 

Deck Chair

[roscoe39]

8 hours ago, deck chair said:

 

 

MORE LATER

 

Deck Chair

 

Thanks Deckchair, I appreciate your different perspective and I look forward to being back on Cunards best Queen in February. Interesting you thought the britannia dining room was more crowded as I would have thought that the new club dining room would have taken the approximate same number as new passengers and so would have levelled out the numbers so it is interesting you thought that. As for the removal of the Chart room which I think is a travesty,  I wouldnt agree more that they should have taken space out of the Brittania Room however the extra passengers would have defintely made a difference to the space ratio. Please keep up the comments though,  I'm always interested in reading live reports from onboard. Hopefully the changes wont take away too much enjoyment from your trip....regards Roscoe 

 

8 hours ago, deck chair said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for the report and all the great photographs.

[deck chair]

 Hello

 

I am trying to find photographs of the old Chart Room so everyone can see what they are missing.  Here are some.  As you can see the old Chart Room is vastly superior to the new.  As you see, the old space was very roomy with a lot of uncrowded seating plus room for the piano and beautiful live music.  Why Cunard?  Why?

 

Deck Chair

Edited November 1, 2018 by deck chair

[poshtotty]

I was wondering Deckchair is table 402 a table for two ?

[deck chair]

12 minutes ago, poshtotty said:

I was wondering Deckchair is table 402 a table for two ?

HI

 

Table 402 is an oblong table for 6.   Great location in a corner right next to the window.  

 

Deck Chair

[pepperrn]

Hi Deck Chair,

 

Here are some photos of the old Chart Room on Queen Victoria, taken in 2009:

1.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/44708863075/in/album-72157624021704776/

2.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/44708862015/in/album-72157624021704776/

3.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/41807328154/in/album-72157624021704776/

4.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/43804788850/in/album-72157624021704776/

5.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/43804786950/in/album-72157624021704776/

6.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/45571825962/in/album-72157624021704776/

7.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/30681420657/in/album-72157624021704776/

8.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/30681418127/in/album-72157624021704776/

 

Hope these bring back some happy memories 😊

Edited November 2, 2018 by pepperrn

[poshtotty]

2 hours ago, deck chair said:

HI

 

Table 402 is an oblong table for 6.   Great location in a corner right next to the window.  

 

Deck Chair

Thank you for prompt reply deckchair. I may attempt a "request" for our upcoming trip.  Thank you for  photographs.

 

[deck chair]

6 hours ago, pepperrn said:

Hi Deck Chair,

 

Here are some photos of the old Chart Room on Queen Victoria, taken in 2009:

1.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/44708863075/in/album-72157624021704776/

2.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/44708862015/in/album-72157624021704776/

3.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/41807328154/in/album-72157624021704776/

4.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/43804788850/in/album-72157624021704776/

5.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/43804786950/in/album-72157624021704776/

6.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/45571825962/in/album-72157624021704776/

7.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/30681420657/in/album-72157624021704776/

8.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperrn/30681418127/in/album-72157624021704776/

 

Hope these bring back some happy memories 😊

Hi Pepperrm

 

Thanks for the photos.  It is such a shame  that Cunard has diminished the Queen Victoria.  

 

Deck Chair

[tv24]

Thanks for the report, Deck Chair.  We are booked on the Victoria for February and are looking forward to a Pacific crossing.  But now I am more than a bit disturbed by the removal of the old Chart Room.  The Chart Room is my favorite space of the QM2.  I love the design, furniture, and especially the terrific jazz music.  I had mistakenly assumed that would be replicated on a smaller scale on Victoria.  I guess not.  Well I won't slash my wrists, but this is a disappointment.

[deck chair]

48 minutes ago, tv24 said:

Thanks for the report, Deck Chair.  We are booked on the Victoria for February and are looking forward to a Pacific crossing.  But now I am more than a bit disturbed by the removal of the old Chart Room.  The Chart Room is my favorite space of the QM2.  I love the design, furniture, and especially the terrific jazz music.  I had mistakenly assumed that would be replicated on a smaller scale on Victoria.  I guess not.  Well I won't slash my wrists, but this is a disappointment.

Hi

 

It really is hard for me to imagine sailing on this ship again especially for a longer voyage given what has been done to her.

Deck Chair

[pepperrn]

3 hours ago, deck chair said:

Hi Pepperrm

Thanks for the photos.  It is such a shame  that Cunard has diminished the Queen Victoria.  

Deck Chair

No problem Deck Chair, I read above that you were looking for photos of the old Chart Room and knew I had some 😊

 

Best wishes,

 

Pepper

[Bigmike911]

I have sailed on QV three times, before the refit, and QM2 another fourteen. I prefer QM2, she seems more spacious. From the public rooms to the staterooms and corridors she feels larger. It is of course a personal choice, but QM2 is my ship of choice. 

[laktex]

Once again it is all down to personal opinion.

 

For many, the addition of Britannia Club will be what they want and I have to say the Club dining room is absolutely delightful and in my opinion surpasses Queens Grill from a decor point of view.

 

Personally I am happy with the refit - I just want to sample the Q1's.

[brian1]

Out of curiosity,where did the BC dining room used to be?

[Host Hattie]

24 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Out of curiosity,where did the BC dining room used to be?

Queen Victoria didn't have a BC dining room, it was added at the last refit.

[rafinmd]

7 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Queen Victoria didn't have a BC dining room, it was added at the last refit.

Multi-Quote isn't working for me, I had intended to quote brian1 as well.  QV as originally built had a slanted aft profile.  In the last refit the stern was squared off which added several cabins.  Rather than squeeze the people in the new cabins into the Britannia Dining Room a Britannia Club was created.  I'm not sure of the exact figures but assume the Britannia Club dining capacity roughly matches the number of passengers in the new cabins.

 

Roy

[brian1]

So QV never had a BC class until the refit,yet the QE always has.I thought they were sister ships.On a personal note,having only sailed the QE,I never noticed any overcrowding anywhere,but then, the extra cabins on QV might make a difference.

[rafinmd]

5 hours ago, brian1 said:

So QV never had a BC class until the refit,yet the QE always has.I thought they were sister ships.On a personal note,having only sailed the QE,I never noticed any overcrowding anywhere,but then, the extra cabins on QV might make a difference.

They were originally sisters but not twin sisters.  They are much more alike after the refit.

 

Roy