Queen Victoria in Atlantic in Oct/Nov

[napria]

We’re thinking of taking a cruise on QV that goes round trip from Southampton to the Azores, Madeira, Portugal and Spain.  My husband is concerned about the QV being tossed in the rough waters of the Atlantic.  After all, the Azores are nearly halfway to the US 🙄

 

Has anyone been on Queen Victoria in the middle of the Atlantic in late October? How rough are the waters?  How steady is the ship?

 

 

[Winifred 22]

I have this voyage   ear marked as a possibility for  but am wondering about the seas. Will be interested in any replies 

[david63]

Whilst not having cruised that area on QV I have, at that time of year, on P&O's Arcadia which is a sister ship and cannot say that I have noticed any problems in rough seas. However nobody can predict how rough the seas might be on any given cruise.

[exlondoner]

The Azores are a fair way South, so the route would not correspond with the usual TA route, which might mean better weather, if you were lucky.

[Bell Boy]

Many of us here have traveled on 'Queen Victoria' much  further than the Azores and across the Atlantic en- route to the US/NY ( first port of call)  often as part of a Caribbean itinerary.  

Your husband  is concerning him self unnecessarily , the route taken is more of southerly route, the Azores is hardly the route the QM2 takes on her Transatlantic crossings .

 

Tell your husband to stop worrying and worry more if his Jackets will fit into the luggage along with all your shoes  .   

[JT1101]

That is the South Atlantic crossing route which is calmer seas. 

[Bell Boy]

5 minutes ago, JT1101 said:

That is the South Atlantic crossing route which is calmer seas. 

Indeed, and occasionally  the first port of call before the US is often Bermuda 👌

Edited June 12 by Bell Boy

[BigMac1953]

We did travel near the Azores on a QM2 TA from NYC on one occasion due to stormy weather on the Great Circle. No movement whatsoever.

 

BoB can be lumpy, but nothing to get too concerned about. However, on our last few trips to Madeira/Canaries in November it's been absolutely fine.

[Winifred 22]

38 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

We did travel near the Azores on a QM2 TA from NYC on one occasion due to stormy weather on the Great Circle. No movement whatsoever.

 

BoB can be lumpy, but nothing to get too concerned about. However, on our last few trips to Madeira/Canaries in November it's been absolutely fine.

Thank you I have a couple of things to move so think this will fit the bill nicely for one. Yes I have done Spain on QV in December and it was fine . 

[JT1101]

I will confess I prefer the northern route - and love to do it in December. And in fact will be doing it this December. I like the colder temperatures, the more adventurous seas, all of it. 

[Pushpit]

Queen Victoria does have a specially reinforced bow, a trait of liner construction. This was put in specifically for Atlantic weather fronts, and though she isn't as stable as QM2, she is better than most ships around. But yes, the weather fronts and jet stream tend to be way further north of the Azores, which boast generally good weather year round. But anything involving the weather has a fair degree of unknowable risk. It's usually the northern to middle sections of the Bay of Biscay that have a bit of a reputation.

[JT1101]

Queen Elizabeth likewise has reinforced construction. 

[WantedOnVoyage]

At the risk of being pedantic, Bermuda is hardly "south".... it's in the North Atlantic Ocean and lies 650 east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.  Cape Hatteras is taken seriously by any seaman or yachtsman. And half its weather comes froms from the north and other from the east.  

 

Trust me, you can get some real "WNA" (Winter North Atlantic) crossing to Bermuda from Britain or indeed from New York Oct-late April.  Indeed, QV herself has been knocked about on this beginning of world cruise segment if she's going westabout.  I believe they had to cancel the Bermuda call a few years back on account of bad weather.

 

I think QV and QE are superb "seaboats" and it would take a quite a blow to make you feel it but don't be deluded as to routes and waystops.  If you're headed to the West Indies in Winter from the UK via the Azores, etc, it's fair sailing usually.  Via Bermuda, you take your chances.

Edited June 12 by WantedOnVoyage

[WantedOnVoyage]

6 minutes ago, JT1101 said:

Queen Elizabeth likewise has reinforced construction. 

 

I would love to see some documented evidence as to this oft repeated assertion... which is made re. QUEEN VICTORIA.  Given the considerable extra cost and considerable reworking of framing and plating to accomplish this, I'd be astonished if Cunard would have done this. And for what purpose??? Holland America's Vistas sail on more wide ranging cruises, worldwide, than QV or QE and they have none of this alleged "reinforced construction." Ditto P&O and Costa's Vistas.

[JT1101]

One of several sites discussing the differences between QE, QV and the Vista class. 

https://www.chriscunard.com/queenvictoria/qv-history/

Cunard made a number of alterations to Queen Victoria’s design, allowing the ship to undertake direct transatlantic crossings. Additionally, the changes were intended to ensure fleet commonality with Cunard’s flagship QM2 as well as QE2.

The changes to the Vista-Class design included reinforced hull plating on the bow to allow for direct transatlantic crossings, additional length added to the hull and superstructure to accommodate the Grills Restaurants and Queens Room, removal of glass lifts (elevators) from the exterior design of the vessel for strengthening purposes, and inclusion of a Cunard funnel design based on QE2’s, with scoop and cowling.

 

[Pushpit]

2 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

 

I would love to see some documented evidence as to this oft repeated assertion... which is made re. QUEEN VICTORIA.  Given the considerable extra cost and considerable reworking of framing and plating to accomplish this, I'd be astonished if Cunard would have done this. And for what purpose??? Holland America's Vistas sail on more wide ranging cruises, worldwide, than QV or QE and they have none of this alleged "reinforced construction." Ditto P&O and Costa's Vistas.

I'm not sure if this counts, but Chris Frame has made a living out of making this point, including as an Insight presenter, and there was a complex history involving Carnival, Trafalgar House, QM2, P&O as to who would get which ship and when. Some of this is here:

 

https://www.chriscunard.com/queenvictoria/qv-history/

 

[WantedOnVoyage]

Yes, I've seen that... a nice story but I'd rather read it in a bona fide shipping or technical journal, thanks very much.  

 

I've known Stephen Payne since 1979 (!) and I know the battles he had to fight to get QM2 built to Atlantic standards.. and she was meant to cross it, too.  The idea that Cunard would spend all that money to do the same with QV/QE for no real purpose is a stretch.  Or squinting to suggest that because they are "Cunarders" they are materially different from all the other VISTAs. Does Mr. Frame suggest the same applies to QA?  

[JT1101]

Chris Frame is not alone here - this is even noted on the official Wikis for the ships. I just found his page in a 5 second search. Cunard did indeed create a variant on the Vista class. It does have a strengthened bow plus other changes both to enable transatlantic should Cunard want to run one of them on the route as well as changes designed to make them somewhat more like QM2 in style. No one claimed they are the equivalent of QM2 - just modified to be more able to handle the northern TA run. 

As to QA, he accurately states that while it is most definitely a Pinnacle class ship it does vary from them in interior layouts. 

[Pushpit]

7 minutes ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

I've known Stephen Payne since 1979 (!) and I know the battles he had to fight to get QM2 built to Atlantic standards.. and she was meant to cross it, too.  The idea that Cunard would spend all that money to do the same with QV/QE for no real purpose is a stretch.  Or squinting to suggest that because they are "Cunarders" they are materially different from all the other VISTAs. Does Mr. Frame suggest the same applies to QA?  

I'm sure Dr. Payne would be able to confirm this or otherwise the next time you saw him, he was still on Cunard's books when the decisions on QV were made.  I don't think Mr. Frame says that QV is built to Atlantic / QM2 standards, it was more of a reinforcement process which would actually save Cunard money due to more efficient passage in rough weather. There was a business case for doing this, so it wasn't for no real purpose.

 

[canoncruiser]

I was on QV for her Maiden TA-we crossed with QE2. We had quite a ride. The Atlantic was the Atlantic in winter and there are in existence photos of the QE2 pitching up so that one could see under her keel at the bow, and the QV shipped water up to her superstructure🤮 Deite the Captain saying that she did not!

It was wild. 

We had similar weather on QE on her Maiden TA. Commodore Warwick and his wife were at a table in Britannia adjacent to the rear windows-heavy waves crashed against those windows throughout the lunch; as a friend and I left the restaurant a part of a wall panel dislodged and later a part of the ceiling in the Commodore Club came down. 

I’m not sure about the special hull tweeks but WOW!

[JT1101]

I tried looking it up but for some reason there is nothing about the maiden voyage damage. It would not shock me however, as reinforcing the bow is not the same as being built ground up for the North Atlantic. Reinforcing the bow helps prevent ship endangering damage but the freeboard is still lower than optimum. 

[Poole Boy]

11 hours ago, canoncruiser said:

I was on QV for her Maiden TA-we crossed with QE2. We had quite a ride. The Atlantic was the Atlantic in winter and there are in existence photos of the QE2 pitching up so that one could see under her keel at the bow, and the QV shipped water up to her superstructure🤮 Deite the Captain saying that she did not!

It was wild. 

We had similar weather on QE on her Maiden TA. Commodore Warwick and his wife were at a table in Britannia adjacent to the rear windows-heavy waves crashed against those windows throughout the lunch; as a friend and I left the restaurant a part of a wall panel dislodged and later a part of the ceiling in the Commodore Club came down. 

I’m not sure about the special hull tweeks but WOW!

I was also on QV for the crossing with QE2.  Quite a ride

[exlondoner]

11 hours ago, canoncruiser said:

I was on QV for her Maiden TA-we crossed with QE2. We had quite a ride. The Atlantic was the Atlantic in winter and there are in existence photos of the QE2 pitching up so that one could see under her keel at the bow, and the QV shipped water up to her superstructure🤮 Deite the Captain saying that she did not!

It was wild. 

We had similar weather on QE on her Maiden TA. Commodore Warwick and his wife were at a table in Britannia adjacent to the rear windows-heavy waves crashed against those windows throughout the lunch; as a friend and I left the restaurant a part of a wall panel dislodged and later a part of the ceiling in the Commodore Club came down. 

I’m not sure about the special hull tweeks but WOW!

I think Commodore Warwick may have been doomed for maiden voyages. I seem to remember that, on QM2’s maiden voyage, he said they had the roughest seas he had ever encountered.