napria Posted July 4 #1 Share Posted July 4 I booked 4 voyages on Queen Mary 2, because I heard that she’s the last Ocean Liner, which sounds pretty special to me, but now I’m looking at a voyage on Queen Victoria. So many on this board seem to have a soft spot in their hearts for her. If this is you, please share what makes her so special and sets her above all the other Queens? And I’m getting really excited for my first voyage on QM2 in September! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Victoria2 Posted July 5 #2 Share Posted July 5 What makes QV special? Her size and decor makes for a cozy ship but most important, she is a very happy ship because of her absolutely wonderful crew. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majortom10 Posted July 5 #3 Share Posted July 5 Very little difference between QE and QV with just as good of staff on both. Personally love QM2 and only cruised on QV because of sailing from Southampton. Sadly that seems to be no more and replaced QA at Southampton. Open mind until cruised on QA and if not to my liking think time will come when look elsewhere away from Cunard. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean_Liner_Traveller Posted July 5 #4 Share Posted July 5 Where to begin from? First, I would say her crew, but this applies to all Cunard ships. Her pseudo-Victorian and Edwardian style decor. Truly takes you to romantic old and beloved times. Along with QE, you will not find it anywhere else at sea. Her design. Her designers took a basic Holland America Vista class ship design and added so much to differentiate the ship and make her truly special. Atrium, Queens ballroom, disco, shopping arcade, winter garden, West-end theatre with boxes, Britannia restaurant, Grill spaces, etc. Clearly they showed much love and care, to create a homage to Cunard heritage. Every time on board, I find myself silently congratulating them. Her passenger flow. Although 293 metres in length, everything feels to be close. Arguably her weak point is only the bathrooms, which are small but yet fairly adequate. Of course almost all of the above applies to Elizabeth, too. But many people (me included) like Vicky a little more. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeuqdrazil Posted July 5 #5 Share Posted July 5 I've sailed 3 times on QM2, and once on QV (plus twice on HAL's Zuiderdam, which is ostensibly the same ship design as QV), and I have to say that QV is definitely my favourite ship. QM2 holds a special place in my heart, with her quirks and odd little passages that go nowhere, the absolutely glorious Carinthia Lounge (although the recent trend of doing trivia in there morning and afternoon does reduce my appreciation of that space), and the magnificent spaces. She was also the first ship I was ever on. Zuiderdam, while being ostensibly the same ship design (Vista class) as QV, can't hold a candle to my beloved Vicky. I think the best way to describe it is that QV looks out to the sea, while Z wants all of the attention directed inwards, onto the ship. The lounges and bars and public spaces on QV all have vast windows that aren't curtained (there's a strange passageway on Z from the main lobby back to the MDR that goes past what used to be Lincoln Centre Stage, and it's as if you're in a hotel - there's no sense that you're on a ship at all.) Plus, as mentioned above, she's a happy ship. The crew all seem to be happy to be on board, and, at least in my experience, make an effort to get to know you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted July 5 #6 Share Posted July 5 I love the Vista design. I've sailed 3 of HAL's 4 Vistas (Zuiderdam is my favorite of those) and both QE and QV. I agree with @Ocean_Liner_Traveller, that Cunard took a good starting point and made it even better. I like QE's decor a bit more than QV's--something in my heart said "home" the moment I stepped on QE--but both are elegant and comfortable. The library, with its circular staircase and LOTS of books makes you want to find a book and start reading. The Commodore Club with its forward view is my favorite spot for a cocktail. And to answer the question in the title, because she's a Cunarder! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camgirl Posted July 5 #7 Share Posted July 5 I have 31 cruises under my belt, most on QV, QE and QM2. I'm trying QA in September. Although QV and QE are basically very similar, QV feels so much more special and welcoming. I would put QV way at the top of my list, followed by QM2, then QE. I don't know exactly what it is about QV, but I just feel happy and relaxed as soon as I am onboard her. I am very sad that QV has been banished to the med for fly cruises for much of the year, as I don't fly. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean_Liner_Traveller Posted July 5 #8 Share Posted July 5 3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said: The library, with its circular staircase and LOTS of books makes you want to find a book and start reading. Needless to say, the library on both QV and QE is a little masterpiece and a not-to-be missed part of the Cunard experience. It;s another case that the ship's designers took the already good HAL Vista design to new heights. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses0 Posted July 5 #9 Share Posted July 5 I was on QV and then QM2 recently. Although my favorite ship is QM2 QV is lovely ship. Of all the Cunard ships I have found the staff on QV are the most friendly. However there were a number of newbies among the crew that did not seem to know the ropes. Food was good on QV better on QM2. Afternoon tea better experience this time on QV. Nice to see new couches and carpets on QM2 they were sorley needed. Might be time for a bit of a refresh for QV. Sail any Cunard ship I'm sure you will enjoy it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted July 5 #10 Share Posted July 5 57 minutes ago, moses0 said: I was on QV and then QM2 recently. Although my favorite ship is QM2 QV is lovely ship. Of all the Cunard ships I have found the staff on QV are the most friendly. However there were a number of newbies among the crew that did not seem to know the ropes. Food was good on QV better on QM2. Afternoon tea better experience this time on QV. Nice to see new couches and carpets on QM2 they were sorley needed. Might be time for a bit of a refresh for QV. Sail any Cunard ship I'm sure you will enjoy it. I think we're going to see more than the usual number of new crew members because so many experienced crew were plucked from three existing ships to be part of the staff on QA. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses0 Posted July 6 #11 Share Posted July 6 23 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said: I think we're going to see more than the usual number of new crew members because so many experienced crew were plucked from three existing ships to be part of the staff on QA. Yes I spoke to one nice young girl. She was unaware that the furniture was new so that gave it away. She said all the old ones went to the new ship and the new ones came to the old ship. Still they were all very pleasant even if rookies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickb Posted July 6 #12 Share Posted July 6 Have sailed on QM2 three times and QV twice. Both are truly wonderful. QV is smaller and more intimate and as a previous poster said has an outstanding crew who go the extra mile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditchcrawler Posted July 6 #13 Share Posted July 6 It's an incredibly walkable ship. I've been on ferries that felt more labyrinthine. Everything makes sense on QV. I was very sceptical about how happy the crew would actually be. I work in a hospitality role myself of sorts. I did genuinely feel that a lot of the staff had room to breath. On our second day aboard my wife went to the Commodore club to order a drink with a view to joining me in the cigar lounge ( knowing exactly where I was). She order her drink, had her card scanned and was told "Hello Mrs. Hughes your husband is in Churchills, would you like me to show you there and then bring your drink to you?" 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napria Posted July 6 Author #14 Share Posted July 6 Ok, now I’m getting excited for the “Balcony Sale” starting July 11! Definitely booking that voyage I have my eye on! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverspringcruiser Posted July 7 #15 Share Posted July 7 Is the Lido buffet as small as QE? Because my biggest complaint about QE was how underwhelming the buffet was compared to the similarly sized Nieuw Amsterdam (e.g., no made to order salads, ice cream, or eggs benedict) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowandaUK Posted July 7 #16 Share Posted July 7 Ok. You’ve convinced me. Just booked a 7 nighter on QV next April - despite saying we probably wouldn’t cruise next year. Thanks folks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exlondoner Posted July 7 #17 Share Posted July 7 36 minutes ago, TowandaUK said: Ok. You’ve convinced me. Just booked a 7 nighter on QV next April - despite saying we probably wouldn’t cruise next year. Thanks folks. Seven nights is never long enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowandaUK Posted July 7 #18 Share Posted July 7 It’s a lot better than nothing! 😉 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exlondoner Posted July 7 #19 Share Posted July 7 3 minutes ago, TowandaUK said: It’s a lot better than nothing! 😉 Very true. We went on a wonderful seven night cruise round the Bay of Biscay last summer, and it was really one of the nicest cruises I’ve ever been on, except that I never truly relaxed because disembarkation was always impending. 😀 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david63 Posted July 7 #20 Share Posted July 7 Disembarkation is always impending no matter the length of the cruise although the impend may take longer to arrive! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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