Queen Victoria - 4th to 11th April 2026

[Cheshire Cruiser]

We boarded Queen Victoria, early afternoon on Saturday 4th April and were in our cabin by the time our checkin time of 14.15 had arrived, having got there via our visit to our Muster station to check in - more of this later.
First time on QV, second time on Cunard after a 4 night taster on Queen Mary 2 in Dec 2024, part of our 'market research' as we knew we needed to change as P&O were no longer what they used to be - five night trips on both Princess and Fred Olsen also featured in that research and we now also have cruises booked with both.

Planned ports were Porto, La Coruna, Gijon and La Rochelle - Gijon would be a new port for us and La Rochelle had been swapped in some months ago in place of Pauillac (for Bordeaux) which would also have been new for us.
Our luggage was arriving even before we set off for a late lunch in the buffet and as we unpacked the Captain made his welcome and safety announcement at 16.00, great, we thought, an early start as Porto requires some hard steaming to get there on Monday. BUT. What immediately followed was his announcement he was delaying departure due to adverse weather conditions in the Channel and the Bay, and he would await a weather window, but meantime he had to advise our call in Porto was cancelled and letters were being delivered to cabins to enable us all to claim for a missed port on our insurance - so full marks to Cunard for this last item, yes, I know we are all supposed to have Cruise Insurance these days (although we have never had them check) but a friend returned from an earlier cruise having missed ports and in our chat it emerged they did not have cruise insurance!

Enough of the preamble and we eventually sailed at 08.30 on Sunday morning following an announcement around 08.00 this was the plan. Instead of cracking open the Bollinger for a Saturday sailaway we did so to celebrate both Easter Sunday and sailing (Easter being one of seven Bollinger dates in our domestic calander)

Our thoughts on Queen Victoria? A beautiful ship and what a magnificent theatre. Our standard balcony cabins were spacious and comfortable with decent sized adjacent balconies of which the steward quickly opened up the dividing panel to a make a double size balcony - next door were two cabins also travelling together but we noticed theirs was no opened up, maybe they didn't know you could ask for this. One or two quirky elements to the layout which took a bit of getting used to but familiarity helps. A minor gripe the shower curtain would ideally have been half an inch longer to ensure it stayed withing the tray, and I much prefer sliding balcony doors to the hinged variety on QV (and Arcadia)

Meals, breakfast and lunch were always in the Lido buffet, for dinner we sampled both La Piazza (dining at the Lido - a segregated area in the evenings) and the Verandah Steakhouse, both very good especially the steakhouse although of course by no means cheap, otherwise we had flexible dining in the deck 2 Britannia restaurant and how much better it works with Cunard than P&O, arriving between 19.30 and 20.00 and straight to a table each night. Meals were all very good and the service excellent throughout, and the wine list, wow, huge, and we found something different to suit our taste each night. We did try the Queens Room afternoon tea but to be honest were not impressed and the etiquette seemed to be you got one sandwich, one scone and one piece of cake although I am sure you could have asked for extras.

All of the staff were so pleasant, smiles all round and always saying hello or good morning etc. (OK they didn't say etc.)!

Entertainment. A bit mixed (everyone's tastes are different), but the Theatre Company were excellent and on the last day performed Cunard's current signature show, the Musical 'Come from Away' - for those not familiar, the impact at Gander Newfoundland in the aftermath of 9/11 where almost 6000 air passengers (around thirty flights) were diverted there and looked after by the local community for several days, an epic 1 hour 40 minute performance. On the first day the Ents Director did a 'chat show' with Lesley Joseph. There was of course music around the bars too - although the Piano Entertainer in the Commodore Club was, for our ears, excruciating which meant one less bar to visit in the evenings. bar service was good too.

Speakers were included talks on Aviation, Cartoon Creation and, with an extra unplanned sea day, the Ship's Training Officer stepped in and gave an excellent talk on his 29 year Military Career, starting as a Radio Operator in the Navy, off to the Falklands on HMS Coventry, home on QE2 after the sinking, later into the Marines and tours of Afghanistan and the holder of an MBE for his service. We spoke to him afterwards and I raised my gripe about the risks associated with directing people to their Muster station immediately on boarding rather than, as on some other lines, being told to find your own way there. I highlighted the first time cruisers we met two years ago who three days in when I asked did they know where there muster station was, they could tell me the letter but not where it was! How many other people, first time on the ship can't remember where they were sent - or perhaps also why. He was in complete agreement and said they don't like it either and are constantly asking for full drills to be reinstated, so I rest my case.

The ports and weather? La Coruna, we took the tour to Lugo, a pleasant town with a magnificent Cathedral and a complete Roman Wall, Gijon, disappointing and the shuttle bus drops on the edge of the City but the weather was improving, La Rochelle, a glorious day 24 degrees and a pleasant place to visit and a nice lunch too. The sea days, outward pleasant enough weather for April and not too bumpy in the Channel and the Bay - and easing the further south, and on the way back an easy crossing until we were approaching Ushant where it got a bit more lively for a few hours, and strangely after all those hours in Biscay not one sighting of a dolphin or a whale. Last year we saw hundreds of Dolphins.

Having been mainly cruising on Adult ships for a good number of years, plus a couple of out of school hols trips on family ships, this was our introduction to multi generation cruising which is apparently so popular these days. And just to note all of the children, predominantly younger ages, were all well behaved.

We met a couple with a ten year old son on their first cruise and very impressed and ready to book for Queen Anne next year, an older couple with their still working daughter trying Cunard for the first time - and liking it - as they are so dismayed with the direction P&O are going, quoting both poor service and passenger behaviours. and to add balance a couple we have met a couple of times on Aurora who were not impressed with Queen Victoria and were looking forward to several further already cruises with P&O.

It is difficult not to compare but by the end of the cruise I had counted seventeen items which P&O no longer provide but Cunard do.

A few people asked which we preferred, QV or QM2, very difficult to judge after relatively little time on either, both are lovely and comfortable ships offering great service, at the moment the Jury is out on that one.

So we now look forward to Queen Mary 2 in October next year but before that Fred Olsen this September and Sky Princess in May 2027, followed by Fred again in July. May 2027, followed by Fred again in July.

[Portsmouth]

Just love a long detailed cruise review.....Sorry you had to miss Porto. Enjoyed reading your thoughts about the Queen Vic

[Onelife]

I’m just wondering how anyone can afford to go on so many cruises…you’re clearly not a gambler CC

[Ray B]

Cheshire Cruiser, nice review of your cruise, and again rough seas mean another change or missed port. There does seem quite a lot of cruise ships having to change the itinerary or having a difficult time because of the rough seas since the start of the year.
Interesting your remark on muster stations. I do think the old way of attending a hosted muster and told what to do and not to do in an emergency and how to put on a life jacket and then physically do yourself is the way forward. I don't think many new cruisers sit and watch the safety drill on the cabin tv. We are getting a bit complacent to safety until, God forbid, we are urgently call to muster stations and the ensuing chaos of those not knowing where to go.
Back to your cruise, well done for covering lots of places on the ship and reporting your views in a week, you certainly toured the ship, I found it very interesting, thank you.

[Ray B]

I’m just wondering how anyone can afford to go on so many cruises…you’re clearly not a gambler CC

He/She may be, and cruising is a result of picking the winners.

[CaroleF]

Thank you for that detailed review. I've only been on one short five night cruise with Cunard on Queen Elizabeth. I and my late husband cruised with P&O over 30 times. We enjoyed our short cruise, a balcony cabin, but there were several things that were disappointing but I think it was just circumstances, a new waiter, poor service at dinner, lack of a wine waiter. At that time, I can't remember exactly which year, probably around 2016 P&O offered better service than they do now. I would certainly consider going on another Cunard cruise but my main problem is that I now need to take a power chair and I believe trying to book a cruise with a guaranteed Evac chair is as difficult as it is on P&O without booking when a cruise is released on sale. From what you say it sounds as if Cunard has more of the things that P&O used to have and also doesn't now aim at families, and still has that special feeling P&O used to have. Other than that I'll be looking at Fred who I have been with three times and Saga who I've yet to try.

[david63]

I don't think many new cruisers sit and watch the safety drill on the cabin tv.

The Princess system is about as good as you can get. Report to your muster station as you board. Watch the safety video on your TV or phone (or at least have it on in the vicinity of your Medallion) and until you have done that you cannot access anything else on the TV.

I am not a great fan of everybody on the move at the same time going to their muster station to sit there for half an hour, many not paying any attention by reading of playing on their devices or complaining that they cannot get a drink.

The only thing that any passenger really needs to know is where their muster station is, and possibly where their life-jacket is - everything else can, and will, be dealt with at the time.

I have said this many times before that if there was to be an emergency then it would be total chaos with the "entitled" pushing and shoving to get to the front.

[Meg 50]

I agree with David re everyone attending their muster stn at once - not listening , putting on life jackets when specifically told not to yet etc etc....

I also admit to being complacent about the TV version. It's on when arriving in the cabin, but easily switched over and often never getting round to going back to see if anything has changed

[Mervyn and Trish]

We're fans of Victoria, one of our favourite ships. Thanks for an excellent review.

[Onelife]

The good thing about those who don’t bother going to the muster briefing is that should the ship go down and you see them going in the right direction you can shout out and say “you’re going the wrong way”, thus, leaving a bit more space for those that do go.

I’m a survivor

[Mervyn and Trish]

Excellent plan.

[Ray B]

Good one OL, thinking out of the box.

[Cheshire Cruiser]

Quite a few positive responses, thank you all.

Re the muster / drill questions, Princess were actually one of the lines where it was left to us to find our own way to our muster station to register (at your own convenience prior to sailing) rather than the forced on boarding process which many new cruisers may not remember where they were sent and not understand why - on QV they did explain the why on registering there which I think relatively unusual. Of course it is all explained on the TV and as David points out on Princess you must have watched it (or at least have let it run through) before you can activate the TV programmes.

A couple of further thoughts on QV, we were impressed with the wide range of TV channels available athough we could not locate any sort of TV guide, probably available from reception, sorry in Cunard paralance, The Pursers Office. And I noted we were on a Voyage, not a Cruise!
We were surprised there was no Captains/Officers reception, once known as the Captain's Cocktail Party (even without cocktails) perhaps Cunard do not do this until a level of Loyalty has been reached? We did notice people queueing, invitation in hand, on the first formal night - and in passing, very high observance of the dress code on these nights.

Re missing ports perhaps becoming more common, I wonder if Cruise lines have become generally more risk averse, on our cruise ages ranged for under 3s to over 90s and both the very young and the fairly old as well as those walking with mobility issues will be more susceptible to falls and hence injuries (and any of us can be caught off balance by a sudden and unexpected movement) and thus potentially claims and bad publicity, play safe and bear the probably few complaints about the port not visited.

[Cheshire Cruiser]

One other comment to add. Whatever has happened to Ships Photographers these days, they now seem only to be interested in taking Portraits both Formal and Informal. What has happened to those which we (and no doubt many others) used to purchase as a reminder of a happy trip, embarkation photos, gangway photos at ports, photos at social occasions, photos at Sailaways, photos in Restaurants. They used to sometimes go with the excursions too. Although we had no social occasions on this cruise we had three sailways and attended two of these, not a photographer to be seen, we didn't see a photographer in a restaurant, asked about gangway, 'we don't do that'. Exactly the same on Aurora last year plus on that cruise they did not appear at any of; the Captain's reception, the Caribbean Lunch, the Peninsular Party - we did see one at the final sailaway but not at any of the others, and this was on the 16th day so we didn't bother but all were events where we might well have purchased photos, typically between five and ten per cruise dependant on cruise length and quality of product. Their sales in terms on numbers sold must have plummeted, although maybe due to increased prices for portraits the revenue might be level.
It is such a shame, we have a shelf full of books of these photos, happy memories.
Happy to report however on Fred Olsen last May we purchased six on just a five night cruise, embarkation, gangways, on deck and with the captain - and at much more reasonable prices too! Something to look forward to in September.

[Ray B]

Cheshire Cruiser, the photographers were out and about on Ambassador Ambiance, just like the old days on P&O. Whilst they did come into the restaurant, they asked if anyone would like a photo taken, a quick polite no, and they moved on.
Mrs B and myself always stopped for a photo on the quayside but never bought one. It just gave us something more to look at in the evening, Over the 40 nights on board, we built up quite a lot, just a bit of fun.