We love cruising, and we love Cunard. We booked and paid for 14 nights from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton on Cunard’s Queen Victoria. This was the last segment of an approximately 80-night voyage around South America, and it was as close to perfect as you can get.
One of the primary elements that made it perfect were smooth seas. Storms are beyond anyone’s control, but the Captain can attempt to steer around them. As a result, we missed our port call in Bermuda, but we had 14 days of smooth sailing.
Crossing the Atlantic on Cunard’s Queen Victoria
Cruise lines have personalities. My idea of a perfect cruise is not everyone’s idea of a perfect cruise. Generally speaking, Cunard is for people who enjoy dressing up. The ship has a two story library because many passengers like to read. The passengers are am international mix.
During the winter, Cunard does long voyages with at least two of its four ships. We joined Queen Victoria for the last 14 days of an 80-day voyage around South America. This is considered a Discovery voyage. The other, more extended winter trip is the World Cruise. You might think spending 100+ nights at sea on a World Cruise is a bucket list item. For many of the passengers, these extended trips are an annual event. They encounter friends they see once a year, but that get-together lasts three or four months.
Boarding in Fort Lauderdale
We boarded in Fort Lauderdale. Although this was the start of our 14 nights, we were entering the last act of the 80-day voyage for the large number of people who were on for the entire trip.
Are they friendly? Does the size of your cabin matter? Cunard has had a class system for as long as anyone can remember. The suites are called the Princess and Queens Grill categories. They have restricted dining rooms, a cocktail lounge, and deck space. Grill passengers have the run of the ship, but the majority of passengers, those of us traveling in Britannia class, cannot access their restricted areas.
Back to the friendly and status part. You do not know where someone’s cabin is located unless they tell you. Once you step outside your cabin, everyone is treated with the same respect by the ship’s company. It is easy to make friends for several reasons:
- It is an imaginary world. In real weekday life, most of us do not have cocktails before dinner, enjoy a four-course meal, attend an evening show, or walk through a softly lit lobby with a piano playing in the background.
- People are in a good mood. You are on vacation. So is everyone else.
- You are disconnected from the real world. Internet connectivity is not excellent. TV news programs are limited. World news is reduced to a short passenger newsletter. You are disconnected from most of the worries associated with global news.
- Timelines are shortened. Back on land, you might take weeks or months to cultivate a relationship. It needs to fit in alongside work. Onboard, this imaginary world wraps up after 14 days. Relationships develop quicker.
We encountered fabulous people on our voyage. Bear in mind, everyone is well-traveled. The easiest way to meet people is to attend the trivia quizzes. Our ship held them at least four times daily in the Golden Lion pub. (They attract 100+ people!) I limit myself to one per day. Here are some of the people we met.
- Let’s fall in love. The woman in the couple sailed on the QE2. On the voyage, she met her wine steward. They reconnected after the voyage, marrying four months later. They have been together for 40+ years.
- Police. Another woman lives in Bermuda full-time. She worked for Scotland Yard in London and was assigned to the murder squad in Bermuda during the unrest years ago. She stayed and retired on the island.
- I think we know each other. We were getting off the elevator, and a fellow said, “I think we know each other.” He was a guest at our wedding in 1982, which was 43 years ago! I knew who he was immediately because we still use the wedding present he gave us.
We booked an ocean view cabin with an obstructed view. It looked out over the lifeboats. This was not a big deal, as you still get plenty of light. The bigger issue was unexpected. You notice the light changing and realize a crew member is on the catwalk, washing or painting something! Thankfully, the windows have sheers and drapes. The cabin is about 220 to 240 square feet. The size id fine and there is plenty of storage space. The only drawback is the shower, which has a curtain instead of a glass door.
Dining Options Onboard
It is a tradition that your meals are included with your cruise fare. Cruise lines are hit by inflation, too. Over the years, you can see a general “cutting back” taking place. The menu in the Britannia dining room has less beef and lamb, more pork and chicken. The menu still features four courses with five entrees available. To balance off the beef and lamb issues, there are always three additional choices: steak frites, chicken, and salmon. They also feature filet mignon and lobster à la carte items. Portion sizes are small, which is good because you are constantly eating. You can order seconds or double up if you choose.
The one place you can get into trouble is the Lido Buffet on Deck 9. In this venue, you can have as much as you want from as many stations as you want. After three days, my body told me, “Stop eating!”
Cruise ships have specialty restaurants. The Queen Victoria has one, the Verandah Steakhouse. As I recall, the lunch supplement is $35, and the dinner supplement is $65. However, the steaks are great, and the portions are abundant. We visited three times. My wine and food pairing lunch took place in the Verandah. We celebrated a tablemate’s dinner, and we both had lunch in the steakhouse.
What about entertainment? There is plenty to do, and I must admit, even though we had 14 days, I did not scratch the surface. Yes, we attended several of the Cunard Insights lectures. My favorite was Sally Gunnel, OBE. She won a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. I faithfully attended the 4:30 PM daily quiz. I caught a few minutes of the Cunard choir performance. The captain conducts the interdenominational religious service on Sunday morning, and it is well done. The art lectures were quite good.
What did I miss? We did not catch any evening shows in the Royal Court Theater. I knew there was a fencing class, but I missed it. There was a performance of Pride and Prejudice I missed too. I missed all of the various themed social get-togethers.
Cunard helps passengers meet by organizing meet-ups. There is a daily solo traveler gathering and another for Christian fellowship. They have one for Rotary members, Women’s Institute members, LGBTQ+, car enthusiasts, and even Argentine Tango dancers. You meet like-minded people and take it from there.
The ship’s British character comes through in many ways. There is afternoon tea, served at 3:00 PM. They have a British pub. When a major football (soccer) match is scheduled, several widescreen TVs in the Winter Garden show the game.
This was our first time seeing the Country Fayre, which apparently, they have on these extended voyages. This is similar to a Village Fete, which is familiar to Midsomer Murders fans. They have a series of games. They also have a Second Rand Rose shop. This sells clothing and other items donated during the voyage. (Possibly articles of clothing that no longer fit?) This required days of organizing in advance. Passenger volunteers sorted, sized, and priced clothing. Several passengers, you could tell, have done this back home in their villages. On the day of the event, the pop-up shop was mobbed. Who would not buy shoes if the prices were $3.00, $5.00, or $10.00 a pair?
How about ports? The day after we embarked, the ship stopped in Freeport, Grand Bahamas. This was a non-event. Perhaps a shore excursion would have made a difference. We were back on the ship 30 minutes later. We missed Bermuda because of the weather. Our major port was in the Azores, Ponte Delgarda. This was excellent. We had an overnight visit. We took a shore excursion which was very good. We would return. There is a lot to like.
We spent lots of time relaxing and doing nothing. The ship has a two story library. Why? Because plenty of other people like to relax in a shaded spot on deck, reading a good book.
As you can tell, we had a great time.
