Cunard Line ms Queen Victoria Maiden Voyage "Rotterdam"

[breyerismythang223]

my teacher is part of the cunard family!

[djdisney1]

Can't wait till the sixth of may now woop 2 weeks onboard QV

anyone got tips on what to do?

[ColemanHeald]

Hello it's us again. We were their in Rotterdam on the day. Can't believe we missed you! Visit our site for a full tour of the ship and the fireworks and also the QE2/QV passing salute just before we docked. Cheers!

[Bunshinsaba]

She's one of the few ships with a nostaglic atmosphere to here interior. Name another at sea currently that looks like her on the inside? The public areas in their wood and ivory outfitting relaxed and soothed me. The atrium is tasteful with its wonderful cafes, card room, Todd English, and the two-deck library. But if you like Royal Caribbean, pub crawl night, and a casino that runs the breadth of the ship..that's your choice.

[Maasdam1993]

I not agree with you. here fleet mate QM2 have the same type of interior. And looks much better then the QV interiors. I never saw so much beige, brown in one interior. never saw a design so screwed up by so many interior styles together. She's an excellent example of retro style go wrong. In that she cannot surpass Royal Caribbean ore sister line Holland America Line. There are other vessels around who have much better retro style interiors. ms Deutchland, the ships of Star Clipper.

[Bunshinsaba]

I like the brown and beige - lots of of it. That's why I like the Queen Victoria. It's warm and comfortable to sail on. And a lot of passengers on the maiden agreed, and many like the Queen Victoria more than the QM2. And these were Diamond and Platinum Cunard passengers who thought so. Yes, the MS Deutschland is wonderful and I would love to sail on her. The Clippers are not liners.

[homeric9]

Another chat page is calling her "Mrs. Brown..."

You have to feel a bit bad for the Victoria..so few people seem to think she's anything special.

[homeric9]

It isn't a question of liking one brand's over another. The Vicky is a prime example of Carnival's philosphy to recycle as much as possible in terms of design. The Vicky is not offensive at all, just boring. There is a soothing feel to her interior (much was carried over from QM2). But when I look at her I get the feeling she's more of an amusement ride, saying "this is what a british ship should look like". She doesn't raise the bar at all, she relies too much on past designs and ideas.

[Bunshinsaba]

Don't you have a job? A life? Something to do other than rant and rant with your negativity. Uh... senior citizens.

[joecraine001]

A typical arguement from someone who can't think of any substanative to use. You represent the exact customer Carnival wishes to extract money from. Nothing wrong with that all if you enjoy it. But Carnival has made itself and its brands destination for the masses. You simply allow yourself to buy into a experience that is anything but original. A mass marketed pyramid to extract cash on the highest possible level. The most unattractive way to vacation for many.

[silvermetalflake]

"A typical arguement from someone who can't think of any substanative to use." Are you talking to me? If not.. to whom are you referring? And in any event... Queen Victoria is a cruise ship. It is in the cruise ship industry. It is suppose to be designed to attract the masses; that's the whole philosophy of the cruise industry. If you don't like that philosophy... maybe you should try sailboats or yachts.

[joecraine001]

I was addressing my comments to Bunshinsaba who says he loves the Victoria because he "loves bashe, lots and lots of bashe". Unless you are Bunshinsaba too? The problem with anything mass produced is when it becomes big it becomes more visible. I think the Victoria is nice enough but she is definetly one who deserves the knocks her creators have built within her. Sadly when her sister comes out (a mirror reflection of the Vicky I assure you)the economical design choices will become glaring clear

[silvermetalflake]

Great video! Thanks! I was on that maiden voyage and just LOVED IT!! She is a beautiful ship!!

[homeric9]

Im curious as a prior ppassenger what makes her so beautiful? Her exterior is a design that has been many times before. Her interior while certainly not offensive has so many borrowed elements to it. I've never seen a vessel before that disappears into the existing market as the Vicky does. Nothing new or innovative about her. She is the biggest bore in the business.

[titanic7grl]

all ships are beautiful

[homeric9]

This one isn't ugly but she's certainly no beauty. She was originally layed down as a vessel for Holland America, another Vista Class Hull design. Vista is nice but has been used so often it has become tired (check out all the "cousins" Vicky has). Carnival has been known to get change back from their designers and on the Vicky it shows. Princess Cruise designers borrowed HEAVILY from existing floor plans and fittings. Very little is original and the end product leaves a great deal to be desired

[Maasdam1993]

No this vessel was not layed down fore HAL. She was ordered by Carnival special fore Cunard. But based on the HAL Vista's. The one laid down fore HAL then transfered to Cunard and was given the name Queen Victoria then on here turn transfered to P&O and became there Arcadia before the vessel was finished. The Arcadia showed here close link with HAL vista al the way through here interior with ceilings which found also a/b the HAL vessels.

[homeric9]

Thank you for clarifying the details. But the essence of my point is still intact. In that Carnival altered a well known Vista Hull design for the Vicky. The point you are making with the interior does allow Vicky to escape the fact her inerior is largely recycled from other Carnival brands, specifically Princess. Look at Princess interiors then look at Vicky. Carnival has long gotten by ont he cheap by using over and over elements from other ships.

[silvermetalflake]

Homeric9... You've never even sailed on the Queen Victoria by the sounds of it. How can you pass judgement on something you have not experiecned to the fullest?

[homeric9]

So your point is if one hasn't been aboard the Vicky then it is impossible to come to any conclusion about the finished product? What I find interesting Silver is as a prior passenger like you and your wife don't see the carbon copy details from the QM2 to the Vicky. Not similarities, but carried over in exact detail, size and position from one vessel to the next. I invite you to look over the interior specs for the Grand Princess and then look over the Vicky's and see for yourself the closeness

[homeric9]

Beyond the grand foyer Silver look at the Britannia & Todd English restaurants, the pool area, the chairs in the casino, railings in the arcade, chairs and sofas in the Commodore, cabin design/layout, light fixtures in the Queens Room, chairs in the lido buffet, chairs in the English Restaurant. All these elements Silver and many more are all carried over elements found on Carnival, P&O, Costa, Princess and Cunard. When you carry over so much replication Silver it becomes harder to ignore.

[silvermetalflake]

Railings & light fixtures? Who cares. There is more to a ship than railings and light fixtures, sofas and what not. It's the whole package and how they are used and make you feel, not to mention the passengers that surround them. So until you have gone on the ship and spent time on her, your opinion is nothing more than from the outside looking in. Mine, of course is the opposite because I have been there and done that. Try it - you might like it and have a different opinion.

[homeric9]

I suppose being the occasional visitor does lend itself some weight on the subject. Of course having not been aboard but involved in the cruise ship industry for over 30 years wouldn't lend itself as much weight as your one trip aboard.

Becuase you don't see it Silver doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Fact is even Carnival knows it has in part alienated the core customers from its brands. Oceania has picked up what Carnival dropped, Azamarza as well (though not as effectively).

[homeric9]

What's interesting in your reply Silver is what you do not acknowledge. Princess Cruises designed the Victoria, Cunard does not have it's own designers. What you pay so much homage to is created by a competing brand. Carol Marlow, President of Cunard came over from Princess. She answers to Peter Ratcliffe CEO of Princess. What you like so much about the Cunard experience has been created by Princess Cruises.

[homeric9]

What it comes down to Silver is the growing acknoweldgement of the lack of originality within the Carnival brands. There is simply too much carry over in a company as big as they are for people NOT to start to notice. It's amusing for you to highlight the grand foyer of the Vicky when it is an adaptation from any Princess vessel done in brown, go look online. Why pay a Cunard premium when P&O use the same ships, designers, staff and use the same ports of call for far less? It makes no sense.

[silvermetalflake]

Yes it does make sense, alot of sense, and it is all about the people. I've sailed Celebrity, NCL etc and I'll take the people we meet on Cunard ships (out of Southampton) any day!! Example.. formal night. I want to see TUXEDOS... not Yanks in sweaters, Gap slacks and blue blazers. Similarly.. loud bands playing on the Lido deck while fat Westerners jockey in line at the buffet table for a second plate of barbecue ribs is NOT my idea of a good view, time, or anything else.

[homeric9]

If it is speaking purely in terms of formailty I would take Oceania Cruises hands down. Beyond the tuxedo atmosphere the settings on their ships have rich mahogney, marble floors, formal staircases and rich tapestries and carpets. Oceania provides an original, elegant atmosphere on ships who's designs are replicated but still considered exclusive due to the small nature of their company. They recently intro'd 2 newbuilds that thankfully are different interiorwise from the earlier ships.

[homeric9]

And Oceania , who is owned by Apollo investments, who is competive in terms of available cash as Carnival can create indivdual statements on their vessels Carnival is certainly capable of doign the same. Carnival consciously decides not to and that difference is exactly my point. With all the available resources to create an elegant and formal vessel and simply borrow elements from other vessels, repaint them brown and call it original and think the travelling public will buy it is absurd.

[homeric9]

Lastly and in short Silver..if you think Cunard is the height of formality at sea then you really need to switch travel agents because you're missing out on a lot.

[silvermetalflake]

I don't think Cunard is the height of formality... I just prefer the class of people that tend to sail on the ships. And design is important, that is why I like the Queen Victoria. First and foremost - and not even the QM2 can stand against this - NO elevators in the main lobby. They are placed just fore and are very unassuming. The lobby of the QV is the very definition of elegant simplicity. I checked some Princess ship lobbys - too labrinthyian - winding stairs galore. Yuck

[homeric9]

What it comes to is individual taste and as I've stated the Vicky isn't a bad ship, just disappointing. With the billions of dollars and talent in Carnival's UK office alone to simply borrow so much from its brands for the Vicky and call it original is just playing it safe and that can be dangerous for any company to do never mind on the scale of Carnival. The industry is starting to respond, even Carnival has started to do things differently but they still go by way of cheap. Very frustrating.

[homeric9]

Beyond the grand foyer Silver look at the Britannia & Todd English restaurants, the pool area, the chairs in the casino, railings in the arcade, chairs and sofas in the Commodore, cabin design/layout, light fixtures in the Queens Room, chairs in the lido buffet, chairs in the English Restaurant. All these elements Silver and many more are all carried over elements found on Carnival, P&O, Costa, Princess and Cunard. When you carry over so much replication Silver it becomes harder to ignore.

[homeric9]

As another poster pointed out Silver Cunard technically no longer exists as an entity. Princess Cruises makes every decision from the every day to the ship design on behalf of Cunard. Princess is in effect applying their interpertation of what Cunard should look like. Cunard no longer has its own seperate design and management team. Carnival has green lighted the easiest possible marketing plan for Cunard, the line of the Queens. And has applied a modified hand me down philosphy to it.