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Queen Victoria Maiden World Cruise |
| Reviewed By: Banks, St Margaret's Hope on 9th May 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Cunard Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Queen Victoria |
Sailed:
January,
2008 |
| Destination: World Cruise |
Age: 56-65 |
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We were on the Maiden World Cruise of the ‘Queen Victoria’ and for us the experience exceeded our expectations in that that the atmosphere and ambience of the ship was so happy, relaxed, elegant and comfortable, that it became our home away from home.
The public rooms, with their décor, artwork and beautiful flower arrangements, could not be faulted, though the size of our balcony stateroom was the bare minimum with a miniscule shower room where the wash-hand basin was only fit for washing hands, about half the size of those in the public washrooms.
However, the Ship’s Company, in particular the waiters & waitresses, stewards & stewardesses, go out of their way to give passengers a memorable holiday, making the passenger feel valued and cosseted and that your satisfaction is their main concern.
There was a lot of high quality entertainment, with excellent musicians, but few of the musical shows that many passengers prefer to see. Those we did see were superb.
There are many formal nights on a World Cruise and for us, the less formal alternative dining available in the Lido Buffet, became increasingly attractive though there did seem to be a problem here keeping the food hot.
We experienced an adventure in travel that took us to amazing places, seeing lush tropical rainforest and arid desert, so many diverse cultures and places where history was made. However, we did wonder at the wisdom of calling into so many ports, e.g. two in Vietnam, three in India, when time was so limited in places where we would have been happier to spend longer.
Also, we found U.S. Immigration procedures an absolute trial: everyone has to get off the ship and no one can return until all passengers have been processed, which can take 3-4hrs. We stood for an hour and a half in a cold draughty warehouse in New York in January, and then the same procedure had to be endured in Los Angeles, because we had been out of the U.S.A. In both ports, the result was a serious reduction in the time available for our sightseeing.
Another criticism we have of both Cunard and Victoria Travel was their unhelpfulness when we were trying to get health insurance. When they were made aware of a medical condition, which they were not prepared to cover, they seemed to wash their hands of any effort to help us find an alternative. Fortunately, we did manage to get cover on-line ourselves, but we would have appreciated some advice about whom to contact.
In listing some of these negative aspects of the cruise, I would not like to give the impression that there were major shortcomings. Overall, it was a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Breakfast and lunch in the Lido, Dinner in Britania restaurant and in Lido. | | Entertainment | |
| Cunard singers and dancers were excellent. | | Shore Excursions | |
| Only complaint was that there was a lack of information about the ports prior to arrival, thus not allowing enough time to decide whether to take a tour or not. | | Staff |  |
| All excellent. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins |  |
| Very small and lack of drawers. Very small bathroom. | | Overall Rating | |
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