Queen Victoria Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We are a couple in our mid thirties who took a seven night cruise on the queen Victoria from Rome to Venice. This formed part of a wider European vacation.
Overall we did enjoy our holiday but we wanted to make this review so passengers can be informed as the queen Victoria is a different set up to other cruises. We were in a deluxe inside room on level 8. Perfect floor. One down from the buffet, pools and generally nicer to be higher up. The room was big, well serviced, of high quality and our deal came with a bottle of verve on arrival which was a lovely touch.
The boat is very luxurious and has strict dress requirements. We attended the main restaurant on two nights, one formal, one not (both require a jacket). Although a lovely room the food was relatively cold and by way of example would you expect tinned pears in a pear and rocket salad in a five star restaurant? Advice.....if you can't get fresh pears don't make that salad. The room was understaffed with drinks taking a long time and although the food was nice it was not our scene. As a vegetarian I was offered a menu every day to choose from for the next night which was wonderful. But....after two nights we tried the buffet. Yes you collect your own food and the chairs aren't pretty but it's a five star buffet. Hot food, lots of choice and if you don't like the wealth of food on offer fresh pizza and pasta can be made to order. You don't go on a boat like that for pizza but we did have one one night when we didn't like the buffet choices and it was lovely. Best of all you can choose the time you eat dinner, go In normal clothes and it's quiet. Drink service is fast and easy. We spent a couple of nights watching the sunset whilst everyone else either ate in the first sitting of the posh restaurant or were getting blamed up for second sitting, it was magical.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Inside
Brilliant choice of cabin. High up and large. Easy to get to the pool, easy to get to food and quiet. Great and dark so you get a good sleep.
Very close to laundry. As most guests sit in the laundry got hours waiting for a slot it's worthwhile to have as you can run out and check on the off chance one is free. Try 7pm, most are at dinner or doing their hair for late sitting. Also on port days, they all head out very early, sleep in, stay on the boat a bit longer and out your washing on. It's busy to get off anyway in the morning so you save time overall.
Port Reviews
Rome (Civitavecchia)
Rome is amazing, spend days here not just a day from a cruise. The Vatican, pantheon, colleseum, Spanish steps, piazzas wonderful I'm every way.
We stayed here for 3 nights before our cruise and would have stayed longer. The food, cultures architecture, history wonderful.
Corfu
We walked from the boat it was an ok walk. Go to the front and pay to climb the fort. Amazing view, some nice history. There is also a lot of tacky shopping which we didn't like. Had a lovely local lunch and enjoyed the day.
Kotor
Beautiful in every way. We climbed almost to the top of the fort. View and history in abundance. The old stone buildings, the lovely antipasto lunch all wonderful a place we would like to spend more time in.
Dubrovnik
We walked the wall, pretty expensive but very pretty. Nice old stone buildings and views. Packed with tourists and very tacky in places. Not somewhere we would return to.
Venice
Well below expectations. Rialto bridge....full of tacky shops. Water smelly, piazza disappointing. Packed with tourists and just a massive let down. Couldn't wait to leave heade for Milan on the train early which is womderful. Allow a couple of hours for Venice, move on and tick it off your bucket list (it should never be on there)