We wanted a luxury ship for an 80th birthday celebration with an interesting itinerary and that’s what we got. We were in a Balcony cabin mid ships and we were able to enjoy room service breakfast on our balcony before excursions. The Britannia restaurant was excellent and all our meals were delicious apart from a tough piece of meat early in the cruise, but when I mentioned this to the head waiter he took it seriously and it never happened again. The afternoon tea service was very good and included. We enjoyed the entertainment and the talks, our service was excellent and we enjoyed our port excursions with no hitches. We really have no complaints at all except for the fact that every last coffee, tea, soft drink and alcoholic drink was charged and the markup on wine was excessive. Since we are not heavy drinkers this expense was kept in check but I felt that I had to keep a close watch on the bill. We had manicures and pedicures of a high standard, also expensive and a hard sell on products, which I have to say are excellent. WiFi for first time cruisers with Cunard was costly. All the embarkation and disembarkation processes were smooth with no queuing for the beginning and excursions. The final disembarkation was a bit chaotic because everyone had to go to the theatre at a designated time but because so many people turned up and the announcement was only in the theatre, it was packed and overflowing and anyone who could not get in was unaware of their instructions. Word of mouth spread the information. A better system would be to make a tannoy announcement around the deck and allow people to gather on that deck. Read Less

We have sailed with other cruise lines a number of times and we were booked on a trans-Atlantic sailing with one of those other lines when we looked into the possibility of arriving at the departure point by taking the Queen Mary to England. We thought that as opposed to flying, taking the Queen Mary would be an alternate method of getting to Southampton and it would allow us to experience travel on the Cunard line. In researching the Queen Mary, we came across the Queen Elizabeth Mediterranean Europe sailing. The itinerary, price and timing were excellent so we booked. We arrived in Southampton four days before our sailing and checked into a historic (and supposedly haunted), hotel in the old town. As expected, we did not see any ghosts but we loved the ambiance of a storied building with a bit of quirkiness. We also enjoyed a day trip to Winchester which was easily achieved by taking a local bus and touring on our own. On the day of departure, 15 October, 2018, we headed to the port around 12:10pm. I would be remiss if I did not comment on the excellent boarding process. Never have we encountered such a smooth, seamless and speedy check-in as we did with this sailing. Cunard set a service standard with its handling of the check-in, security screening and overall boarding experience. From the time we arrived to the time we entered our cabin, we were welcomed and made to feel like we were valued guests. Given that this was our first sailing with the Cunard line, we were very impressed. Two things of note that both surprised and pleased us was the availability of our cabin and luggage delivery. There was no waiting around in overcrowded common areas for our cabin to be opened to us. Upon boarding, we were told our cabin was available to us and we found it ready and waiting. Some friends had purchased special items for us and these were already in the cabin which although expected, showed a certain level of efficiency given the quick turn-around time to service and set up each cabin. Shortly after we entered our cabin, all of our luggage was delivered. This was truly impressive and a marked difference from what we have experienced on different cruise lines where we have experienced waits of up to eight hours. Our cabin was 8129 which falls into category “BC”. It is an irregular sized room which gives it a little more space than normal. It also meant that the balcony is a little larger as well. Over-all I would describe the cabin as having sufficient space for our needs and we found it to be quite comfortable. The two seat sofa, which I understand is also a sofa bed, was a little tired looking but not shabby. The bathroom was a good size. I had read reviews that indicated the showers were small but I found the shower, and bathroom as whole, to be fairly consistent in size with those found on ships associated with other cruise lines and perhaps even fractionally larger. We had plenty of closet space. Given that ours was a 17 day sailing with four (4) formal nights, we had packed a lot of clothes, the available storage space was appreciated. Our cabin attendant, Glenn, was excellent. Dining was in the Britannia Dining room and was a bit of mixed experience for us. We are used to open dining options (such as “My Time” or “Select” dining), so having a fixed seating dinner time was not the best option for us. Unfortunately our only options other than the daily buffet had been early, late or specialty dining. Also disappointing is the fact that this fixed seating meant that we, and all others in our assigned dinning time, were seated at specific tables that would be ours for the duration of the sailing. For those used to flexible times and the ability to move around to different tables, this was a let-down. Our little table for two was not in the best location but to be fair, there were certainly worse areas in which to be seated. I could see windows but we were far enough removed from those windows to be disappointed that every evening we would be doomed to miss every single sail away from port or the ability to view the sunsets. Since the ship was departing most evenings around the 6pm time-frame, our only option was to miss either our assigned dinner seating or the view of the sail away and/or sunsets. What was fairly maddening, is that there were tables by the windows, which were often unoccupied. For example when we departed Venice, it would have been delightful to view our departure as we dinned however several choice seating tables by windows remained unoccupied while we strained to catch a glimpse of anything from our mid room perch. Surely there is a fair solution to this problem and going to payment for an open seating option on the upper level of the Britannia restaurant is one of them. As with other cruise lines, we would be willing to pay extra for an open dining option that assigns window seats on a first come, first serve basis. The food was on average, good. I rate it as good as it was inconsistent. Some days the food was exceptional (five star), and other days it was adequate at best. Service was always superb. Presentation was usually quite good and all meals arrived well displayed and visually pleasing. A very nice touch was the production, at the last evening meal of the sailing, of a folder containing copies of every menu used during the sailing. Nicely done! A quick word about the dress code. We loved the formal evenings and we also enjoyed the dress code and the fact it was enforced. It was a far departure from a trans-Atlantic cruise we took last year. On that cruise we were seated at dinner on a “formal night” and the photos from that evening show that while we were in evening wear, the people at the next table sported shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops. Unfortunately that couple were not the only ones who adversely affected the overall look and tone of the evening so Cunard’s dress code policy was refreshing and the formal evenings were elegant. We bought one meal in “The Veranda” a specialty dining restaurant. The décor was chic, the service exquisite and the presentation of all components of the meal was stunning. The appetizers were excellent, the main course poor (for both of us), despite sending one meal back. We normally enjoy three or more meals in a specialty dining room(s) during a cruise but even the lovely atmosphere and a great table by a window was not enough to tempt us back into the Veranda. There is another dining option in the form of a Lido deck offering. For a small surcharge we were able to dine in a reserved area of the Lido deck offering specialty food themes that change throughout the cruise (American, Asian etc). Service and food were excellent. We will certainly enjoy this option on our next cruise. Entertainment was very good. I confess that we did not attend all the shows and in fact probably missed 60% of the theatre entertainment. Our first-hand experience, although limited, was thoroughly enjoyable. Comfortable seating, quality acts. There were a lot of activities onboard but no more or less than we have found on other cruise lines. The library was outstanding both in appearance and content. Spanning two levels with a spiral staircase and dark wood paneling, it exuded comfort and warmth. For those of us who usually motor through several books on a sailing, it was a little oasis. The Golden Lion pub was a treat and I confess that we attended the various daily trivia events with great enthusiasm. It would have been nice to have some sort or progressive trivia with a prize at the end. The pub atmosphere was congenial and informal. We met numerous people and also partook of the fish and chips at lunch which was very good. Given that we were enjoying the peaceful solitude of our balcony, we did not spend a lot of time in the outdoor common areas of the ship. We did however enjoy a spirited game of chess on the giant outdoor chess board. Overall Queen Elizabeth experience was excellent and we were so impressed with the Cunard line that we booked another sailing and we have convinced a number of friends to join us. Read Less

Though Cunard are not the cheapest, the whole experience was slick and smooth. We booked a Britannia balcony cabin, with coach transfer as part of the deal. Excellent coach to Southampton with two stops on the way. Arrived on time and in cabin within 30mins. We chose earlyt dining (6.30pm) on table of 8 and had good company - we moved round the table as the cruise progressed. Formal dress (jacket a must), but informal dress at the all day Lido restaurant, which we chose on three occasions. Food and service in the Britannia restaurant were excellent, but be warned, alcoholic drinks are pricey. Lido food also very good with great choices for breakfast, lunch and evening meal. We didn't use any of the other restaurants (eg Verandah) were there is an additional charge. Evening entertainment was very good, and excellent at times, though we didn't see all the one hour shows. At 60 and 67 we were probably in the younger 10% on board. Only impact was the day time entertainmeent and some shows are aimed at the older age group. It didn't bother us at all. Excellent range of activitiess each 'sea day', including lectures/talks on forensics, historical evcents and politics. Also food demos, Bridge classes, line dancing, cinema and much more. Excursions are pricey, but good guides. We did two and found nearest Tourist Info and explored on foot in Cadiz, Venice, Hvar, Dubrovnik and Cagliaria. Need to book a tour for Sicily as Messina is just a dock port. Not much in Gibraltar either except tour of fortifications, which was very good. High street is like any British city. Gratuities are pricey (about £21 per day), but we went to Reception and asked to remove this from our bill - done without fuss. We arranged our own (well earned) gratuities at the end of the cruise to Head Waiter and Cabin Steward. Sockets in cabin are American and British. Tea and coffee makig facilities in cabin and all day in Lido, but hot drinks were reasonably priced in cafes on board. All in all, excellent experience - our first cruise, if a little pricey overall. Read Less

Loved the ship.The interior was beautiful.The meals in the Brittania restaurant were very good and our waiter was cheerful and helpful. Not too impressed with the entertainment.although the Harpist and string trio were very good. Embarkation was a fiasco and disembarkation wasn't much better .StateRoom and table for dining not assigned when we boarded the ship. Don't bother with the Verandah as I thought the meal wasn't worth the extra although the service was good On the whole though the food in all the other restaurants was very good. The two gala nights weren't what I would have called special.The Roaring Twenties night was neither roaring or Twenties, dancing was done to contemporary music,a big let down for me and my partner. The ports of call were lovely apart from Corfu and the excursions were overpriced for what they were.i shan't talk about the exhorbitant drink prices and the added 15% "for your convenience" charge. On the whole it was an enjoyable cruise but not quite the experience that I was hoping for. Read Less

My wife and I choose this cruise to celebrate our 27th anniversary just the 2 of us, and to visit Venice the first time; this ship docked overnight in Venice which is perfect to see this amazing city. We searched many cruise ships, and choose this one due to the brand name "Cunard" for luxury cruises. We found out to be over exaggerated. First the cabin is not comfortable due to the air conditioner in the stateroom is not able to turn off; you can set the temperature from cold to hot, but it won't turn the air off !!! We can't sleep with air running in high speed all the time, and made us sneezing most of the time; it's terrible. Checked with the room stewardess and he confirmed that it is centralized control. Secondly, the food is not that fantastic compared to our previous experiences with Holland America and Princess cruises. We, from time to time, ran into dirty glasses and plates. Also we felt sometimes 2nd class passengers because we could not attend the Queen Grill restaurant. 3rd the entertainments are not that great. They repeated the show; we have experienced during this 21 days cruise. And 4th we felt uncomfortable with the service and tender staff, because they spoke in their own Filipino language, and wished that they used English as their official communication. Read Less

This cruise was a part of Imagine Cruises Orient Express package-including Lake Garda and Florence. The other elements were fantastic but I will concentrate on the included 7 night cruise in this review. We have done a number of cruises previously mainly with Celebrity and RCI so have a fair idea about cruising. Our transfer from Florence to Civitavecchia went without problem and we were on board within 20 minutes of arrival. We were disappointed to find that Cunard do not do all in drinks packages and the on board prices were quite high with wine prices extortionate.We had a balcony stateroom on the 6th deck and we were pleased with its position near the forward lifts. There was lots of storage space and lots of hangers in the wardrobe(a plus). A welcoming half bottle of bubbly was waiting in our cabin- a nice touch. The cabin steward(Patrick) was efficient and unobtrusive. The ship was quintessentially old fashioned even though it was just over 10 years old - dark panelling was In abundance and understatement was the order of the day. Overall it was a very nice ship with a traditional feel. There were a mix of passengers on board with 1,300 Brits out of 2,000 total. There were a variety of different ages on board but the majority seemed to be over 65. Activities seemed to cater for this age group with ballroom dancing, afternoon tea and traditional games being predominant. The staff on board were excellent and were both polite and helpful. However, throughout the cruise we did not really relax as much as we expected. The cruise was a bit like going to your grandparents for tea - everything felt very nice but you needed to be on your best behaviour all the time in case anyone disapproved. This may have been down to the make up and age of the passenger complement but it felt a bit stifling at times. We ate in the Britannia restaurant in the evening and had either breakfast in our room or in the Lido buffet restaurant where we also had lunch. The food in the Britannia was different each night and of sufficient variety for most tastes. It was nicely presented and tasted ok but was not something that you would say “I could eat that again”. The waiting staff were friendly and efficient. Food in the Lido again was nicely presented and did what it said on the can - fast food for lots of people. It was our first time with fixed dining times so this put a bit of pressure on us time wise with 6.00pm dining rather a rush and 9.00pm dining too late for us. Freedom dining would have been better. Entertainment in the Theatre was good. The Queen Victoria song and dance group were standard for most cruises whilst the visiting entertainers were very good. Hannah Marie - a classical singer was very good, the comedian Phil Melbourne was hilarious and Revolver played lots of sixties songs quite well - catering for the age of the audience again. Tea dances, ballroom dances and line dancing were in evidence every day and various musicians played around the ship. The itinerary of the ship was very good with stops in Barcelona, Ajaccio, Villefranche and Livorno. It was possible to independently visit the first three but we did a ships tour to Pisa on the last stop. Overall, the cruise was a “nice” experience. Cabin, dining, staff and itinerary were all good or excellent. Other passengers -as with all cruises, were a mix of friendly ordinary people and others who had their own ideas of what a cruise was for and who should be on it. Entertainment in the Theatre was excellent and elsewhere catered for the Cunard clientele so we can’t really complain. Would we travel with Cunard again? Probably not. Nothing in particular and everything was very nice but not as relaxed as we had hoped. Disembarkation, in Civitavecchia was again easy with bags awaiting collection and the coach ready to take us to the airport. We were off and on the coach within 15 minutes of our allotted time. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the port itinerary. We are not that keen on sea days , nor on being on organised ship excursions so it is important to us to have a great list of ports to visit and to be able to do these ports easily on our own. This cruise was perfect for us with 10 ports to visit and 4 sea days. Embarkation was swift from Civitivecchia. We had spent 2 nights beforehand in Rome and caught the train to the port. Nothing to do with Cunard but the station at Civitivecchia is appalling for travellers with luggage . Poor, seeing as it is one the the major European cruiseports. Our balcony cabin on Deck 7 was superb, we couldn't fault it and it was beautifully maintained by our cabin steward, Marvin. Plentiful supplies of toiletries throughout our stay. The ship is very elegant and yes caters for a slightly older clientele, but there was a good mix of ages and for those of us young grandparents on board , which is what you would expect on an October cruise it was lovely to have mainly adults who behaved very well and not snobbish at all. We enjoyed dressing up for the Gala evenings , nicer than on Celebrity with evening chic, but have to admit that the jacket requirement for men every evening on a Med cruise should perhaps be reconsidered but that is Cunard and we knew what we were letting ourselves in for . It is easy to go casual at all times by eating in the Lido Buffet if so desired. We found the food in the Buffet where we ate Breakfast and Lunch to be excellent, much better than anticipated after reading the reviews and there was always a lovely atmosphere. We ate for 10 of the 14 nights in the Britannia Restaurant. We enjoyed the dining experience very much and our waiters , Miguel, assisted by Danber were great. However the food quality we felt was better in the Buffet. This was confirmed by many of the people we spoke to. We used breakfast Room Service on quite a few occasions on Port days and it was great. Cunards drinks prices are high. 35 dollars for wine but they do allow you to bring wine on board from ports for cabin consumption and soft drinks and water are freely available in the Buffet. Our main gripe on Restaurant Dining was that we didn't like the fixed time slot of 8.30 but 6 was way too early . Previously on other cruises, we had anytime dining and this we much preferred. Because of the high drinks prices and no drinks packages, the bars seemed very quiet compared to our previous cruises on Celebrity. The 4 shows we saw , we enjoyed. I used the gym and tried my hand or feet at Line Dancing. We preferred the Balcony to sitting on Deck but often wandered round the Decks and there always seemed to be lots of chairs available. The ship was kept spotless. The port shuttles were always waiting and the tender boats in Villefranche and Piran were managed very efficiently as was the launch in Venice. The weather was very kind to us. We had a great cruise and providing there is another great port itinerary we would have no hesitation in recommending or going back to the Queen Victoria . Disembarkation in Venice was easy and efficient and overnight in Venice on board ship was a real bonus. So privileged to have seen Venice by night. All in all a wonderful trip Read Less

We have cruised before on the Queen Mary 2 and it was wonderful. Friends told us the Queen Victoria was better and that is true. There are 2,040 passengers but the ship is so big that you have no feeling of being crowded. The dining experience is superb, both in the main dining room and up in the buffet. Oceania claim they have the best cuisine of any ship at sea but the Queen Victoria is better and it is much cheaper. The entertainment was incredible. A truly magnificent 1,000 seat theatre of red velvet sets. One night, the three brilliant singers had 1,000, 60, 70 and 80 year olds all standing, swaying and clapping in time to the singing. A truly wonderful experience. We sailed from Rome after spending 2 nights in a hotel in Rome. Visited Barcelona, Ajaccio, Monte Carlo, Livorno Italy, back to Civitavechia, Corfu, Kotor in Montenegro, Dubrovnik and then onto Venice for one night stay in a hotel before flying home. We came into both Corfu and Venice at sunrise and I have the most outstanding photographs of sunrises. Read Less

Just back from 17 nights first time on this ship but have travelled with Cunard previously on QM2 transatlantics. Amazing boarding experience no waiting at all we were in our cabin within 20 minutes from leaving the car. First thing that struck us about Elizabeth was the ceilings were lower & consequently fewer steps between each deck which meant we were less exhausted on arriving in the Lido buffet on the first few days than is typical when arriving in Kings Court! Over all the layout of the ship was easy to understand and finding ones way around was easy. Cabin 4178 was fine, plenty of storage and we didn't have any trouble fitting stuff in the shower room despite other peoples complaints about the size of the bathroom. We discovered we'd left all my husbands jackets & formal outfit at home about 30 minutes before the all aboard time which raised our stress levels. However we made some quick calls to family & by the end of muster drill had a plan to fed ex the case to our first port. Pursers desk were very helpful in getting us the relevant details & ensuring we could rent a tux for the first gala night. The Port Agent received the package & this ensured it was in our cabin when we returned from our day out. There were a few problems with the water, in the first week - one day necessitating cold or no showers for the afternoon/evening and we woke another day to a complimentary bottle of water outside the cabin because there had been an issue through the night that meant there was no water in the cabins - fortunately all back on by 5am so not too much of a problem. I think the refit team will be very busy in November. Staff were wonderful especially in the Commodore club & Carinthia. We had a table for 8 and 2nd sitting which was pleasant, we felt there was more repetition in the food than earlier trips - desserts designed to turn up reworked the following day for lunchtime desserts while good from a limiting waste pov feels more leftovers rather than luxury. Also in the buffet info on the dessert & afternoon tea cake offerings was rarely put out so you might guess what something was then try it & not eat it when had it been labelled you wouldn't have been tempted to try it. Stops were good and all bar one were new to us. Didn't get a map for Valencia being unfamiliar with how port days worked (go to the tours or pursers desk and ask for one) Dubrovnik was very hot & crowded. Venice was lovely, Sibnek was glorious. We had tenders at 2 stops and the organisation for these seemed efficient. We don't often attend the evening shows but our table mates did and were happy with most of them. Some interesting educational & amusing talks during the day. Enjoyed Malcolm Nelsons talks on smuggling. All in all a lovely & relaxing trip and tempted to book another Read Less

No real complaints, comparable to P&O and royal carrabian, but with all the "white star" service promotion we expected Cunard to be better! Not the case here. At this level I expect good service and high quality food and entertainment. Yes it was good, but no better than other Cruise lines. I was expecting this to be another step up and it wasn't. We didn't feel looked after as much either. The quality of service is certainly high. But P&O look after their passengers better with more personal care and the food was definitely better on royal carrabian. One definatate complaint is the price of the wine and service charge. This is outrageous with 2 large glasses of the cheaper wine costing $32 and a bottle just over $40! The average age of passengers is quite high with the majority over 60. We didn't find this an issue and enjoyed their company but some younger people my find Cunard too stuffy. Read Less

Thoroughly delightful! Our second cruise (and for me, my 11th Cunard cruise/crossing since 1977) in QUEEN ELIZABETH numbers among the very best… in all departments and for all good reasons. This was our first Princess Grill experience in QE having enjoyed the Grills in QE2 and QM2 and I’d have to rate it the best (even more than QM2 Queens Grill) in service, cuisine and especially the “ship within a ship” experience imparted by the private deck space and lounge. Cuisine: consistently excellent and for breakfast, luncheon and dinner. We certainly had no reason or need to dine elsewhere so we enjoyed one of the great benefits of the Grills: having your own private table throughout and the same stewards who came to know our preferences. This something you’ll never get with “freedom” dining or open sittings. The menu was fulsome and varied, sufficiently tempting that we seldom availed ourselves of the additional “a la carte” menu except for the treat of Dover sole and a superb rack of lamb. The preparation, presentation etc of every dish was outstanding abetted by an excellent wine by the glass selection. Cunard also sets a proper table with fish forks/knives and soup spoons and if you’ve ever sailed in an American market ship you will appreciate this. Make no mistake this is classic Old School Ocean Liner dining that few if any lines can match, including Oceania. A fascinating tour of the Grills galley showed the meticulous planning and skill that goes into it, too. None of this happens by accident and efforts pay off. Service: “Madam, nothing is too much trouble up here” said a steward to a diner at the next table during our first dinner aboard. And that pretty summed up the service we enjoyed and not just in the Grills decks and dining room, but throughout the entire ship. We never encountered a single crew member who was not unfailing pleasant, personable and professional. The bar service was outstanding. And unlike last year’s cruise, the deck service was, too. The Princess Grill wine steward (from Serbia) was exceptional and personable as were our two table stewards, both from India. Our cabin stewardess, Rowena, was simply the best in some 40 years of cruising… simply brilliant. So efficient, we never once came back from breakfast without the cabin "done" and immaculate. The service on the Grills open decks is.. amazing. Cold towels, fruit, sandwiches, ice cream and full afternoon is served by trolley, something we remember on QE2 in First Class “back in the day”. Cabin: We had a P2 on Deck Four and found it larger that it appears in photos and deck place. There was ample hanging space in the walk-in closet, but the drawer space is almost non existent. Little details like hat hooks and a tie hanging rail are also much missed. My wife loved the full tub bath, too. But the bathroom is nothing like the gorgeous luxurious ones on Oceania’s MARINA and RIVIERA. And yes everything…. Is beige. The veranda furniture, too, is leagues behind that expected for suites on most ships. Décor: And yes everything on QUEEN ELIZABETH is beige. Or brown. Or shades in between. Oh except the endless sheets of pale gray sheeting that line the endless accommodation passageways. It’s relentlessly depressing. Made worse by the “Art Something” decorative touches that’s supposed to evoke the Great Liners and instead often looks like the phony wood fascia board on 1970s cars. QE is due for a refit this November and one can only hope someone discovers there are other colours in the sample book instead of dung brown and band-aid beige. Condition: overall the ship was in better condition in terms of paint work etc. than last year. We did have two bouts of plumbing troubles including about five hours with no hot water. But yes carpets and upholstery need wholesale replacement. It was all very clean just a bit tired. Entertainment: we are not into cruise ship “shows” etc, but really enjoyed evenings in the Yacht Club with an excellent band (as good as last years) and great atmosphere. The string orchestra was good, too. The ship has two pianists and oddly the best (by far), the delightful Campbell Simpson, was related to the Midships Lobby most evenings. Ports etc: a wonderful itinerary with lots of sea days abetted by simply wonderful weather contributed enormously to a good time. Sailing into and out of Venice by ship remains sublime even if the place is heaving with selfie stick tourists. Dubrovnik was far worse and that once enchanting place has been simply and utterly ruined by “Game of Thrones” groupies. We don’t ever want to go there again. Sibenik, on the other hand, was charming and delightful. As was the splendid Spanish city of Valencia. The only tour we did was Giardini Naxos (Taormina) which was to the various villages used in the filming of the “Godfather” films and a wonderful introduction to the beauty of the Sicilian coast and hilltop villages. Cunard does an enviable job with tendering in ports and general organization. QUEEN ELIZABETH Princess Grill is an exemplary product across the board and a now rare exemplar of “proper” traditional ocean liner cruising. It’s adult, it’s quiet, it’s elegant and it’s adult… not some floating theme park or Las Vegas resort. Long may Cunard remain so! We only lament Cunard has decided to all but give up its traditional cruises to the Med... BIG mistake!! Not everyone wants the Baltic and Scandinavia. Read Less

This cruise had a good itinerary with plenty of stops in great places. My wife and I travelled in Princess Grill accommodation which was adequate ( this was our 31st cruise nearly all Cunard). We elected to avoid the Princess Grill dining room altogether and enjoyed buffet service in the Lido.. Now bearing in mind that cruising seems to be all about dining and its experience we definitely were 'off message' Efforts were made to encourage us to go to the Grills restaurant. The service we received was attentive and friendly and we had a great time doing our own thing. The shops were actually lacklustre with stuff we wouldn't normally buy, high end is great but very limiting. On this cruise the theatre was also a bit mundane although it was packed so glad that others enjoyed it night after night. we are back on the ship for 2 months next year ( 2019) so is indicative that things were good. Read Less

The Itinerary appealed to us. The voyage was memorable for many reasons. The food and entertainment were excellent, and we loved the decor and atmosphere on board. The crew, stewards and waiters were unfailingly helpful and the Pursers desk provided very good service. Our stateroom was well set-out and the facilities there were good. We only took one tour, through Athens, but found the information provided for each shore visit to be invaluable. The dining options suited us well, as we used the Buffet for breakfast and lunch, whilst enjoying the ambience and formality of evening meals in the Britannia Restaurant. We loved the musicians playing at various times and in various places, and they helped pass the sea days. We also made use of the Library, which we found to be very well stocked. My one reservation was the exorbitant cost of using wifi - we survived by logging on whilst ashore. Read Less

After 14 years cruising on P&O, DW and myself decided on a change as I was celebrating a big birthday. We loved the elegance of the ship, the white star service and the friendliness of 99.99% of the staff. We dined in Britannia on 2nd sitting and had great table companions. The food was better than Pando and the Lido buffet was fine. We had 1 night in the speciality restaurant Coriander and that too was fabulous. The shows by the singers and dancers were top class and we would have preferred to see more of them rather than a dreadful Irish comedian and an embarrassingly awful Italian magician. The insight speakers were very interesting - Clare Balding, Ken Lennox and Carole Phillips were all very entertaining though Julian Ruck was not to our taste. There were 7 ports of call including 4 new to us. These were Zadar, Valencia, Guardina Naxos and Cagliari. We thoroughly enjoyed Zadar and the trip to Taormina from Naxos (4 euros on a local bus as opposed to the $62 Cunard were asking) was a real highlight. We did however find little to detain us too long in the other 2. Ports revisited were Venice (lovely), Dubrovnik (likewise) and Gibraltar (just Gibraltar!). Embarkation and disembarkation were fine and we booked a 2020 cruise on Queen Elizabeth whilst on board. Downsides were the ridiculous 18% service charge on drinks and the equally ridiculous excessive charge for WiFi. Overall though we had a great time Read Less

We choose this ship because we are amateur ballroom dancers who want to dance every night on a large floor. We were NOT disappointed! In addition there were 3 dance hosts, lots of lessons offered in the morning, and great bands and singers for ballroom EVERY NIGHT before and after dinner! Their shows are not as great as Royal Caribbean, but everything else -- service, food, rooms, excursions, etc -- was just wonderful! (they don't really cater to children in any big way) If you like ballroom dancing every night along with a wonderful cruise, Cunard is the place to be! Doesn't matter which ship you choose, you will luv it! They often run specials so watch for them! You won't see them on any of the discount sites though since they usually sell out on their own! (If you get motion sick, use the Queen Mary as she is not a cruise ship, but an ocean liner, and handles rough water much better than any of the cruise ships on any line) Read Less

We went to Greece for the first time last year on the Queen Elizabeth. We wanted to visit the Acropolis and other sights in Pireaus and I found a super taxi firm (Michael Sterianos Taxi Tours). Michael gave us a fantastic day out. He was on time, such a gentleman, a fountain of knowledge, gave such good rates that there was no contest in booking him again when Queen Elizabeth toured the Greek Isles again this year. Michael was there to meet us again in Pireaus and this time we visited the Olympic Stadium, Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth and we finished up having lunch in a local restaurant in the village which was excellent value at 7 euros per head including food and drinks! We also visited Rhodes. The ship docked within walking distance of the walled city and it was so picturesque walking through the streets and bartering in the shops for leather bags, clothes, jewellery and belts etc. We then went up the cobbled streets, passed the museum and church on the outskirts and then passed some time away in a local bar/restaurant. Katakolon was another lovely port. We ambled through the shops bartering for goods and then strolled along the restaurants and bars on the seafront. I had to congratulate the Greek people here for their skill in speaking the English language so perfectly with no trace of an accent. Mykonos was another pretty place and we ambled along the bay into town and again passed the time away in a local bar on the seafront. We dawdled back through the pretty streets to the bus pick up point to rejoin the ship. I am not sure if Mykonos is always windy but we certainly picked up a tan there. We would have liked to go to Cadiz again rather than Palma as there is more to do there. We had very informative and excellent speakers on the ship, in particular Ken Lennox, Jack Crawshaw, Tony White, and Bill Miller. The only disappointment was we were too tired on the last night to go to the theatre to see the film 'Jackie'. It was a pity it was not showing earlier on the cruise. We also enjoyed the interview of our super Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge. Entertainment was good, in particular the choreography for the dancers and the costumes were superb. The food in the Britannia Restaurant was a bit repetitive this year when compared to last year. Our 2 waiters (Rosley and Carl) were very friendly and efficient at their jobs, always smiling despite being very tired some nights. Rosley was back at our request from last year. We had 6 p.m. sitting which was a bit too early, and 8.30 p.m. too late as you come out feeling full for the rest of the evening. Some nights we gave it a miss and continued to relax on our balcony in the sun and then went up to The Lido around 7.15 p.m. The food in The Lido was very well presented, tasty and there was a good choice. Again the staff were very friendly and helpful and the dirty plates disappeared fast! This year we had afternoon tea in the ballroom twice, and again the sandwiches and scones were delicious and the waiters and waitresses were helpful and efficient. The food in The Pub was also well presented and delicious. We feel you do need more seating here because we struggled at night and during the day to get seats. We used the lounge bar on Deck 3 after the theatre to relax with an evening drink. Johnny our waiter made a point of having tables and chairs waiting with a big beam on his face, and he looked after us extremely well. The main gripe though, throughout the ship was the price of the drinks plus tax. We all felt if you halved the price of the drinks more people would buy one, or even two, which would inevitably put your profits back up. It might be worth an experiment! We have yet to go on the Queen Victoria and of course the new ship when it is launched Read Less

When originally booked cruise was going to spend 2 nights in Istanbul; after the problems in Turkey last year the itinerary was changed with Sarande, Albania and Heraklion, reteadded. After research into Sarande, decided to stick wit hothead reservation. From the moment I stepped on board I got the feeling that the QV was a good ship. Crew were friendly and the whole embarkation process was handled smoothly and efficiently; certainly more so than when boarding the QM for the Christmas cruise. There were even shuttle buses to take us from the terminal building to the ship. The Victoria recently came out of a refit and my cabin was immaculate. I had booked a deck 4 guarantee obstructed view cabin and was pleased to be assigned a cabin on deck 5 and the only obstruction was when looking down. I was concerned about the quality of the food given some of the reviews I had read but was very pleased with the quality and quantity of the food. I am lactose intolerant and got to chose my meals the night before and have them cooked without dairy. Lots of choice so no complaints there. Lunches were taken in the Lido except in Crete and Rhodes when I ate ashore. Lots of choices and even a few lactose free sandwiches. The salad bar was particularly good and there was no wilting lettuce. Breakfast was also usually in the Lido, usually lox and bagels and scrambled eggs on one day when a new pan appeared in front of me. The bread and rolls were freshly baked and far too tempting! I took one course on using an IPad for photography. I wish it had been offered on one of the sea days before our first excursion as it had lots of good advice and was worth the $15 charge. I did not attend the shows, nor did I attend any of the lectures. Neither interested me. I had hoped there would be something on the history and culture of the area in which we were sailing rather than an ex White House staffer from the “W” era or some one talking about pop music. Enjoyed listenening to the string quartet, and the hardest on a couple of occasions and watching the ballroom dancers. Most passengers were from UK and man, many of themcould dance! Only did one shore excursion in Sarande. An interesting stop and tour of Butrint. Read Less

We spent 7 days on a cruise on Queen Vic. From Venice to Athens. I knew it was not ther cruise for me when i noticed on the daily activity “Chair aerobics”. Excellent food,excellent staff service and operasrting BUT! Bars mostly empty due to high cost of drinks-but the pub was full every days wplaying darts and cards and trivia. Ballroom dancing each night most popular b it you would not want to go and break out on a dance. Most Aussies wondering why the decks were empty at 10pm.oh and for single ladies they did supply officers to dance with you- looked like they had stepped out of a coffin! So if you want a happy cruise of fun this would not be the one to choose, It seems they are relying on all the Brits who want to practice their ballroom dancing and stay in the pub and play darts.And there are plenty of these so no need to change. Basically a shame as had great expectations for a masquerade ball and 20”s evening- a flop unless you had a partner and did proper ballroom dancing moves. Lack of atmosphere and only highlights were good food and good ports.Oh and 1 good comedy show otherwise just ships entertainment. Shops well stocked with quality. Tried fencing but only 12 people allowed for. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinery, Venice to Athens. The check in and out was seemless. The ship had been refurbished beautifully, our cabin-balcony was large enough and very comfortable. The food in the Britannia restaurant was top class, with top class service. The Lido buffet restaurant had everything you could want and was mostly very nice. There were a variety of bars, a pub and nightclub which was always nearly empty. We usually stayed at the back of the ship pool area which had a few lovely daybeds with shade. The only thing was that to go anywhere but the nightclub, pool deck bar and winter garden bar, (which was lovely, but usually empty), gentlemen had to wear a jacket, which was not ideal, even to go in the pub a jacket was required, which we thought was unnecessary, collared shirt should have sufficed. There was a wide variety of ages, but mostly elderly on board. The band played some good music, but catered more for older guests. Formal night masquerade ball, did not require a mask even though we wore them. Not all guests wore formal wear, so long dresses were not a must for the ladies. All in all it was a great cruise if you don't mind dressing up. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it was a great package, everything was in there and as we had not sailed on Cunard before thought it would be good, which it was. Service is second to none, crew most helpful if you even had the slightest problem, i.e. delivering grated ginger, lemon and hot water to your cabin twice a day for a throat tickle. Others were quietly assisted with their gluten free diets to ensure they had the best food available. As usual we did see disabled people being helped in a caring way. The food was exceptional!! We were unfortunate enough to have an obstructed view (which we knew of prior to boarding) due to being later in the booking process but it didn't really take anything away, we saw lots and you are all over the ship or ashore every day so We had plenty of room and clothes storage was ample. Buying a bottle of wine (to drink in your cabin) occasionally ashore was not frowned on as some cruise lines do. The entertainment at times wasn't up to expectations but............... we are all different. Read Less

First off, let me say the ONLY reason I'm taking the time to write this review is because of the constant nickle and diming of Cunard and their stingy ways. Otherwise I'd have just blown even the extra $3,500 off. But they're just stingy and to the bone. We chose this cruise because of the itinerary mostly - however, I am confused why we called a couple ports - and because of Cunard's reputation and reviews. We had priority embarkation so that was flawless. The community rooms, except for the Lido dining area, of the ship are well decorated with stunning under stated taste. Cunard had a half bottle of complementary sparkling win in our room which was a nice touch. That's where my amazement ended. Embarkation is at 2:00 and coincidentally lunch is over at 2:00-ish. We dropped our stuff off in the underwhelming state room (See Cabin Review Section about the stateroom's decoration and abysmal bathroom.). When we headed up to the Lido, which is decorated circa 1995 in pale blues, ugly yellow and white wood and can be hot, we found that not twenty minutes after getting on the ship on a turn-around day, they were closing up shop for lunch. I had to find a manager to leave the salad bar open. There is literally nothing to eat but mostly bread, skimpy on the filling sandwiches and cookies - all fattening - between 2:30 and 5:30ish on the ship. I don't like bread. I ended up hording bananas and cereal in our room. Other problems with the Lido dining are lack of service in at breakfast and on deck and surcharges to eat on the Lido in the evening. In the morning, there is NO table service. The food is good - in fact, except for the specialty restaurant - it is basically the only excellent food on the ship. The food is fresh prepared daily on the ship, there is a wide variety of foods, and the eggs and omelets are prepared to order. However, the beverage area is a free for all - Seriously. Oceana, or any high end hotel, has a server bring water, coffee and juices. Not Cunard. And forget any service on the deck in the pool area if you aren't ordering something that you have to pay for - like COKES. Yes, the charge nearly $3.00 for soft drinks. The Britiana dining room has food that is obviously not prepared on site. It is bland. It all tastes the same. The beef was TOUGH. And forget a vegetable. Well unless you like your vegetables drowned in the same brown gravy the meat is drowned in - day after day. So we tried the Lido one night. Um, no. The food is fresh prepared and not bad, but there is a surcharge to dine there of nearly $18.00. And the other side is a buffet style, lunch place. No, just no. The specialty restaurant was pretty good, but as per usual, they were stingy. They served a seven course meal that was quite good, but the wine paring - which was NOT INCLUDED - was two SHORT, AND I MEAN VERY SHORT glasses of wine for six courses! That's a sip of wine per course literally. And the wine didn't necessary pair well with all the courses it's supposed to pare with. WHAT?!? Normally it's a different wine per course or SOMETIMES a restaurant will combine two courses such as specialty breads and a light soup for just one glass of wine. The final course came with a so-so desert wine. And before all the diners had left the dining room they were clanking own the cages over the bar and making OBVIOUS attempts to move us along. Which brings me to the beverage prices on board. I already mentioned the charge for sodas. Wait for this. There is NO complimentary bottled water on board. There is no specialty fountains for filling Nalgenes or any other portable water device. Bottled water, wait for it, is $19.25 for a six pack of a liter and a half bottles or $3.00 for a half a liter - No, I'm not kidding. Wine? Expensive. Ordinary, and I mean nothing stellar, bottles of wine were $50 and up. Our wine package was $425 and it was only good in the Britiana which is the main dining room. Couldn't use it in the specialty dining room. OMG, and a glass of wine in the bars or in any dining room was $13.50 - nothing special either - plus 15% gratuity. Service in the Britania was so-so. And now we get down to the real cheap part. They CHARGED US $22 PER HEAD TO GET FROM THE SHIP TO SAINT MARK'S SQUARE IN VENICE. Yes. That happened. On one of our excursions that was eight hours, LUNCH WASN'T INCLUDED! And the coup de gras, and actually why I'm writing this review, is we bought a wifi package - expensive BTW, and the wifi was so horrible I couldn't get onto my bank. I talked to the lady who runs the cybershop's boss and he told me I needed to go ashore to get good wifi. Going ashore in this particular case was a fifteen minutes walk - and of course, as cheap as they are, they had no shuttles to take you to the terminal building. Anyway, they REFUSED to refund me the whole time I was logged on trying to get onto my bank. That's just stupid. I told them I would write a negative review, and nada. Another bone of contention is they have you all aboard at 5:00 to 5:30. Why? So they can sail at nine knots and save on fuel costs? I've never been on a ship that had you on board consistently at that time. Anyway, we talked to a lot of people that are looking to move away from Cunard since they got bought by Carnival. And bottom line, our $6,500 cruise ended up costing us an extra $3,500. Sail at your wallet's own risk. We're going back to Oceana and/or we've heard great things about Crystal and Viking's new, ocean going cruises. Read Less

We travelled with friends and liked the itiniery, especially Venice and Lake Garda (this was an add on arranged by Imagine cruising. I use a wheelchair and gave all dimensions to Cunard before setting off. Despite this, my chair would not fit through the cabin door. The "stateroom" was just very average and not very big so my chair, even when folded, took up a lot of space. We ate in the Britannia restaurant and whilst the food quality was OK, there wasn't a great deal of choice. One of our friend is gluten free and the choice was poor. She had to choose what she wanted a day in advance!!!!.Each night, there was a selection of wines recommended to go with the menu. These ranged from $50 to $150 per bottle. The cheapest bottle on offer was $30 and the only glass available cost $20. Then they have the cheek to add 15% service charge. All other drinks also far too expensive. Gin and tonic $10 for 1 oz of gin and tonic from a dispenser. I could go on, but you get the picture. We ate breakfast and lunch in theLido Restaurant and there was a huge choice and quality generally very good.However, the staff in there need a course in customer service.Theyare a miserable bunch and no help at all. Getting a coffee served at our table was like asking for the crown jewels. To cap it all, Cunard want $11.50 PER PERSON PER DAY for tips. Yes, you can opt out or reduce the amount. We were also shocked to find that many of the daily activities were chargeable. Foe example, a talk on how to use your ipad cost $15, use of the hydropool cost $149 for the week. Would we recommend Cunard? NO. Would we ever go on another Cunard cruise? Never Read Less

Last minute deal that visited ports we had not seen before. Nice ship, mid size, almost exactly like Holland America one we used last year but not so flashy. Food was better on Cunard, staff were excellent, entertainment reasonable, thrilled to see Bill Bryson. Concord pilot very interesting. Ports were good and interesting except for Zandar, which was a waste of time. Loved Kotor. Cost of drinks extortionate, so stuck mostly to free fruit juice but brought two bottles onboard and paid the 20$ corkage. They are silly, most people I talked to simply drank less. Removed the daily Service charge and tipped direct. It's the line's job to pay the staff reasonable wages, not mine. I don't do the formal thing but have no problems with those who want to and was happy to avoid the dining room on formal nights and to wear a jacket at other times. My wife tells me the lack of makeup mirrors in the rest rooms was a problem. Everything else perfectly acceptable, we would use Cunard again but not specifically choose them over others. Read Less

This was the 14 night cruise, Venice to Rome. This was our third cruise on this ship and fourth with Cunard so we know the standards that CAN be achieved. (Most recent previous experience was in March this year - Auckland NZ to Wellington NZ via Australia - part of the world cruise. On that occasion the poor standard of food in the Britannia restaurant caused us to look seriously at abandoning the September Mediterranean cruise. But we persevered. Thankfully the quality of produce and skills of the chefs had improved considerably since last time. But we still think that on most evenings offering half of both the main courses and appetisers as "vegetarian" is far too many. Waiter service in the restaurant was first class, though the sommelier left more than a little to be desired. Drinks waiter service in the Lido (lunch) was (as before) patchy. You should not have to go looking for a waiter to order a drink. Similarly, overall service in the Golden Lion was also a bit hit and miss. The Lido pool area could do with some more shade. We recall there were umbrellas before - none now. We didn't go to any of the evening shows in the theatre - mainly because nothing appealed. However we feel the string musicians playing around the ship could do with a bit of makeover - the performances were rather hard work for us an an audience. Top marks to the young lady who was our stateroom steward. Our modest requests were never too much trouble and she did a good job keeping things today. Well done Edna! The makeover of the staterooms during the recent refit was very good, particularly the much larger TV and providing facilities for making tea or coffee. Read Less

We chose this particular cruise because of the itinerary plus the time of year we could go. Having whittled it down to two possible cruises we went for the cheaper option. It turned out it was probably NOT cheaper at all because we hadn't factored in the 'add-ons', as this was our first cruise and the excitement overcame the research. However it was a good choice because it's a lovely ship and the service is amazing! Finding the dock was the difficult bit but mainly because of our sat-nav abandoning us as 'within the area of your destination' about a mile and a half before we reached it. Embarkation was amazingly fast and easy - for those of us who have only ever experienced the nightmare of airports before, it was wonderful and over in minutes! We had a balcony cabin on deck 4 (BE class) It was about the size of an average hotel room but with a smaller bathroom and a larger wardrobe. The steward to this room was a hard working, helpful and considerate man and nothing was too much trouble for him. The bathroom is a bit tight but was well thought out for space (all that we use by way of toiletries and medical items fitted well. Dining in the Britannia restaurant was lovely, the waiting staff were kind, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We were pretty unimpressed by the entertainment on all but two evenings to be honest but it did not spoil our enjoyment of the cruise as a whole. The service in every area and from every staff member was second to none. There were seven ports over 17 days, we did four organised excursions. Had we realised what Cadiz would be like we would have done an excursion that day as well. Probably we should have realised that a port town is not the prettiest or most entertaining place to spend a day. Split, being a city, was one of the places we booked a trip and we were glad we did (far too busy otherwise) Dubrovnik is beautiful and we will be hoping to return one day for another look at it. Gibraltar was surprisingly much nicer than anticipated. Messina was interesting but the people who went on excursions seemed to have enjoyed it more than we did. Venice was far too busy to do an organised excursion, it was hard work keeping track of the tour guide with so many people around. Corfu is always lovely. We are a middle aged married couple travelling alone. There was a high percentage of elderly people on this trip but it was billed as the QE 50th Anniversary Cruise so maybe people booked for the romanticism of that. This was probably the most relaxing holiday we have ever had. Read Less