This cruise (our first with Cunard) was sold to us as a luxury cruise. I think there is a difference between luxury and tradition and I don't mean traditional in the sense of cruising in it's 'glory days' but traditional as in, how the world views the UK. Formal, polite, good table manners, royalists etc. There's no doubt it's a beautiful ship and Cunard as a company has a very interesting and rich history but you get the sense it's holding on to the days of the 'Empire' which is something we are not anymore. I may be wrong but I suspect that in a couple of generations time, this style of cruising will not be relevant anymore.

We had a 'luxury' inside cabin which actually means you get some extra space round the bed. The bathroom is no bigger so if you get a thrill out of showering, whilst sitting on the toilet and brushing your teeth at the same time then this is a good option. To be fair, most of the cruises we have been on are the same.

The food was very good both in the MDR and in the Lido buffet but due to the fact that my husband was expected to wear a jacket on 'informal' nights (a jacket that inevitably ended up on the back of his chair as it was so hot on board) we dined, most of the time, in the Lido with a few nights in the Verandah restaurant. We only participated in two of the five 'formal' nights as I find getting into my corset and high heels takes a good six hours by which time I'm exhausted and look more like a drag queen by the end of it. Read more