Queen Victoriathe planned sister for Queen Mary 2

[Jerry Nuovo]

I did find this article today from Sea-trade Insider News and it is dated yesterday
8-16-05.The article is titled "Cunard prepares for third Queen" and here is the link to the article www.cruise-community.com/ShowStory.asp?ID=8014 .In this article Carol Marlow who is Cunard's European President is quoted as saying that Queen Victoria is scheduled to enter service in late 2007 or early 2008.When she does so she will join Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 currently enjoying strong seasons,added Marlow.Carol Marlow did say that more information concerning Queen Victoria will be released in September.Well I do hope that if Queen Victoria is built that the QE2 will continue in service long after Queen Victoria enters service.The first sentence of the article is written "Cunard Line is preparing to become a Three Queen fleet for the first time in its 165 year history.Maybe Cunard thinks and I do hope that they are right if they think that there are enough passengers to fill up all 3 ships year round.

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

I am sorry about the above link that it does not go directly to the article.The link only goes to the sign-in page.So if you still want to read the article click on the above link and where it says name just type in my name as one word jerrynuovo and where it says password just type in the word ship and then click where it says log-in and then scroll down to the article dated 8-16-05 and titled "Cunard prepares for third Queen".

 

[John Clifford]

Thanks for the Link, Jerry.

I saw the Queen Victoria article, along with the ones about the Queen Mary 2.

I'll post this on the Queen Mary 2 threads, too, but I think you'll enjoy this: Since Carly Simon will be performing on the Queen Mary 2's September 2nd Excurion, I wonder if her repertoire will include an redux version of her "The Spy Who Loved Me" theme song, "Nobody Does It Better", with the lyrics being "Cunard!! You're the Best!!!".

It would not be a good idea for a special concert for Captain Warwick to include "You're So Vain"!!

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

Thanks John, Yes you are right concerning Carly Simon that it would be for better public relations that she does not sing "You're So Vain".I can imagine that if she does the wrong thing and sings "You're So Vain" a lot of the passengers might get the idea that she is insulting them because Cunard is a high priced premium cruise line.And of course another reason she should not sing that song is the special concert for Captain Warwick.It would be insulting to Captain Warwick if Carly Simon sings You're So Vain" when Captain Warwick is in the audience.

 

[David F. Smith]

Kyle,

Does the QM2 dock behind the original Queen Mary when in Los Angeles? I know that the Carnival ships do.

I was thinking of Flying out for that March 8th arrival of the QM2. I didn't see any information on the March 9th dinner mentioned on the WWW.QueenMary.com site.

 

[John Clifford]

David, I heard, in November 2002, that the docking area by the Queen Mary is not deep enough for the Queen Mary 2, though it would, indeed, be a historic moment to see both ships side-by-side.

It, thus, appears that the Queen Mary 2 will dock at the Port of Los Angeles facilities, near to the end of the Harbor Freeway, and by the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

 

[David F. Smith]

Thanks John! That was definitely one of the deciding factors in coming out again.

 

[Kyle Johnstone]

Hi David,

I called the director of the RMS Foundation about this, she said that the public announcement will not be made for a while yet, as it's now still pretty early. But there will be info posted there sometime. Foundation members received an early announcement by mail.
I will post here again when I learn something new.

Wouldn't it be awesome if the two Mary's were berthed adjacent to each other? As John said, QM2 will go to the L.A. cruise ship terminal, as does QE2. But they'll be only 6 miles apart

Kyle

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

I have found this website that has a message board.The website with this message board is cruise critic.On this thread people are discussing the rumours concerning if Queen Victoria is built,possible renovations to the QE2 and if 2 Princess Ships,Pacific Princess and Tahitian Princess will be transfered to Cunard.You can read it here at http://cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=210275

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

I am sorry.It is my error in typing the address.The correct address is http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=210275

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

In the latest news from the weekly news supplement of the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society dated 8-21-05 and written by Bill Miller concerning Queen Victoria is "The wheels of planning & publicity are beginning to turn --- Cunard is talking of having 3 Queens for the first time in its 165 year history.In 2008 the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 are to be joined by the 90,000 ton Queen Victoria". In my opinion I now think that the rumours of Cunard not getting the Queen Victoria are not true.

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

I have called Cunard's American office and I have found out that Cunard has already scheduled the maiden voyage of the Queen Victoria for late December,2007 and is accepting bookings for this cruise.No itinerary has been announced and the woman told me that this cruise or crossing will probably start in Southampton.The Queen Victoria will be just as elegant as the Queen Mary 2 with a Queens Room that is on 2 decks.Is anyone reading this message interested on going aboard the Queen Victoria's maiden voyage? I do hope to find more information when I go aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 in January.

 

[Brent Holt]

I wish Cunard would resurrect the classic names of Mauretania and Aquitania. In my humble opinion, the Queens name should only be reserved for the "superliners."

Brent

 

[Aidan Bowe]

Anyone else seen the artists drawings of the interior of The Queen Victoria in todays papers? The Grand Lobby is definetly influenced by The Grand Staircase from the Olympic class...Has a stylised Honour and Glory backdrop and even a chandalier hanging in a circular echo of the dome! Fantastic.If the impressions are anything to go by she will far classier decor wise than the "glitzy" interiors of QM2.Can't wait to see more

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

I have seen the pictures of the Queen Victoria's interiors and while the interiors do seem to look nice still I am not really impressed by this ship and I am not pleased by Cunard refering to this ship as a liner when she is not really a real ocean liner,she is just another cruise ship and I am not pleased when back in April,2004 when Cunard announced that the cruise ship that was supposed to go to Cunard last year and instead she went to P&O and given the name Arcadia,Cunard then 2 years ago then announced that the new Queen Victoria would be a new luxury ocean liner.Notice the words not a new luxury cruise ship but a new luxury ocean liner and now today I feel like a fool in believing Cunard's propaganda when Cunard refered to her as being something she is not and that is as a ocean liner and I also think that a ship with the word Queen in her name should be a real ocean liner not a flimsy cruise ship.Well now all that I can do is vote with my wallet and not book a cruise aboard this phony "Queen" and take my cruises and crossings aboard the real Queens who are the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2.I also hope that the newspaper article from Southampton's newspaper The Daily Echo from 3 months ago is accurate in claiming that the QE2 will remain in service for another 10-12 years.

 

[Kyle Johnstone]

I'm sure that the Queen Victoria will make a very fine cruise ship.

All lines are about hype nowdays.

Notice, in the renderings of the Britannia Restaurant:
The chairs are identical to the ones in RMS Queen Mary's First Class dining room.
Also, the large map/mural in the Britannia Dining Room is most certainly inspired by the famous MacDonald Gill map of the Atlantic crossing in Queen Mary's First Class Dining Room.

Queen Victoria:
http://www.cunard.com/AboutCunard/NewsReleases.aspCat=&View=ViewArticle&Mode=News&ContentID=5546&Active=News

Queen Mary dining room:
http://www.sterling.rmplc.co.uk/visions/retain4.html

 

[rob scott]

here's a nice photo show of the new Queen Victoria from sky news... inside and out
Click Here

I can't afford cruise ships, but we can always dream - I wonder if it'll do the highly sought West Indies / Caribe voyages? I'd so like to trip to Brit Virgin Is on this

 

[John Clifford]

Hello From the Queen Mary 2.

On Friday they announced that the Queen Victoria will be about 964 feet long, so it will be shorter in length than the Queen Mary 2.

The Queen Victoria, they said, will have 16 decks, although the brochures show it as having 12 decks. Perhaps the additional decks are for the engine room and some crew areas. Either that of some of the decks will be high enough to encompass two decks.

The initial brochure is available to us, on board, so I do have the deck layouts available.
The brochure also includes renderings of the ship's main areas. They will include a two-story library, the lobby area having the stairs meet, like on the Titanic and in the Britannia Restaurant. The Britannia Restaurant tapestry area will feature a globe/sun image.

The Winter Gardens will be on the upper decks, with solariums, to give it a nicer appearance.

The Todd English Restaurant will be on Deck 2, so diners will not, on sunny and warm days, be looking out at people in swim trunks or sunning themselves. I think some of these concepts were taken from passenger and crew comments on this ship.

I will post some more later on, after I re-review the Victoria brochure.

 

[Steve Olguin]

Yes I too have a copy of the brochure and this ship is amazing. The over-all layout is slightly better than QM2. And all those balcony rooms!

 

[John Clifford]

I have looked at the current brochure.
For the Queen Victoria, passengers will enter on to Deck 1, though there are four decks below it. Thus, the Queen Victoria does have 16 decks, though 12 are shown in the brochure.

There is a grand staircase planned for the Grand Lobby, but it is not shown in the brochure.

The Royal Court will be quite large; Illuminations, it appears, will be not be on the Queen Victoria.

In the Royal Arcade, the staircase design can remind one of the grand staircase on the Titanic.

The Britannia Restaurant will feature a globe for their main display. As I mentioned, the Todd English Restaurant will be down on Deck 2, same area as The Britannia Restaurant. The Queen's and Princess Grills will be on Deck 11, with a Terrace Area provided, but diners will not have to look at bare chests and bathing suits of people outside their windows during warm evenings and afternoons.

The main areas of relaxation, Lido and Winter Gardens will be on Deck 9. It may be that Cunard has duplicated the Lido Cafe, from the QE2, instead of the King's Court area, which will not be on the Queen Victoria.

The two named suites will be the Caronia, Carpathia, Laconia, Franconia, Mauretania and Lusitania Suites. No two-story Suites will be on the Queen Victoria.

I will have to see when the full Year 2008 voyage list will become available, to decide which, if any, trip I will take that year.