Cunard Cruise Line's Style Superlatives
February 17, 2006
"The Queen Victoria is not about size superlatives, but about style
superlatives." That's what Carol Marlow, Cunard Cruise Line's president and
managing director, said about the next ship on the horizon for
Cunard Cruise Line.
Queen Victoria will usher in a new era of luxury travel for Cunard Cruise Line
when she takes her maiden voyage in December 2007 to ports of call in the
destination of Northern
Europe.
Based in Southampton, England, Cunard Cruise Line's Queen Victoria will have 16
decks be able to hold 2,000 passengers and 900 crew members. In terms of
size---90,000 tons and 964-feet long---she wont be the biggest
Cunard vessel,
yet her luxurious amenities will be larger than life.
Guests who vacation with her will be able to relax in a great 800-seat onboard
theatre designed in the style of the West End's Royal Court, visit the onboard
museum, experience true peace and quiet in the 6,000-book library, or dance in
the 1,000 sq ft ballroom. Of course, they'll also experience the ultimate in
travel experiences when they stop at each
port of call.
Although being build in Italy, at the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice, the
ship is designed to
appeal specifically to the British market. The ship's designers are trying to
recreate the opulence of 19th-century sea travel, and the lobby with sweeping
staircases and crystal chandeliers will remind ocean-goers of the golden age of
cruising.
Also like the golden age of cruising,
onboard restaurants are segregated according to the price paid for the
customer's cabin, so a standard fare passenger will not be rubbing shoulders
with the grand suite passengers over dinner. These top-tier guests will also
have their own exclusive lounge, bar, and deck terrace. Still, that's not
stopping you from feeling like "King of the World!"
As further proof of the
cruise ship's opulence, there are four grand suites among the 1,000 cabins,
each of which have up to 2,131 sq ft of space. But even though the grand suites
are enormous, the newest
Cunard Cruise Line
ship---as long as 31 double-decker buses---will still be second in size to
the Queen Mary 2,
which is currently the largest cruise ship on the seven seas.
The Queen Mary is still the largest ship in the fleet: 1,132 feet long and
151,400 gross tons. The
Queen Mary is also the most expensive ship ever built---more than $800
million---and was launched in January 2004.
When The Queen Victoria will join the
Queen Elizabeth 2
and the Queen Mary 2, marking the first time three queens have been in service
during Cunard
Cruise Line's 167-year history. And who says that three's a crowd?
