A new queen, a new queen in England. No, not Camilla Parker Bowles. The new queen is a ship, christened by Bowles, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, on Monday, December 10. Her husband, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, also attended the huge party in Southampton, England, for the official naming of Queen Victoria.
Victoria, which promises to be the best of the new cruise ships of 2007, is the third of the active Cunard (pronounced q-nard) queens, following Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2. The QM2, which debuted in 2004, is the largest ocean liner ever built, though it lost its distinction as the largest cruise ship when Royal Caribbean introduced Freedom of the Seas in 2006. The QE2 will tie up as a floating hotel in Dubai in 2009, leaving Mary and Victoria as Cunard's only active queens.
Bowles (waving in picture to the right) becomes "godmother" of the Queen Victoria.
According to the British press, this was the first time that one of Cunard's Queen liners was not be christened by a real Queen. In 1934, Queen Mary launched the original Queen Mary liner and in 1938, Queen Elizabeth — the Queen Mother — named the original Queen Elizabeth. The current Queen launched the QE2 in 1967 and the Queen Mary 2 in 2004.
The 16-deck Queen Victoria, at 90,000 tons, is not as large as Queen Mary 2, at 150,000. But she carries fewer passengers, 2,000 to Mary's 2,600. Victoria is at least as posh, adding private boxes to the lavish Royal Court Theater and a two-story library.
Queen Victoria also continues Cunard's British tradition of class differentiation in the dining rooms. Among the three main dining rooms, yours will be determined by the price of your cabin. You may not eat in either of the other two. Once you have bought your cruise ticket, your status has been set: Top suites get the Queens Grill. The next group of top cabins gets the Princess Grill. The Grills are accessible only by private elevator with key card. The rest of the passengers get the Britannia Restaurant. Not to worry says Cunard: All passengers will eat well.
The new Queen departs Southampton on Tuesday, December 11, on her maiden voyage. She begins her first world cruise on January 6, 2008, in Southampton, leaving New York City January 13 and Los Angeles Jan. 30.
Molyneaux is editor of TravelMavens.net. For articles on cruising, Florida, Europe and adventure, CLICK
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