Ship Reports - Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth

Cunard’s latest liner, Queen Elizabeth, joined the fleet in October 2010. Broads’ General Manager, Andrew Harrison, and his wife, Claire, attended the naming ceremony by HRH Queen Elizabeth of the new Cunard Queen Elizabeth and spent a night on board to discover all that the ship has to offer. Read Andrew’s report to find out more or call 0121 250 2201 or 01543 412768 to book your cruise on Queen Elizabeth.

Embarkation

Cunard have the movement of large passenger numbers down to a fine art and the whole process of checking in was delightfully easy. We had the usual head and shoulders photo taken to identify us to our key card and then we quickly boarded to find our cabin with the greatest of ease. There were plenty of smiling faces directing us to our cabin, however, this is a ship that is very easy to find your way around (indeed, some of the other cruise companies could do a lot worse than follow Cunard’s blueprint of how to build an easy to get around ship!). The lifts are very quick and there are plenty of them, so you should never need to have to wait long. Naturally, I used the stairs as an excuse for building an appetite for my dinner. After dinner, I used the lift!

Cabins

Our balcony cabin was pristine and centre stage was a stunning king sized bed with luxurious pillows and cushions. There was plenty of wardrobe space and a perfectly acceptable bathroom with shower. Our cabin steward was always polite and mostly invisible - when we left the cabin for dinner we returned to find our bed prepared and a complimentary chocolate on the pillow, which always adds a welcome touch of luxury!

The Spa

If you like to be pampered, then this is the place to be! The stunning treatment rooms offer every conceivable treatment and there are wonderful aromas. Spa Day packages are available to purchase and my wife Claire, would have like nothing more than to have spent a couple of hours, or ideally a day, in the onboard gym and the spa. Sadly, we were only on the ship for the one night so this was not possible.

Restaurants

Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and I was pleased that I had resisted much of the afternoon tea! Dinner onboard Cunard is very much an occasion and a highlight of the day. Time should be taken to peruse the many choices available. With the help of Claire and a very informed waiter, I was able to decipher the elaborate descriptions on the menu and enjoyed a lovely dinner of smoked salmon, asparagus soup, fillet of beef followed bya lemon torte, all washed down with a glass or two of very acceptable red wine.

As we were staying in a balcony cabin, we dined in the Britannia Club Restaurant, however, guests staying in Princess Grill Suites and Queens Grill Suites have their own private restaurants on Deck 11. If you would prefer something less formal, then there is the Lido Restaurant which in the evening transforms into Asado (a South American Grill), Jasmine, which offers Asian cuisine and Aztec which serves Mexican classics.

There is also the Golden Lion Pub which offers a traditional pub lunch menu of favourites such as cottage pie and fish and chips, and The Verandah, where you can savour contemporary French cuisine.

Entertainment

I guess, in truth, we may have become a little blasé in respect of the theatres to be found on a modern cruise ship as we have all become accustomed to the massive auditoriums that wouldn’t disgrace a Broadway production. Queen Elizabeth’s theatre, however, is more intimate and has a wonderful array of balcony boxes just like in a traditional theatre. Perhaps if we had taken one of these instead of the aisle seat in the stalls, I wouldn't have been picked on to join one of the stunning lady dancers on stage with their Saturday night production! Maybe one day I will learn that taking an aisle seat has certain disadvantages. That said, this intrepid Broads Travel reporter had his moment of glory and was requested by the lead actor to attend each night, as I evidently was a good stooge for their show!

Joking apart, this was a very polished show and I have to say probably the most professional I have seen on very many cruise ships. It was a thoroughly enjoyable hour and I recommend it as a must see for anyone fortunate enough to travel on Queen Elizabeth. 
Other evening entertainments onboard include watching a movie, trying your luck in the casino, testing your mind in a pub quiz, listening to piano music or dancing the night away in either the magnificent ballroom or in the Yacht Club.

Summary

When walking about the Queen Elizabeth, it is clear that there are subtle differences from many other liners. For example, there is a mini bowls area, a mini paddle tennis area and even croquet - how English can you get! Their cream teas are a must and in order to report thoroughly on all aspects of the ship, I indulged in a scone or two - well ok, three if you are counting! Rest assured, Queen Elizabeth is about cruising in a traditional sense - you will not find any rock climbing walls, ice rinks or ten pin bowling.

Overall, Cunard is a very civilised way to travel and when my six lottery numbers come up, I shall be booked on their next Round the World cruise, in a Queen’s Grill Suite of course!