2026 - August - The Cruise with Queen Victoria

'Welcome to the family.' Those were the wonderful and warm words from Captain Martyn Sharples at our First-Time Party (Cunard cruise with Queen Victoria).

Indeed, we were separately invited to this exclusive party with him and his officers, and alongside snacks and cocktails, there were also photos with the charming and incredibly approachable captain.

But it's not just him who is so wonderfully engaging; our Cabin Steward Russel is also delightful, it's just unbelievable. We really didn't do much other than book a cabin on the Queen Victoria.

Of course, not everything is perfect, and I was quite irritated by some things at first. We are not really experienced cruisers and have previously only been on the two Mein Schiff inaugural voyages of the Relax and the Flow. The concept on these ships: All-inclusive, all drinks, even cocktails are free. Now, I'm not much of a drinker of alcoholic beverages, but on the Queen Victoria, even sparkling water is charged.

Only ice water and coffee/tea are free. Coffee drinks like cappuccino must be paid for. So, clearly a downside here.

And I sometimes had my difficulties with the food too, as it was very much English.

Speaking of food: The concept at Cunard is contact with other guests. The tables are intentionally set close together, and in most cases, a conversation quickly unfolds. Interestingly, it's especially easy to connect with older guests or those of a similar age. My English is good enough for me to understand everything and engage in conversation myself. Younger passengers, on the other hand, are less interested in conversation and are indeed mostly glued to their smartphones.

But no matter where, at least on board, I can attest to this: The English are simply a friendly bunch. And since everyone is on an English ship, everyone else is also much friendlier (including the Germans).

People were chatting everywhere, whether in the restaurant, at the bar, or even in the laundrette. For those who don't know what the latter is: Those are the laundry rooms. You can wash and dry for free there. With the high outdoor temperatures here in the Mediterranean (always over 30 °C), our need was high too and we made good use of it. My ship doesn't offer this service, for example.

By the way, ironing is often done in the laundrettes here too. This is likely due to another special feature of Cunard: the dress code! Yes, there's an emphasis on better clothing for dinner.

Excerpt from the daily program: 'Dear guest/guests, we would like to remind you of our dress code ...

Smart Attire: From 5:30 PM, we kindly ask you to wear elegant clothing in most bars and restaurants, such as collared shirts, elegant blouses, trousers, skirts, or dresses.'

On the multiple gala evenings, the bar is set even higher. I quote: 'Wear your finest evening gown.' Gentlemen are requested to come in suits or tuxedos, and of course with ties or bow ties.

In any case, the gala evenings are high in spectacle; it's practically impossible to be overdressed. You can certainly tell who feels at home in such clothing. Some outfits, on the other hand, look a bit out of place, such as those that remind more of table or crochet cloths or throws. And then there was also this Texan who could have appeared in the original 'Dallas' TV series with his Stetson cowboy hat.

By the way, gala evenings might also appeal to carnival lovers, at least when it comes to dressing up, since each evening has its own theme. During our stay, there was a 'Black and White' evening and a 'Masquerade'. And what can I say, people were prepared for everything. For example, a gentleman in a black suit with a white shirt and a wide white scarf over his shoulder (he must have definitely ironed).

And of course, the most amazing masks were worn for the masquerade. We actually had some, namely cat masks, which we had purchased here. There is always some kind of sale on board with more affordable products, and these were among them.

But how did I even end up on the Queen Victoria? I really wanted to experience the solar eclipse in 2026 aboard a ship, and Cunard, the British shipping company to which the Queen Victoria belongs, simply offered a route that suited me. However, it was fully booked. By chance, I managed to snag a returned cabin, number 8105. The eighth deck is here, by the way, the highest passenger deck.

Fully booked means on the Queen Victoria that there are just over 2,000 passengers on board, in addition to about 1,000 crew members. By the way, most passengers booked this cruise already two years ago, as the captain mentioned.

Our Cabin Steward Russel, by the way, we met right upon entering our cabin. And since then, he knows our first names and greets us personally even in distant corridors.

What actually surprised and also bothered me was the rather outdated standard of the cabins. One single European socket is just too little in today's times, especially when everyone has several devices to charge. Our brought international adapters were also unhelpful because a protruding cover made it impossible to use them. In my desperation, I actually bought a power strip in Civitavecchia. It can always come in handy, right?

I would have certainly found it helpful if there had been plug adapters available for rent on board. But there weren't.

The Wi-Fi through Starlink is actually quite modern and fast, but apart from a free trial hour, it's quite expensive, depending on the package, ranging from 28 to 44 US dollars for 24 hours.

But I still have to tell you about the legendary Teatime: Every afternoon between 3 and 4 PM, it takes place in the Queens Room. You sit at tables dressed in white linens, on which the tea set is already laid out. Then, exactly at 3 PM, the waiters come in with their teapots. Everything is very classic and pleasant. There are sandwiches, sweets, and of course, scones.

And as for entertainment, Cunard doesn't have to hide either. For instance, we saw the Broadway musical 'Come From Away' at the theater. Cunard has its own Royal Court Theatre Company for that. There were also many other artists; we saw a tap dance group called 'The Tap Chaps'. Also very good, although I must admit that in normal life, I would probably not go to a musical or a tap dance performance.

But there's not just shows: Coinciding with our solar eclipse, the astronomer Dr. Chris Crowe was also on board. You can also see my separate report on the solar eclipse (link below).

Just now, we received the last evening announcement from our captain, starting as always with these words: 'Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is the Captain speaking from the bridge.' In his announcement, he again found very warm words for farewell to the 1,301 guests who are now leaving the ship in Barcelona after the solar eclipse journey. He reminded us once more of this very special event that we will all never forget. Of course, he hopes to see us again soon. And I truly believe him!

https://vakantio.de/reisetante/2026-12-august-2029-uhr-sonnfinsternis