Rotterdam or Queen Victoria?

[carolina_yankee]

Crossposting in Cunard forum for their opinions.

 

For those who have sailed both ships or both lines, what are your thoughts for a Northern Cape cruise in June or July? There are some port differentials but we would be OK with either itinerary, I think. I posted those questions in the ports section.

 

We can book QV Britannia balcony for significantly less than Rotterdam verandah, plus some cost savings flying to England instead of Amsterdam. We are aware of the Cunard traditions and think it would be fun giving that a try, but QV has gotten some mixed reviews lately. Both itineraries have five sea days, so ship experience does make a difference. We are self-entertaining, but like nice environments.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Have not sailed Rotterdam or QV, but have sailed Oosterdam, Westerdam, Nieuw Amsterdam;  QE2, QM2, QE.  My vote is for QV.  Love the elegance and ambiance of Cunard.  And I can make a little black dress go a long way.  EM

[*Miss G*]

Honestly, I think you can’t go wrong either way, although they will be different experiences.  I have been on Rotterdam’s sister ships, the Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam, a number of times.  I’ve also been on the Queen Victoria.  Both ships handle marine conditions well.  Love the daily curry in QV’s pub.  Enrichment-wise, I think Cunard does a better job.  The Rotterdam’s bathroom, however, beats the QV hands down.  Since you’re already leaning that way, and because it will be a new experience, my vote goes to Cunard.

[vicd1969]

The Cunard sailing is 12 days vs the HAL one at 14 days for the North Cape itinerary. That may explain some of the price differences. That said, if you are fine with packing at least two sets of formal wear for your trip, a couple of the Cunard stops are superior. The QV goes to Geiranger and the Lofoten islands, which are usually on list of people's top favorite Norwegian ports. It's also early June vs July, where more snow capped mountains make for better photos. If scenery and ports are your top priority, I'd vote for Cunard as well. If food options and a desire for casual relaxing are your priority, the Rotterdam is a better fit.

[bennybear]

We’ve been on the Queen Victoria and she is a classic beauty with the best scones and high tea.   As well as a gorgeous two story wood lined library.  We enjoyed the buffet immensely, But the main dining room we found very lacking.   There is a separate dining room for the grills passengers and I think that impacts the MDR.  Men must wear a jacket in the evenings even just out to a show,  so a very different vibe.   And we were asked several times if we were in the grills?  So we felt the two tiered class system in a balcony. 

 

We very much enjoyed the Koningsdam sister ship to the Rotterdam, and the dining in Tamarind and Cannaleto as well as the MDR we found far superior to Cunard.

 

I’d break out the cost per day and weigh the port difference and decide how important the dining is.  We enjoyed both but we’d choose Rotterdam. 

 

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[carolina_yankee]

All of this is very helpful. I think another factor is that we are far more likely to be on HAL in the future (looking at you, Alaska) than on Cunard.  The timing is also very helpful as it would allow me end a scheduled sabbatical by a couple of weeks.

 

 

Ultimately, I am a little happier with Cunard’s ports on the 2003 northern cape itineraries. If only I had time to do a B2B on either ship!

 

[Boatdrill]

8 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Love the elegance and ambiance of Cunard.  

This ^^^^^^^

Have been on both lines, and would choose Cunard.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Boatdrill