New renderings of 'Queen Victoria'

[Linerguy]

If I may be so bold as to ring in here.

 

Personally, whether or not the ship has continuity of style throughout it's public rooms really doesn't matter to me,...as long as they are attractive, comfortable and flow from one to another. AQUITANIA's different styles worked very well together (though she's never been a favorite of mine). There are several ships that fall flat on their face with regards to this (Carnival ships, mostly) and walking from one room to the next is like being slapped in the face over and over again.

 

And while QV's interiors do appear to be a hodge-podge of different styles, they just might work together in harmony with one another. That, we will not know until she enters service.

 

If there is anything I am leery of, it's the actual layout of some of the rooms. The asymmetrical design of the main dining room and the Queen's Room seems rather silly to me; of course, it may feel different than it looks,...it may work.

 

-Russ

[guernseyguy]

If there is anything I am leery of, it's the actual layout of some of the rooms. The asymmetrical design of the main dining room and the Queen's Room seems rather silly to me; of course, it may feel different than it looks,...it may work. -Russ

 

The other layout concerns I'd add are:

• Royal Arcade Immediately above Casino - probably noisy....
  
• Minstrel's Gallery of shops along starboard side of Queen's Room - one might hope they would have learned from the Grand Lounge on the QE2 - how many lectures have been interrupted by requests 'Have you got that in XXL?'.

I agree that the Britannia Restaurant is basically looks like two single story restaurants stacked on top of each other - but as you say, it may work.

 

What I think does work well is the Grills Restaurants and deck space - exclusive, private, and above us hoi polloi.....I think the Theatre might also work out well with private boxes - I hope they reserve them for Grill pax too.....

[KenC]

No, but CUNARD do! For a line marketed on its 'Heritage' their approach seems rather lackadasical.

 

Setting aside the specific case of these renderings, from a personal perspective, do you think it better that a ship have a 'coherent' design - with one dominant style - like Normandie's or Queen Mary's Art Deco, or the QE2's (original) Sixties, or do you prefer a more 'eclectic' mix - like the Aquitania, and it would appear, the Queen Victoria? Neither approach is 'right' or 'wrong' and both approaches have been successful both aesthetically and commercially.

 

From a personal perspective, I'd rather see a bit more design coherence - rather than bits of this and that. I thought what worked best on the QM2 was when she was just 'being herself' and not offering up homages to other stuff. I know your voyage on ARCADIA was not the best - what did you think of the design?

 

Peter

 

Peter

 

I found Arcadia's interiors competent but so dreary dull!! She really would not have made a very good QV – when I was on board most critics (and there were many) registered the lack of wow factor or any feeling of luxury as their main grouse on the decor.

 

Like Linerguy I don’t think a lack of overall ‘coherent’ design (as in a common theme) is necessarily a problem. Many liners of the past have had different designers produce vastly different rooms to great effect – Empress of Britain (1931) jumps immediately to mind.

 

I hope that there will be a coherent contemporary feel to QV’s design with a hint of the ‘other periods’ (which you have so lovingly delved into) in the detail. These dreadful computer generated images do no favours to the design. Once upon a time artists produced ‘artists’ impressions’ of interiors and many of these were ‘works of art’ which were even better than the real thing. Look at some of the artists’ impressions of Normandie, L’Atlantique, Empress of Britain – they leave something to our imagination which gives us a feel that no modern computer can recapture!!

 

I love the way QM2 is evocative of other periods and other ships without slavishly copying period detail. I’m kind of hoping that something similar will emerge on QV. If however, she does turn out to be Princess disguised as a Queen then there’s not much hope for the continuation of Cunard as we know it!! And I will be the first to decry the outrage.

 

Ken

[KenC]

The other layout concerns I'd add are:

• Royal Arcade Immediately above Casino - probably noisy....
  
• Minstrel's Gallery of shops along starboard side of Queen's Room - one might hope they would have learned from the Grand Lounge on the QE2 - how many lectures have been interrupted by requests 'Have you got that in XXL?'.

I agree that the Britannia Restaurant is basically looks like two single story restaurants stacked on top of each other - but as you say, it may work.

 

What I think does work well is the Grills Restaurants and deck space - exclusive, private, and above us hoi polloi.....I think the Theatre might also work out well with private boxes - I hope they reserve them for Grill pax too.....

 

Won't the shops of the Royal Arcade be enclosed so limiting the noise in from the Casino and out to the Queens Room??? I think the problem with the shops above QE2 Grand Lounge is that they are shoehorned into a space they were never designed for.

 

The Britannia Restaurant looks like all the other Vista dining rooms which, depending on where you are, can feel like double or single height. It's certainly not going to compare with QM2 but will probably be less enclosed than both QE2 dining rooms.

 

The Grill Dining Rooms, Bar and Sun Deck are sure fire winners - they are the best locations on Arcadia where they are greatly under used for some reason???

 

Ken

[guernseyguy]

Many liners of the past have had different designers produce vastly different rooms to great effect – Empress of Britain (1931) jumps immediately to mind.

 

And of the Empress of Britain its the innovative Cathay Lounge (Smoking Room), Salle Jacques Cartier (Dining Room) and The Mall that get remembered, not the Mayfair Lounge 'inspired by the temple of Minerva'....which would not have looked out of place on the Aquitania....I wouldn't mind them copying the Cathay Lounge on the Queen Vic - or the Queen Mary's Observation Bar for the Commodore Lounge - instead (IF the renderings are to be believed) we're heading for green leather Chesterfields.....

 

Peter

[Captain Rhone]

For construction pictures, visit this page...

 

http://www.partirencroisiere.fr/detail_news/214-queen-victoria-h-12.html

[highcbob]

For construction pictures, visit this page...

 

http://www.partirencroisiere.fr/detail_news/214-queen-victoria-h-12.html

 

Thanks a bunch for the link Cap'n. She is really coming along rapidly and getting set for her January float out.

 

I just do not undertsand why Cunard have no QV shipyard pictures on their own web-site. What are they thinking?

[guernseyguy]

Well spotted Captain Rhone - looks like the photos are from September as the Cunard site says of September:

 

Central section constructed to Nine Deck (of a total 12)

Main engines in place

Bulbous bow in place

 

- the latter in the last photograph - so 6 weeks on I'm sure a lot more has been done. Agree with highcbob - wonder why Cunard don't have pics....perhaps they think all we want are glamerous computer renditions.......

 

Peter

[roscoe39]

For construction pictures, visit this page...

 

http://www.partirencroisiere.fr/detail_news/214-queen-victoria-h-12.html

 

Yes thanks Captain Rhone...wish my school boy french was a little fresher!

[guernseyguy]

For those of us who were wondering why Cunard were abandoning their Queen liner 'heritage' - modern, contemporary ships - and going back to 1914 AQUITANIA a possible answer is here:

 

http://www.virtualventura.co.uk/home.html

 

So its all down to Carnival brand differentiation - P&O gets to do 'modern' while Cunard is stuck with 'historical'.....much as I'm no great fan of Grand Class ships VENTURA looks quite stylish.....and a considerable contrast to the QUEEN VICTORIA......mystery solved.

 

Peter

[pnhmrk]

VENTURA looks quite stylish

 

And like she'll be overrun with kids and families:eek:

[travel-to-go]

She may be somebody's style. She's certainly not mine! the first thing I clicked on said "Deck 17" and I knew right then and there, it was not for me. Some floozy with too much up top. Then I saw all the chi-chi names and ideas that are just so faddish right now, and realized this ship will probably be dated before she is finished. I am so tired of the universe jumping on every bandwagon that comes along. Whatever the latest "in" thing is, everyone has to do it, wear it, be it, or sell it. Doesn't anybody have an original idea any more? It's one reason I don't watch television (other than that most of it appeals to the lowest common denominator, is mean-spritied and stereotypical) As soon as someone comes up with something different and has a hit, everyone rushes out to copy it- Don't they realize, the reason it was a hit is because it wasn't like everything else out there? I can't even remember which RCCL or Carnival ship I was on (only one of each) Because they do not distinguish themselves. I remember every Cunard ship, even sister ships. I have done 6 Cunard trips, two ships I have been on twice. Yet each trips was distinct in my mind.

 

Karie,

who likes classic ships, and unique flavors. And I like people who think for themselves!

[guernseyguy]

"Deck 17" and I knew right then and there, it was not for me. Some floozy with too much up top.

 

Hi Karie - I think they are counting ALL the decks - down to the Keel - the Sapphire Princess - on which she's based has 13 passenger decks - and the lowest deck accessible on the presentation is Deck 5 - and the highest 18 - so 13 passenger decks in total - compared to the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria's 12, and the QE2's 11 - not that different really......

 

Peter

[patwell]

Karie...I completely agree with you...so much similarity...it's like cars. Who can tell most of them apart anymore?:rolleyes:

 

AND...she has that ugly Princess bow...I'm sorry but that bow always looks like it's swollen...kind of like my face looked when I had an abcessed tooth! It is far from graceful and really colors my impression of that class of Princess ships...and this one too, not that I expect to sail on her at any point. But that's just my opinion and hopefully she'll be lovely inside.

Cheers, Penny

[travel-to-go]

I always thought those bows looked like some sort of a huge missile. This one looks as though maybe it has some First Class apartments on the front.

 

Karie,

who isn't fond of Princess designs. Never has been