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Place the cursor over the photos to read the
descriptions; if you click on any of the thumbnail pictures,
the full-sized photo will open in a pop up screen. Please note
full sized photos may take a moment to load. |
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Page 2 of 8 |
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Page 2 of 8 |
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Heart of
Queen Victoria is the three-deck high Grand Foyer with
sweeping staircases, plush carpets and shiny marble. Done by
Princess Cruises' in-house design team, you will notice more
than one similarity between this atrium and similar spaces on
Princess ships. |
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Grand Foyer |
Grand
Foyer |
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Still, you will be
looking in vain for any glass elevators - Queen Victoria has
none. Instead, the vessel's twelve guest elevators are grouped
together in three clusters which makes orientation easy.
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Stairwell with
vintage photos |
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The
attractive, wood paneled stair towers feature vintage photos
of the stars of yesterday enjoying their "only way to cross" -
a nice touch. |
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Queen Victoria's
top decks are reserved exclusively for the rich and
famous. On deck 10 a discrete sign in the amidships stairwell reminds you
that you are approaching "Grill Class", accessible only to
guests staying in any of the vessel's luxurious suites.
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Grills
Lounge |
Grills Lounge |
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Overlooking
a semi-private sun terrace, the Grills Lounge is
small but beautiful and the perfect place for Grill Class
passengers to enjoy morning coffee, afternoon tea and evening
cocktails. |
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Grills Lounge |
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With its dark
wood paneling, large windows and beautiful backlit glass dome
this room breathes the exclusivity that Grill Class guests
will come to expect. During the day, the intimate bar serves
up cool drinks to the Grill Class sunbathers that are
stretched out on oversized, cushioned lounge chairs outside.
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The Grills
Terrace |
The
Grills Terrace |
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The Grills
Terrace, a semi-private sun deck overlooking the Pavilion
Pool, is simply superb. Up on deck 12 is another open air area, the Grills Upper Terrace. Again, lounge chairs are
ever-present, as is a feeling of space. |
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Lounge
chairs galore |
The
Grills Upper Terrace |
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As wonderful
as this top deck hideaway is, I do miss two things: teak decks and a
Jacuzzi or small pool for Grill guests only. |
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On Queen
Victoria, Cunard continues its old-world restaurant
classification where guests in the lower stateroom
categories head for
the vast Britannia Restaurant. |
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Princess Grill |
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More
fortunate souls move up to deck 11 where they will find the
Queens Grill and Princess Grill dedicated to the art of wining
and dining. Both are reserved exclusively for Grill Class
guests. |
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Queens Grill |
Princess Grill |
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Passengers
staying in any of the Grand, Master or Penthouse Suites will find their table
reserved in the Queens Grill on the port side, while guests
staying in slightly less elaborate suites head for the
Princess Grill on starboard side. |
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Queens Grill |
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Both
restaurants are remarkably similar. Both offer breathtaking
views
through floor to ceiling windows and are compact enough to
guarantee a relatively intimate dining experience. Menus
differ between both restaurants and Queens Grill guests are
welcome to order off-menu. So go ahead, order that lobster! |
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Queens Grill |
Princess Grill |
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With its
beautiful backlit stained glass wall decorations, the Queens Grill is
the more traditional of the two restaurants.
The Princess Grill has a slightly more modern feel to it
despite the odd curtain arrangement. Funnily enough not all
chairs have armrests; something you would expect in these
sumptuous surroundings. |
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Queens Grill |
Queens Grill |
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The Grill restaurants have their own dedicated galley. All dishes are
prepared to order and Cunard has an enviable reputation of
offering old-world silver service on the high seas. A
tradition that is thankfully continued on the Queen Victoria.
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The
Courtyard |
The Courtyard |
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Now, what to
think of the Courtyard that is sandwiched between the two
Grill restaurants? While I think that the idea of having an
alfresco area to complement the two Grills is brilliant,
the Courtyard looks like it has just escaped from Las Vegas.
Instead of the tacky fountain and rubber decking (in a teak motive),
I think the design team could have come up with a more stylish
solution here. But then, perhaps it will all look
different on a beautiful sunny day... |
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