This from the bbc.co.uk news site
"Nearly 80 people onboard Cunard's new £300m luxury liner, the Queen Victoria, have been hit by a sickness bug on her second voyage.
A company spokesman said 25 people were still unwell after the Norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, struck.
The 3,000 passengers on the 16-day festive trip around the Canary Islands have paid between £1,100 and £24,400.
The Queen Victoria left her home port of Southampton on 21 December and is due back on the 6 January.
In January 2007, more than 300 people - 17% of the passengers - onboard Cunard's largest liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2, were infected with the Norovirus.
The Queen Victoria was named by the Duchess of Cornwall in the city on 10 December.
The spokesman confirmed that 78 people in total had been taken ill and had been asked to stay in their cabins to prevent further spread of the bug.
All surfaces onboard were being disinfected and passengers were being asked to wash their hands regularly, he said.
He added the cruise schedule had not been changed and the luxury liner was set to arrive in Gran Canaria on New Year's Eve.
The 90,000-tonne ship boasts seven restaurants, three swimming pools, a 6,000-book library and a casino and is Cunard's most luxurious liner"
December 30, 2007
December 20, 2007
Off to toursist locations....
Here's the Queen Victoria offloading some her passengers in order to get them to sites to see windmill's, canal's and more :) In the background one can see a part of the bridge called 'de Hef'.
Queen-Victoria-Southampton
The latest cruse liner to join the Cunard fleet the Queen Victoria arriving at her new home port of Southampton on December 7th. Quite a few people turned out to see her arrive even though it was very cold with strong hand numbing winds. She was escorted in by a flotilla of small boats and two tugs firing their water cannons one at her stern the other at her bow. This made for an impressive site but made it feel like it was raining when the wind blew on shore
December 19, 2007
Queens Room, QE2
the Black & White Ball, December 15th 2007, in the Queen's Room on the world-famous QE2 Ocean Liner
December 15, 2007
The duchess christens Queen Victoria
| The Duchess Christens Queen Victoria | |
  What's New With Queen Victoria?If the bubbly fell flat when Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall pushed the button meant to release the good luck bottle of Veuve Clicquot against Queen Victoria's hull, well, today's ceremony was still a great sendoff. It was perhaps fortunate that christening planners had Plan B in effect; as the ritual bottle of Champagne lay flat on the hull just beyond the giant V for Victoria, a young crew member on deck whipped out a spare and did the honors successfully by hand, the old fashioned way. Indeed the incident in which new age contemporary technology needed just a bit of help from tradition sums up the appeal of Queen Victoria. It's a ship that beautifully marries the best qualities from "ye olde" times of cruising with just enough of the accoutrements necessary for today. And the series of performances that sparked the ceremony fit in just right too.   Some 2000 invited guests streamed into a custom-built dockside theatre for the hour-long event today. The dress code provided beforehand suggested "day dress, suit or trouser suit" and also noted that it "is presumed that many ladies will wear a hat to the Naming Ceremony, however it is not required." Most didn't wear hats, though the parade of sporadic hat-wearing women was an enjoyable spectacle. More entertaining of course was the ceremony itself, which officially began with "The National Anthem," heralding the entrance of Camilla; her husband, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, followed right behind her. Carol Marlow, Cunard's president, welcomed all and sundry. As a graphic of the three queens -- Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the soon-to-be-built Queen Elizabeth -- was displayed on a huge white screen, Marlow referred to Cunard's explosive expansion. "Three new ships in six years ... this, ladies and gentlemen, is a revival. Cunard's lion does roar again." What's not roaring, apparently, is the line's most venerable ship. Queen Elizabeth 2, which departs the fleet in 2008, wasn't even mentioned. Otherwise the ceremony, at least Act 1, was more like attending a fantastic first-rate variety show than a symbolic sendoff for a new ship. Sir Derek Jacobi, a British film and theatre star, started out by assuming the persona of Phileas Fogg, the main character in Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days." He transported us on a charming tour of Cunard's history from the vantage point of the Victorian era. Did you know, for instance, that Cunard's Berengaria, which operated during the time of prohibition in America, created cruising's first ever "booze cruise" from New York to Cuba? Next stop was an anything but traditional gypsy dance to Bizet's "Carmen." Katherine Jenkins, a prominent mezzo-soprano, provided the ear-piercing lyrics. The most electric part of the ceremony came as the dancers clad in gypsy costumes in hues of bold oranges, reds and greens, were just finishing their act as the white screen behind them rose to reveal the hull of Queen Victoria, accompanied by fireworks. Nature performed on cue: The sun on this unusually gorgeous December day was setting, and could be spotted in a triangle of space underneath the tip of the hull, between land and sea.  If Act 1 was joyful and exuberant in tone, Act 2 transformed the ceremony from raucous to regal. Ship's officers and crew filed neatly onto the stage. The choirs of The Winchester Cathedral sang and The Lord Bishop of Winchester said The Prayers of Blessing. And then, with the customary drum roll, Captain Paul Wright escorted Camilla, followed by Prince Charles, Micky Arison (chairman and CEO of Carnival Corp., Cunard's owner) and Carol Marlow. Camilla, clad in a lavender dress coat with a hat to match, smiled bravely, looking straight ahead, while Prince Charles, just behind her, was significantly more relaxed, grinning and looking at the ship's staffers as he passed by.Camilla intoned the standard sendoff -- "May God bless her and all who sail in her" -- and pressed the button that was rigged to the bottle on the hull's port side. After the backup bottle was successfully smashed, the ship's whistle blew, fireworks erupted and confetti dropped down from the ceiling. And so it begins. Queen Victoria is officially welcomed into the fraternity (sorority?) not only of passenger vessels cruising today but also to the elite family of Cunard ocean liners. Queen Victoria sets sail tomorrow on its maiden voyage -- a 12-night Christmas markets cruise to Northern Europe. Stay tuned as we'll debut new Queen Victoria features, including a virtual report from an onboard correspondent, throughout this week and next. |
Gary Bembridge
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December 8, 2007
The Royal Court Theatre on Cunard's Queen Victoria
The Royal Court Theatre on Cunard's Queen Victoria
New liner arrives in Southampton
This from http://news.bbc.co.uk
"A new £300m cruise ship, which will eventually replace the QE2, has arrived in Southampton ahead of a naming ceremony next week.
The Queen Victoria, built in Italy, travelled up Southampton Water and docked at 0930 GMT.
The 16-deck, 90,000-tonne super cruiser boasts such amenities as a 830-seat theatre, museum and two-storey library.
She will be named by the Duchess of Cornwall and join Queen Mary 2 and QE2 in Southampton-based Cunard's fleet.
The firm is decommissioning the QE2, which has carried two million passengers across five million miles (eight million km).
We are delighted that both our invited guests and the people of Southampton will be able to witness this exciting event
The liner will leave service next year to become a floating hotel in Dubai from 2009.
Queen Victoria, Cunard's most luxurious ship, will depart from its Southampton home on a 10-night tour of Northern Europe on 11 December.
She was built at the Fincantieri shipyard, near Venice.
Carol Marlow, president and managing director of Cunard, said: "The naming of a Cunard queen is a very special occasion.
"The naming of Queen Victoria is made even more special by the presence of their Royal Highnesses and we are delighted that both our invited guests and the people of Southampton will be able to witness this exciting event."
A firework display will mark the departure of the vessel on her maiden voyage around northern Europe on Tuesday.
"A new £300m cruise ship, which will eventually replace the QE2, has arrived in Southampton ahead of a naming ceremony next week.
The Queen Victoria, built in Italy, travelled up Southampton Water and docked at 0930 GMT.
The 16-deck, 90,000-tonne super cruiser boasts such amenities as a 830-seat theatre, museum and two-storey library.
She will be named by the Duchess of Cornwall and join Queen Mary 2 and QE2 in Southampton-based Cunard's fleet.
The firm is decommissioning the QE2, which has carried two million passengers across five million miles (eight million km).
We are delighted that both our invited guests and the people of Southampton will be able to witness this exciting event
The liner will leave service next year to become a floating hotel in Dubai from 2009.
Queen Victoria, Cunard's most luxurious ship, will depart from its Southampton home on a 10-night tour of Northern Europe on 11 December.
She was built at the Fincantieri shipyard, near Venice.
Carol Marlow, president and managing director of Cunard, said: "The naming of a Cunard queen is a very special occasion.
"The naming of Queen Victoria is made even more special by the presence of their Royal Highnesses and we are delighted that both our invited guests and the people of Southampton will be able to witness this exciting event."
A firework display will mark the departure of the vessel on her maiden voyage around northern Europe on Tuesday.
Cunard's £300m Queen Victoria sails into Southampton offering most luxurious cruise yet
This from http://www.dailymail.co.uk
"A new queen of the seas arrived in Southampton yesterday to extend a proud tradition.
The £300million Queen Victoria berthed for the first time in what will be her home port for years of luxury cruising.
Scroll down for more...
The 2,000-passenger vessel will make the port of Southampton its home
The latest addition to Cunard's fleet, built at the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice, will be officially named by the Duchess of Cornwall on Monday. The following day she will set sail on her maiden voyage, a ten-day trip around northern Europe.
At 90,000 tons, Queen Victoria is smaller than her sister ship Queen Mary 2, but bigger than her predecessor the QE2. She can carry 2,000 passengers at up to 23.7 knots, and her 18 decks include seven restaurants, three swimming pools, 4,000 sq ft of shops, a casino, theatre and library.
Tickets for a world cruise will cost up to £210,000 for the grandest suites and 24-hour butler service.
More than 2,000 invited guests will witness the ceremony in a specially-built auditorium next to the City Cruise Terminal where Queen Victoria will be berthed.
The vessel will join two other Cunard queens - the QE2 and the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) - as part of the company's fleet, with the three vessels meeting in New York next month.
Cunard's president and managing director Carol Marlow said: "The naming of a Cunard queen is a very special occasion.
"The naming of Queen Victoria is made even more special by the presence of their Royal Highnesses and we are delighted that both our invited guests and the people of Southampton will be able to witness this exciting event."
The Queen Victoria is billed as Cunard's most luxurious liner
The 2000 passenger vessel will be officially named by the Duchess of Cornwall during a ceremony on Monday
A firework display will mark the departure of the vessel on her 10-night maiden voyage around northern Europe on Tuesday.
Built at the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice in Italy, the Queen Victoria may not be Cunard's biggest ship but the company boasts that it is its most grand.
Features include a "floating first" - West-End style boxes in the 830-seat theatre - as well as a 6,000-book library.
The meeting of the three queens is part of Queen Victoria's first world cruise - a 106-night trip with fares ranging from £11,000 to £115,000 for a grand suite.
The 2,000-passenger vessel will make the port of Southampton its home
"A new queen of the seas arrived in Southampton yesterday to extend a proud tradition.
The £300million Queen Victoria berthed for the first time in what will be her home port for years of luxury cruising.
Scroll down for more...
The 2,000-passenger vessel will make the port of Southampton its home
The latest addition to Cunard's fleet, built at the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice, will be officially named by the Duchess of Cornwall on Monday. The following day she will set sail on her maiden voyage, a ten-day trip around northern Europe.
At 90,000 tons, Queen Victoria is smaller than her sister ship Queen Mary 2, but bigger than her predecessor the QE2. She can carry 2,000 passengers at up to 23.7 knots, and her 18 decks include seven restaurants, three swimming pools, 4,000 sq ft of shops, a casino, theatre and library.
Tickets for a world cruise will cost up to £210,000 for the grandest suites and 24-hour butler service.
More than 2,000 invited guests will witness the ceremony in a specially-built auditorium next to the City Cruise Terminal where Queen Victoria will be berthed.
The vessel will join two other Cunard queens - the QE2 and the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) - as part of the company's fleet, with the three vessels meeting in New York next month.
Cunard's president and managing director Carol Marlow said: "The naming of a Cunard queen is a very special occasion.
"The naming of Queen Victoria is made even more special by the presence of their Royal Highnesses and we are delighted that both our invited guests and the people of Southampton will be able to witness this exciting event."
The Queen Victoria is billed as Cunard's most luxurious liner
The 2000 passenger vessel will be officially named by the Duchess of Cornwall during a ceremony on Monday
A firework display will mark the departure of the vessel on her 10-night maiden voyage around northern Europe on Tuesday.
Built at the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice in Italy, the Queen Victoria may not be Cunard's biggest ship but the company boasts that it is its most grand.
Features include a "floating first" - West-End style boxes in the 830-seat theatre - as well as a 6,000-book library.
The meeting of the three queens is part of Queen Victoria's first world cruise - a 106-night trip with fares ranging from £11,000 to £115,000 for a grand suite.
The 2,000-passenger vessel will make the port of Southampton its home
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