Photo courtesy of Cunard's Facebook page
After a 20-day refurbishment in Hamburg, Cunard's Queen Victoria departed Southampton in a hail of pyrotechnics for a 103-night voyage to the Americas, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, PRNewswire announced. In addition to fireworks, passengers were greeted with a flag-raising ceremony at the ship's mast, commemorating the cruise line's 175th anniversary. That flag will be flown at destinations across the world and on all three of Cunard's ships, before being auctioned off to benefit The Prince's Trust, Cunard's official charity.
A complement of 2,000 contractors worked a total of 600,000 man hours around the clock, installing nine new single staterooms, eight internet stations in the library, replacing all 215,278 square feet of carpet in the passenger areas, replacing 3.75 miles of pipe work insulation, and applying 2,695 gallons of paint, enough to cover 54 Boeing 737s. Outdoor spaces were enhanced, and beverage provisions were improved in the informal Lido restaurant.
In addition to the construction work, new furnishings were installed, and all 3,167 mattresses were renewed.
Rick Meadows, President of Cunard, North America pointed out that passengers had a hand in decisions related to the changes aboard the ship, "The results of Queen Victoria's refit are a true testament to Cunard's ability to respond to passenger input. We are delighted to incorporate their wish for more outdoor space with enhancements to the Upper Grill Terrace and additional areas for sunbathing. We also provided more single staterooms for our single travelers. It's this commitment to our passengers that keeps Cunard's 175 year heritage going strong."
The ship's first port-of-call is Ponta Delgada in the Azores followed by locations in the Caribbean, then a transit of the Panama Canal will lead to stops in Hawaii and Australia.
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