Exquisite Elegance: Mini Cruising With Queen Victoria

• Festive Sophistication: Experience the "epitome of glamour" on a seasonal sailing to Amsterdam, where the ship’s traditional, warm, and homely atmosphere provides a perfectly elegant backdrop for a winter getaway.

• Exceptional Culinary Delights: From a "spectacular" posh afternoon tea in the Queens Room to the high-value Verandah steakhouse and the best-ever burgers at the Golden Lion pub, the festive dining options offer something for every palate.

• Surprising Entertainment & Modernity: Defying traditional stereotypes, the cruise featured a diverse range of entertainment, including silent discos, a performance by Heather Small, and modern, flexible kids' clubs that make Cunard a surprising but excellent choice for families.

Cunard's Queen Victoria is the epitome of the cruise line's ethos of sophistication and glamour at sea. This splendid ship regularly transports guests to intriguing, and unique destinations all over the world, from sensational ports across South & Central America, including the Panama Canal, to incredible destinations in Northern Europe.

Specialist Cruise Consultant Gemma Larder got to experience the joy of cruising onboard Queen Victoria, during a mini cruise to Amsterdam. In this blog, she details her time onboard, including some of her own personal highlights cruising with Queen Victoria.

I was lucky enough to be given the chance to embark on my first-ever trip with Cunard, and if there ever was a cruise line that I had totally misunderstood due to lack of real understanding - it was this one! My experience onboard really opened my eyes to cruising with Cunard, so much so that I've actually booked a little trip for us next year on Queen Anne!

Check-in time for my cruise with Queen Victoria was 3.15pm, but we boarded just after 12pm with no issues. Embarkation was straightforward; once boarding passes were collected at check-in, it was straight to the muster station to be scanned as having completed it and then off to my cabin. Every guest is welcomed onboard with a bottle of fizz in their cabin, which is a nice touch.

The atmosphere on board was always quite casual and relaxed with super-friendly staff. Many of the guests onboard were American, despite sailing from Southampton, which surprised me that they were staying on (or had stayed on) for back-to-back sailings.

The ship itself is beautiful, traditional and has a homely feeling, warm. She seemed to ooze elegance and maintains a link to the times of cruising gone by, but not at all old-fashioned. I loved it and usually bigger, newer ships are my preference, but I'd happily sail onboard Queen Victoria again!

The only complaint I can muster regarding food was that I didn't have long enough on board to sample all of it! Afternoon tea in the Queens Room is as spectacular as a posh afternoon tea should be, the scones were some of the best I have ever tasted - best to get there a little early to see the show before tea is served.

The Britannia restaurant was elegant and consistently great menu-wise, the offerings were always interesting and very tasty. I also had a chance to dine in the Verandah steak house - wow what an experience! If pre-booked before sailing at $49 per head (if not prebooked you pay $69) it's super great value for the choices on offer and there is no limit to the dishes you can order.

As we ate here on the last night, I was feeling stuffed, so I opted for three courses instead of five! I ha for starters, poached eggs and asparagus, fillet steak cooked to perfection for main course, and a delightful cheesecake for dessert.

The Golden Lion pub also serves a lovely menu at lunch and dinner. The fish and chips were said to be the bomb, however, I didn't try it as the burger won me over and I had that twice during the trip. It was the best burger ever with a pulled beef deep-fried patty on the top - delish!

It gets very busy in there and tables are limited, so I would recommend heading there for an early or late lunch otherwise, you will be wandering up and down the pub waiting for someone to vacate a table!

The Lido always looked to have a great selection and had some themed cuisine nights, plus there is a pizza and pasta station where you can quite literally build your own dinner! The poolside Lido Grill also served a tasty menu of burgers and hot dogs where again you can choose the bun type, toppings and sauces.

Gala nights are quite a glamorous affair with formal attire required around the ship from 6pm. But if you aren't up for it, you can dine in the Lido or the Golden Lion instead. Whilst most guests did wear tuxedos and dresses, there were some guests who opted for a more toned-down version of formal, so I think that a smart pair of trousers and a blouse for ladies, shirt and trousers for gents are quite acceptable.

No one was being asked to change, but I didn't see anyone in jeans so a certain level of formality is expected!

The cabins were lovely, hugely spacious with a big king-sized bed and a generous balcony - one of the biggest I've seen for a standard balcony.

Entertainment was a huge highlight. With everything from dancing in the Queens Room, to bands, singers, silent discos, comedians, folk shows, and even a private audience (open to all) with Heather Small from the M People!

The Yacht Club with its nightclub was a massive draw and had people up until the small hours dancing the night away. For sports fans, the Winter Garden has large screens showing football and rugby. I was really surprised by the variety of entertainment on offer, it's not all ballroom dancing and opera!

Kids clubs are an interesting one, as Cunard wasn't a line I would ordinarily have recommended for families. A lot of sailings have small numbers in each age group so the programme for them is very fluid and often child-driven rather than a rigid activity programme.

The groups are flexible too, so while officially the play zone is for ages 2-7, kids zone 8-12 and teens club 13-17 - if you have siblings who want to be together, Cunard will allow them to be together in the same group. The kids club rooms are very light and bright, very modern equipped with top-of-the-range technology. There are lots of activities on offer, including sports, discos, and crafting activities.

Amsterdam was great, we went to the Ice Bar, worth the €25 entry fee which includes a drink before you go in and two drinks whilst in the ice bar itself! We wandered the Red Light District and took a 'Lovers Canal Cruise' for €17. It was very beautiful with all the lights, but I would recommend taking a boat without a roof otherwise the windows steam up and visibility is limited!

All in all - I had a great time. Probably one of my favourite trips because I learnt so much from it and came away with a totally different experience of Cunard compared to what I thought it was.