NEW SHIP PREVIEW
crystal chandeliers and backlit, leaded- glass panels illuminate this refined, pastel-hued room with its generous dance floor. As with the other ships in the fleet, it comes into its own during Captain’s receptions, afternoon tea and grand black-tie evenings. At the forward part of the ship spanning
Decks One, Two and Three, is the 830-seat Royal Court Theatre. With tiered seating, this room reflects an aura of bygone elegance and grandeur, while the 16 private boxes are another reflection of Art Deco style. Entertainment ranges from Ukrainian string quartets and an abbrevi- ated version of Twelfth Night to a revival of A Slice of Saturday Night, a nostalgic pastiche of 1960s music. The single-seating Britannia Club
restaurant – for passengers occupying AA-grade accommodation – has a grand entrance with patterned marble floors and art glass ceiling. There are also impression- istic wall sconces, attractive escutcheons, distinctive seating and elegant lighting. This has to be one of the best options on board for intimate dining without the premium attached to grill-grade accommodation.
ft on Deck Two is the lower entrance to the 878-seat Britannia Restaurant. This striking room features a soaring double-height ceiling offset by intimate groupings of tables that belie the room’s size. At the forward end, a sweeping staircase links the two levels. Inspired by the first class dining room on Queen Mary as well as the plush interiors of the famed Golden Arrow Pullman train, the restaurant’s design influences are captured in its stunning use of glass tile, transparent art glass and bronze. The quixotic Garden Lounge on Deck Nine boasts a sloping glass roof reminis- cent of Kew Gardens and has a tiled floor with stylized floral carpets. Exuding a light and airy conservatory ambiance with exotic plants, this room has a diorama of garden party murals and vertical decora- tive glass-tile niches coupled with a sense of wit and style that raises it above the status of a mere ship’s lounge. Another innovation is the Yacht Club amidships on Deck Ten. Hand-painted murals surround a stunning chandelier, while sail-inspired, leather-clad vertical columns enhance the nautical accents of this soignée room that transforms into the late-night disco. Around the circular frieze is a coded message in international flags that reads: ‘Queen Elizabeth 2 Triumph of a great tradition 1969-2008.’ With unimpeded views over the bow,
A
the Commodore Club recaptures the quintessence of the Observation Bar
aboard both the inimitable former ‘Queens’. Displaying large murals of past Cunarders by celebrated artist Robert Lloyd, the nautical atmosphere is further highlighted by bronze railings and inlaid wood flooring with a compass design. There are also burgundy and blue leather sofas and club chairs to enhance the well-groomed aura that pervades this room. The gentrified Churchill’s Cigar Lounge – the only place within the ship where you can smoke – lies to the rear. Encompassing the aft section of Deck Nine is the Lido Café. This casual, bright and airy eatery is set against a backdrop of vintage black and white Cunard imagery. Offering a sophisticated ambiance without the formality of a dining room, passengers can dine in Asado and sample South American cuisine; Aztec, offering authentic regional Mexican dishes; and the Pan- Asian Jasmine, all for a $10 supplement. Deck Eleven is an aerie dedicated to Grill passengers with the 132-seat Queens Grill on the portside and 120-seat Princess Grill to starboard. Boasting a colour palette of cream, gold and blue in the Queen’s Grill, and gold, green and coral in the Princess Grill, the overall aesthetic is a discerning balance of wood-panelled walls in muted shades of cream and brown. During the day, the Grills are flooded with light from the floor-to-ceiling pano- ramic windows while, by night, they take on a more ethereal quality, bathed in soft lighting created by marble glass uplighters and chandeliers. The forward-facing Grills Lounge with a backlit, oval cupola ceiling is a grandiloquent room ideal for refined afternoon tea, cocktails and digestifs, accompanied by live entertainment. Grill guests can dine alfresco in the
Courtyard, an intimate Tuscan-inspired space with street lamps, stone and mosaic lion-head wall fountain and topiaries. A staircase leads to the Upper Grills Terrace, where superior deck furniture offers a separate sunbathing halcyon just forward of the funnel.
In Conclusion... Aboard Queen Elizabeth, glamour is enjoying a renaissance. The interiors are compelling and go beyond stern function- alism into the realms of romance; they are stately and effortlessly elegant. Conversation pieces rub shoulders with the best of traditional British design; a subtle element of surprise coexists in perfect harmony with the decadence and vitality of yesteryear.
FACT FILE
Length: Beam:
Draft: Speed:
Passengers: Crew:
Queen Elizabeth
Maiden Voyage: October, 2010 Tonnage:
90,900 964.5ft
106ft 25.9ft
23.7 knots 2,068
996
Passenger decks: 12 Registry:
Great Britain
Itineraries: winter/spring, World Cruise; spring, Mediterranean, Canaries; summer, N Europe, Mediterranean; autumn, New England/Canada, Mediterranean, Canaries, Caribbean.
More info: call 0845 678 0013 or visit
www.cunard.com.
Winter 2010 / 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104