A Cunard Cruise to Hamburg

We boarded the Cunard Queen Victoria ship one Sunday afternoon from Southampton’s Mayfair terminal ready for our short voyage to Hamburg. Having been on several cruises over the years, I was keen to see what a Cunard cruise was like as they offer a first-class more traditional experience.

The Queen Victoria was originally built in 2007 but had an extensive refit in 2017. These ships are very traditional in appearance and the Grand Lobby is no exception to this. With a sweeping staircase, polish marble floors and ornate balconies, it gives a real flavour of the standard to be expected. One thing you can guarantee is the exceptional service. The 980 staff are always on hand to look after the 2000 guests on board.

We stayed in a balcony room which allowed natural light to flood the room. This level of room includes a turndown service and pillow chocolate plus regular visits from our steward, so our room was always in pristine condition. There’s also 24-hour complimentary room service available if you don’t want to go out for fine dining in the evening. Cunard cruises are very traditional in their serving of afternoon tea every day whilst on board. The food is served by white-gloved waiters and includes fine finger sandwiches, scones, delicate pastries and a selection of teas. Whilst enjoying this delicious afternoon treat, we listened to the orchestra playing.

There is a formal dress code aboard the ship for the evenings where you are asked to wear smart attire. There’s also a couple of gala nights if you’re going for longer than 2 nights as we did. Whether you’re after a simple pint or a good gin and tonic, a light bite or something a little fancy, there is a bar or restaurant to suit your needs.

Once we arrived into Hamburg, we opted to take the hop on and off bus tour which gave us an idea of where everything is located. It was clear to see that everything was very close to each other meaning it’s a very walkable city and great for getting around. This was great as we were only there for a short time before flying back to London.

Whilst in Hamburg we visited Minatur Wunderland, the world’s biggest model railway. You can go around the world – from Vegas to the Norwegian Fjords and Rome to Monaco. Day and night follow quickly with just 15 minutes between each. It’s very well laid out and there are so many small details to look at you could spend most of the day in here! I was lucky enough to also do the behind the scenes tour. Definitely pre-book your tickets before you go as there can be up to 2 hours queuing!

If you’re looking for a more traditional way to cruise with some ultimate luxuries thrown in, I’d really recommend booking a Cunard cruise.