It’s been a few years since Cunard introduced its Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, so now is a good time to assess its merits (or not). The ship shares many similarities with other ships in the same fleet, such as the Queen Victoria, which existed several years before the Elizabeth. Additionally, Elizabeth’s hull design closely resembles other ships from the Global cruise firm, Carnival Corporation. Examples that come to mind are Carnival Cruise Lines’ Spirit-class ships, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam (Holland America), many of Costa’s cruise ships, and Arcadia (P&O Cruises). The Queen Elizabeth, which is the third addition to Cunard’s fleet, is therefore a distinctive cruising design and is markedly different to the Queen Mary Two, which was Cunard’s archetypal ocean liner.

However, while the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are hard to tell apart, in terms of their staterooms and layout, there are several important features that make the Queen Elizabeth stand out. The decor on board Elizabeth is Art Deco in style, with bright, modern interior designs, in contrast to the more traditional Victorian design of her sister ship. In the public parts of the ship, the soothing melodies of the resident pianist, jazz trio or harpist will captivate you. Plus, everywhere you look aboard, you’ll see stunning artwork, polished wood surfaces, gleaming Italian marble, and dim lighting, complemented by impressive chandeliers. All of this combines to produce a unique atmosphere of classic and contemporary glamour.

There are usually several different types of guests on board the Queen Elizabeth. However, one thing all passengers have in common is an interest in the Cunard brand. This is true for people who have just heard about the ships and want to see what all the fuss is about. It’s also true for regular Cunard customers.

The world cruise each year draws a diverse crowd from around the world, although many of them are well-heeled British and American tourists. Invariably, British passengers make up the bulk of those leaving Southampton. British and American passengers have been known to enjoy shorter cruises as well. Often first-time cruisers (or first-time Cunard cruisers) will appear on Cunard’s annual mini-cruises. Often these passengers are less wealthy than those on world cruises. Also, German and Japanese tourists are famous for their love of Cunard cruises. Without a doubt, the Cunard name attracts many people year after year, so the Company is doing something right.

Perhaps surprisingly, cruises aboard the Queen Elizabeth only have a couple of nights a week when you have to dress up for dinner (mini-cruises only have one formal night a week). The three categories of attraction on board are: formal, semi-formal and informal. Formal attire is glitzy, over-the-top evening wear, while semi-formal is just a cocktail dress for women and a smart suit for men. For casual wear, most men just go for a simple tie and jacket. World cruises give wealthy guests the chance to flash their cash on formal nights, so expect lots of jewelry and lavish ball gowns.

There are no “artificial” attractions on the Queen Elizabeth, such as neon nightclubs or waterfalls. In contrast, Cunard creates a wonderful environment based on her splendid history through traditional activities such as bowling and ballroom dancing. On the web, there are mixed customer reviews about this cruise, however, many passengers give the Queen Elizabeth a positive review. So if you’ve never booked with Cunard before, and you ever get the chance, you could do a lot worse than considering this ship for her next cruise.