Queen Victoria rules the waves

CUNARD'S newest ship, the Queen Victoria, is on her maiden world voyage. We weighed anchor with her on the Hawaii-to-Fiji leg of the trip.

Magnificent ... the three-storey high Grand Lobby greets guests

THERE are some things the British just do better than anyone else: afternoon tea, black comedy, bespoke suits and, once upon a time, cricket.

Cruising is another. They do it so awfully well that it's become an art form and, for a good many of them, the very reason for going on living.

The Queen Victoria, just two months old, is a case in point.

Cunard's newest vessel may have got off to a bit of a rocky start when the magnum of champagne refused to crack for Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall (that's Camilla Parker Bowles, if you haven't kept up with her change of status), at the naming ceremony, but the ship is very much in keeping with the line's famed heritage.

Tradition runs through every centimetre of the ship's 294 metres, with the Queen Victoria harking back to an earlier time – specifically, the more elegant years from the 1920s and '30s, when people still dressed for dinner, a time when people didn't swear in public, when good service was a given and the world was, for those in the right circles, a far more civilised place.

Arriving at the dock in Hawaii, the Queen Victoria towers above me like the nautical skyscraper she is. Painted in Cunard's traditional, distinctive white, dark grey and red livery, she fairly oozes history even before going aboard. Crossing the gangway is akin to stepping back 80 years.

Guests are greeted by a magnificent, three-storey grand lobby, boasting twin sweeping staircases and a spectacular stained-glass ceiling.

It's more in the style of an aristocratic mansion than a swanky modern hotel and sets the tone for the ship.

Not for Queen Victoria the thumping dance music, wild parties and the potential for scurrilous headlines that have dogged other, lesser ships. Instead, a black grand piano takes centre stage in the lobby, beneath a bronze and marquetry sculptor by noted Scottish artist, Josh McKenna.

It's the first of many wonderful art pieces in the ship's $2 million plus collection. The overall effect is understated elegance. It whispers, rather than shouts, as so many of modern hotels do.

Smaller than her sister ship – Cunard's flagship, the Queen Mary 2 – the Queen Victoria is regarded as a jewel in the rejuvenated White Star line's crown. It certainly delivers in style and service, with a 1:2 staff ratio of 1001 crew catering to 2014 passengers.

Many of those travelling aboard the ship on its maiden voyage have sailed with Cunard before and, by and large, the passenger list is dominated by the more senior members of society.

These grey nomads of the waves have worked hard to be here, they have achieved things in their lives, gained money, respect and status and now, by God, they are going to enjoy it.

Not that this should deter younger travellers, honeymooners and families from setting sail aboard Queen Victoria. It has facilities everyone will enjoy, including the youngest of travellers, with at least one baby and several children under five on board, making use of the child-specific areas.

One of the most pleasant aspects of cruising life is how it forces you to step away from the usual pace of things, to slow down and to do things differently.

Dressing in a dinner suit makes dinning an occasion, the absence of mobile phones is a blessing – and when else am I ever going to find time to play shuffleboard or learn the finer points of fencing?

The wide range of age and nationality – mainly Americans and Brits, with hundreds of Australians and many Germans – makes for some interesting observations and, as the ship's master, Captain Paul Wright, says: "It's a great people-watching ship."

Shoppers with healthy credit cards are also well catered for, in the ship's boutiques.

Fancy a replica of Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown? You can find one here for $7000. Or a Faberge egg? Several are available.

The most expensive item on offer is a black opal pendant that will leave little change out of $60,000.

Onboard facilities are reflective of the clientele: bars and clubs – there are 13 – are genteel, with piano or harp in the background.

While the art deco style of the Veuve Clicquot Champagne bar is a highlight, only eclipsed by the wonderful view across the ocean from the Commodore Club on deck 10, it's the traditional English pub-themed bar, The Golden Lion, that is the most popular.

Accommodation is comfortable, with quality finishes throughout and the beds excellent, although some have expressed concern about the lack of cupboard space and the "squeaky, creaky" nature of the newly bolted-together ship. Generally speaking, my cabin was top-notch, except for a small problem with a blocked toilet.

There are 1007 staterooms, with 73 per cent having balconies, from which you can while away the hours at sea.

Built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani, the Queen Victoria has a number of features that make her something special.

The 6000-book library is set across two levels, connected by a wonderful spiral staircase.

Panelled with dark mahogany and topped by a backlit, leadlight ceiling, it is a marvellous place to relax and enjoy.

Smokers, who have long been persecuted on land, can indulge at several designated areas and for a truly decadent puff, the aptly named Churchill Cigar Lounge can seat 11 in comfort.

The most spectacular space aboard ship is the 830-seat Royal Court Theatre, which boasts private boxes in the West End style, from which guests can sip champagne and dine on hors d'oeuvres served by white-gloved ushers.

Also not to be missed is the traditional high tea, served in the Queen's Room. Inspired by Queen Victoria's Osborne House, the large ballroom is crowned by two enormous chandeliers.

Like cruise ships the world over, there's a small casino – if you can find time for a bet, amid the myriad things to do on board. The daily activities sheet runs to more than a page and includes movies, gym and spa, ballroom dancing, talks on Botox and even informal meetings for gay passengers at the Friends of Dorothy get-together.

Of course, these are just a diversion from the main occupation of most cruise passengers – eating and relaxing.

Diners are catered for in a variety of venues, including the 468-seat Lido buffet, the main 878 Britannia Restaurant and the 87-seat Todd English Restaurant.

After a few cups of weak, American-style coffee, I quickly come to appreciate the stronger brew in Cafe Carinthia, although there is no escaping the taste of long-life milk.

It is here that I meet an elderly Canadian gent who, upon hearing my Australian accent, regales me with tales of the first time he visited Sydney more than 40 years earlier.

"I like Australians," he says. "We are all part of the Commonwealth."

Chuckling, I bid him good day – and chance upon a quote from a 1938 cruise brochure in the Cunardia Museum, which features many artefacts from the glory days.

"You want not a huge hotel, but a home, a club with a yacht-like intimacy, without long empty spaces to traverse," it reads.

That, despite the Queen Victoria's vast size, combined with the famous line from the Water Rat in the Wind In The Willows: "There is nothing half so much worth doing, as mucking about in boats", pretty much sums up what Queen Victoria is all about and what she achieves.

Long may her traditions reign.

The writer was a guest of Cunard.

The Sunday Telegraph