Jaunted

There's a theatre, but it's three stories with reservable private boxes. There's a shopping mall of sorts, but it's the opposite of flashy and capped with a Brit-made clock and grand staircase. The bars reflect Cunard's nautical traditions, and if there's not a live piano player, there's a harpist or a band or a full-fledged small orchestra. The internet lounge and library are somewhere you'd want to hang out even if you weren't at sea, and that's saying a lot.

And oh yes, there are pools. The QV follows the modern cruise ships style of opening up the Lido deck for two pools, one middle and one aft, surrounded by a tight grid of sun loungers. Here the Brit in her shows through again, since there's the option of laying back on a wood steamer chair with a large Winter Garden available for cooler trips where stepping in a swimsuit isn't exactly the most appealing thing.

Now keep in mind that this is a British ship, with the exception of some decidedly American things like charging in dollars and offering American bacon on the breakfast menu. Passengers have the option of a Full English breakfast, a huge range of tea, a spacious pub complete with pub trivia, the aforementioned afternoon tea service...and class divisions. The majority of passengers are in regular staterooms, whether inside, outside or balcony and they dine in the two-story Britannia restaurant. If you pony up the cash for a suite, you're instead a Grills guest, meaning you have access to either the separate Princess and Queens Grill restaurants, a lounge with its own tea time, and two outdoor decks near the funnel.

For the technical bits of the ship—the bridge, the Medical Center, the spa, etc—head over here to our series of exclusive interviews with the coolest crew onboard. Or, you know, there's always the official Cunard site on the Queen Victoria.

Disclosure: We traveled to Norway onboard the Queen Victoria as a guest of Cunard, but all images and opinions are entirely our own.

[Photos: Cynthia Drescher for Jaunted]