Queen Victoria Itinerary

What Queen Victoria's Autumn Season Out of Southampton Is Actually Like (Spoiler: No Baltic at All)

Our database files this season under "Northern Europe / Baltic", which is a lovely bit of optimism on its part. The sailings we could confirm don't include a single Baltic port. What Queen Victoria is running from Southampton between November and early January is short hops to Belgium, the Netherlands and France, plus long escapes to Madeira, the Canaries and Morocco. Our own data doesn't record the ports, so I checked Cunard's listings and third-party schedules. Cunard lists itineraries as subject to change, so confirm before you book.

The ship is also mid-makeover, and right now she's not exactly camera-ready. As of today, 20 October, she's still in Damen Shiprepair in Rotterdam. She went in on 17 October and is due out on 5 November, returning to service on 7 November. The work covers the Grand Lobby, the Queens Room, the Grill suites and a new Pavilion Wellness Café. It also adds eight Britannia staterooms. Cunard says those new rooms are bookable for departures from 11 November onward, so the 7 November sailing won't have them. Treat the refit as scheduled work rather than finished work until you've seen it yourself. With 2,074 passengers, she's mid-sized for a modern ship. If you're weighing cabin categories, our cruise cabin size guide will help.

The weather, honestly

The northern ports are cold, damp and dark, because of course they are. Amsterdam runs at roughly 9°C highs in November and 5–8°C in December. December brings only about eight hours of daylight, with plenty of cloud and rain. Bruges is much the same. Those figures come from weather sites of mixed quality, so read them as ballpark. Don't expect sparkling sightseeing weather. Do expect early sunsets and a very good excuse for hot chocolate.

The Canaries and Madeira are the opposite, or at least a gentler version of it. For the one number I can pin to an official source: Madeira's regional statistics office reported an average sea temperature of 20.9°C at Funchal's Molhe da Pontinha in December 2024, which it put 1.4°C above normal for the month. That's pleasant rather than tropical, so think deck chair and a book, a brave swim for the keen, and don't bet on a tan. For air temperatures, check a forecast for your sailing week rather than trusting anyone's brochure.

The catch is getting there. Southampton to Iberia or the Canaries means crossing the Bay of Biscay, which can be lively in winter, and nobody can promise yours will be a millpond. On the 16-night sailing, a third-party schedule shows three sea days before Funchal. Pack seasickness remedies and consider a lower, midship cabin.

Which length suits whom

• 4 to 7 nights: best for Cunard first-timers or anyone short on leave. Zeebrugge is the gateway to Bruges, Amsterdam gives you a big-city day, and Cherbourg is the least glamorous call of the lot.
• 12 nights: the sweet spot for winter sun, with five port calls after Southampton and enough sea days to actually read something.
• 16 nights: the one for the Morocco calls (Agadir, Casablanca, Tangier). A third-party schedule counts eight sea days.

The 10 January departures are the start of the world voyage, not Northern Europe cruising. The same goes for the New York and Los Angeles departures that follow.

Packing and quirks

Pack in layers: a waterproof jacket, a warm scarf and shoes that cope with wet cobbles for the northern ports. Add swimwear and sunscreen for the islands, plus something smart for Cunard's gala evenings. Fares for the Christmas and New Year sailings (16 and 28 December) change with cabin type and seller, so check the live price for your cabin on Cunard's website before you commit.

Finally, the ship's latest CDC Vessel Sanitation Program score in our database is 96 out of 100, from an inspection on 14 March 2025. You can check for anything newer in our CDC inspection lookup. Our Queen Victoria ship page has the rest of her specs.