Propulsion Woes Bring Queen Victoria to Early Refit

Cunard’s Queen Victoria to undergo multimillion dollar refit at Blohm & Voss Shipyard in January 2015, nearly one year ahead of its planned December 2015 maintenance.

Cunard Line announced last week that its liner Queen Victoria will enter the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, in January 2015 for a multimillion dollar refit. The drydocking, originally scheduled for December 2015, will come nearly one year ahead of schedule due to problems with the one of the ship’s propulsion units, as a bearing will need replacing.

According to Cunard, the issue has no impact on the ship’s safety, but the bearing replacement is timely prior to the ship's Round World Cruise beginning January 20, 2015. The refit forces the cancellations of two Queen Victoria sailings: the 12-day cruise to the Canaries on January 3, 2015, and a short five-day trip to Amsterdam and Cherbourg on January 15, 2015.

As the ship is up for repair, Scrubber technology will also be installed to match that now aboard Queen Elizabeth, another Cunard vessel which was recently serviced at the same Blohm & Voss yard.

Queen Victoria’s makeover will create nine single staterooms for the first time on the ship, remodeled from part of its casino. Other upgrades include renewed carpeting, added sun awnings, new televisions in all passenger staterooms, new jewelry and watch shops, lighting enhancements and dining improvements.

cunard.com