7 Nights in the Mediterranean on the Wonderful Queen Victoria cruise ship - Cunard V518

[Music] It's summer 2025 and this is a fabulous cruise. >> Where in the world are we? We're in the Mediterranean. >> We're on the Cunard Queen Victoria and we're going to go from Barcelona. >> If you look for the statue of Christopher Columbus that you can see clearly, it's right at the bottom of Lasambla >> right through to Civvecia. >> If you want to visit the Vatican, get off at San Pietro. I'm going to show you the ports and the ship. >> Have you ever considered Cunard? If not, we'll show you why you should. >> If you're arriving at Barcelona by taxi, make sure you go to the cruise terminal, not the bus terminal, because you can't get on the shuttle bus with cases. >> This is where your cruise shuttle bus will drop you. And it's very handy for a few things. The city hop on hop off bus is just opposite, >> and it's very near to the ship. You could walk, but there is a free shuttle once you've checked in onto the ship. >> A long lost ramblers is Labok area. It's an amazing market. It's a delight to walk through. Top tip from me when you're walking around in Barcelona is keep your eyes up because the tops of the buildings almost everywhere you look is sensational. At the top of Las Ramblas is Cataloonia Square and this is a serious shopping area. The best way to see the Sagra familia or Montick is by tube the metro. >> You might be tired after a day in Barcelona. There's a lot to see, but once you get back on board, the ship is extremely relaxing and there are a lot of delights to sample. The Queen Victoria does have a really engaging and beautiful atrium. >> And I'm on board as a guest speaker because I have a new book out this week called The Unexpected. It's a cruise novel, so you're going to get everything. Ports, ship, and a bit about the book. >> Not a weak to diet because the food on Cunard is exquisite. And in the middle of the ship sits this wonderful ballroom which is used for dancing. But on one of the sea days, there's a special event. They serve cream teas with sandwiches and mouthwatering cakes. and it's one of my favorites. >> Well, what else would you do in the afternoon between lunch and dinner? Kunard is not stuffy. This is a party ship. This is a very inclusive ship with lots of entertainment, lots of musicians, and lots going on. And this ballroom comes alive. >> Dancing is a great way to get rid of your calories and a lot of fun. The first port of call is Valencia. So this is the church in the square of the virgin and it's beautiful inside. >> We did the guru walking tour. >> I used to love reading historical novels about the boures. They were so wicked. They all slept with each other. They were incestuous. They poisoned each other. And there are only two popes from Valencia. And one of them was Alexander Bourja. The market closes at 3. So, if you want to go and visit the market, you need to go in the morning. We've just had a very interesting walking tour where we learned that paella is not the Spanish national dish. It's from Valencia and the Spanish national dish is Spanish omelette. Also, we learned that paella does not have seafood in it. It has chicken and rabbit and garlic, a little bit of garlic. That is the traditional paella. No churitzo Jamie Oliver. The chart room is a really nice place to have tea and cakes or a drink. >> After Valencia, which for us was quite a big day because we did a walking tour and ended up doing quite a few thousand steps, the next day is at sea and your chance to explore the ship. And it's a wonderful ship. >> This is the gym bar where they sell 41 varieties of gin and one of my favorite places on the ship. There are many features on the ship to keep you entertained for the whole of your cruise. >> The next stop is a Hakio. When you get off your ship, the town is right in front of you. >> In a Hakio at 9:00, the electric train is very busy and you're queuing. But at 2:00, it's begging for customers. So, good idea to leave it till the afternoon. This is the main statue of him. And everywhere there are roads called Napoleon, pictures of Napoleon. This is where he lived and they're obviously very proud of that. >> My fourth cruise thriller, Cruise Ship Art Theft, was set partly here in Aakio. Right, let's get off to the vineyard. We're going to get the number two cuz it came along first, but the number four will get you closer to the vineyard. >> So, the bus fair is €1 per person. How fortuitous that we've gone on a bus adventure and ended up in a vineyard. So unlike Eugene to stumble across another glass of wine, >> they have a lovely art gallery and of course shops. >> Back on the ship in the evening, a chance to relax and the shops are open once we're at sea. And this area with the casino and the pub is informal. >> The Golden Lion Pub will be heaving if there's a football match on. And lunches they serve here are included in your package. >> In the main restaurant, you're expected to be smart casual. The Britannia restaurant is where most people eat their evening meal. You can either decide to share a table or have an intimate table for two. >> There will almost certainly be one formal night and maybe one theme night. So check before you leave. It could be your red knight or a black and white kn. This citadel was built in 1557. Not only is it a nice ship, but it goes to nice ports. But here you don't need to go to nice or nice because Phil France is nice. >> In Laort de Lante is St. Peter's Chapel which was built by the fisherman and was decorated by Jean Kto. >> Phil France is not a big port but you will be ready to have a day on the ship again. >> The Rudobskar dates back to the 14th century. It's 130 m long. It's a covered passageway and it acted as a sort of defensive passageway. If you come into Von S on train, you come in right next to the beach. Do you know I probably would never have come here if I came to the Riviera, but it's absolutely charming. So, I'm so glad I came on this cruise. Theo is a buffet style restaurant for lunch. And if you don't want to dress up for dinner, you can come and eat here in the evening as well. You might be wondering where all this food comes from. If you get a chance to go on a galley tour, I highly recommend it. >> The longer version of this galley tour and the ship tour for the Victoria are on our channel, Cruise Doris Visits on YouTube. Please subscribe. >> This galley supplies all the other galleys on the ship. >> So, it has the Grills Galley, the Leo Buffy Galley, the Leo Grill Galley, the Golden Lion Pub Galley on deck two. It sends food to the Britannia deck 3 galley, the Britannia deck 2 galley. It feeds the bakery, butchery, fruit and vegetable prep and it also has the veranda galley and the crew galley all fed from this particular galley. >> These are the guides so pictures so they know how to serve the food. Exactly. >> Because we are working two ships, ship ships. So at least there is a 6 hours for the ships, >> right? hard worker. >> Always smiling. >> Yeah. >> For the whole contract. Continue. >> Yeah. >> We love it. >> Yeah. >> Next port, Lavo. >> There's the historic area. There's the Venice area around the canals and the modern front along the prominard. >> Leavono is a real mix of old and new buildings. Behind me is the old fortress which is the most important historic monument here. And it's right next to the new marina with all the modern shops and cafe. You can probably get around Leono quite quickly looking at all the monuments and churches etc. So you might be happy to come to this modern complex where there are definitely good toilets inside and restaurants. >> But Levono is a gateway port for pizza. When you come out of the station, there's a sign that tells you which way to walk for the tower. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. I mean, who knows when it might fall down. That was our last port. So, our last night on the ship. And what better way to spend it than a night at the theater. I'm on the balcony of this very beautiful theater. It could be the West End. And look at the boxes. And >> during the day, this is where you'll find your daytime speakers. If I'm on board, do come up and say hello. I'll be talking about my life as a stunt man on my books. >> So, we're leaving the Queen Victoria here in Civcia. We've had a fantastic week and we hope you've enjoyed the film and the port. So, once you've left the ship, you'll pick up your case. It'll be waiting for you in the cruise terminal. And then you go with your case and walk past all the buses to the very end. And there you'll find the shuttle bus for the station. In 2025, the cost of the shuttle bus was €6. >> The train is the cheapest way to get to Rome. >> Under information saying train tickets through Rome, what it's actually trying to sell you is a hop on hop off bus tour. But if you want a train ticket, just go straight into the station. If you want to visit the Vatican, get off at San Pietro. The lights are on until midnight. We'll show you the angels and demons clues that apply a little later on because there is so much to see. >> The bridges, apart from the Vatican, are probably the most spectacular part of Rome. And when you get to the building that looks a bit like a cake, well, that's the court building. If you keep that behind you and cross the Ombberto Bridge and carry on straight, you'll come to Patza Navona. There are different cues to go into the Pantheon. The best way is to scan the QR code that's outside, pay online, and then you go straight in through the middle. >> The unexpected is dark, intense, and sophisticated. It blends pulse pounding action with emotionally riched character drama. Balancing suspense, sharp humor, and cultural insight. It's layered with complexity and always emotionally resonant. Where freedom dances on the edge of betrayal. The cruise crime novel with espionage. Out now on Kindle, paperback, and audio book.