Thank you so much for watching! It really does mean the world to us! Please give this video a THUMBS UP, please SUBSCRIBE and please leave us a comment too as we'd love to know your thoughts about which one YOU prefer (oh and also we’d LOVE to hear from you). R&H x
This comparison is much needed. I rather feel like we could use more of these in general. It’s a grand way of seeking improvements and making decisions on which ships to sail and to where. The Queen’s Room does rather look like a 2007 take on 1967. I suppose I can applaud them on their daring attempt at something…new? The Britannia Restaurant, though! That is a classic/modern design that Art Decos the senses in a glam Regency kind of way…? Yes. That’s what I’m going with. While the curvy leading lines upon the ceiling of the Commodore Club is reminiscent of that aboard the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth’s Observation Bars. Just a beautiful and applicable touch. And that retractable pool! So delightfully Edwardian. If only that classic sense of authentic history was applied all throughout the ship. Maybe it was all an attempt just to try something different. And I do commend Cunard for that. But the Rotterdam does take the cake more so as far as I’m concerned as well.
Excellent video. I am a little surprised that it was basically a landslide. I’ve not been on the Queen Anne but HAL’s Rotterdam is one of my favorites. The music rooms and her library were my favorites.
My wife and I sailed on Nieuw Statandam last year and immediately loved the Pinnacle class ship. Now we're booked on Queen Ann (Southampton to Norway) in July 2025 and a Rotterdam re-positioning (San Diego to Vancouver) April 2026. Your review "goes to 11" as far as relevance to our future vacations!
I've been on the Rotterdam and so it wins for me, but I would love to try the Queen Anne in the future. One thing that stood out for me is that the Rotterdam pools had steps leading down into the water. At my age, getting up and down ladders into the pool is a 'no can do'. Thanks for this!
This is a good point 👍 Generally we preferred the whole pool area on the Rotterdam than we did the Queen Anne though appreciate that this was more of a general ‘feeling’ than based upon the aesthetics. Thanks for watching ☺️
Hello Helen and Rich - it’s Rotterdam for us. We love the ‘Have it all’ concept on HAL. We spend a lot of time on ships and Cunard’s drinks packages & WiFi options are punitive. Also we feel Cunard is not for us - perhaps when we are octogenarians! In the meantime love the live music options on HAL especially BB Kings! Thanks for the video 😀
Yes, we didn’t really address the experience on this video but rather the ‘hardware’ so to speak. But you are right in that we also think HAL generally offers better value for money 👍
Thanks for doing this. I’m on both ships next year for the first time and now I have a much better idea of what to expect and experience. As much as I like Cunard and their other Queens, the Rotterdam does look very very nice and so much my style.
We'd sail on either! Two weeks today we sail on Queen Anne, we live just a 30 minute taxi ride from Southampton cruise terminals, so we'd be mad not to try all the ships out. Cannot wait to get on board. However, we're not sure that the pay-extra dining venues are really great value for money and the drinks packages are ridiculously expensive unless you really do drink a lot. Anyway, cruising as much a holiday as it is a way of life, and we love it.
Richard, What a nice and well done side by side evaluation. I love the Pinnacle Class ships, the four of them. They are beautiful and the perfect size. Coincidentally Queen Anne and Rotterdam will be both at Zeebrugge on October 13th. As I will be onboard the former, I am so looking forward to see and photograph the latter.
No. I thought the Royal Dutch cafe was garish. As is the theatre and casino. I thought I would like the Rotterdam better but overall I liked the decor of the QA better EXCEPT the main dinning room. I liked the Rotterdam better in that.
Being a life long fan of Cunard , it truly pains me to admit that I agree with all your opinions. The Rotterdam wins in every category. The new Queen Anne doesn’t have any WOW Factor .😥 Totally lacking compared to Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and the fantastic Queen Mary 2 !!!🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️😂
@@carinolsson5544 We never mention prices simply because they vary so much from campaign to campaign and they are always changing. With that in mind I would say that HAL is definitely better value than Cunard in almost every respect. Thanks for watching. 🙂
I've been on Queen Anne but not Rotterdam. I think I prefer the lighter colours of the Rotterdam as I found Queen Anne quite dark and sombre. Many thanks for posting. Would you be able to do a comparison between Queen Anne and New Statendam as I believe this is Queen Anne's sister ship?
Thanks for watching. We have yet to sail on Nieuw Statendam but maybe if we do some time in the future then we could do this. Although Rotterdam is very similar, apart from the capacity 👍
There may be a difference in decor which is personal but there must be a different in service and food and traditions that each company has .There is also the grill class situation on Cunard ,which I’m not sure exists on HAL .Certainly a good idea for a video for a change.
@@howardhdavidson Good point but service and all those ‘emotional’ type attributes of a ship are very subjective whereas the physical areas of the ship do not vary so can be compared quite statically. 🙂
Cunard ❤ seeing Rotterdam has the edge Queen Anne is more P and O style now ,enjoyed the comparison , downside Rotterdam does she sail from Southampton?
HAL don’t sail from Southampton BUT Nieuw Statendam, which is the same class of ship as the Rotterdam, will be sailing in and out of Dover next summer on a number of different voyages 👍 Thanks for watching.
Beyond the style of the different public spaces it would seem that a discussion of the overall ambiance and style on board would be worthwhile. I suspect Queen Anne is more aimed at their more typical/traditional Cunard cruiser who would probably appreciate the quieter/more muted decor and approach.
@@Smokeyham Good point but service and all those ‘emotional’ type attributes of a ship are very subjective whereas the physical areas of the ship do not vary so can be compared quite statically. 🙂
We'll not be on either. QM2 B2B crossings are all we do. However have you actually measured the area of the two dance floors for your comparison? Your video shots suggest to me that the HAL floor is smaller. And do you actually dance? QA's floor shape wouldn't be a problem for us, we simply dance to suit the shape. A dance floor doesn't need to be a rectangle. "tonymariadance" have posted recent videos of dancing on QA and nobody seems to have any problems. I should say of course that it is a useful comparison video, thank you!
Loved this video format. Just got of the Queen Anne yesterday. If we had seen this video before we may well have chosen the HAL ship. We were lucky enough to be in Queen's grill where the service and food is it's usual stunning self but the decor, both in the rooms and restaurants is boring and bland, no wow factor at all. As for the Queens room....well, big mistake there we think. Queen Anne looks like it was designed by committee as apposed to someone with a vision. Sorry Cunard but we won't be back on Queen Anne.
I'm not sure. I like some of the spaces in the Queen Anne particularly Bright Lights society but I do like the main big dance floor on the Rotterdam. I like these styles of ships vs. NCL Prima or Celebrity Edge class which are too gray/beige trendy for me and the Edge has no real dance floor or lounges. These feel like real social ships to me.
Cunard took a seriously wrong turn with Queen Anne. They should have stayed with their elegant art deco designs that work so well on their other ships. Queen Anne is an eye sore inside.
Glitz and brash colours are not for me, too many undertones of Mc Donalds and Motorway service stations. Prefer a bit of subtlety. Neither of the ships are exactly Royal Caribbean or carnival and both seem pretty good but on the whole the Cunard ship looks more sophisticated architecturally.
Thank you so much for watching! It really does mean the world to us! Please give this video a THUMBS UP, please SUBSCRIBE and please leave us a comment too as we'd love to know your thoughts about which one YOU prefer (oh and also we’d LOVE to hear from you). R&H x
Your voice is so nice to listen too! So calming and smooth!
Thank you ☺️
This comparison is much needed. I rather feel like we could use more of these in general. It’s a grand way of seeking improvements and making decisions on which ships to sail and to where.
The Queen’s Room does rather look like a 2007 take on 1967. I suppose I can applaud them on their daring attempt at something…new? The Britannia Restaurant, though! That is a classic/modern design that Art Decos the senses in a glam Regency kind of way…? Yes. That’s what I’m going with. While the curvy leading lines upon the ceiling of the Commodore Club is reminiscent of that aboard the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth’s Observation Bars. Just a beautiful and applicable touch. And that retractable pool! So delightfully Edwardian. If only that classic sense of authentic history was applied all throughout the ship. Maybe it was all an attempt just to try something different. And I do commend Cunard for that. But the Rotterdam does take the cake more so as far as I’m concerned as well.
Thank you for watching and for your detailed analysis, you make some very good points 😍
Thank you for this video. I really enjoyed the side by side comparison. Both ships look beautiful.
Thank you for watching ☺️
Wonderful video. Very creative to compare 2 ships with the same design. Super informative too.
Glad you liked it! Thank you for watching ☺️
Excellent video. I am a little surprised that it was basically a landslide. I’ve not been on the Queen Anne but HAL’s Rotterdam is one of my favorites. The music rooms and her library were my favorites.
Thanks for watching ☺️
My wife and I sailed on Nieuw Statandam last year and immediately loved the Pinnacle class ship. Now we're booked on Queen Ann (Southampton to Norway) in July 2025 and a Rotterdam re-positioning (San Diego to Vancouver) April 2026. Your review "goes to 11" as far as relevance to our future vacations!
Haha, thanks for watching 👍
We like the Pinnacle class ships too. Will be interested to hear what you think of QA compared to Nieuw Statendam.
Stunning vlog , tanks and all the best from Norway
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching ☺️
I've been on the Rotterdam and so it wins for me, but I would love to try the Queen Anne in the future. One thing that stood out for me is that the Rotterdam pools had steps leading down into the water. At my age, getting up and down ladders into the pool is a 'no can do'. Thanks for this!
This is a good point 👍
Generally we preferred the whole pool area on the Rotterdam than we did the Queen Anne though appreciate that this was more of a general ‘feeling’ than based upon the aesthetics.
Thanks for watching ☺️
Love this new concept! Especially the two photos next to each other. Was pleasantly surprised by HAL Rotterdam!
Thank you! I had an itch to do this one that I just HAD to scratch! 😂
Wow beautiful sharing 🎉🎉❤❤
Hello Helen and Rich - it’s Rotterdam for us. We love the ‘Have it all’ concept on HAL. We spend a lot of time on ships and Cunard’s drinks packages & WiFi options are punitive. Also we feel Cunard is not for us - perhaps when we are octogenarians! In the meantime love the live music options on HAL especially BB Kings! Thanks for the video 😀
Yes, we didn’t really address the experience on this video but rather the ‘hardware’ so to speak. But you are right in that we also think HAL generally offers better value for money 👍
Both are amazing decor in their own right . Since never been on Cunard before and I love the HA Pinnacle class shops, I'll vote HA at this time.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
both are great ships...we would like to see more comparison ships...thank you
Thank you ☺️
Thanks for doing this. I’m on both ships next year for the first time and now I have a much better idea of what to expect and experience. As much as I like Cunard and their other Queens, the Rotterdam does look very very nice and so much my style.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for watching 👍
Both are stunning and spectacular! But Queen Anne for me by far.. ❤❤
Who wouldn’t want to be on either of these ! 💁🏻♀️
@@missflipz Absolutely! Both are fabulous ships. 😍
Muchas gracias por su información, seguro que me será de utilidad, me gustan mucho los dos barcos 👍🏻
Thank you for watching 👍
Really enjoyed this video; please do more of these!
@@JenniferAdriftThank you so much. Planning more. 😊
Would like to see a comparison on cabins, costs, packages, and excursions.
Thanks for watching and for your comment.
We've been on both, and your assessment is spot on! Different but equal is how I perceive them. But...Dutch Cafe might be the decider.
Completely agree. Isn’t the Dutch cafe just beautiful 🤩
Thanks for watching.
I must be isolated as I absolutely disliked the Dutch cafe. I thought it was so garish as to be ugly with that blue.
Haha, we loved it. But then that’s what makes the world a wonderful place - we all see things differently 😍
We'd sail on either! Two weeks today we sail on Queen Anne, we live just a 30 minute taxi ride from Southampton cruise terminals, so we'd be mad not to try all the ships out. Cannot wait to get on board. However, we're not sure that the pay-extra dining venues are really great value for money and the drinks packages are ridiculously expensive unless you really do drink a lot. Anyway, cruising as much a holiday as it is a way of life, and we love it.
Hope you have a wonderful time on Queen Anne 😍
Thanks for watching 👍
It’s Rotterdam for me 👍🏻👍🏻. Yes, please MORE COMPARISONS! I don’t believe anyone else is doing it. 😉
Thank you ☺️
Richard, What a nice and well done side by side evaluation. I love the Pinnacle Class ships, the four of them. They are beautiful and the perfect size. Coincidentally Queen Anne and Rotterdam will be both at Zeebrugge on October 13th. As I will be onboard the former, I am so looking forward to see and photograph the latter.
Will be great to see them side by side 👍
Thanks for watching.
Very nice comparison! Enjoyed the video…I am all HAL (Rotterdam) to fit my individual taste…Thx Rich and Helen🚢🙂
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
Brilliant comparison. Looks like Carnival had tighter purse strings when fitting out Queen Anne
Thanks for watching. Yes, we thought that too. 🙂
Wow super side by side! I haven’t done Rotterdam so I’m a bit biased but lots of Queen Anne for me 👍🏻 she really was beautiful, I thought so anyway 😊
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching ☺️
Oceania (O class or newer) vs Viking, please!
Now that would be a good one 👍
Thanks for watching.
Really enjoyed this comparison. For me the Rotterdam won it by a nose
Thank you. It’s all a matter of personal taste of course but it just seems that HAL have thought about the details a lot more than Cunard. 🙂
No. I thought the Royal Dutch cafe was garish. As is the theatre and casino. I thought I would like the Rotterdam better but overall I liked the decor of the QA better EXCEPT the main dinning room. I liked the Rotterdam better in that.
Good video but it doesn't bother me which one. They're both great cruise ships. Enjoy.
Absolutely. Thanks for watching 👍
Being a life long fan of Cunard , it truly pains me to admit that I agree with all your opinions. The Rotterdam wins in every category. The new Queen Anne doesn’t have any WOW Factor .😥 Totally lacking compared to Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and the fantastic Queen Mary 2 !!!🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️😂
We completely agree with you 👍
No queen anne looks excellent
I go for the Rotterdam🎉
👍👍👍
Would be interesting to compare prices as well!
@@carinolsson5544 We never mention prices simply because they vary so much from campaign to campaign and they are always changing. With that in mind I would say that HAL is definitely better value than Cunard in almost every respect. Thanks for watching. 🙂
I've been on Queen Anne but not Rotterdam. I think I prefer the lighter colours of the Rotterdam as I found Queen Anne quite dark and sombre. Many thanks for posting. Would you be able to do a comparison between Queen Anne and New Statendam as I believe this is Queen Anne's sister ship?
Thanks for watching. We have yet to sail on Nieuw Statendam but maybe if we do some time in the future then we could do this. Although Rotterdam is very similar, apart from the capacity 👍
There may be a difference in decor which is personal but there must be a different in service and food and traditions that each company has .There is also the grill class situation on Cunard ,which I’m not sure exists on HAL .Certainly a good idea for a video for a change.
@@howardhdavidson Good point but service and all those ‘emotional’ type attributes of a ship are very subjective whereas the physical areas of the ship do not vary so can be compared quite statically. 🙂
Cunard ❤ seeing Rotterdam has the edge Queen Anne is more P and O style now ,enjoyed the comparison , downside Rotterdam does she sail from Southampton?
HAL don’t sail from Southampton BUT Nieuw Statendam, which is the same class of ship as the Rotterdam, will be sailing in and out of Dover next summer on a number of different voyages 👍
Thanks for watching.
Beyond the style of the different public spaces it would seem that a discussion of the overall ambiance and style on board would be worthwhile. I suspect Queen Anne is more aimed at their more typical/traditional Cunard cruiser who would probably appreciate the quieter/more muted decor and approach.
@@Smokeyham Good point but service and all those ‘emotional’ type attributes of a ship are very subjective whereas the physical areas of the ship do not vary so can be compared quite statically. 🙂
We'll not be on either. QM2 B2B crossings are all we do. However have you actually measured the area of the two dance floors for your comparison? Your video shots suggest to me that the HAL floor is smaller. And do you actually dance? QA's floor shape wouldn't be a problem for us, we simply dance to suit the shape. A dance floor doesn't need to be a rectangle. "tonymariadance" have posted recent videos of dancing on QA and nobody seems to have any problems. I should say of course that it is a useful comparison video, thank you!
Thanks for the info and for watching 👍
Loved this video format. Just got of the Queen Anne yesterday. If we had seen this video before we may well have chosen the HAL ship. We were lucky enough to be in Queen's grill where the service and food is it's usual stunning self but the decor, both in the rooms and restaurants is boring and bland, no wow factor at all. As for the Queens room....well, big mistake there we think. Queen Anne looks like it was designed by committee as apposed to someone with a vision. Sorry Cunard but we won't be back on Queen Anne.
Thank you ☺️
Like you we think we still prefer her two little sisters and obviously the QM2 😍
Thanks for watching
I'm not sure. I like some of the spaces in the Queen Anne particularly Bright Lights society but I do like the main big dance floor on the Rotterdam. I like these styles of ships vs. NCL Prima or Celebrity Edge class which are too gray/beige trendy for me and the Edge has no real dance floor or lounges. These feel like real social ships to me.
Thank you for watching and commenting 😊
Rotterdam hands down.
Thanks for watching 👍
Queen Anne seems such a drastic departure from the art deco elegance of Queen Mary 2, it’s a real turnoff.
It’s definitely a departure from the Cunard ‘norm’. Thanks for watching. 😊
Rotterdam all the way for me
@@petermcclung9730 We agree with you. A special ship indeed. 😍
I have been on the Nieuw Statendam which the other Pinnacle class from HAL also a great ship
@@jasonfreeman1963 Yes, we’ve toured that ship. She’s lovely. 😍
Cunard took a seriously wrong turn with Queen Anne. They should have stayed with their elegant art deco designs that work so well on their other ships. Queen Anne is an eye sore inside.
Thanks for watching 👍
Glitz and brash colours are not for me, too many undertones of Mc Donalds and Motorway service stations. Prefer a bit of subtlety. Neither of the ships are exactly Royal Caribbean or carnival and both seem pretty good but on the whole the Cunard ship looks more sophisticated architecturally.
Like you say, they’re both beautiful ships, just different in style.
Thanks for watching 🤩
I would cruise with Rotterdam because HAL isn't stuffy like Cunard.
Thanks for your opinion.
Promenade deck on Queen Anne was awful. Narrow, almost no sea view.
Often just grateful that there is a promenade deck these days with so many ships doing away with them completely 😢
Thanks for watching.
Good grief, Queen Anne is so boring. Rotterdam all the way
Rotterdam certainly does have a fresher, bolder approach. 🙂
LOL. Can I vote neither? I hated Cunard QM2. My bro hated HAL. Very happy with others! Why bother with these?
@@johnwinter6061 Sorry to hear that. Why bother? Because not everyone dislikes them. In fact, many like them very much. 🙂
why did i get the M/S Rotterdam ad???
Not an ad. Com-par-i-son. Just because we preferred the Rotterdam overall… that’s the nature of a comparison video - to find a winner. 🙂
@visitwithus no I mean I live in the netherlands so I got an M/S Rotterdam ad to buy tickets when I clicked the video
@@theauramen69 Haha! Sorry for the misunderstanding. We get the odd ‘knives out comment’ which I tend to think deserve a reply. Apologies. 😊
Anne looks more elegant, Rotterdam looks so plastic.
Thanks for watching.
Neither one
Thanks for watching.
Just remake the titanic
@@AWMul Would YOU sail on a new Titanic? 😆😳
@@visitwithus If the price was right
@@AWMul Not sure we’d share your enthusiasm, regardless of price. 😆