Jim Walsh steps back in time on a ship which pays tribute to Cunard’s history – and discovers that elegance really is timeless.

Dine in style at the Princess Grill

The doors closed behind us, and we headed upstairs for another “grilling”. But it was not with any sense of fear or trepidation, rather of anticipation as, dressed up to the nines, we exited the lift on Deck 11 and walked into the Princess Grill on Cunard’s elegant Queen Victoria.

The grill really does sum up everything that’s best about the ship – dining there was an absolute pleasure – and so were the staff, each and every one of them.

Nothing was too much trouble for our waiters Atul and Dusan, while the man with the real power, the ship’s Maitre d’Hotel Raul Lucas, was the perfect gent in every possible way.

In fact he made our “kids” holiday; the youngsters in question being my son Jack and his girlfriend Jess, both 21.

For while we were assigned one of the grill rooms – the other is the Queens – they were in the Britannia Restaurant. And while they had no problem at all with the Britannia – it must be one of the most remarkable restaurants at sea, spanning two decks at the stern of the ship – they were over the moon when he invited them to join us.

And so it was that on more than one occasion the four of us sat down to eat, a culinary experience that was one of the highlights of a quite splendid cruise holiday aptly titled “Greek Isles and Aegean Treasures”.

Queen Victoria is something of a treasure herself, at the same time being grand and elegant, but also intimate.

Dance the night away in stylish surroundings – Queen’s Room onboard Victoria

She is a big ship, and on our voyage was full to the brim with around 2,000 passengers on board from all around the globe. But she never felt crowded; there was always plenty of space, and it was never a problem to find a peaceful spot.

Our stateroom was beautifully appointed, with a roomy balcony, lots of storage – and its own bath.

There was lots of retail therapy in the fine shops in the Royal Arcade, while the library was a dream, on two levels and with a collection of books to die for.

On the entertainment front, variety shows took centre stage, although there were memorable performances from solo “artists”, in particular David Copperfield – billed as “Not the Illusionist, The Unusualist from the UK”. He was highly entertaining.

And there is a deal more to entertain passengers: 13 bars and clubs in total, a casino, the Queen’s Room (for dancing, cocktail parties and traditional afternoon teas), two outdoor swimming pools and a floating museum displaying a unique collection of Cunard memorabilia and artefacts.

But it was the food and the “dressing up” that really capped it for us.

There is a dress code that is enforced, and all the better for it. For us gents elegant casual means it’s a jacket – and no jeans. Semi-formal is jacket and tie while formal means just that: black tie or formal dark suit.

For the ladies, in the same order, it’s dress, skirt or trousers; cocktail dress or trouser suit; and evening dress or formal attire. It really was great fun, and it lent a real sense of occasion – something we all looked forward to each and every night.

Yes, dress to impress was the name of the game, while the cuisine was also top notch. As well as dining most evenings in the Princess Grill, we also sampled the fare in the Britannia – and treated ourselves to the Todd English experience. Not one mouthful of it could be faulted.

But during the day it was certainly a case of dressing down. With temperatures above the norm for mid-September it was shorts and T-shirts as we made the most of the host of excursions available.

The most memorable has to be Istanbul, where we took in the fabulous Blue Mosque and the St Sophia Museum, the latter built in the 6th century and today considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture.

We also ventured off the ship at Santorini, the town perched high above the tiny port of Skala, where we anchored. We travelled up to the top by cable car, which takes around three minutes. There is another route, which means a 45-minute walk using steps – and my advice is: avoid it at all costs.

One of the highlights – a visit to the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, is an absolute must

The zigzag pathway, with 587 steps, is crowded with vast numbers of mules and donkeys, and they’re not small. On the way down we were almost crushed as the animals raced up and down, some of them carrying visitors, as their “owners” plied for trade. It is not nice, for pedestrians or the animals themselves.

We also called in at Naples, Izmir, Samos, Piraeus (for Athens), Zakinthos and Dubrovnik – the latter always a delight, even in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Soaked, but still laughing as the rain thundered down and the lightning crackled, we were soon back on board.

And to sum it up: a fantastic time was had by all. Queen Victoria is a gem.

There really is little you could take issue with on this beautiful ship, which thankfully lacks the glitz of some of its much larger rivals, but more than makes up for it in sheer quality on all fronts.

Fact file:

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will be doing the fly-voyages in 2012. She will depart Athens on October 12 on a 12-night voyage to Venice, with ports of call including Mykonos, Mytilene, Istanbul, Ephesus, Rhodes, Santorini, Katakolon, Corfu and Dubrovnik.

Fares start from £1,699 per person including flights.

Call 0845 6780013 or visit www.cunard.com

A stay in an airport hotel is the perfect way to get your holiday off to a hassle-free start. A room at a four-star Gatwick hotel, including up to 15 days holiday parking, costs from £106.

To book visit www.holidayextras.com or call 0800 1313777.