For many people, the experience of cruises may have changed from the traditional concept of indulgent luxury, aboard a majestic ship, implying a temporary celebrity status to the passengers. Today’s cruise holidays cater for all pockets and social classes and the chances of bumping into your local bin-man is just as likely as joining your bank manager at the captain’s table.

Fortunately, for passengers seeking a return to old fashioned themes, but with the modern day luxuries, Cunard is offering cruise holidays that will perfectly suit your needs, albeit at a price that may deter the previously mentioned waste disposal operatives. Bookings are now being taken for a Mediterranean cruise onboard the Queen Victoria, coupled with a return to the UK aboard what is probably the most famous train in the world, the Orient Express. This is the perfect solution for the passenger who, for whatever reason, does not want to fly.

As with all of Cunard’s historic ocean liners, the Queen Victoria offers grace and elegance in a relaxing and refined environment, with first class service guaranteed. After leaving Southampton, there are twelve days and nights to enjoy the ship’s splendour, complemented by Mediterranean ports of call that include Barcelona, Cannes and Corfu, before disembarking in Venice.

From Venice, the return to London is aboard the Orient Express and includes a two-night stop over in Dubrovnik. The sumptuous carriages, made famous in a multitude of cinematic productions, provide a nostalgic trip back to days of yore, a time when service and quality were paramount, when etiquette and manners were taken for granted. Why not indulge yourself while you can?