IMAGES have been released showing how Cunard’s Southampton-based liner Queen Victoria will look following a £34 million refit which starts this week.

The luxury cruise ship will be out of service for a month while the work is carried at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo, Italy.

The 2,014-passenger ship, which entered service almost ten years ago, will have 43 mid-ship cabins converted into Britannia Club staterooms with their own dedicated Britannia Club Dining restaurant.

The refurbished accommodation will include new carpets, soft furnishings, flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffee-making facilities.

The ship’s Grand suites and Penthouse suites are being redesigned, and a new Chart Room bar will be created.

The upgrade will include a new lido sun deck a refreshed winter garden.

The Chart Room will be off the Grand Lobby, where Café Carinthia is currently located.

A “gin and fizz” themed menu will be introduced to the Midships Lounge, including wines, proseccos, cavas and champagne alongside premium gins and spirits.

The upgrade will also include a new lido sun deck a refreshed winter garden.

Simon Palethorpe, senior vice president of Cunard, said, “As part of the Queen Victoria refurbishment, we’ve looked to heighten our customers’ experience in every way, from the extension of the aft lido sun deck to refreshed interiors across the board.

“The distinctive Cunard elegance remains of course and design cues have been taken from previous Cunard ships, such as the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. At the same time, there are many enhancements – for example, new bar concepts and large flat screen TVs in all staterooms – that meet the needs of today’s luxury traveller. We’re looking forward to inviting the first Cunard guests on board to enjoy the new additions and refreshed features.”

The work is scheduled for completion on June 4 and Queen Victoria, will then return to Southampton before embarking on its maiden four night voyage, visiting Amsterdam, Zeebrugge (Bruges), before returning to the city.