We recently took our first cruise on Cunard Queen Victoria and decided to take a tip from friends and enhance our trip by booking a Private Box Experience in the Royal Court Theatre.
Usually Private Boxes in the Royal Court Theatre are available for evening performances on a first come first serve basis. The Royal Court Theatre has two wheelchair-accessible boxes for private hire.
On certain nights are made extra special with a Private Box Experience. These usually coincide with evenings when there is a Production Show in the theatre and must be booked before 3pm on the day of the performance. However there is limited availability so it is best to book well in advance.
At the time of our visit in 2024 a private box experience for two on the Queen Victoria cruise ship cost $55 plus a 15% service charge (approx £45 plus service charge). The cost includes:
- Champagne cocktail and chocolates in a private lounge (anti-room behind the boxes)
- An escort to your Private Box
- Chocolates and Champagne in the Private Box
Some of the Private Boxes 
Booking at the Pursers Desk 
Our Invite to the Theatre
As these experiences are very limited we headed to the Purser’s Office in the Grand Lobby on Deck 1 as soon as possible. Staff here are incredibly helpful. They have details of which nights the Private Box Experiences occur and have a plan of the boxes available. As we had gone to enquire on embarkation day, we had various options available to us. We chose the evening we wished to book and also decided that we would like Box 5.
On the afternoon of the Private Box Experience we received a formal invitation in our stateroom which was very exciting. We also had instructions to attend 30 minutes prior to the performance outside of the Royal Court Theatre entrance on Deck 3 starboard.
On our arrival we were greeted by a Uniformed Bell Boy who escorted us to an anti room/lounge. Here several tables were laid for those who had booked Private Boxes for the performance – each table had a ticket with your Box number on it so that you could be seated there. As part of our welcome we were given a Bellini Cocktail and already on the table was a 3-tiered stand with chocolates and chocolate covered strawberries.
Our time here was spent enjoying the cocktail and chocolates until it was time to be escorted to our private box. We were taken down a `secret’ stairway to Deck 2 and into the box. Once seated we found there was another small plate of chocolates and two champagne flutes. Our escort kindly opened the half bottle of champagne that was included in the experience then left us to enjoy the performance – and yes, Dilys came too!
If you are going on board either Cunard Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth this Private Box Experience is one to enjoy. It is very special and you can really get a good view of the stage, and the audience! A couple words of advice – firstly as suggested above, book early to avoid disappointment. Secondly, if you don’t manage to eat all the canapes in the anti-room/lounge, then ask for them to be taken to the box for you.
For us, the Private Box Experience on Cunard Queen Victoria was very special, good value and one we would repeat. We enjoy going to the theatre anyway and this put the icing on top of the evening. Highly recommended as a special treat.
