Cunard has cancelled two sailings on Queen Victoria after announcing the ship would instead be going in for a multimillion-pound refit

The Queen Victoria will be entering the Blohm and Voss shipyard in Hamburg in January 2015 for a makeover that will create nine single staterooms on the ship for the first time.

The line said the rooms would be remodelled from part of the ship’s casino, while carpets will be renewed throughout and large flat-screen TVs installed in all passenger staterooms.

There will also be a change to the ship’s Lido restaurant, where waiters will in the future serve hot drinks at all meals.

As on Queen Elizabeth, sun awnings will be erected on the open area near the stern Lido pool and on both sides of the Grills Upper Terrace area near the top of the ship to offer more shade on deck.

Cunard said the dry-docking was being brought forward as a bearing on one of the ship’s propulsion units would need replacing prior to its previously scheduled dry dock in December 2015.

The line added that as a result, two Queen Victoria sailings have unfortunately needed to be cancelled, a 12-night cruise to the Canaries January 3-15 and a short five-night trip to Amsterdam and Cherbourg January 15-20, 2015.

A future cruise credit of £100pp will be offered to all affected passengers. It can be used in conjunction with any alternative Cunard booking made for cruises departing within the next two years before January 3, 2017.