Cunard 2013 World Voyages

Two Queens Explore the World

Cunard announced the 2013 World Voyage program. Two queens, QUEEN MARY 2 and QUEEN VICTORIA, will depart from Southampton on 10 January 2013 and begin their epic world sailings with two distinct itineraries. These historic voyages will be available for reservations starting 14 July 2011 at 5:00 a.m. PDT (8:00 a.m. EDT).

Special Early Booking incentives for reservations made by 29 February 2012: Up to 10% off Early Booking Fares* Reduced deposit of 15%# On Board Credit of up to $3,000^ per stateroom for Full World and Liner Voyages!†

Full World Voyage† Benefits: Complimentary hotel and dining charges Gala World Voyage Dinner Special commemorative gifts Welcome Aboard Reception & Senior Officer Dinner World Voyage cocktail parties Services of a World Voyage Concierge

Queen Mary 2 World Cruise 2013

On 10 January 2013, the grandest ocean liner at sea will sail the world roundtrip from Southampton to exciting destinations that inspire the imagination. Highlights: • Overnight stays in Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai and a two-night stay in Cape Town • 6 Maiden calls including Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Langkawi, Malaysia, and Port Elizabeth, South Africa • Combine with Transatlantic Crossings to create voyage options out of and into New York

Queen Victoria World Cruise 2013

QUEEN VICTORIA makes a triumphant return to the World Voyage in 2013. Convenient departures from New York, Fort Lauderdale, and San Francisco bring this remarkable journey closer to home. Highlights: • 105-day circumnavigation of the globe • Overnight stays in Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dubai • 9 Maiden calls including Falmouth, Jamaica, Brisbane, Australia, Bali, Indonesia and Manila, Philippines

QUEEN ELIZABETH Travels to Exotic Destinations in 2013

In addition to these epic World Voyages, in 2013 QUEEN ELIZABETH will embark on a 36-day Pearls of the Pacific Voyage roundtrip from Los Angeles through the Hawaiian Islands and South Pacific. Guests may choose to extend their voyage with a 15-day Panama Canal experience at the beginning, end, or both!

All Eyes on London for Royal Wedding

London & the World Watching

The Royal Wedding

Prince William & 

Catherine Middleton

Friday 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey

The wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will be available to watch on the Royal Channel Live Stream, accompanied by a live multi-media blog put together by St. James's Palace.   Read more       Visit The Official Royal Wedding Website

Those in United States will have to get up early in the morning to watch the festivities live.  Of course there will also be rebroadcasts and news highlights, so you will have every opportunity to watch history in the making.

If you are on a cruise ship, there are many lines celebrating with special screenings and also parties.  

We featured one of them in a past blog post:  Cunard Celebrates Royal Wedding At Sea

Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Royal Wedding-themed "special dining events" on its vessels that come with an extra charge:

• The Prince and Princess Brunch, at $15 per person, will include eggs poached in champagne and served on English muffins, kippers, scrambled eggs with grilled lamb, toast with marmalade and fruit salad with clotted cream.
• Royal High Tea, at $10 per person, will include an assortment of sandwiches such as the classic cucumber, scones with jam and cream, lemon curd sponge and a selection of cakes.

Royal Caribbean International  offered an exclusive Royal Caribbean wedding package for couples looking to tie the knot at sea.

MSC Cruises will be broadcasting the Royal Wedding in English across the MSC fleet (excluding MSC Sinfonia and Opera, which will not be sailing in European waters).   Bars on board will be serving a great selection of champagnes and prosecco together with a special commemorative Royal Cocktail (sparkling wine, cognac and grand marnier).

Princess Cruise Line will be airing the Royal Wedding on the Movies Under the Stars giant screens. Also, onboard viewing parties will add a celebratory flair to the event with British-style refreshments and special royal-themed cocktails. Passengers can also test their knowledge with royal wedding trivia competitions and participate in a William and Kate look-alike contest.

Several cruise ships will be docked in Southampton, England.  The ships include Ventura, Independence of the Seas, Saga Pearl II, and Vision of the Seas.  CruiseSouthampton.com has posted a special day planner for cruisers that will be in port on the Royal Wedding day.   Southampton City Council has designated the newly refurbished Guildhall Square to be the venue to hold a free mass Street Party for everyone between 10am - 4pm.  Additional details are available on the site.


The world anxiously awaits the joining of this happy couple in the wedding event of the century.  There hasn't been this much excitement since Princess Diana and Prince Charles wed 30 years ago.  We'd love to hear your stories about how you celebrated this Royal Wedding, especially if you were on a cruise ship.

Cunard 2012 World Cruises

QM2 & Queen Elizabeth in Sydney Harbor                Credit: Cunard Line

Cunard 2O12 World Voyages

Options ranging from 12 to 108 day

QM2 World Cruise 2012

QUEEN MARY 2 sets sail on a 108-day journey roundtrip from Southampton, England, bringing guests to renowned destinations around the globe in the grandest style imaginable.

• Southampton to Southampton – 108 days
• Southampton to Dubai – 92 days 
• Cape Town to Southampton – 93 days
• Begin your World voyage in New York with a Transatlantic crossing

If you’d like to be part of the Cunard World Voyage with Queen Mary 2 in 2012
without sailing the entire itinerary, we offer a selection of Liner and Segment Voyages —
shorter portions of the full voyage ranging from 15 to 77 days. These shorter voyages
are ideal for those with less time or an interest in a specific region. Choose to sail on a
Liner or Segment, and be a part of this awe-inspiring adventure.

• Explore exciting ports in South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe
• Overnight stays in Cape Town, Dubai, and Hong Kong
• Guests may embark or disembark in New York by adding a Transatlantic Crossing to the beginning or end of their voyage.

Queen Elizabeth World Cruise 2012

QUEEN ELIZABETH embarks on this classic 107-day World Cruise voyage roundtrip from Southampton.

• Southampton to Southampton – 107 days
• Southampton to Dubai – 85 days
• New York to Southampton – 99 days
• San Francisco to Southampton – 82 days

If there’s a particular part of the world that interests you most, consider sailing a portion of
Queen Elizabeth's Full World Voyage on one of her Liner or Segment Voyages. Liner Voyages
range from 34 to 77 days, allowing you to join the grand celebration along spectacular routes
such as San Francisco to Singapore or Sydney to Dubai. For a smaller taste of the World Voyage
experience, enjoy a Segment Voyage of 12 to 24 days with departures from around the globe.

• Chart a course to destinations in Central America, the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe
• Voyage features full transits of the Panama and Suez canals
• Overnight stays in New York, Sydney, and Hong Kong 
• Guests may disembark in New York by adding a Transatlantic Crossing to the
  end of voyages sailing to Southampton.

When you’re embarking on a journey this grand, you want to see the world from a perspective that does it justice. And on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2, you may find it is time on board you most look forward to. Whichever Queen you sail upon, you’ll delight in ample time to truly enjoy all a Cunard ocean liner offers you.

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Map of Japan Courtesy USGS

Honshu Earthquake

Upgraded to 9.0 Magnitude

The USGS has continued to review scientific data and  upgraded the magnitude to 9.0 today, making the Tohoku earthquake in Honshu, Japan  the 4th largest in the world since 1900.

The rescue and recovery efforts continue in Northeastern Japan while aftershocks continue and the country works hard to prevent a nuclear disaster.  

The earthquake and resulting tsunami will have a lasting impact on Japan and the world.  It is estimated that the death toll could exceed 10,000 and the damage could soar into billions of dollars.   The loss of life and damage is just one dimension of this natural disaster.   The economy will suffer due to the loss of revenue from tourism and other industries during this crisis. 

Social media played a significant role in bringing this disaster to the world immediately.   When standard telephone communication failed, text messages, sent around the world, told loved ones that for now, they were OK.  Incredible images and videos were instantly available.  The U.S. and other countries offered assistance after seeing the devastation.

Impact on Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises and Cunard Line modified their itineraries in the wake of the earthquake.  These changes were needed because the ports were temporarily closed for damage assessment.  See related blog posts for more details about those changes and messages from the cruise lines in reaction to the disaster.

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

Updated March 16th:

Royal Caribbean  Legend of the Seas sailing that is scheduled to depart Shanghai (Baoshan), China on Saturday, March 19. Legend of the Seas will now call on Cheju Island, South Korea on Sunday, March 20, and stay overnight in Hong Kong, China from 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 until midnight on Wednesday, March 23. Legend of the Seas will return to Shanghai on Saturday, March 26 as scheduled.

The most recent cruise modification is on Oceania Nautica which was scheduled to call at two ports in Japan this week.

Oceania Cruises made the following statement on Facebook:
"Due to latest events in Japan the current schedule of Nautica has been changed, calls in Hiroshima and Kobe have been cancelled and replaced with an extra day in Kaoshiung, Taiwan and an extra day in Shanghai. Guests will also have two days in Hong Kong."

While these ports are not in the immediate vicinity of the earthquake, Oceania Cruises decided to make these changes in the interest of safety.

Cruise lines will continue to monitor the situation and make additional modifications as needed. We will provide updates as the situation is warranted.   Our thoughts and prayers join those of people around the world who are concerned for the people of Japan during this time of crisis.

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

Cunard QM2 - Courtesy Cunard Line

Port of Nagasaki Closed

Queen Mary 2 Continues to China

At the time of the massive earthquake in Japan yesterday, Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 was en route from Osaka to Nagasaki, Japan.

QM2 arrived at Nagasaki this morning and the port authority advised that the port will remain closed while they ensure the port facilities are structurally sound.

QM2 remained outside the port area until 2pm local time when they embarked a small group of guests and immigration officials, who were on an overland tour. Cunard confirms that it has all guests and crew safely on board and are under sail to Beijing, China, where they will arrive on schedule.

Queen Mary 2 is currently on a 103-day journey round-trip from New York, bringing guests to renowned destinations around the globe in the grandest style imaginable. During the World Cruise, guests will explore exciting ports in South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Interactive tracking map (real-time ship tracking)                  QM2 Bridge Cam

This is the second major earthquake that QM2 has encountered during this World Cruise. QM2 was in Sydney, Australia for the Royal Rendezvous, when the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand occurred.

Cunard Line has successfully utilized social media, such as Facebook, to keep us all informed during this difficult time.   Due to Japanese laws, C band communications are not allowed in Japanese waters, this is why the bridge web cam had not been updated.

Cunard's Facebook message concludes with:
"Our thanks go to our agents in Nagasaki for their assistance today and our thoughts remain with the people of Japan."

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

Major Christchurch Earthquake Impacts Cruise Schedules

Cunard Line's QM2 and Queen Elizabeth in Sydney Feb 22

Royal Rendevous Overshadowed by 

Major Earthquake

Cruise ship calls at Christchurch, New Zealand, are being cancelled following this week's devastating earthquake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale and destroyed large areas of the city and suburbs.    

At least 65 people have been killed, making this New Zealand's worst disaster in more than 80 years.  The suburb of Lyttelton, where cruise ships dock, has suffered infrastructure damage.


Our hearts and prayers go out to all the people of New Zealand impacted by this natural disaster.  This post provides links to sites with additional information.  We will attempt to provide updates to assist those who might be traveling in the region.

Graphic courtesy USGS

Magnitude 6.3 – South Island of New Zealand

Monday, February 21, 2011 at 23:51:43 UTC
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 12:51:43 Local
The February 21, 2011 South Island, New Zealand earthquake occurred as part of the aftershock sequence of the M 7.0 September 3, 2010 Darfield, NZ earthquake. 


This latest shock is significantly closer to the main population center of Christchurch, NZ, than is the September 2010 mainshock. The February 21st earthquake represents the largest aftershock to date.

The National Crisis Management Centre has been activated and a National State of Emergency has been declared (www.beehive.govt.nz). 

Peak Cruise Season for Australia & New Zealand

This is the peak season for cruise vacations to Australia and New Zealand.   Cruise itinerary changes are anticipated in the wake of the quake.   Cruise lines are responsible for health and safety of their guests.    Any changes that are made are done so regrettably, but unfortunately become necessary when conditions prevent planned port calls to be made.

Lyttleton Port of Christchurch posted the following statement:  "The 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday 22 February caused further damage to Lyttelton Port of Christchurch infrastructure and facilities.  Our priority is for the safety of all staff and we can advise that fortunately there were no injuries sustained at the port."   Read more on their webpage.

Cruise Itinerary Changes - Christchurch

• Cunard Line: QM2 will call at Wellington (Feb. 26)
• Holland America: Volendam (Mar. 5) - no changes yet - monitoring situation
• Princess Cruises: Sun Princess (Feb. 28) - extending stay in Wellington then three hours of scenic cruising Marlborough Sound
• Princess Cruises: Dawn Princess (Mar. 4) - no changes yet - monitoring situation
• P&O Cruises Australia: Pacific Sun will call at Akaroa (Feb. 25)
• P&O Cruises Australia: Aurora (Mar. 7) - no changes yet - monitoring situation

Cunard president Peter Shanks, who was in Sydney for the rendezvous of QM2 and Queen Elizabeth, said (that Cunard would be) "doing all it can to support the devastated port city."

We will provide updates as more information becomes available 
Last Updated:  23 Feb -  9 PM Est

Useful Links for Additional Information

Main New Zealand Civil Defense Update New Zealand Civil Defense Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Geonet - Christchurch Badly Damaged by Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Lyttelton Port of Christchurch  Christchurch Earthquake Information (Tourism New Zealand)

Royal Rendezvous New York

Three Queens Rendezvous

Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and  Queen Elizabeth

January 13, 2011 three Cunard Queens will  rendezvous in front of the Statue of Liberty amidst the fanfare of a spectacular fireworks by Grucci show. In honour of the Cunard Royal Rendezvous the Empire State Building will be lit red starting at sunset to 2:00 a.m. the following day!

Three Queens Courtesy Cunard Line

The most panoramic views for this rare event are from the AAA Five Diamond award-winning Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park.  The meeting of the Queens will most optimally be seen from a Statue of Liberty View guestroom or suite.  All Statue of Liberty View rooms are equipped with telescopes for prime viewing.

VIEWING LOCATIONS INCLUDE:

Battery ParkOn the southern shoreline of Manhattan, www.thebattery.org
Map link: http://www.bpcparks.org/bpcp/map/map.php

Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
Overlooking the Hudson River with great views of the Statue of Liberty
Just south of the Museum of Jewish Heritage
By subway: 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, or N or R to Whitehall

The Esplanade
Running the entire length of Battery Park City, along the Hudson River from Stuyvesant High School, on the north end all the way south to Battery Park

Hudson River Park
550-acre Park extending for five miles along the Manhattan shoreline from Battery Place to West 59th Street

SCHEDULE:

ARRIVALS:
6:00 AM (approx) All ships will be berthed at respective cruise terminal (see below).

DEPARTURES:
6:00 PM

• Queen Mary 2 - from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal 
• Queen Victoria - from Pier 90, Manhattan Cruise Terminal 
• Queen Elizabeth - from Pier 88, Manhattan Cruise Terminal
  

6:40 PM (approx) 

• Cunard Royal Rendezvous at the Statue of Liberty featuring Fireworks by Grucci for a spectacular sail away celebration. 

*2011 Mediterranean Voyages
*2011 Northern Europe Voyages

Save up to 55% Off Early Booking Fares
2011 World Voyage Segments

Save up to $600 per person in Balcony staterooms

2011 Transatlantic Crossings

Live from the bridge

The view from: QUEEN ELIZABETH Bridge Cam

The view from: QUEEN MARY 2 Bridge Cam

The view from: QUEEN VICTORIA Bridge Cam

Cunard Line Takes Delivery of Queen Elizabeth

Pictured: Cunard President Peter Shanks symbolically holds the keys to Queen Elizabeth, which he handed over to
Captain Christopher Wells

Newest Cunard Ocean Liner 

Queen Elizabeth

Cunard Line has taken delivery of Queen Elizabeth  – the second largest Cunarder ever built and the third new liner for the luxury cruise vacation company in six years. 


The Handover Ceremony took place today on board the new 92,400-ton vessel at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard. The event included a speech by Cunard President Peter Shanks. The Italian flag was ceremonially lowered and the Blue Ensign was raised, marking the entry of another magnificent Cunard liner into the Register of British Shipping.

“This ceremony to mark the completion of the Queen Elizabeth and our acceptance of delivery, is just the first of a number of significant events over the next few weeks – including the ship’s official naming by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton on Monday 11 October,” said Shanks. “I’m certain the British will take this truly magnificent ship to their hearts, as they have all the Cunard Queens.”

Queen Elizabeth is due to leave the shipyard on 30 September and sail to Southampton, where she will berth at the Ocean Cruise Terminal on Friday 8 October.

Queen Elizabeth will depart on her Maiden Voyage at 5:00pm on Tuesday 12 October. She is s one of the largest panamax vessels, i.e. capable of passing through the Panama canal. Mini and luxury suites abound on board the superbly finished “Queen Elizabeth” whose 1,046 cabins can accommodate over 2,500 guests assisted by a crew of 1,097.

Cunard Queen Mary 2 Maiden Call to Cape Town

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on Queen Mary 2 - courtesy Cunard Line

Cunard Queen Mary 2

Maiden Call Cape Town

Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 made her maiden call to Cape Town, South Africa, March 25th arriving with some special dignitaries onboard.  Among the guests sailing on this segment of the 2010 World Voyage was  the Most Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism, the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Upon arrival in Cape Town, a ceremony was held unveiling a plaque that read: “This plaque was unveiled by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to commemorate his voyage onboard Queen Mary 2 between Port Louis and Cape Town from 20 March to 25 March 2010.”   Also on-hand for the unveiling was Captain Nick Bates and Cunard Line President Peter Shanks.

During the voyage, guests enjoyed a standing room only Cunard Insights Q&A session and lecture with Archbishop Tutu.  Additionally, guests had the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and bid on advanced copies of Archbishop Tutu’s new book, “Made for Goodness,” co-written by his daughter Mpho Andrea Tutu. Proceeds from the silent auction benefited his charity, the Zithulele Hospital based in Eastern Cape province.

“It was an honor to have Archbishop Tutu onboard Queen Mary 2 during this World Voyage, especially as the ship sailed into Cape Town for the first time,” said Peter Shanks. “Our guests were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet this living luminary, and I am delighted to say that he now holds a very special place in Cunard's 170-year history."

Archbishop Tutu joins Cunard's illustrious legacy of welcoming world-famous guests and politicians, including Winston Churchill, President Nelson Mandela, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth Taylor, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart and Buzz Aldrin.

Cunard Insights is the company’s award-winning onboard enrichment programme that introduces guests to stimulating experts and accomplished visionaries who reflect the Line's heritage of adventure and prestige. Through a series of lectures, Q&A's, social gatherings and workshops, guests connect with personalities who have achieved notable distinction in areas including history, world affairs, science, arts and literature.

Cunard Announces 2011-2012 Program

Photos courtesy Cunard Line

Cunard Line Announces 2011-2012 

Voyage Programme

 On Sale 26 April for Cunard 
World Club Members

Three Queens Offer More 
Itinerary Options 

on World's Youngest Luxury Fleet
 

Combining 170 years of experience with the youngest, luxury fleet at sea - flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the soon-to-be-launched Queen Elizabeth - Cunard is pleased to announce its most extensive range of voyages to date, with a greater choice of itineraries, departure dates and overnight stays. Guests will have more opportunities to experience the new golden age of ocean travel with the classic traditions and legendary White Star Service for which Cunard is renowned.

The line's flagship, Queen Mary 2, will continue to offer extended Transatlantic Crossings between New York and Southampton, as well as to Hamburg; Queen Victoria will journey across the Atlantic for a second Americas season in early 2012; and new to the voyage schedule will be visits to the Holy Land aboard both Queen Victoria and the new Queen Elizabeth.

Legendary QUEEN MARY 2 Sailings

•  21 Transatlantic Crossings, plus extended voyages to and from Hamburg and five Grand Voyages roundtrip from New York.

•  Seven explorations of Northern Europe and an Around the British Isles voyage - all sailing roundtrip from Southampton. 

•  Two voyages to the Atlantic Isles and Iberia.

•  Enhanced 10-day Canada and New England sailing in the fall now featuring an overnight in Quebec, and a Fourth of July Getaway.

•  Caribbean Celebration holiday voyage.

Regal QUEEN VICTORIA Voyages

•  Five spectacular voyages based in the Mediterranean and visiting the best of the region including the Black Sea, Greek Isles, Egypt, and - new for 2011 - the Holy Land.  

• Enhanced Northern Europe itineraries including overnight stays in St. Petersburg and a new Gallic Overture voyage. 

• The celebrated QUEEN returns for her second Americas season in winter 2011/2012 including Panama Canal and Hawaii itineraries.   

• Med, Canary Islands and Atlantic Isles roundtrip from Southampton are also available.

Adventures aboard the New QUEEN ELIZABETH

• New for 2011, a Voyage to the Holy Land, plus four Mediterranean voyages roundtrip from Southampton.

• Northern Europe itineraries include the Norwegian Fjords, the North Cape and two enhanced Baltic sailings that feature a full day and an overnight call in St Petersburg.

• Maiden Around the British Isles voyage.

• Two Iberian journeys and a Canary Islands voyage sailing roundtrip from Southampton.

 Full Text of Press Release - 15 March, 2010      Cunard Itineraries

Other news:  Cunard's Queen Mary 2 to Circumnavigate Australia (March 9, 2010)

Queen Victoria Pretty in Pink

Photo Courtesy Cunard Line

QUEEN VICTORIA in SYDNEY

Cunard Line's Queen Victoria, illuminated in pink while berthed at Sydney’s Circular Quay, made history today. Queen Victoria was bathed in vibrant pink light from dusk to support Australia’s National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), which officially launched its 2010 fundraising target of $17 million at an event onboard. Pink lights illuminated the entire ship, providing the ideal setting for the event.

Why Pink?

“Pink has become synonymous with the fight against breast cancer, so we are delighted to offer NBCF the opportunity to boost awareness of research and claim a world first by being the first to illuminate a liner in pink,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line.

It is not surprising that Cunard Line was a part of this NBCF kickoff event. Parent company, Carnival Corporation, has been a long-time supporter of Breast Cancer fund-raising. Their On Deck for the Cure program benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

Additional history making events are planned for Queen Victoria. Early next year she sails her first "Americas" season, traversing the Panama Canal on more than one voyage, making rare roundtrip sailings from Los Angeles to Hawaii, plus debuting her maiden Mexico Getaway voyage. For more information about Queen Victoria sailings, click here.