Cunard announces Alaska return for first time in over 20 years

Posted on 19 March, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

A visit to Alaska has been added by Cunard in 2019 for the first time in more than 20 years.

Queen Victoria will operate the only full world cruise in 2019, leaving flagship Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth with “greater flexibility” to travel to a mixture of destinations and itineraries, the line said.

Queen Elizabeth will run its first Alaskan cruise, crossing the north Pacific and Gulf of Alaska en route to Vancouver.

This will be the first time that any of the line’s current fleet will have travelled to Alaska.

The largest US state is featured in a newly released January to May 2019 ‘Oceans of Discovery’ programme, which includes 21 maiden calls and new destinations including Boracay in the Philippines, Akita in Japan and Goa in India.

Queen Victoria, which will undergo a refit in June, is to run a 107-night world voyage in 2019 on a western circumnavigation via the Panama Canal.

Passengers can travel on sections of lone world cruise which sees the ship end up sailing the Indian Ocean to South Africa before returning to Southampton.

Queen Mary 2’s winter 2019 deployment features ex-UK departures through the Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean to Far East and back.

The journeys range from one to three weeks in duration but can be combined through to a full 94-day voyage.

Queen Elizabeth will run 41 cruise combinations ranging from two to 38 nights.

The line’s three ships will call at 49 countries and 109 destinations in the first five months of 2019.

Ten destinations being re-introduced include Beijing, Picton in New Zealand, Abu Dhabi and Chennai.

Sales vice president, Alex White, said: “It’s an exciting time for Cunard, with a 2019 programme that offers more choice, more variety and more destinations for our guests than ever before.

“Whether you want to fly and cruise, or depart from the UK, we have a blend of iconic, world-class cities and delightful destinations with cruises that cover two to 107 nights.

“Our itineraries have been designed to offer enriching days in port as well as plenty of time on board for our guests to relax and enjoy the luxury of time, space and all that our ships have to offer.”

Carnival reshuffle ‘will help differentiate P&O and Cunard’

Posted on 14 December, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

The reshuffle of Carnival UK’s leadership team will help to create “better brand focus and differentiation” between sister brands P&O Cruises and Cunard.

Speaking at the Clia Cruise Forum in Tilbury, David Dingle, chairman of Carnival UK, said the changes would be particularly beneficial to Cunard in helping to drive international growth for the brand.

In August the line revealed Gerard Tempest, formerly chief commercial officer for Carnival UK, was to leave the company. In his place positions were created at the helm of P&O, with Paul Ludlow put in change, and Cunard, a position which is still being recruited for.

Dingle said all businesses should constantly be under review to ensure their efficiency and development.

He said: “In the UK we went through a period where we tried to create as much organisational synergy for our brands as possible because through that you have greater efficiency, particularly cost efficiency.

“You have to be careful to differentiate still. Going round full circle again (reviewing the business and changing the leadership team) we believe it’s time to drive the brands harder, particularly for Cunard.

“We want to grow the international sourcing of the brand so we have to have much greater brand focus so that’s why we want to have some really brand specific leadership.

“We continue to develop the P&O brand and we’ve revitalized it over the past months and now we want to move forward and capitalise on that and dare I say think about what the next P&O cruises new ship might look for, should we decide to order it.”

Cunard liners mark 175th anniversary in Liverpool

Posted on 25 May, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

3 Queens and the Red Arrows visit Liverpool

Three famous ocean liners have sailed together in Liverpool for the first time to mark Cunard’s 175th anniversary.

The Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth saluted the city where Samuel Cunard began his transatlantic line in 1840.

Thousands of people lined the River Mersey to watch the “three queens” perform a synchronised sailing display.

As the fleet completed its manoeuvres, the Red Arrows performed a fly-past.

Captain Christopher Wells, who was at the helm of the Queen Mary 2, said it was a “very special weekend”.

“It allows us to celebrate our anniversary in the city where the company was founded.

“To have that celebration is very important not only to us, but also to the city,” he said.

The three Cunard Queens on the River Mersey — The three Cunard Queens sailed on the River Mersey

Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 off Crosby Beach ready to enter the River Mersey — Crowds gathered at Crosby Beach

Red Arrows fly-past — As the fleet completed its manoeuvres, the Red Arrows performed a fly-past

Three Cunard liners — The event celebrates the famous shipping line’s formation 175 years ago in its original home port

Queen Mary 2 leaves Liverpool to meet sister Liners Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria — The display was part of a three-day celebration

The display was part of a three-day celebration, which ends on Tuesday, marking the company’s first transatlantic crossing from Liverpool.

Sir Samuel Cunard, who founded the service, sailed aboard the RMS Britannia to Boston on its maiden voyage on 4 July 1840.

The Cunard company revolutionised travel in the 19th Century with its steam ships which added speed and safety to journeys which had previously been made on less reliable sailing ships.

By the early part of the 20th Century, the company’s “big three” liners – Mauretania, Berengaria and Aquitania – were the primary means of passenger transport across the Atlantic

The shipping company moved its headquarters from the Cunard Building on Liverpool’s waterfront to Southampton in 1965.

Cunard at 175: Facts and figures

Since the first scheduled service across the Atlantic, Cunard ships have crossed and re-crossed the Atlantic, in peace and war, without fail every year
More than 109,000 bottles of red wine are consumed every year on board Queen Victoria
The annual sugar consumption on Queen Mary 2 is enough to make eight million scones