BETTER BOOK IT: EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF CUNARD FOR YOURSELF
While the line is known for its transatlantic crossings, it also offers West Coast options
It’s no secret that one of my all-time favourite cruise experiences (one I try to repeat every year) is a transatlantic crossing with Cunard (cruise.center/ cunard) aboard its legendary flagship, Queen Mary 2. Sailing for seven uninterrupted days at sea between New York and Southampton, England, is a magical experience.
However, I also know not everyone finds the thought of crossing the Atlantic with zero ports of call as enticing as I do. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to experience the magic of Cunard from here in Canada.
This fall, Queen Mary 2 returns to the shores of Eastern Canada to operate the popular Canadian and New England voyages that run between Quebec City and New York.
These are fantastic voyages, with calls on ports in the Maritimes and the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Queen Mary 2’s first weeklong journey from New York to Quebec departs on Sept. 23. Except for a day call in Rockland, Maine, the remainder of Queen Mary 2’s first Canadian and New England itinerary focuses exclusively on Canadian ports.
Stops are made in Corner Brook, N.L., on Sept. 27; in SeptIles, Que., the following day; and an overnight stay in Quebec City to round out the voyage.
The reverse itinerary — Quebec to New York — sets sail Sept. 30 and features an all-Canadian itinerary. Queen Mary 2 stops first in beautiful Saguenay, Que., — home to what just might be the friendliest cruise ship welcome I’ve ever experienced, complete with live music, traditional dance and even maple taffy rolled across bins of snow.
From there, Queen Mary 2 continues on to friendly Sydney, N.S., and Halifax, where the ship ties up between the Pier 21 Immigration Museum and the pierside statue of Cunard founder Samuel Cunard, who was born in Halifax in 1787 and founded Cunard Line in England in 1840 as the verbose British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Cunard seems much more iconic in retrospect.
Although it doesn’t start in Canada, you can combine the previous two voyages into one 14-day journey that operates round trip from New York, Voyage M836A.
Those on the West Coast aren’t left out, either. Though Queen Mary 2 isn’t bound for Vancouver (its immense height prohibits the ship from clearing the Lions Gate Bridge), the equally elegant Queen Elizabeth will make its debut at Canada Place next year, inaugurating Cunard’s first Alaska cruises in over a decade in May 2019.
Conveniently sailing round trip from Vancouver, the 2,057-guest Queen Elizabeth will operate a series of 10-night cruises to Alaska in May and June 2019. These offer a great mix of ports, including time in the “big three” Alaskan ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Additional port stops are made in Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Hubbard Glacier, along with a full day call in Victoria. For those looking for just a taste of the Cunard life, Queen Elizabeth will sail a rare three-night summertime Pacific Coastal cruise between Vancouver and San Francisco on June 30, 2019 (Voyage Q919A); a longer five-night coastal from Vancouver to Los Angeles departing on the same date (Voyage Q919); and a summertime Panama Canal journey from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that also departs on June 30, 2019.
For the true oceangoing adventurer, why not sail from Vancouver all the way to Southampton, England? Queen Elizabeth sails for 39 nights from Vancouver (again, on June 30, 2019) down the Pacific Coast; through the Panama Canal; into the Caribbean; up the eastern seaboard; to the Maritimes; and across the Atlantic to Iceland, Ireland, Scotland and finally, Southampton. It costs as much as a small car, but what an amazing journey!
This is the part of the column where I tell you to book early because these sailings will sell out, but with Cunard’s first Alaska season in 2019, I really mean it: These cruises will sell out long before next year arrives.
No matter where you choose to go, however, expect to be charmed by Cunard’s timeless elegance.
It keeps me coming back time after time, and I hope it will do the same for you. Happy cruising.
Visit portsandbows.com, sponsored by Expedia CruiseShipCenters, 1-800-707-7327, www.cruiseshipcenters.com, for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behind-the-scenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Aaron Saunders may be contacted directly at portsandbowsaaron@gmail.com.