CUNARD PLANS NORTH AMERICAN VOYAGES FOR 2019 CRUISE SEASON
Cunard Line (cruise.center/cunard/) is putting renewed focus on its North American departures for 2019, with voyages aboard its Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and iconic transatlantic liner, Queen Mary 2, scheduled to grace the east and west coast.
These new voyages — which open for booking on Sept. 15, 2017 — include Cunard’s first foray into Alaska in two decades; an extended transatlantic season incorporating ports in Canada’s Maritimes; and a spectacular voyage aboard the Queen Elizabeth from Yokohama, Japan to Vancouver.
“The 2019 deployment has the best selection of cruise experiences we have ever offered,” said Josh Leibowitz, senior vice president, Cunard North America.
“We are thrilled to introduce new itineraries tailored to the North American marketplace. Now represents the perfect time to experience Cunard.”
Leading the pack is Cunard’s massive flagship, Queen Mary 2. She’ll complete 19 transatlantic crossings in 2019, sailing from New York to Southampton, England or reverse.
But for the first time in her history, Queen Mary 2 will offer a transatlantic voyage with ports of call along the way.
Departing July 14, 2019, Voyage M921 will see Queen Mary 2 set sail from Southampton, bound for New York.
As she sails westbound, time will be found to call on Liverpool, England before arriving for an overnight stay in Reykjavik, Iceland.
QM2 will then sail to Corner Brook, N.L., and Halifax, N.S., before arriving in New York on July 28, 2019.
This one-way, 14-night crossing is only offered once and is likely to sell out very far in advance.
Queen Mary 2’s Canada and New England season is also being extended, with five weeklong voyages to the Maritimes.
Queen Mary 2 also celebrates American Independence Day (July 4) with a special seven-day voyage sailing round trip from New York that calls on Halifax and Newport, Rhode Island, in addition to an overnight stay in Boston. Voyage M919 departs New York on June 30, 2019.
Over on the West Coast, the 2,081-guest Queen Elizabeth is worth hopping onboard for her unique 17-night voyage from Yokohama, Japan to Vancouver.
Departing May 5, 2019, this transpacific crossing visits the Japanese ports of Aomori and Sapporo before heading eastbound across the International Date Line to Alaska.
From there, stops are made in Kodiak, Anchorage and Juneau, Alaska before the Queen Elizabeth arrives in Vancouver on May 21, 2019.
A longer version of this itinerary (27 nights) lasts until May 31 and sails from Yokohama to Vancouver before heading up for a more in-depth exploration of Alaska. This cruise returns to Vancouver.
You can also sail through the Panama Canal in 2019 aboard the Queen Elizabeth, including a previously announced voyage in January of 2019; and a new 18-night itinerary from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale in July of 2019.
This one, Voyage Q919F, leaves San Francisco on July 3, 2019 before stopping in Los Angeles for Independence Day and then sailing on through Mexico and Central America for a full transit of the Panama Canal.
Historically, most of Cunard’s fleet has been deployed primarily in Europe. While there are still plenty of European-based Cunard voyages on offer for the 2019 season, these “close-tohome” voyages are a great way to set sail with Cunard without needing the time or money involved with heading to Europe.
In addition, more Cunard voyages have late-night and overnight calls in ports around the world in 2019, and all three Cunard ships are offering socalled “short break” voyages in Europe for those who want to combine a cruise with their European land vacation.
Most of these leave from Southampton, but a few unique sailings depart from Hamburg or Kiel, Germany.
Of course, this is the part of the article where I strongly recommend taking one of Cunard’s transatlantic crossings aboard Queen Mary 2.
The only purpose-built, modern ocean liner in the world, it lets you set out across an ocean for nothing but seven uninterrupted days at sea.
Boredom is impossible: From lectures to dancing to full-blown production shows, there’s more than enough to keep guests busy.
Throw in a two-deck Canyon Ranch Spa and some of the most glamorous evenings at sea, and you’ve got the recipe for a great vacation — no matter where you sail to.
Happy cruising.