Cunard celebrating in grand style
Here’s something you’ll want to mark your calendars for: in 2015, Cunard Line (cunard.com) will commemorate the 175th anniversary of the company founded by Canadian-born Samuel Cunard by offering three separate World Voyages aboard the line’s Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and the iconic Queen Mary 2.
Open for booking on Sept. 5, Cunard’s 2015 World Voyages and Exotic Cruise program will feature voyages that span eight to 127 days in length, and guests will have the option to combine itineraries coming into and leaving from Sydney, Australia across two separate Cunard vessels to create one unique itinerary.
Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth will leave Southampton, England in tandem on Jan. 10, 2015, and Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria will rendezvous in Sydney on May 3, 2015.
“Cunard continues its tradition of being the world voyage leader,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “We have completed more circumnavigations and taken more passengers on this incredible journey than any other cruise line.
“And no other ships are welcomed around the world as warmly as the Cunard fleet. Our ships’ arrivals into port attract well-wishers in the thousands — on the water and ashore — it is part of the magic of the Cunard world voyage experience.”
Queen Mary 2 will operate an enhanced East-West World Cruise lasting 113 days and visiting 38 different ports in 21 countries. Highlights include celebrating Chinese New Year in Sanya, China; transiting the Suez Canal; and scenic cruising in New Zealand’s famous Fjordland.
She’ll also offer maiden calls at ports in Brunei, Indonesia, China and Cambodia, as well as overnight calls in Sokhna, Dubai, Hong Kong, Auckland and Cape Town.
Queen Victoria will celebrate Cunard’s 175th Anniversary by sailing a 103-night Pacific Exploration itinerary that will feature two Transatlantic Crossings and two transits of the Panama Canal, in addition to embarkation options in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She will make five maiden calls during her voyage, stopping for the first time at Akaroa, New Zealand; Bora Bora; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Rarotonga in the Cook Islands; and San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua.
Cunard’s third vessel, Queen Elizabeth, will sail 112 nights on a westbound itinerary that will include a sailpast of Gallipoli on April 24, 2015 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War.
Aboard the Queen Elizabeth, guests can elect to either take the full World Cruise or participate in segments that are as short as an eight-day crossing between Southampton and New York.
Additional land tours are also offered, including a three-night land tour of New Zealand that explores the glow-worm caves of Waitomo and the movie set used in the filming of The Hobbit; or a two-night game drive safari in Cape Town at the Aquila Game Reserve.