The first chance to sail in and out of Liverpool on Queen Mary 2 will take place this spring as the Cunard Line flagship offers two seven night cruises from the port that was the birthplace of the company.


This will be the first time in 45 years that passengers can sail on a Cunard liner from the Pier Head waterfront. “The cruises have been organised by Liverpool Cruise Club independent travel agency by splitting in two a northern European cruise by the 148,528 gross ton liner,” Cruise Liverpool, the body that promotes the city as cruise destination and home port, said in a statement.

The ship will dock at Liverpool Cruise Terminal on Friday 17 May, allowing passengers to either sail into Liverpool from Southampton or cruise back to the southern port.

The first seven night cruise departs on 10 May with coach travel to join QM2 at Southampton and will sail to Hamburg, Greenock and Dublin, arriving at Liverpool on May 17.

The second cruise will depart Liverpool on 17 May, for an eight night sailing to Invergordon, Stavanger, Hamburg and Southampton, with a return by coach to Liverpool. Fares for both sailings start from £599, but there are only 200 berths available on each of the cruises.

John Cooper, of Liverpool Cruise Club sales and marketing manager, said: “This is a fabulous event, which we’ve been negotiating like hell to do. It’s a chance for Merseysiders to experience Cunard’s elegant style of five star cruising with on the world’s most famous ship. This will be cruising in or out of the new Liverpool Cruise Terminal for the very first time on Cunard Line.”

The last Cunard turnaround call in Liverpool before this took place on 30 January 1968, with RMS Franconia. The first Cunard Line vessel, RMS Britannia, sailed from the port for Halifax and Boston on 4 July 1840, although the line was then known as The British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company.