Cunard said it will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its pioneering world cruise, and the first-ever continuous circumnavigation of the globe by a passenger liner, with two celebratory voyages in 2023 on board Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.
The Carnival Corporation & plc group member company has also laid out plans for restart of cruises in the UK this summer, on Queen Elizabeth.
“To celebrate launch week Cunard will be offering double Shine points on all Cunard Fare bookings made between 16 and 23 March 2021. Additionally, all bookings made by agents before March 31, 2021 will benefit from the 1% commission increase announced in December,” the company said in a statement.
Cunard’s voyages will mirror many ports of call from Cunard’s first world sailings on ships RMS Laconia and RMS Samaria, as well as calling at some of today’s most inspiring destinations.
Queen Mary 2 via South Africa, Queen Victoria via Suez
Destinations on Queen Mary 2’s 102 night Centenary World Voyage will include Colombo, Singapore and Hong Kong, emulating RMS Samaria’s 1923 world sailing. The voyage also includes overnight stops in Dubai, Sydney and Cape Town as it travels from Southampton through Asia, Australia and South Africa. Prices start at £11,499 per person.
Queen Victoria’s 101 night Centenary World Voyage will visit RMS Laconia’s 1922/23 ports calls with stops in Hong Kong, New York, Singapore, Cabo San Lucas, Colombo, San Francisco, Hilo, Honolulu, Manila and Naples as well visiting Aruba, Jordan, Tonga and a full transit of the Panama Canal. Prices start at £11,999 per person.
Meanwhile, Cunard also said it would offer a series of UK voyages on Queen Elizabeth, providing a staycation opportunity this summer for British guests. More details will be revealed later this month.
Sailings will be from Cunard’s home port of Southampton and will be in UK coastal waters, seeking out the very best of the summer sunshine. Cunard’s flexible booking terms will be applicable for these voyages, so guests will be able to book with confidence.
UK cruising to restart, but more international cruises cancelled
These new UK staycation voyages will replace a number of international sailings that unfortunately will be cancelled due to the current environment.
“With the UK Government confirming that domestic travel is close on the horizon, we are introducing a series of exciting, shorter duration holidays for British residents looking for the perfect staycation in Cunard luxury this summer,” said Simon Palethorpe, president, Cunard. “These will be sailings from Southampton, for UK residents, around the UK and will make the very most of the summer sunshine.”
“However, with international travel restrictions still in place, we unfortunately need to cancel a number of departures. We know how much everyone is desperately looking forward to longed-for holidays overseas, so to all affected by this news, I am sincerely sorry for the disappointment this will cause,” added Palethorpe.
Sailings on Queen Victoria are now cancelled for departures up to and including August 27, 2021.
Queen Elizabeth’s summer Mediterranean fly cruise season and all departures up to and including October 11, 2021 are cancelled.
Queen Mary 2’s current program is affected by a number of factors and all departures up to and including November 12, 2021 are cancelled.
