Cunard launches 2009 Programme for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria

Cunard has launched the 2009 programme for its famous ocean liners, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The 170th anniversary of the company’s founding will see Cunard's two modern ships offer a total of 61 voyages throughout Europe, to the Caribbean and across the Atlantic.

Carol Marlow, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, said, “The world’s grandest ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, will offer an extended season of 25 Transatlantic Crossings, and each crossing can be linked to a series of fascinating American tours and city stays. She will also undertake her maiden British Isles circumnavigation, in this her fifth anniversary year. And, Queen Victoria, our newest Cunard Queen, after listening to the wishes of our guests, we have positioned in Southampton for the full summer and autumn seasons. This allows her to assume QE2’s mantle of ex-UK voyages to the Mediterranean, the Fjords and the Atlantic Isles and she continues her popular Baltic voyages.”

In addition to an extended season of 25 Transatlantic Crossings, Queen Mary 2 will offer two Mediterranean voyages, a Round British Isles voyage, two Northern European voyages and two Canada and New England voyages before completing the year sailing in the Caribbean from New York.

Round British Isles: The flagship of the British merchant fleet will mark her fifth anniversary with a voyage around the British Isles, calling at ports with historic Cunard connections. Departing Southampton on 15 October she will call at South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Greenock, Liverpool, Cobh and Cherbourg. Thousands are expected to turn out to greet her as she makes her maiden calls at Greenock, Liverpool and Cobh. Fares range from £999 to £12,889 per person.

Historic Transatlantic Crossings: Queen Mary 2 will spend much of the year in the role for which she was built – crossing the Atlantic between Southampton and New York. Her expanded Transatlantic programme makes her a real gateway to North America and features 25 six-day crossings and includes seven no-fly roundtrip voyages, a new range of New York hotels, new North American escorted tours and new ‘As You Like It’ programme featuring 11 US gateways airport connections.

Cunard was founded to provide a scheduled Transatlantic service between the UK and North America 170 years ago, and the passing years have given such voyages a patina of tradition, glamour and excitement.

Fares for the six-day crossings begin at £899 per person including the air fare in the opposite direction. A Grand Duplex will cost from £14,259 per person including flight.

The new American tours programme combines Atlantic crossings and places such as New York, Las Vegas, Boston, Toronto, Niagara, Atlanta, Calgary, San Francisco, Charleston and Los Angeles.

Queen Mary 2 will offer her first Transatlantic Crossings from Boston to Southampton, via New York. This is an eight-day voyage with fares from £1,449 per person including flight. Queens Grill suites start from £4,389 per person.

Mediterranean and Northern Europe: Interspersed with her Atlantic programme are two roundtrip voyages from Southampton to the Mediterranean and two to Northern Europe. The 13 and 12-day eastern Mediterranean voyages have fares ranging from £1,399 to £18,359 per person. The seven-night ‘Voyage of the Vikings’ voyage departs Southampton on 6 June has fares ranging from £899 to £11,419 per person.

Canada and New England: Queen Mary 2 continues to offer Canada and New England with two voyages taking in Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, St John and Halifax. Fares range from £1,099 to £12,529 per person if sailing from New York and from £1,799 to £37,669 if sailing from Southampton.

The Caribbean: Queen Mary 2 ends 2009 with a programme of five Caribbean voyages round-trip from New York of 10 to 15-nights including her New York – New York Christmas voyage featuring Grand Turk, Tortola, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, Castries, Dominica, Basseterre and Charlotte Amalie. Fares range from £1,249 to £12,299 per person.

New for 2009: Solo guests on Queen Mary 2 will benefit from a reduction in the single supplement for sole occupancy of inside and outside staterooms from 100% to just 75%. Some voyages (during April and 2 and 8 May) will also be available with an even lower 50% sole occupancy supplement for those staterooms, subject to availability.

Cunard’s newest ocean liner, the stylish Queen Victoria, will offer an exciting range of four to sixteen-night voyages roundtrip from her homeport of Southampton, allowing travellers to sail from the UK on a classic ocean liner with no baggage restrictions and no airports involved.

The Mediterranean: A total of eight voyages to the Med will be offered in 2009 ranging from 12- to 16-nights. A typical itinerary is the ‘Mediterranean Treasures II’ voyage departing on 20 July and calling at Vigo, Palma, Barcelona, Cannes, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Ajaccio and Gibraltar; fares range from £1,499 to £12,829 per person.

The Baltic and Fjords: Queen Victoria will continue her Fjords voyages and on her Baltic itineraries, she is able to call at such fascinating  ports as St Petersburg, something denied to QE2. The 14-night ‘Baltic Splendours I’ voyage departs 27 May with fares ranging from £1,599 to £16,419 per person.

Sampler Voyages: Queen Victoria will offer four four-night voyages perfect for those seeking a taste of the unique Cunard ocean liner lifestyle. All voyages call at Cherbourg, Rotterdam (for visits to Amsterdam) and Zeebrugge (for visits to Bruge). They depart 2 May, 29 August, 22 October and 5 December and have fares ranging from £499 to £4,379 per person.

Inaugural to Canada: A highlight for Queen Victoria will be her 24-night inaugural voyage to Canada and New England. The fact that the original Cunard paddlesteamers sailed from Liverpool to Boston via Halifax makes Queen Victoria’s first call at these two ports even more special. Fares range from £2,599 to £29,729 per person.

As in previous years there are generous savings for those who book early. For Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 savings of up to 45% are available.

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