Two Queens to Meet in Sydney this Weekend

Two of Cunard's world-famous ocean liners, the Queen Victoria and the QE2, will visit Sydney this weekend. The ‘Meeting of Queens’ event follows just one year on from when QE2 and Queen Mary 2 dazzled the city in February 2007.

Queen Victoria will be making her first call at the city when she arrives on Saturday 23 February to be followed by her sister, the QE2, the next day.The QE2, currently on her farewell World Cruise, will be making her 29th and final call at the port exactly 30 years after she made her first call there on 24 February 1978.

The highlight of these historic visits will occur at 1800 hours (local time) on Sunday 24 February when both ships will leave their berths (Queen Victoria from Circular Quay and QE2 from Garden Island) and head for a historic sail past at approximately 1830 hours. Each will pass on either side of Fort Denison and will greet each other with a ‘Whistle Salute’ which will be heard over 16 kilometres away. This sail past will acknowledge the first and last time these two Cunard Queens will meet in Australian waters. QE2 will then make her way to Circular Quay where she will remain until her final departure from Sydney on Monday 25 February.

Both ships left Southampton on their respective World Cruises on 6 January. Queen Victoria will also make maiden calls at the following Australian ports: Melbourne (21 February), Brisbane (26 February) and Port Douglas (29 February). QE2 will make her final calls in Australia at the following ports: Hobart (27 February), Melbourne (29 February), Adelaide (2 March), Albany (4 March) and Fremantle (5 March) when she will depart Australia for the final time that evening.

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