Cunard sets schedule for 2013 world cruises

By Donna Tunney

Cunard took the wraps off of its World Voyage program for 2013, providing early details on itineraries planned for the Queen Victoria and the Queen Mary 2.

Both vessels will sail roundtrip from Southampton, England, on Jan. 10, 2013; agents can begin booking the cruises on July 14.

Cunard’s Queen Victoria will offer departures from New York, Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco on its way to the South Pacific. The 105-day voyage will call at 34 ports in 23 countries and transit both the Panama and Suez canals.

“North American passengers being able to pick up the Victoria in New York is the real opportunity for U.S. agents,” said Cunard president Peter Shanks. “I think this will be our best seller.”

From San Francisco, the 2,000-passenger ship sails to the South Pacific and New Zealand before arriving for an overnight stay in Sydney. The ship then heads north for an overnight call in Hong Kong via the Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, Bali, Manila and another overnight in Shanghai.

Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India line the Victoria's route to Oman before a fourth overnight call, this time in Dubai. The final leg of the voyage includes calls in Jordan and Egypt before a Suez Canal transit. That is followed by calls in Rome and Lisbon before the ship completes the trip in Southampton.

The QM2, the line's 2,600-passenger flagship, will meanwhile cruise to an overnight stay in Dubai on a route that includes calls in Spain, Greece and Egypt as well as a transit of the Suez Canal. After a maiden call in Abu Dhabi, the ship will sail to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam before arriving in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong for an overnight stay.

After that, the QM2 is off to Shanghai for another overnight stay and then to Australia’s Gold Coast on the way to Sydney. From Sydney the Queen Mary 2 will offer a 12-day loop of New Zealand, including a maiden call in Christchurch in addition to visiting Wellington, Auckland and the Bay of Islands.

The ship will then head westward, heading for Cape Town in South Africa by way of Australia’s south and west coasts, Mauritius, Durban and a maiden call to Port Elizabeth. After two nights in Cape Town, the voyage will explore the African continent with a call in Namibia before returning to Europe for calls in the Atlantic Isles and Spain and journey’s end in Southampton.

Said Shanks: “For the first time in 2012 we’re introducing the loop around Australia on Queen Mary 2, and it’s been so popular with our full world voyage guests and with Australians, too, it made us think long and hard about how we could do something similar in 2013.”

He said a visit earlier this year to New Zealand convinced him that a circumnavigation of that destination was just the ticket. “The people there are so welcoming,” said Shanks.

Together the ships will visit 55 ports of call in 28 countries. Cruise fares for the full voyages start at $19,995 per person, double. Segments are available on both ships.

Meanwhile, the Queen Elizabeth in 2013 also will sail what Cunard calls an “epic journey.” The 2,068-passenger ship will operate a 91-day sailing to the Americas and the South Pacific. It departs from Los Angeles on Feb. 4 for a 36-day Pearls of the Pacific cruise visiting Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa and French Polynesia. Fares are from about $6,200 per person. A shorter segment, 15 days, begins at $2,700.

New superliner ordered for P&O Cruises

Jun 01, 2011 07:13

P&O Cruises has announced that its largest ever ship will be built for it by its parent company Carnival Corporation.

The 141,000-tonne ship will be capable of carrying 3,611 passengers and be the largest ever built for the UK cruise operator and for the British market, some 600 berths larger than Ventura and Azura, it's current two largest ships.

The as yet unnamed ship is due to enter service in March 2015. A statement from Carnival said the ship will usher in “an exciting era for P&O Cruises”. It went on: “The ship will offer a stylish and innovative new design and an unprecedented number of passenger facilities, along with many of the brand’s classic and iconic features.”

Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation chairman and chief executive said: “P&O Cruises is Britain’s number one cruise operator, and is synonymous with high quality holidays that celebrate its rich British heritage.

“The UK continues to be a key growth market and innovative vessels such as this new P&O Cruises ship – targeted specifically to British clientele – underscore our commitment to leading the expansion of this important cruise region.

"With a progression of highly successful new ships introduced over the last 15 years, P&O Cruises is uniquely experienced in designing vessels to meet the specific needs and aspirations of British passengers. This newly ordered ship will underline P&O Cruises’ position as Britain’s favourite cruise line.”

P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow added: “This next-generation ship will deliver the ultimate P&O Cruises experience, with ‘sophisticated wows’ and new features to attract thousands of newcomers to our brand, and equally to resonate with existing P&O Cruises passengers by giving them the ‘P&O-ness’ they recognise and love.

"She will offer ‘the best of the best,’ combining the favourite classic features of Oriana and Aurora, the choice and variety of Azura and Ventura, and a host of new ideas and concepts which together will deliver to our passengers the holiday of a lifetime, every time they travel with us.”