Cunard Line Celebrates 175 Years in 2015

Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 in Sydney, Australia

Did you know that Cunard invented the world voyage in 1922 when Laconia set off on the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe by a passenger ship? Since then Cunard ships have undertaken more world voyages, carried more passengers on world voyages, and visited more destinations during world voyages than any other line. In 2015, Cunard will commemorate the 175th year of the company’s founding, and the global voyages planned will celebrate this significant milestone in style. This festive time will herald several Cunard Royal Rendezvous events during the World Voyage itineraries: Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth will depart Southampton together on January 10; on March 12, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria will meet in Sydney; and on May 3rd, all three Queens will return from their World Voyages to Southampton.

Cunard’s 2015 World Voyages and Exotic Cruises Program will feature voyages ranging from eight to 127 days aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth. Plus, passengers will have the option to combine itineraries into and out of Sydney, Australia across two ocean liners to create customized World Voyage options with a land portion in between. Passengers have the opportunity to visit South Africa or the South Pacific, to circumnavigate Australia, and to discover the excitement of Japan and Southeast Asia. Together, the ships will visit 82 unique destinations in 46 countries, from major cities to less frequented locales. The program has opened for pre-registration and opens for sale on Sept 5th at 5:00am PT.

Queen Mary 2
With four maiden calls and an enhanced East-West loop including New Zealand, flagship Queen Mary 2 kicks off her 113-night World Voyage from Southampton and will visit 38 ports of call in 21 countries. Destination highlights will include celebrating Chinese New Year in Sanya, China; travelling through the Suez Canal; extensive cruising of New Zealand’s Fjordland and iconic city waterfronts; Sydney Harbour; and an East-West loop that includes Auckland, Singapore and Hong Kong. Maiden calls will include Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), Bitung (Indonesia), Sanya (China) and Sihanoukville (Cambodia). Overnight calls will include Sokhna, Dubai, Hong Kong, Auckland and Cape Town.

Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria’s 103-night Pacific Exploration itinerary will visit 33 ports in 21 countries, including two Panama Canal transits and two Transatlantic Crossings. Additional options include a South Pacific cruise starting in Los Angeles or San Francisco, visiting Sydney, and then returning to Los Angeles. Guests will also have the chance to view other iconic city waterfronts such as New York, Sydney Harbour and Auckland with one overnight call in Sydney. Queen Victoria will make five maiden calls during her World Voyage: Akaroa (New Zealand), Bora Bora, Puerto Limón (Costa Rica), Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua).

Queen Elizabeth
In 2015, Queen Elizabeth will sail a captivating 112-night Western Circumnavigation itinerary that will visit 38 ports in 26 countries, including her sail past Gallipoli on 24 April 2015 to commemorate ANZAC Day and the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign of World War One. In addition, passengers will travel through the Panama Canal and Suez Canal and under the Golden Gate Bridge, and visit the iconic city waterfronts of New York, San Francisco, Sydney Harbour, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Overnight calls include San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong and Instanbul. Queen Elizabeth will make one maiden call to Yorkeys Knob (Queensland).

World Voyage Land Tours include:

• The Wonders of Middle Earth: Three nights in New Zealand visiting the glow-worm caves of Waitomo and The Hobbit movie set
• Cape Town & Safari: Two nights including game drives in the Aquila Game reserve
• Hong Kong and a Taste of China: Three nights including a tour of The Peak and a glimpse of the Terracotta Warriors at Shennzhen
• San Francisco: Two nights including a Redwood tour, a visit to the artist district in Sausalito and the Golden Gate Bridge
• Traditional Singapore: Three nights including a city tour and afternoon tea at the Raffles Hotel
• Sydney, Tall ships and Beaches: Three nights including an 1850s tall ship harbor cruise and a wildlife park visit

Enhanced Benefits Program
Passengers who book their 2015 World Voyages and Exotic Cruises adventure before Feb 28, 2014 will receive an On Board Credit of up to $3,000 per stateroom on Full World and Liner Voyages, and will also receive a reduced deposit. In addition to On Board Credit, World Club members will receive additional savings of up to $2,000 per person for bookings made before Feb 28, 2014.

White Star Premier Package
Cunard introduces the White Star Premier Package for Full World Voyage guests and offers roundtrip Economy airfare credit, pre-cruise hotel, transfers, White Star Luggage service, additional On Board Credit, Internet and pre-cruise World Concierge Services. Princess Grill and Queens Grill Suite guests who purchase the White Star Premiere Package will be upgraded to Business Class airfare credit and executive car transfers.

To view the complete 2015 World Voyages and Exotic Cruises schedule, visit cunard.com/prereg.

Photo by James Morgan for Cunard Line