Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Cunard Debuts 2019 Winter Program: Oceans of Discovery, by Cunard & 2018-2019 Fleet Voyages

Luxury cruise brand, Cunard, has today unveiled its January to May 2019 program called the ‘Oceans of Discovery’ which will include a voyage to Alaska. This will be the first time that the current fleet will have traveled to Alaska, and the first time that the cruise line will have ventured there in over 20-years. From January to May 2019, Cunard’s iconic flagship Queen Mary 2 and her sisters Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria will call at 49 different countries and 109 destinations. Of these, 21 are maiden calls and exciting new destinations include Boracay (Phillipines), Akita (Japan) and Goa (India).

Since Cunard pioneered the concept of world cruising in 1922, it has undertaken more world voyages and sent more ships around the globe than any other passenger line. In keeping with this grand tradition, Cunard will operate a full world circumnavigation on Queen Victoria in 2019, while flagship Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth will carry out exotic voyages that offer richer, deeper and more regionally-focused itineraries than ever before.

“Our Winter 2019 program debuts ‘Oceans of Discovery, by Cunard,’” said Josh Leibowitz, Senior Vice President, Cunard North America. “Across the fleet, Cunard’s Winter 2019 program covers the globe, including places that we have not visited for years. Our itineraries have been designed to offer enriching days in port as well as plenty of time on board for our guests to relax and enjoy all that our ships have to offer.”

Cunard World Club members will be able to book exclusively with stateroom assignments beginning on March 28, 2017, and booking will open for the public on March 29, 2017.

Queen Elizabeth
In 2019, Queen Elizabeth offers a series of round trip voyages from international ports that offer deeper, richer and more regionally focused itineraries. In between these home-port deployments will be exotic Grand Voyages that capture the imagination and spirit of adventure in travel lovers around the world. Included in Queen Elizabeth’s deployment is a maiden 27-night sailing from Yokohama to Vancouver during which Cunard will cruise in Alaskan waters for the first time in 20 years.

Queen Elizabeth’s Winter 2019 deployment features:
• 25 voyage combinations ranging from 5 to 38 nights
• 54 ports
• 18 countries
• 25 maiden calls for Queen Elizabeth including:
o Australia: Busselton (for Margaret River); Kangaroo Island; Hobart; Burnie; Port Arthur
o New Zealand: Akaroa (for Christchurch); Picton
o Philippines: Boracay
o Japan: Hakodate; Akita; Kanazawa; Sakaiminato; Yatsushiro (for Kumamoto); Aomori; Muroran (for Sapporo)
o United States & Canada: Sitka, Ala.; Kodiak, Ala.; Anchorage, Ala.; Juneau, Ala.; Skagway, Ala.; Icy Strait Point, Ala.; Ketchikan, Ala.; Victoria, B.C.; Vancouver, B.C.
• Overnight stays in Amsterdam, Cape Town, Hobart and Wellington
• Scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand and Marlborough Sound, New Zealand
• Iconic city waterfronts: Cape Town, Sydney and Auckland
• 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Yokohama to Vancouver: Following a period of dedicated Japan cruises, Queen Elizabeth will cross the North Pacific and Gulf of Alaska en route to Vancouver. This voyage will take in northern Japan, as well as the remote and stunning Russian district of Sakhalin on the way to Alaska and British Columbia. She will undertake her first-ever Alaskan voyage.

Transoceanic Voyages
The individual home-port deployments described above will be separated by Grand Voyages which offer an appealing blend of ports, some of which are in regions Cunard is returning to after many years.
• Southampton to Melbourne
• Melbourne to Yokohama
• Yokohama to Vancouver
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria will operate Cunard’s only true World Voyage in 2019 and will complete the classic Westbound Circumnavigation via the Panama Canal. The journey will depart from Southampton and will begin by crossing the Atlantic to Florida via the Atlantic Islands, followed by a Caribbean and Trans-Panama segment. Queen Victoria will then cross the Pacific via Hawaii and Samoa to New Zealand. From there she will take in Sydney, Australia’s Gold Coast and Great Barrier Reef before traveling to Hong Kong via Darwin and Vietnam. Following her visit to Asia, Queen Victoria will return to Southampton via Singapore, the Indian Ocean and South Africa.

Queen Victoria’s Winter 2019 deployment features:
• 37 voyage combinations ranging from 2 to 107 nights
• 40 ports
• 24 countries
• 1 maiden call for QV in Malacca, Malaysia
• Overnight stays in San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong and Cape Town
• Transits the Panama Canal
• Iconic city waterfronts; Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore and Cape Town
• 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Queen Mary 2
Queen Mary 2’s winter deployment consists of a program of Grand Voyages, by Cunard & Regions of the World, by Cunard in the Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Far East. These voyages from one to three weeks in length but can be combined in many ways allowing guests to create the ideal travel experience from and to the iconic city of their choice.

Her journey begins in New York with a Transatlantic Crossing to Southampton. She will then voyage to the Arabian Gulf via the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal. From there, Queen Mary 2 will cross the Indian Ocean and enter Asia via the well-traveled Malacca straits. Following this, she will travel north via Malaysia and Hong Kong toward China, sailing as far as Beijing before turning homeward. The return journey will call at ports in Korea, Vietnam and India as well as an alternate selection of destinations in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean ending with a Transatlantic Crossing from Southampton back to New York.

Queen Mary 2’s Winter 2019 deployment features:
• 28 voyage combinations ranging from 7 to 108 nights
• 36 ports
• 25 countries
• 4 maiden calls for Queen Mary 2 in Doha, Qatar; Mormugao, India; Seogwipo, Jeju Island, South Korea and Chennai, India
• Overnight stays in Haifa, Singapore (two separate overnights), Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin (for Beijing)
• Transits the Suez Canal
• Iconic city waterfronts; New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai
• 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Additional 2018-2019 Fleet Voyages
In addition to Cunard’s 2019 winter program launch, Cunard is happy to announce additional Transatlantic Crossings, Short Breaks, and Caribbean & Atlantic Islands Voyages available on Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. These include a 14-night roundtrip New York voyage to the unparalleled paradise of the Caribbean in December 2018 and iconic 7-night Transatlantic Crossing voyages on flagship Queen Mary 2 in January and April 2019.

Early Booking Benefits
The World Voyage Early Booking Package: Guests travelling on a Full World Voyage receive a variety of exclusive benefits in addition to Cunard’s standard of quality and aim for perfection on every voyage. Full World bookings made by December 31, 2017 will receive the following (Full World Voyages—89 nights or more—will only be available on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria):
• Reduced Deposit
• Free Gratuities
• Gala World Voyage Special Event, Unique Commemorative Gifts, Welcome Aboard Reception, Services of a World Voyage Concierge and World Voyage Cocktail Party
• Onboard Credit of up to $3,000 per stateroom
• The Captain’s Wine Collection (in Oceanview, Balcony and Grill Suites)
• Alternative Dining Credit (in Oceanview, Balcony and Grill Suites)
• Ground Transfers (in Oceanview and Balcony) and Upgraded Private Transfers (in Grill Suites)
• Laundry Service (in Balcony and Grill Suites)
Voyages 25 to 88 Nights on Grand Voyages and Regions by Cunard Early Booking Incentive: Guests booked by December 31, 2017 on Exotic voyages 25 to 88 nights will receive Onboard Credit up to $1,500 per stateroom.

2018 Europe, Transatlantic Crossings & Caribbean
Guests booking Grill Suites on voyages 6 nights and longer will receive the following when booked by June 30, 2017 on voyages M847A, M847B, M901, M901A, M902, V901, V901A, Q835, and Q901 and by December 31, 2017 on voyages M908, M908A, M909, M909A, and M910:
• Free Drinks (limited to the value of $12 per beverage)
• Free Gratuities
• The Onboard credit defined below
Guests bookings a Balcony Stateroom or Grill Suite will receive an Onboard Credit of up to $250 per stateroom on voyages 6 nights and longer when booked by June 30, 2017 on voyages M847A, M847B, M901, M901A, M902, V901, V901A, Q835, and Q901 and by December 31, 2017 on voyages M908, M908A, M909, M909A, and M910.

World Club Savings
Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Mediterranean, and Transatlantic: Members will receive an additional 5% discount off launch fares in all categories effective at program launch, subject to inventory availability. This 5% Cunard World Club discount is applicable on all cruises, for past guests only, on voyages M847A, M847B, M901, M901A, M902, V901, V901A, Q835, and Q901 until August 31, 2017 and on voyages M908, M908A, M909, M909A, and M910 until December 31, 2017. Offer applies to 1st and 2nd berths only. Please reference promo code PA1.

The World Voyage, Grand Voyages, and Regions by Cunard: Members will receive up to $4,000 per stateroom discount off Launch Fares in all categories effective at program launch, subject to inventory availability. This discount applies on all cruises, for past guests only, until 31 December 2017. Offer applies to 1st and 2nd berths only. Please reference promo code PA1.

For more information about Cunard, visit Cunard.com.

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