Cunard Float Wins Queen's Trophy at Roses Parade

Cunard Line made its inaugural debut on the streets of Pasadena, California today at the 122nd Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade presented by Honda, winning the prestigious Queen’s Trophy for best use of roses.

Cunard’s float, themed “A Grand Celebration at Sea,” depicted the Cunard fleet of three Queens – flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the new Queen Elizabeth – and illustrated the ultimate sense of occasion experienced on a luxury cruise vacation aboard Cunard, including Veuve Clicquot champagne toasts, the Royal Court Theatre, ballroom dancing and big band music.

In floral and architectural celebration of Cunard’s rich tradition of elegance and grandeur, the float stood at 24 feet high, 18 feet wide and 55 feet long as it made its way down the parade route. A big band orchestra and ballroom dancers animated the Line’s famed Royal Nights Themed Balls. Representing Cunard’s hallmark brand of service, eight White Star Bellmen walked alongside the floral liner. A whistle sound from the new Queen Elizabeth, who will make her maiden call in Los Angeles on 29 January, completed the Cunard float.

Black Magic roses, purple phalaenopsis orchid sprays, green cymbidium orchids and hypericum, and white Casablanca lilies bordered the float, while more than 45,000 red Opium roses carpeted the steps and floors. Layers of black onion seed and crisp white sweet rice accented the distinctive shape of Cunard’s elongated bow, while shimmering deep brown flax seed replicated the rich texture of hand-polished mahogany woods throughout the architectural features. White roses, dendrobium orchids and phalaenopsis orchids swept over oceans of light and dark blue iris, delphinium and hydrangea blossoms to create the water waves of the high seas.

For more information and to book a voyage aboard a Cunard ocean liner, contact your travel agent, call toll free 1-800-7-CUNARD (1-800-728-6273) or go to www.cunard.com.

For an overview of Cunard Line take a look at the PROW'S EDGE CRUISE MAGAZINE CRUISE LINE PROFILE FOR CUNARD LINE or see what it was like across the Atlantic with Cunard in CROSSING THE POND.