Cunard Flagship Queen Mary 2 Gets Refit

As if she wasn’t grand enough! Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2 has returned to her Southampton homeport after a major refurbishment that will prepare her to welcome guests for her upcoming luxury cruise vacations.

The Hamburg shipyard Blohm & Voss undertook the refurbishment, with work undertaken in all staterooms and suites, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, the Queens Grill and Princess Grill Restaurants, the Commodore Club, the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar (shown here), Sir Samuel’s Bar and Lounge and the children’s Play Zone. The popular Golden Lion Pub also was completely redesigned.

A special new portrait of Her Majesty The Queen was unveiled in honour of her role in launching Queen Mary 2 in 2004. The commissioned oil painting - which will be displayed in the Grand Lobby - depicts The Queen during her final visit to Queen Elizabeth 2 in Southampton on 2 June 2008, and was painted by Gail Graham, an art director of The European magazine. This will be the second portrait of Her Majesty on board a Cunard ship. A specially-commissioned portrait of Her Majesty also hangs in the Grand Lobby of the Line’s newest ship, Queen Elizabeth, which she also launched in October 2010.

Thousands of workers replaced the equivalent of almost ten football fields of carpet and manufacturing about 18 miles of fabric into over 6,000 individual items in Queen Mary 2’s 14-day refit.

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2 Cunard Queens in Dubai

The Grand Celebration continues as Queen Elizabeth, Cunard Line’s newest ship, made a very special maiden call to Dubai on 31 March during her Maiden World Voyage, meeting Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), the longest-serving Cunarder, for the first time.

Upon her arrival in Dubai for an overnight visit, Queen Elizabeth exchanged whistle salutes with QE2, which left the Cunard fleet in 2008 after more than 40 years in service, to take up permanent residence in Dubai.

The new Queen Elizabeth is on the final leg of her first circumnavigation around the globe – the Middle East & Mediterranean Memories segment with remaining ports of call to Aqaba, Jordan; Suez and Port Said, Egypt; Athens; Rome; and Lisbon before returning to her homeport of Southampton on 19 April.

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Cunard Royal Rendezvous in New York

Exactly three years to the day after Cunard welcomed a trio of its Queens in New York, this history-making event takes place again today when Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth call on New York for another spectacular Cunard Royal Rendezvous that includes sail-away fireworks at the Statue of Liberty.

Queen Mary 2 offers 14 spacious decks of opulent public areas, extravagant dining rooms, ballrooms, theatres, lounges, and even the only Planetarium at sea.

Combining the best of a luxury Cunard ocean liner, Queen Victoria, also known as QV, is famous for the dramatic three-tier Grand Lobby with a magnificent grand staircase and eye-catching artwork.

The newest luxury ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth, or QE as she is affectionately known, recalls the rich heritage of the first Cunard ship to bear the name.

This rare maritime event is only the second time in Cunard’s 170-year history that three regal Queens have docked together in New York Harbour. Then, just three days later, on January 16, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth rendezvous again in Fort Lauderdale during Queen Elizabeth’s Maiden World Voyage and Queen Victoria’s debut Americas Season.

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Cunard Takes Delivery of Queen Elizabeth

30 September 2010 – Cunard Line has taken delivery of Queen Elizabeth – the second largest Cunarder ever built and the third new liner for the luxury cruise vacation company in six years.

The Handover Ceremony took place today on board the new 92,400-ton vessel at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard. The event included a speech by Cunard President Peter Shanks. The Italian flag was ceremonially lowered and the Blue Ensign was raised, marking the entry of another magnificent Cunard liner into the Register of British Shipping.

“This ceremony to mark the completion of the Queen Elizabeth and our acceptance of delivery, is just the first of a number of significant events over the next few weeks – including the ship’s official naming by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton on Monday 11 October,” said Shanks. “I’m certain the British will take this truly magnificent ship to their hearts, as they have all the Cunard Queens.”

Queen Elizabeth is due to leave the shipyard on 30 September and sail to Southampton, where she will berth at the Ocean Cruise Terminal on Friday 8 October.

Queen Elizabeth will depart on her Maiden Voyage at 5:00pm on Tuesday 12 October.

For more information and to book a Cunard voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth go to www.cunard.com.

Her Majesty the Queen to Name Queen Elizabeth

Cunard Line is pleased to announce that Her Majesty The Queen will name the company’s new Queen Elizabeth, the third Cunard ship to bear the name, at a ceremony to take place in Southampton, England on Monday, 11 October 2010.

The naming will be a milestone in British maritime history and will be a major event of worldwide interest.

“The naming of a Cunard Queen is a very special occasion and this will be an historic event in the true sense of the word,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “The Queen launched Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967 and named our current flagship, Queen Mary 2, in 2004. We are both honoured and proud that Her Majesty will name our new liner, Queen Elizabeth,” added Shanks.

Her Majesty was also present at the age of 12 at the launch of the first Queen Elizabeth on 27 September 1938 when she accompanied her mother, Queen Elizabeth, to Clydebank for the launch.

The Naming Ceremony will take place in Southampton on Monday, 11 October and Queen Elizabeth will set sail on her Maiden Voyage the following day.

Other historic namings of Cunard ships by British royalty over the Line’s 170-year history include the following:

Her Majesty The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, launched Caronia, the ‘Green Goddess,’ in 1947.

Her Majesty Queen Mary, wife of King George V, launched Queen Mary in 1934 – and in so doing became the first British Monarch ever to launch a merchant ship. His Majesty King George V accompanied his wife.

The late Queen Mother, as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, launched Queen Elizabeth in 1938. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret accompanied their mother.

HRH The Princess Margaret launched Carinthia in 1955.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall named Queen Victoria in Southampton in December 2007. HRH The Prince of Wales was also in attendance.

For more information and to book a voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth, consult your Travel Agent, call toll-free 1-800-7-CUNARD (1-800-728-6273) or go to http://queenelizabeth.cunard.com/.

Preview of a New Queen - Queen Elizabeth

Building on the excitement of Cunard’s 2011-2012 Voyage Programme announcement yesterday, Cunard President Peter Shanks (right) and Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono (left) previewed a special cutaway model of the new Queen Elizabeth at Seatrade Cruise Shipping Miami today.

“We are very excited about the progress of Queen Elizabeth, and seeing this masterful cutaway model just adds to our anticipation of her imminent arrival,” said Peter Shanks. “With each passing milestone, we are ever closer to realizing our vision of returning to a three-ship fleet.”

Announced yesterday, the 2011 maiden season for Queen Elizabeth offers a wide-ranging series of itineraries in Europe and beyond from her home port of Southampton, with a total of 52 maiden calls.

Included in next year’s line-up are four sailings to the Mediterranean and one Voyage to the Holy Land, which includes calls in Jerusalem, Galilee and Cairo. Also available will be a series of 14-day Baltic voyages that include a full day and overnight call in St. Petersburg, two 7-day Fjord departures, an 11-day voyage to the North Cape, a maiden Around the British Isles voyage, plus a number of voyages to the Atlantic Isles and Canary Islands.

On 13 January 2011, Cunard will stage another spectacular Cunard Royal Rendezvous of its three Queens in New York City – exactly three years to the day that Queen Mary 2, QE2 and Queen Victoria met there – this time with the new Queen Elizabeth making her maiden call to New York City, to be joined by Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.

For more information about Cunard and to book a voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth, consult your Travel Professional, call toll-free 1-800-7-CUNARD or go to www.cunard.com.