Cunard’s winter 2020-21 programme will feature exciting new destinations and more variety than ever before as its fleet tours the globe.
From November 2020 to May 2021, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria will travel 139,000 nautical miles, calling at 94 destinations in 38 different countries, including three maiden calls to Hualien, Miyakojima and New Plymouth.
Blending world-class cities with smaller, less well-known, destinations, itineraries range from short two-night breaks to a 108-night world voyage with each journey delivering a refined and immersive experience, for every guest.
Says Gary Anslow, Cunard’s UK sales director: “Our new winter programme is filled with an incredible variety of sailings and destinations including New Zealand, Japan and China.
“Culturally rich, scenically stunning, each itinerary balances days of discovery ashore with indulgence and exploration at sea. Sailing direct from Southampton or opting for a fly cruise, we are committed to offering our guests choice.”
Having undertaken more world voyages and sent more ships across the world than any other passenger line, Cunard can rightly claim to be kingpin when it comes to world voyages.
In 2021, Queen Mary 2, pictured top of page in Cape Town, will embark upon a classic voyage of global exploration, taking in such diverse regions as Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australia, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean.
Queen Victoria sets sail on a western circumnavigation of the globe that is packed full of must-do experiences, while Queen Elizabeth will carry out a programme of exotic voyages that offer richer, deeper and more regionally-focussed itineraries.
Queen Mary 2 will again undertake her classic East-West Voyage to Australia and Asia. The beginning of the voyage is routed via South Africa and the Indian Ocean to Australia.
From there she will head north to Hong Kong and on to Singapore via Vietnam, then travel through the Malacca Straits across the Indian Ocean to the Arabian Gulf.
The flagship’s final leg is the return to Southampton from Dubai, routed via the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea. Shorter voyage options ranging in length from one to three weeks can be combined in many ways allowing guests to create the ideal travel experience.
Queen Mary 2 will also offer various transatlantic options. In addition to the iconic seven-night Transatlantic Crossing from New York to Southampton, guests will also be able to enjoy the Caribbean at Christmas, including calls to St Thomas, St Kitts, Barbados, St Lucia and St Maarten.
Queen Victoria will again negotiate the Panama Canal during her western circumnavigation
Queen Victoria’s winter deployment begins with her celebration of Christmas and New Year in December 2020, followed by a western circumnavigation via the Panama Canal.
The world voyage can be taken as a round trip from either Hamburg (112 Nights) or Southampton (108 nights).
It will begin by crossing the Atlantic to Florida via Bermuda, followed by a Trans-Panama segment. Queen Victoria will then cross the Pacific via Hawaii and Samoa to New Zealand from where she will take in Sydney, Australia’s Gold Coast and Great Barrier Reef before travelling to Hong Kong via Darwin and Vietnam.
Following the visit to Asia, Queen Victoria will return to Southampton via Singapore, the Indian Ocean and South Africa.
In December 2020 and early 2021, Queen Elizabeth offers a series of round trip voyages from international ports with more regionally focused itineraries.
In between these home-ported deployments will be exotic grand voyages that capture the imagination and spirit of adventure.
There are three brand new destinations and four over night calls, including Auckland, Wellington, Hobart and Singapore. The more focused series of destinations will take in New Plymouth (New Zealand), Hualien (Taiwan) will also take port in Miyakojima (Japan), during its famous Cherry Blossom season.
In addition, Queen Elizabeth will operate four roundtrip voyages from Melbourne and four from Sydney, covering South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.
New in 2021 is a pair of “open-jaw” New Zealand voyages, travelling from Sydney to Auckland and from Auckland to Sydney. These can be taken individually as 12 or 13 night voyages, or combined into a longer 25 night Sydney round trip that offers the full experience of nine different New Zealand ports, two ports in Tasmania as well as a day in Melbourne.