Cunard Debuts Largest Programme Launch Ever Featuring 2017 Voyages and 2018 World & Exotic Voyages Programme

2017 Voyages on sale April 6, 2016

2018 World & Exotic Voyages Programme on sale April 13, 2016

SOUTHAMPTON,  England, March 14, 2016 /CNW/ -- Cunard is pleased to announce its largest launch ever – the 2017 Voyages and 2018 World & Exotic Voyages Programme - featuring a greater number of voyages and more destinations than ever before. 

From classic Transatlantic Crossings, epic World Cruises and exotic voyages, to Mediterranean explorations and convenient New York roundtrip itineraries, Cunard has a wide selection of voyages to choose from to make sailing a truly memorable experience.

2017 Voyage Programme 
Cunard's distinction lies not only with its fleet – Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria – but also with its deployment. In 2017, the Cunard fleet will travel over 207,000 nautical miles, visit 93 destinations in 32 different countries, and will include four maiden calls for the current fleet. These maiden calls will include: Souda Bay, Greece; Sibenik, Croatia; Brindisi, Italy; and Praia da Vitoria, Portugal.

Highlights include:

• Overnight calls in 8 cities including St. Petersburg, Venice and Barcelona
• 18 evenings in port including Dublin, Monte Carlo and Boston
• 14 roundtrip New York sailings
• 2 World Voyages - one on Queen Mary 2 and one on Queen Elizabeth
• South America exploration with 22 ports around the continent on Queen Victoria

As the only cruise company to offer regularly scheduled Transatlantic Crossings, Cunard expertly bridges the gap between the old and new worlds in the most luxurious of ways. Queen Mary 2 will enter 2017 with every stateroom on board refurbished as part of the ship's dramatic remastering taking place this year, and she will cross the Atlantic 24 times, from May to December, in seven-to-eight night voyages between New York and either Southampton or Le Harve.

Queen Mary 2 will also offer roundtrip New York and Southampton cruises to New England & Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Cunard's truly flexible Mediterranean cruise season on the refurbished Queen Victoria will allow guests the opportunity to embark from one of four ports on voyages lasting from seven to 21 nights:

• Embarking in Rome, Venice, Athens and Barcelona, Queen Victoria will visit 29 different ports in the Mediterranean from July to November. Overnight stays will include Venice, Istanbul and Barcelona, with late evening departures in Cephalonia, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Monte Carlo. Queen Victoria will also offer select voyages from Southampton both to European destinations and to the Caribbean.
• Queen Victoria will be fresh from her refit for the 2017 Mediterranean season and will offer Britannia Club dining and accommodations for the first time.

Queen Elizabeth will operate regular roundtrip Southampton voyages that visit locations such as The Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, British Isles, Canary Islands and Iberia. New this year for Queen Elizabeth are 4 roundtrip voyages sailing from Rotterdam, to the Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, Iceland and the British Isles.

2017 Special Event Cruises
Cunard is pleased to announce new theme cruises that will feature landmark celebrations and cultural experiences around the world, from the oldest open-air opera festival in the world at the Arena di Verona, to a celebration marking the city of Le Havre's 500th Anniversary in France, to Kiel Week, the largest annual sailing event in the world.

Cunard's award-winning Insights programme will bring together renowned thought leaders from a wide variety of industries to curate in-depth discussions on topics ranging from fashion to astronomy.  

Highlights to look forward to in 2017 are:

• Queen Mary 2's World Space Week (M737), a Transatlantic Crossing to celebrate the United Nations International World Space Week, featuring top space experts: Astronaut, Scientist and former Shuttle Pilot, Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman; Charles Barclay, of the Royal Astronomical Society; Stephen Attenborough, Commercial Director of Virgin Galactic; and Ken Taggart, NASA historian.
• Queen Elizabeth's Arts and Literary Tour of the British Isles (Q723), an exploration of the artistic side to the British Isles in the company of actor Robert Powell, and Louise West, Trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum and Former Senior Curator of the Jane Austen House.
• Queen Elizabeth celebrating QE2's 50th Anniversary (Q729), a special cruise honouring the 50^th anniversary of Cunard's best-loved ship, the iconic QE, which will feature a commemorative dinner and Insight speakers QE2 expert and historian, Chris Frame, former Captain of QE2.
• Queen Victoria's Festival of Flowers (V714), an itinerary that includes an overnight stay in the floral paradise of Madeira, excursions to many beautiful gardens and flower markets of the Canary Islands, and an evening dinner at Madeira's botanical garden hotel, Quinta Jardins do Lago.

Cunard will also be hosting the spectacular "Big Band Ball" on board Queen Elizabeth (Q727) and Queen Victoria (V726), a magnificent 13 piece Big Band Orchestra, for guests who like to dance and sing to the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Michael Bublé and Frank Sinatra.

2018 World & Exotic Voyages Highlights

Ever since inaugurating the first world cruise in 1922, Cunard has undertaken more world voyages and taken more passengers around the globe than any other cruise line and is the undisputable world voyage expert. In 2018, Cunard will continue this grand tradition and will visit 93 unique ports in 46 countries, have 17 ship maiden calls and visit nine new ports for the current fleet.

Queen Elizabeth will operate a full 122 night world circumnavigation calling on 39 ports in 25 countries and featuring overnight stays in New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong and Cape Town. Her voyage will offer guests the chance to experience the classic world voyage, a westbound circumnavigation of the globe featuring a transit of the iconic Panama Canal. Queen Elizabeth will have six maiden calls: Hamilton, Bermuda; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Kochi, Japan; and Malacca, Malaysia.

• 112-night round trip Southampton, fares from $19,999
• 72-night New York to Hong Kong, fares from $11,799
• 22-night San Francisco to Sydney, fares from $3,799
• 16-night Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco, fares from $2,399

Queen Mary 2's 120-night East-West voyage will call on 46 ports in 24 countries and will feature two maiden calls in New Zealand, as well as overnight stays in Cape Town, Hong Kong and Dubai. Her 2018 World Voyage will allow for full immersion in destinations in Australia and New Zealand, with experiences featuring the Margaret River, Kangaroo Island and New Zealand's South Island. On departure from Australia Queen Mary 2 will visit Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand, providing access to a wide array of exotic Asian cultures. On her return leg, Queen Mary 2 will call on Aqaba for the ancient site of Petra before transiting the Suez Canal and calling at the classic Mediterranean destinations of Rome and Barcelona.

• 134-night round trip New York, fares from $22,399
• 120-night round trip Southampton, fares from $19,999
• 13-night round trip Sydney, fares from $2,299

For the first time ever, Cunard will offer a 2-3 month exotic mid-duration voyage on Queen Victoria for guests seeking a winter escape round trip experience that offers an in depth exploration of South America. This voyage will offer more immersive destinations and scenic cruising in the Magellan Straits, Chilean Fjords and Cape Horn. Her voyage will also feature nine maiden calls, ports in the Caribbean, a transit of the Panama Canal, and overnight stays in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

• 50-night round trip Fort Lauderdale, fares from $7,999
• 34-night Fort Lauderdale to Valparaiso, fares from $5,499
• 15-night Fort Lauderdale to Rio de Janeiro, fares from $2,299

"We are proud to announce a robust 2017 Voyages and 2018 World & Exotic Cruise Programme," comments Richard Meadows, president, Cunard North America. "With the remastering of our flagship Queen Mary 2 this year, and Queen Victoria's planned refit in 2017 – which includes the significant addition of Britannia Club accommodations - Cunard's iconic vessels will be more luxurious than ever offering new and richer experiences for our guests."

Early Booking Benefits
2018 Full World Voyage - Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth
Cunard offers guests on Full World Voyages (89 nights or longer) on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth a number of benefits for bookings made by December 31, 2016: these include: Reduced Deposit, Free Gratuities, Gala World Voyage Special Event, Commemorative Gifts, an exclusive invitation to the World Voyage Cocktail Party, an Onboard Credit of up to $3,000 per stateroom, and a host of other amenities based on category.

Early Booking Onboard Credit on Exotic Voyages (25 to 88 Nights)
Guests booked on exotic voyages between 25 and 88 nights on any of our three ships will receive Onboard Credit up to $1,500 per stateroom. Offer applies to bookings made by December 31, 2016 for the first and second guests only.

World Club Member Savings
For 2017 Programme, members of the Cunard World Club will benefit from an additional 5% discount off launch fares effective at programme launch. This 5% Cunard World Club discount is applicable on all cruises, for past guests only, until August 31, 2016. Not applicable to third and fourth berth guests.

For 2018 World and Exotic voyages, Cunard World Club members receive discounts up to $4,000 per stateroom on bookings made by December 31, 2016.  Discounts apply to 1^st and 2^nd berth guests only.

For more information about Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant or call Cunard toll free at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com.

About Cunard
Defining true excellence at sea with over 175 years of legendary voyages, Cunard is the operator of luxury ocean liners Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth that are renowned for impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment. Cunard has long been synonymous with the quest for new discoveries since the company's first paddle-wheeled steamer, Britannia, crossed the Atlantic in 1840. Today Cunard offers the only regularly scheduled Transatlantic liner service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it began in 1922.

World's Leading Cruise Lines 
Cunard is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, Seabourn and fathom. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World's Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable destinations. Visit us at www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com.

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For additional information about Cunard, contact:
Jackie Chase, Cunard, 661-753-1035, [email protected] 
Maria Andriano, MGA Media Group, 212-251-1015, [email protected]

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SOURCE Cunard Line