Sydney, 16 March 2021 - Australia is set to play a vital role for Cunard in 2022/23 as, 100 years on, the line recreates the first-ever continuous circumnavigation of the globe by a passenger liner, and Queen Elizabeth prepares for her first circumnavigations of the continent as part of a 121-day record homeport season.
All three Cunard Queens - flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth - will sail in Australian waters with spectacular calls to Sydney and Fremantle for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria as part of their celebratory Centenary World Voyages mirroring many ports of call from Cunard's inaugural world sailings on RMS Laconia and RMS Samaria.
In more exciting news for Cunard's Australian enthusiasts, Queen Elizabeth's record deployment spans from November 2022 to March 2023 visiting 15 Australian ports such as Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Burnie, Fremantle, Cairns and Darwin offering two to 31-night sailings.
Cunard Australia's Commercial Director, Katrina McAlpine, said the return of Queen Elizabeth for her longest stay yet was a great opportunity for experienced Cunard travellers and newcomers alike to delight in the luxury features of a Cunard voyage with calls to 61 ports in Australia and New Zealand during the season.
"Cunard has a special place in the hearts of Australians and this was never more apparent than when Queen Mary 2 brought Sydney to a standstill on her maiden call in 2007," Ms McAlpine said. "A visit to Australia by one or more Cunard Queens is often cited as the high point of the summer cruise season.
"Looking ahead to the 2022/23 season, we couldn't be more excited about Queen Elizabeth's inaugural circumnavigations of Australia, and we know our guests have been longing for this extraordinary voyage."
Queen Elizabeth's 2022/23 Season in Australia Highlighted
Queen Elizabeth's circumnavigations of Australia involve calls to iconic cities and regional gems such as Port Douglas, Airlie Beach, Esperance, Eden and Kangaroo Island with the 25-day voyage departing Fremantle on 7 Nov 2022 priced from $8,299 per person twin share and a 28-day round Australia sailing from Sydney beginning on 15 Nov 2022 and priced from $9,299.
Queen Elizabeth's New Zealand itineraries include sailing the spectacular Fiordland National Park on Christmas Day and the chance to be in Auckland to be among the first in the world to welcome the New Year. All of this is part of Cunard's highly sought-after Christmas Voyage combining the best of a traditional British Christmas and a contemporary Australian celebration. The roundtrip departs Sydney on 13 Dec 2022 and is available from $5,399.
Australian Connection for Centenary World Voyages
Queen Victoria's Centenary World Voyage departs from Southampton on 11 Jan 2023 on a 101-night sailing visiting 26 ports in 20 countries, ten of which RMS Laconia visited during her pioneering voyage. Guests can spend time ashore in Aruba, Jordan, Tonga and Mexico, along with a full transit of the Panama Canal, and overnight stays in New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore. From Australia, guests can join Queen Victoria in Sydney on 1 Mar 2023 for sailings to Hong Kong (16 nights from $4,899 per person in twin share), Singapore (22 nights from $6,399), Dubai (33 nights from $8,999) and Southampton (53 nights from $13,499).
Queen Mary 2 departs from Southampton on 11 January 2023 for her 102-night Centenary World Voyage featuring four of RMS Laconia's original ports of call. The Cunard flagship will transit the Suez Canal with overnight stops in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town.
Offering amazing opportunities for Cunard's Australian loyalists, Queen Mary 2 departs from Sydney on 12 March 2023 for Fremantle via Melbourne, Kangaroo Island and Busselton (nine nights from $2,499 per person in twin share), Cape Town (26 nights from $6,999), Southampton (42 nights from $9,999) and New York (from $11,999). Guests can also embark in Fremantle to sail to Cape Town (17 nights from $4,499), to Southampton (33 nights from $8,499) and to New York (40 nights from $9,999).
