Cruising New Magazine April 2019 April 2019 Edition | Page 8

Cunard Announces 2020-21 Program – All Three Queens to Visit Australia
Cunard has unveiled full details of its
2020-21 program, offering Australians
unprecedented opportunities to travel
in style on board the line’s iconic trio of
Queens.
The new program features world
voyages by flagship Queen Mary 2
and her younger sister Queen Victoria,
as well as a record 118-day Australian
deployment for Queen Elizabeth, with
all three ships visiting Australia during
the season for the first time in five
years.
From November 2020 to May 2021,
Cunard’s three ships will travel
139,000 nautical miles, calling at 94
destinations in 38 different countries,
including maiden calls to Hualien in
Taiwan, Miyakojima in Japan and New
Plymouth in New Zealand.
Sailings range from short two-night
breaks to a 108-night world voyage,
with itineraries blending world-class
cities with smaller, less well-known
destinations, and each journey
delivering a refined and immersive
Cunard experience.
Departing Southampton on 10 January
2021, Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary
2 will embark on a classic voyage of
global exploration, taking in diverse
regions from southern Africa to
Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean
as well as Australia where she will visit
eight ports, from Fremantle to Cairns
and Darwin.
Queen Victoria will set sail on a
western circumnavigation of the
globe offering an itinerary packed full
of ‘must-do’ experiences, including
scenic cruising in the Panama Canal
and overnight stays in San Francisco,
Honolulu, Hong Kong, Singapore and
Cape Town as well as Sydney. Her time
in Australian waters will also include
visits to Brisbane, the Whitsundays and
Darwin.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth’s
program of exotic voyages will offer
more regional-focussed itineraries
including her record 118-day season
Down Under featuring a range of short
sojourns between major Australian
cities as well as longer journeys around
Australia and New Zealand. Cunard
Senior Manager for Australia and
New Zealand Katrina McAlpine said:
“With all three Queens visiting Down
Under during our 2020-21 program,
and Queen Elizabeth spending a
record number of days in Australian
waters, Australians will have more
opportunities than ever before to
experience all the pleasures of a
holiday at sea with Cunard. This new
program offers a wonderful mix of
unique and interesting itineraries, from
voyages circumnavigating the globe
through to short local sailings for those
who’d like to explore more of Australia
in style,” Ms McAlpine said.
Viking Takes Delivery of Sixth Ocean Ship
“It is always a proud moment when
we are able to welcome a new ship
to our fleet,” said Torstein Hagen,
Chairman of Viking. “Viking Jupiter is
our sixth ocean vessel in just four years–
a clear sign of the positive response
to our approach to ocean cruising.
We are different because we focus
on the destination, and that resonates
with our guests. We are pleased that
with continued growth we have
the opportunity to introduce even
more travellers to the Viking way of
exploration.”
Viking has taken delivery of Viking
Jupiter, the company’s sixth ocean
ship. The delivery ceremony took
place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in
Ancona, Italy. On February 16, Viking
Jupiter will be the first in Viking’s fleet to
sail the Journey to Antiquities itinerary,
a new itinerary sailing between Athens
and Rome offering guests the chance
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to experience the Mediterranean
during the quiet season. During
its maiden season, Viking Jupiter
will sail itineraries throughout the
Mediterranean and then Scandinavia.
The ship will officially be named
in Oslo, Norway on 6 June by her
ceremonial godmother, Sissel Kyrkjebø,
the acclaimed Norwegian soprano.
Viking’s ocean ships have a gross
tonnage of 47,800 tons, with 465
staterooms that can host 930 guests.
Viking Jupiter is part of Viking’s award-
winning ocean fleet of sister ships,
which also includes Viking Star, Viking
Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Sun, and Viking
Orion. Ten additional ships are also
planned for delivery starting in 2021,
which could bring Viking’s ocean fleet
to 16 ships by 2027.