2001 Cunard Guests Will Get A
'Private Sale' Of QM2 Sailings Exclusive Month-Long Preview Of Inaugural Season On World's
Largest Liner
In an unprecedented move, Cunard Line has announced that guests who sail aboard the
line's Queen Elizabeth 2 or Caronia during 2001 will be
granted an exclusive, month-long "Patrons' Preview" of Inaugural Season passages
aboard Queen Mary 2, due to be completed in late 2003.
Names of guests sailing on either of the company's existing liners in the coming year
will be kept, and a private catalogue of QM2's inaugural season sailings
will be sent to them in advance of its publication. They will have a 30-day period in
which to reserve their choices of departures and accommodations before the ship is opened
to public sale. Guests who have already booked or who book on QE2's 2002
World Cruise by December 31, 2001, will likewise enjoy the exclusive privilege.
"Queen Mary 2 will undoubtedly be the most famous ship in the world
even before she sails," said Larry Pimentel, CTC, President and CEO of Cunard Line.
"We have already experienced a tremendous surge of global interest in Cunard's first
new liner in a generation and thousands of inquiries about her inaugural voyages. Our task
is not so much to create demand for this new ship as it is to manage this unprecedented
demand in a fair and equitable manner."
At 1,132 feet long, 135 feet wide and 150,000 gross registered tons, QM2
will be the largest, longest and widest passenger vessel ever built. She will be just 117
feet shorter than the Empire State Building is tall, yet she will carry just 2,620 guests,
served by nearly 1,300 crew. Accommodations will range from 194 square feet to 5,000
square feet or even larger, with 77 percent offering ocean views, and nearly three-fourths
having large private balconies. Stylistically, QM2 will recall the grand
ocean liners of Cunard's past, with sweeping staircases, towering domed public rooms, five
swimming pools, a grand ballroom and a broad 360-degree Promenade Deck. Yet she will be
technologically very advanced, with a four-pod propulsion system, sophisticated
classrooms, conference and multimedia facilities and even an onboard planetarium.
To qualify for the Patron's Preview, guests can sail in 2001 or in 2002 on QE2's
World Cruise (booked by December 31, 2001), either on the complete circumnavigation or on
a range of segments. Other 2001 options include any of her regularly scheduled themed
Transatlantic crossings, one of the innovative Cape Town Line Voyages between England and
South Africa, or a cruise in the Mediterranean, Canada & New England or Northern
Europe. On Caronia, guests have a wide array of possible choices, from South
America to Scandinavia, the Norwegian Fjords, British Isles, Spain and Portugal, Canada
& New England and the Cape Town Line Voyages.
Cunard's QE2 Features 21
Themes
On 21 Voyages In 2001
What do the first American woman to walk on the moon, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan;
acclaimed movie actress, Karen Allen; academy award-winning costume designer, James
Acheson; and renowned director of Philharmonia Virtuosi chamber orchestra, Richard
Kapp, all have in common? They are part of Queen Elizabeth 2's 2001 theme
cruise line up. From the 1st Annual Fine Arts Festival at sea to the 19th annual version
of her ever-popular Floating Jazz Festival, Cunard Line's famed liner QE2
will feature 21 theme cruises next year on 21 Transatlantic Crossings and Grand Liner
Voyages.
"QE2 herself is the destination," said Bill Leiber, vice
president worldwide sales and marketing for Cunard Line. "In addition to her
sophisticated spa facilities, Computer Learning Centres, comprehensive library, and daily
onboard activities, QE2 offers a unique theme cruise for each Transatlantic
Crossing and Grand Liner Voyage to enhance and enrich our guests' onboard experience as
they sail in grand style. In fact, we are breaking new ground in onboard entertainment,
from our high-profile entertainers and Broadway Bound productions to our year-round
International Literary Festival and expansive selection of theme cruises."
QE2's theme cruise line up for 2001 is:
Great Mysteries-Fact or Fiction -- 6
night-Transatlantic (April 14-20) from Southampton to New York. QE2
will feature an exciting Illusionist on board, as well as a five-day Murder Mystery event
during which passengers become both sleuths and suspects.
QE2 Goes to the Movies -- 13-night
Transatlantic/Ft. Lauderdale, Funchal, Lisbon, Le Havre (April 20-May 3) from New
York to Southampton. During this voyage, movie industry experts will introduce and discuss
some of the world's most beloved films.
Great Explorations & Discovery -- 7-night
Transatlantic/Cherbourg (May 3 - 10) from Southampton to New York. The inside story
of famous discoveries and explorations from men and women who have gone to the corners of
the Earth and beyond will be revealed on this QE2 voyage.
19th Annual Floating Jazz Festival -- 6-night
Transatlantic (May 19-25) from New York to Southampton. The world's greatest jazz
musicians create a floating jazz festival on QE2 with continuous
performances throughout the cruise.
1st Annual Fine Arts Festival -- 6-night
Transatlantic (June 6-12) from Southampton to New York. Representatives from the
various disciplines of fine arts including music, painting/sculpture, literature,
architecture and theater help guests gain a better appreciation of the incredible beauty
of the fine arts.
13th Annual Big Bands at Sea -- 6-night
Transatlantic (June 12-18 and Oct. 4-10) from New York to Southampton. Big Bands at
Sea is the largest and most swingin' big band festival presented anywhere in the world.
Great Authors-Literary Festival -- 6-night
Transatlantic (June 18-24) from Southampton to New York. Some of the best authors
in the world speak about their lives and work.
Chef's Palate -- 6-night Transatlantic (June
24-30) from New York to Southampton. Renowned chefs from both sides of the Atlantic
will prepare and discuss their culinary splendors.
Piano In Concert -- 6-night Transatlantic (July
12-18) from Southampton to New York. During this cruise, guests can enjoy grand
performances from the instrument that provides all flavors of music and its many
personalities including ragtime, classical, popular and jazz.
Family Crossing -- 6-night Transatlantic (July
18-24) from New York to Southampton and 7-night Transatlantic/Le Havre (July 24-31)
from Southampton to New York. A family musical production by the London Festival Players
and daily activities will make this cruise a memorable crossing for the entire family.
Make 'Em Laugh -- 6-night Transatlantic (Aug.
11-17) from New York to Southampton. Guests will laugh along with comic masters of
stand up, song, film and magic.
Classical Music Festival -- 6-night
Transatlantic (Aug. 29-Sept. 4) from Southampton to New York. Last Night at the
Proms, one of Britain's great institutions, will be featured during this voyage as a
dazzling musical spectacular with symphony orchestra, four leading opera singers and loads
of pomp and circumstance.
Great Songwriters of the World -- 6-night
Transatlantic (Sept. 4-10) from New York to Southampton. This theme cruise is a
musical salute to the great songwriters of the world and the musical pieces that have
become classics.
Dance, Dance, Dance -- 6-night Transatlantic (Sept.
10-16) from Southampton to New York. This theme cruise features some of the greatest
styles of dance including ballroom, swing and jazz, and also the popular tap sensations,
The Williams Brothers.
Opera -- 6-night Transatlantic (Sept. 16-22)
from New York to Southampton. This QE2 voyage will be a salute to the great
opera classics and the light opera standards by leading opera singers and accompanist.
Cabaret -- 6-night Transatlantic (Sept.
22-28) from Southampton to New York. Guests can enjoy great performances of yesterday,
today and tomorrow's cabaret.
Out of Africa -- 15-night Cape Town Line
Voyage (Oct. 22-Nov. 6) from Southampton to Cape Town. Ports include:
Funchal, Madeira; Porto Grande, Cape Verde Island and St. Helena, United Kingdom.
This voyage will be enriched by lectures, politicians, films, artists, photography and
wine experts celebrating Africa.
Concert of Strings -- 14-night Cape Town Line
Voyage (Nov.6-20) from Cape Town to Southampton. Ports include St. Helena and
Ascension Island, United Kingdom; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands;
and Lisbon, Portugal. A variety of music performed on stringed instruments from piano to
harp and from guitar to violin.
6th Annual Blues Cruise -- 11-night
Transatlantic/Cherbourg, Funchal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Dec. 11 - 22) from
Southampton to Fort Lauderdale. Some of the greatest blues artists come together for 11
days to lose the wintertime blues aboard QE2.
Cunard Announces 'Perfectly Paired
Passages' for 2001
Cunard Line has announced the creation of a new concept in cruise vacations: one
grand holiday aboard two classic ocean liners. Entitled "Cunard's Perfectly Paired
Passages," the concept allows travelers to make a single purchase and journey across
the Atlantic aboard the famed Queen Elizabeth 2 before or after sailing on QE2's
sister, Caronia, for a romantic voyage in either Europe or North America.
Ranging from 18 to 24 days, these grand holidays offer guests a variety of 13 different
cruise packages. Each QE2 transatlantic crossing features a different theme
cruise from a "Big Bands At Sea" to a "Great Authors-Literary
Festival" cruise. Some combinations even allow those who prefer not to fly at all to
cruise the Atlantic both ways on board the two ships.
"Crossing the Atlantic on the QE2 is an unforgettable
experience," said Cunard Line President and CEO Larry Pimentel. "It evokes the
golden age of ocean travel. But for most vacationers, the crossing is just a part of their
holiday. Now we've extended that nostalgic experience by combining a QE2
transatlantic crossing with a perfectly matched Caronia cruise, visiting the
most appealing destinations in Europe and North America. Guests can enjoy one seamless
grand holiday and the same Cunard White Star Service that their ancestors may have once
experienced, combined with all of the modern luxuries, including Computer Learning
Centres, comprehensive spas, and Broadway productions."
The six Perfectly Paired Passages that begin with a themed QE2 Transatlantic
crossing and end with a Caronia cruise, are:
May 19 - June 6, 2001: Transatlantic Crossing &
Norwegian Fjords, 18 days QE2 (# 7114): May 19-25 from New York, New York to Southampton,
England. The theme for this cruise is the 19th Annual Floating Jazz Festival. Caronia (#8110): May 25-June 6 roundtrip Southampton. Ports include:
Stavanger, Bergen, Flaam, Gudvangen, Olden, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Trondheim, Molde, and
Kristiansand, Norway.
June 12 - June 30, 2001: Transatlantic Crossing &
Norwegian Fjords, 18 days QE2 (# 7117): June 12-18 from New York to Southampton. The theme for
this cruise is the 13th Annual Big Bands at Sea. Caronia (#8112): June 18-30 roundtrip Southampton. Ports include:
Stavanger, Bergen, Flaam, Gudvangen, Olden, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Trondheim, Molde, and
Kristiansand, Norway.
June 24 - July 12, 2001: Transatlantic Crossing &
Scandinavia/Russia, 18 days QE2 (# 7119): June 24-30 from New York to Southampton. The theme for
this cruise is Chef's Palate. Caronia (#8113): June 30-July 12, roundtrip Southampton. Ports
include: Visby and Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia;
Helsinki, Finland; Kiel, Germany.
July 18 - Aug 11, 2001: Transatlantic Crossing &
Scandinavia/Iceland/Canada, 24 days QE2 (# 7122): July 18-24 from New York to Southampton. The theme for
this cruise is Family Crossing. Caronia (#8115): July 24-Aug. 11 from Southampton to New York. Ports
include: Rosyth (Edinburgh), Scotland; Bergen, Flaam and Gudvangen, Norway;
Torshavn, Faeroe Islands; Akureyri and Reykjavik, Iceland; St. John's, New
Foundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia.
August 29 - Sept. 16, 2001: Transatlantic Crossing &
Bermuda/Colonial South, 18 days QE2 (# 7127) - August 29 - Sept. 4 from Southampton to New York. The theme
for this cruise is the Classical Music Festival. Caronia (#8118): September 4-16 roundtrip from New York. Ports
include: Baltimore, Maryland; Bermuda (2 days); Savannah, Georgia;
Charleston, South Carolina.
Sept. 10 - Oct. 4, 2001: Transatlantic Crossing &
New England/Canada, 24 days QE2 (# 7129): Sept. 10-16, from Southampton to New York. The theme
for this cruise is Dance, Dance, Dance. Caronia (#8119): Sept. 16 - Oct. 4, roundtrip New York. Ports include:
Oaks Bluff (Martha's Vineyard) and Boston, Massachusetts (2 days); Portland, Maine;
Saint John, New Brunswick; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Quebec City, Quebec;
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia;
Newport, Rhode Island.
The seven Perfectly Paired Passages which begin with a Caronia cruise and end
with a themed QE2 Transatlantic Crossing are:
May 25 - June 12, 2001: Norwegian Fjords & Transatlantic
Crossing. 18 days Caronia (#8110): May 25-June 6 roundtrip Southampton. Ports include:
Stavanger, Bergen, Flaam, Gudvangen, Olden, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Trondheim, Molde, and
Kristiansand, Norway. QE2 (#7116): June 6 - June 12 from Southampton to New York. The theme
for this cruise is QE2's 1st Annual Fine Arts Festival.
June 6 - 24, 2001: Iberia & Transatlantic Crossing, 18
days Caronia (#8111): June 6-18, roundtrip Southampton. Ports include:
Lisbon, Portugal; Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands; Barcelona, Spain;
Gibraltar; La Coruna, Spain. QE2 (#7118): June 18-24 from Southampton to New York. The theme for
this cruise is the Great Authors-Literary Festival.
June 30 - July 18, 2001: Scandinavia/Russia &
Transatlantic Crossing, 18 days Caronia (#8113): June 30-July 12 roundtrip Southampton. Ports include:
Visby and Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia;
Helsinki, Finland; Kiel, Germany. QE2 (#7121): July 12-18 from Southampton to New York. The theme for
this cruise is Piano In Concert.
July 12 - July 31, 2001: Norwegian Fjords &
Transatlantic Crossing, 19 days Caronia (#8114): July 12-24 roundtrip Southampton. Ports include:
Stavanger, Ulvik/Eidfjord, Bergen, Olden, Hellsylt, Geiranger, Trondheim, Molde, and
Kristiansand, Norway. QE2 (#7123): July 24-31 from Southampton/Le Havre to New York. The
theme for this cruise is Family Crossing.
July 24 - Aug. 17, 2001: Scandinavia/Iceland/Canada &
Transatlantic Crossing, 24 days Caronia (#8115): July 24-Aug. 11 from Southampton to New York. Ports
include: Rosyth (Edinburgh), Scotland; Bergen, Flaam, and Gudvangen, Norway;
Torshavn, Faeroe Islands; Akureyri and Reykjavik, Iceland; St. John's, New
Foundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia. QE2 (#7125): Aug. 11-17 from New York to Southampton. The theme for
this cruise is Make 'Em Laugh.
Aug. 23 - Sept. 10, 2001: New England/Canada &
Transatlantic Crossing, 18 days Caronia (#8117): Aug. 23-Sept. 4 roundtrip New York. Ports include:
Oaks Bluff (Martha's Vineyard) and Boston, Massachusetts; Goose Bay, Labrador;
L'Anse au Meadows and Red Bay, Newfoundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Newport,
Rhode Island. QE2 (#7128): September 4-10 from New York to Southampton. The theme
for this cruise is Great Songwriters of the World.
Sept. 4 - 22, 2001: Bermuda/Colonial South &
Transatlantic Crossing, 18 days Caronia (#8118): Sept. 4-16 roundtrip from New York. Ports include:
Baltimore, Maryland; Bermuda (2 days); Savannah, Georgia; Charleston,
South Carolina. QE2 (#7130): Sept. 16-22 from New York to Southampton. The theme for
this cruise is Opera.
Pricing for Cunard's Perfectly Paired Passages features Cunard's 10% voyage combination
savings and also its innovative Book Early Savings Tariff (BEST)TM
savings program, which offers savings of up to 30% for guests who book early. While there
is no set expiration date for these extraordinary savings, the rates are capacity
controlled and will be reduced or withdrawn as cruises fill. So the "BEST" bet
for savings is to book at the earliest opportunity. All fares listed above include one-way
economy airfare between London and 117 North American gateways. As always, members of
Cunard's World Club or Seabourn Club repeat guests' organizations qualify for an
additional 10% savings, which is combinable with all other savings.
Cunard's Caronia Sails South
America In Classic Liner Style Six Exotic Voyages Explore Both Coasts, Exotic Easter Island
Extension Offered
Cunard Line has announced an entire season of tantalizing voyages in South America in
2001 aboard its luxury ocean liner, Caronia. The elegant ship, formerly
named Vistafjord, will spend January, February and March of 2001 on the
continent's western Inca Coast and then sail two voyages between Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
and the majestic Amazon River, in April 2001. An exceptional pre- or post-cruise optional
extension to the west coast cruises allows guests to visit fascinating Easter Island,
located halfway between Polynesia and South America, to explore the unique culture of the
island and its massive stone-works and statues.
Fresh from a $5 million refurbishment, the 665-guest Caronia is the
perfect ship for such a voyage, with an Old World charm and a warm, hospitable British
style that is reminiscent of Europe's finest hotels. Long famed as a global wanderer, she
provides a sophisticated array of entertainments, insightful and fascinating enrichment
lecturers and, typically, a cosmopolitan complement of international guests from around
the globe.
"Expansive teak promenade decks, relaxed single-seating dining and other
classically elegant touches make Caronia the ship of choice for those who
seek a return to a golden age of ocean-going travel," said Larry Pimentel, President
and CEO of Cunard Line.
Two of the voyages, titled South American Adventure I &
II, are 18-day voyages between Fort Lauderdale and Valparaiso (Santiago),
Chile. On these voyages, Caronia transits the Panama Canal and explores the
splendors of Ecuador, Peru and Chile, including optional tours to Machu Picchu, the Nazca
Lines, and the optional extension to Easter Island. Departures for this itinerary are January
6 and March 11, 2000. Depending on cabin category, and taking advantage of Cunard's
new BESTTM 30% early booking savings, fares for these
voyages range from $3,265 to $15,034 per person, based on double occupancy, including port
and handling fees.
The middle two west coast voyages, titled Chilean Fjords
and Buenos Aires I & II, are 23-day
explorations of the majestic fjords, islands and waterways of southern Chile, breathtaking
Patagonia, Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands. Also included in these voyages is a
three-day stay in exciting Buenos Aires and a full day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Optional
adventures possible during these voyages include exploring glaciers, mountain lakes,
volcanoes and even flight-seeing over the White Continent of Antarctica. Sailing between
Valparaiso and Rio de Janeiro, these voyages depart on January 24 and February 16, 2000.
With the BEST 30% savings, fares range from $4,978 to $22,642 per person, double
occupancy, including port and handling fees.
The cruises titled Amazon Sojourn I & II
sail between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Manaus, Brazil, nearly a thousand miles up the
Amazon River from the sea. These 14-day cruises, which include calls at St. Thomas,
Antigua, Barbados, and Devil's Island, also make stops at a bevy of exotic locations along
the length of the Amazon, including Alter do Chao, Parintins and Santarem, Brazil.
Departures for this unforgettable adventure are March 29 and April 12, 2000. Early
booking BEST fares range from $2,793 to $12,448 per person, double occupancy, including
port and handling fees. Guests seeking a longer adventure in South America may combine any
two or more of these voyages for additional savings of 10%.
Click HERE to request further information
or to book any of these cruises.
Call Abigail Best if you are ready to book and deposit
Now.
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