Guest Blog: Lisa Page – New Media Executive

Hello All

It’s been a very exciting week here in our online team and I wanted to share a couple of things that I thought you might find interesting…

We have created an infographic – an image full of fun facts and figures about Transatlantic Crossings on board Queen Mary 2. Did you know that the most purchased cocktail is a Classic Dry Martini? Or that we bake over 6000 fresh scones on each crossing? You can see the full sized image here . It has been a real talking point on our twitter and facebook pages!

An Interactive facebook Crossing

Laura from our team here in Southampton is currently hosting an interactive Transatlantic Crossing on our facebook page. Every day between 2-10 January she is posting Queen Mary 2’s Daily Programme for our fans to choose her activities and dining choices, she is then reporting back with the photos in the album on facebook.

The voyage started with a stay at the Marriott Marquis in New York on 2 January, where the facebook Cunarders suggested that Laura take in the sights and a spot of retail therapy. With 24 hours in New York before joining Queen Mary 2, Laura managed to see Central Park, the Rockefeller Centre, Grand Central Terminal and the Empire State Building. You can see the photos here

On day 1 of the crossing the fans have voted on room service breakfast, an Insights lecture from Eamonn Gearon and the Black and White Ball in the Queens Room.

The sea conditions are moderate, with an outside temperature of 6 degrees – there was even snow on the balcony on Day 1! So far they have travelled 747 nautical miles and have 2495 left to go to reach Southampton. Join in the fun this week, vote for your activity choices and ask any questions you have about Queen Mary 2 or the legendary Transatlantic Crossing:

www.facebook.com/cunard

Guest Blog: Mike Pearse, ITV News

We left Southampton for Queen Mary 2’s latest voyage to New York on a dark and damp Thursday, November 10th, 2011. But this trip has been anything but dark and damp.

This is the first time I have travelled on the ship since her fifth birthday trip around the UK. And first impressions are that standards are higher than ever and have not only been met but exceeded. From the moment you board the ship you are treated with first class service.

Staterooms are spotless and those who attend to you could not be more friendly. They are happy to bring you anything you require and nothing seems a fuss.

I am on this crossing to film some reports for ITV News in the UK. They will be broadcast next April as part of a series looking at how safety and travel from Southampton to New York by sea has changed over the years since the Titanic one hundred years ago.

Many of the fellow guests have been on QM2 many times before and they tell me they can’t wait to get underway. The safety drill over it is time to change for drinks and dinner. In the Britannia Restaurant we are greeted, just like everywhere else on this ship, with high quality service, smiles and a first class attitude. As ever our food and wine is what you would expect in a top London hotel and when one in our party asks for something not on the menu it is never any trouble. This ship has a very can do attitude you do not often experience even in many of our top dining places at home.

But this is just the start and I am pleased to report as we near the end of our trip things have not changed but got even better. Staff right around the ship maintain the highest standards and are a credit to Cunard.

The Master and officers have kept us fully informed all the way of our progress and the Captain’s Reception saw drinks and canapés of a mouth-watering standard. Captain Kevin Oprey took time to talk to guests and pose for photos and then spent far longer than I had expected talking with those who attended.

As the days have continued we have dined in Todd English and found the food exceptional. The staff were, as we have come to expect, expert in knowing what is on the menu. A nice added touch was meeting the chef who prepared our meal. The chicken and fish courses are to be recommended.

At every step of the way we have found standards maintained and exceeded. My uncle has a saying “keep it First Class” and it certainly has been that.

As for things to do on board the problem is fitting them into your busy schedule.

Eating plays a great part from the buffet breakfasts to full English, lunch at a number of venues to the formal evening meals food is one thing you can not fault.

Lectures have been extremely informative.  From one about earthquakes and tsunamis by Dr. Keith Johnson to the work of the RNLI by Martin Woodward MBE, they have been well attended and liked by fellow guests. Classical performances by Kerenza Peacock and Alison Farr were brilliant and the vocals of David Shannon showed West End quality. We have also heard international band VIBZ and Roger McQuinn from the Byrds has been telling us about the history of the band.

Many varied films on board have entertained cinema goers but one very good event was the Bizet Opera Carmen in 3D. It was nothing short of brilliant and sure to be a big hit. Harry Potter is also being shown before we arrive in New York, again in 3D.

It was pleasing that we marked Remembrance Day both on November 11th, at 11am and with a special service on Sunday. Many of us on board were determined not to forget. We were allowed to remember with pride.

You have to mention the weather. It was a little rough during the first couple of days but soon became calm with a mostly moderate sea. A very good crossing for the time of year.

One could go on forever writing about every minute of every day but being on QM2 is something you have to experience. What is so impressive is how many people on board have been not once, or twice but six, seven or eight times. Some will only have a few hours in New York for lunch and return straight away. That is how much they love this ship.

Dining on the Captains table was a great end to our week at sea. A visit to the Bridge to hear the whistle blown at noon was also very exciting. Another visit was behind the scenes to the kitchens on board. It is a massive operation to cook and prepare so many meals and the planning is often done weeks in advance to make sure everything remains up to standard. By my maths an average crossing has 3,700 passengers and crew and totals some twelve thousand meals a day. It is a major challenge but one executed so well.

So to sum up this has been a trip which has seen Cunard keep up its exceptional service and standards. Cunard does keep it First Class and does rule the waves between Southampton, New York and the rest of the world.

Day 1

New York City – it was a bright, sparkling morning and as the car headed across the Brooklyn Bridge, I caught a sight of Queen Mary 2 alongside Pier 12 at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. I was on my way to join Queen Mary 2, feeling very honoured to have been invited to sail as the Ambassador for the Cunard World Club for the voyage from New York to Southampton. Minutes later we checked in at the large and efficient terminal and shortly after boarded the magnificent Queen Mary 2. I had not been on board since 2006, and my first impression, as I entered the ship on 3 Deck, along the line of staff waiting to assist and direct,  was how beautifully maintained the ship looked, immaculate everywhere.  

Soon it was time for boat drill, and then up to Deck 8 Aft for sailaway.  It was such a beautiful afternoon, the skyline of New York and the Statue of Liberty outlined clearly against a backdrop of bright blue sky – a perfect picture postcard.   Gradually the skyline grew smaller, we were clearing the Verrazano Bridge (always a breathtaking moment for those watching the mast and funnel going under – will there be sufficient space?) and then heading into the North Atlantic for Voyage M120, another Transatlantic crossing and part of the long tradition of Cunard since they started regular voyages on this vast ocean in 1840.

Day 2

This morning, Paul O’Loughlin, the Entertainment Director, kindly invited me to be a guest on his TV show  ‘Wake up With Paul’, a lively and fun  entertainment  to start the day. The weather was perfect and soon many guests were up on deck. After UK Immigration Inspection, I joined the Solo Travellers Welcome Get-Together, and was delighted to meet Mrs Maxine Bernstein, who has sailed on Cunard ships for many years, besides meeting other guests, some of whom were sailing for the first time.  The ballroom dance class is always a great venue for meeting and mixing with guests – today we did the waltz.  The class was very full, but Anthony and Kristina quickly got everyone dancing with their expert tuition and organisation.  During the afternoon I went to the Needlework and Knitting interest corner – always a sociable and fun occasion (and good for me to continue my counted cross stitch project which I’m slowly completing!). As ever the Entertainment Programme was full, two busy events being the Planetarium shows and a maritime lecture on Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

This evening Commodore Rynd held two receptions for Britannia Restaurant guests in the Queens Room and I then hosted a dinner table with the Deputy Captain, Robert Camby.  Mr and Mrs Robert Poda and Mr Thomas Fitch were some of the guests that we welcomed to the table this evening.

Day 3

This morning I took part in the first of the RADA workshops.  The Queens Room was packed but the RADA team quickly organised everyone into groups for movement and storytelling.  It was enormous fun, I met up with many guests and it was much enjoyed by everyone.  Do join a workshop when you travel again.  A lecture was given by the journalist and war correspondent, Martin Bell, which drew a full house.  Once more, the weather was lovely and my day slipped away mingling with guests at the Cha Cha Cha class, tea in the Queens Room and at the Commodore’s Reception for Grill guests. This evening it was lovely to welcome, among others, Mr and Mrs Benford and Mr and Mrs Grayson to dinner in the Britannia Restaurant.  After dinner I caught some of the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers production ‘Viva Italia’.

Day 4

This morning I gave a Cunard World Club presentation in the Royal Court Theatre, an account of my many years working with Cunard Line and some of the people, ships and events that have been part of that story.  An Art Talk on the life and works of Rolf Harris was one of the many events for today, and guests were out enjoying deck sports as the weather continues to be warm. I’ve spent some time this afternoon wandering the outside decks, socialising with guests.  This evening, Mrs Martha Hufford, Mr Charles Warder and Mr Michael Comer, who have been travelling for many years with Cunard, were among the guests at dinner.

Day 5

Another great RADA workshop (each group acting out their various interpretations of Red Riding Hood!), followed by a lesson in jive dancing, both events attended by large numbers. As ever, the Daily programme was full of activities including Bridge, Art Class and Trivia.

This evening I attended the Cunard World Club Reception, a lovely occasion, when I was delighted to make the presentation to the Top Sailor of the voyage, Mrs Maxine Bernstein, who has accumulated a magnificent total of 2253 days sailing on Cunard ships.  I again hosted a table – there always seems to be such a lively exchange of conversation, making us one of the last to leave the restaurant!

Day 6

This afternoon a Wine Tasting was organised for Platinum and Diamond Cunard World Club members.  We tasted five wines and the sommeliers, all very experienced and knowledgeable, gave in-depth descriptions of each wine and its background.  The participants really enjoyed the event! Later I went to the Tea Dance in the Queens Room, combining the traditional Cunard white glove afternoon tea experience with the Queens Room Orchestra.  Couples floated round the floor some ladies in dance dresses – an elegant occasion.  This evening I met John Smith, the Environmental Officer, and together we hosted a table in the restaurant. After dinner, I watched the Ascot Ball Hat Parade in the Queens Room – always fun to see the entries for the show, some of them very ingenious, particularly a lady with a model of Queen Mary 2 on her head – lit up!

Day 7

Commodore Rynd’s Interdenominational Church Service took place this morning in the Royal Court Theatre.  I was honoured to be asked to read at the service – some verses from the Book of Revelation.  During my years with Cunard, there has always been a church service conducted by the Master of the ship – one of the lovely Cunard traditions that endures to this day.

 A small gift has been sent to the cabins, specially created for the Cunard World Club voyages of 2011, plus a certificate signed by the Commodore, the artwork showing the route of the voyage.

The last afternoon has passed quickly and walking on deck at about 6.15pm, one could see in the distance the Isles of Scilly, the first land since departing the coast of the United States – our transatlantic crossing is almost over and the real world is at hand!

Tomorrow Queen Mary 2 will dock at Southampton.  As ever, I am so very impressed and proud of this great Cunard ocean liner.  The crew, as always, are the best, their level of commitment and standards are constantly upheld in true Cunard tradition.  The ship looked lovely, her spacious public areas immaculately maintained.  The cuisine was superb and the Daily Programme of entertainment quite outstanding in its extent, variety and standard, including A Night At the Opera, a three hour performance of Carmen in 3D! Travelling the North Atlantic in this fine ship is truly ‘The Only Way to Cross’.  If you haven’t experienced a crossing on Queen Mary 2, you should certainly think about it for the future!

I would like to say a special ‘thank you’ to Louisa Gould, Senior CRM and Loyalty Executive from Cunard Office and to Yo-Yo and Eli the Voyage Sales Specialists on Queen Mary 2 for all their help and kindness to me during the voyage.

Our regular guests may recognise today’s guest blogger as a key lecturer for our Insights enrichment programme. Known as “Mr. Ocean Liner,” Bill Miller has written more than 70 books about passenger ships, both past and present. He has prepared the passenger ship database for the Ellis Island Museum and currently serves as curator of 20th Century Maritime History for the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City.

Here are some great pictures of Queen Mary from one of Bill’s books:
http://www.billmilleratsea.com/bm_books.html

From 26 – 30 August we will be sponsoring “Cinematic Passages: Ocean Liners on Screen” at Walter Reade Theater, New York. The Film Society of Lincoln Center will be showcasing the glamour of ocean travel through films of the last 50 years and Robert Neal Marshall’s documentary on Bill Miller will be screened throughout the event. Bill was recently on board Queen Mary 2 and kindly gave us a few words about why Cunard is so special to him:

Mid Atlantic: Feeling at home! There’s something very special for me about Queen Mary 2. I’ve done nearly 40 trips aboard her beginning in Feb 2004, including her third voyage and her maiden cruise to Rio. But even when not at sea, there are links: my 60th birthday party was held on board in August 2008 and, just last July, the “first” premiere of Mr. Ocean Liner. A celebratory 80th birthday luncheon was also held aboard in Jul 2009, and in the Todd English Grill, for John Maxtone-Graham and then in November 2010 to honor Maurizio Eliseo upon receiving the Silver Riband Award. Some ships have, according to the late Frank Braynard, “souls,” a spirit that is not created by designers or built in shipyards. It is something, quite undefined, that caresses, even embodies, you. Coupled with the great familiarity, that feeling of “coming home,” there is for me an added warmth and happiness in being aboard this magnificent ship. Furthermore, and as I quickly observed on this crossing, Queen Mary 2’s“soul” is even more apparent. The ship has a definite magic. And she is in many ways even better than ever. Indeed, maturity has brought near-perfection!

Planning ahead! Cunard has announced its sponsorship of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Cinematic Passages: Ocean Liners on Screen  film series in New York, which I will also be a part of. On Friday, August 26 at 7 p.m., I will kick off the series by revisiting the glory days of the grand transatlantic ocean liners in a presentation of Ocean Liners in Fact, Fiction and On Screen.

Cunard itself is of course always a great favorite of mine, and we have already confirmed plans for six cruises in 2012 — five aboard Queen Mary 2  and one on Queen Elizabeth. Two of the highlight cruises for me will be the eastbound voyage to Southampton on Queen Mary 2  on 29 May followed by the cruise to the Baltic cities aboard Queen Elizabeth  on 5 June. Both voyages are themed to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and all three ships, including Queen Victoria, will depart in formation from Southampton on 5 June, the very day of the greatest Jubilee celebrations in London. One of my future books, Diamond Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II & the House of Windsor  should be published by then as well.

You can find out more about Cinematic Passages here: http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/cinematic-passages-ocean-liners-on-screen

Hello All

The future belongs to the youngsters of today. Today I want to share a very special blog with you written by one of our guests – 16 year old Matt Venner. Matt recently travelled across the Atlantic Ocean on Queen Mary 2 and he asked if he could share his experiences on our blog – to which the answer was ‘of course, we would love you to’. So – through the eyes of a bright 16 year old – here we go……

Guest Blog

Matt Venner

Guest on board Queen Mary 2

Nothing can prepare you for the sheer size of Queen Mary 2. Her giant white superstructure towers above the new ocean terminal in Southampton and you never quite remember how massive she is. When we arrived, my eyes just kept going up. I had totally forgotten how tall she is, always dominating the skyline, not that it bothers me at all, because isn’t she a beautiful thing?

The terminal itself is fantastic. The boarding system that Cunard have adopted is brilliant, and we thought they should do the same at airline check in! The lettered cards are a great idea. Not only do they split up hoards of people into manageable sized groups, but they also build excitement as everyone eagerly awaits the call of their letter.

Once you get on the ship itself, there really is nothing quite like it; it’s hard to take it all in. Smiling faces at the door are ready to greet you and show you to anywhere you need, the massive expanse of the Grand Lobby stretches all around you, and the wide hallways reach to each end of the ship and the most important public areas. It’s one of the most fantastic public spaces I have ever experienced; the lobby is just as you would imagine a classic liner’s to be, including a double staircase, white and black wood and red carpets.

Almost everyone has asked me what my favourite part of the trip was, and to be honest I can’t say one thing over the others, it was all perfect and I really could not fault anything. If I had to choose though, I would say the wonderful Cunard service. For me it isn’t just the White Star Standard, it’s all the personal touches from everyone. Nothing is too much hassle, and everything is served with a massive smile and impeccable manners – I could definitely get used to being called Sir at 16 years old on a day to day basis. One member of staff that comes straight to mind is one of the head waiters in the Britannia Restaurant. Every time we saw him he chatted away, and always cheered us up when we were tired in the morning. Another great part of cruising is the people you meet. We were lucky enough to meet some wonderful people, from our brilliantly chatty fellow diners, to the people we bumped into round the decks and in the pools and Jacuzzis.

Possibly the best highlight of the voyage, was Monday 25^th July. The whole day was stunning. The sun shone all day and the decks were packed with people enjoying cloudless blue skies, but perhaps some of the best moments I can recall from my entire childhood came in the early afternoon. We spotted a small group of dolphins off the port side; everyone rushed over and gazed at the ocean waiting for any small glimpse of the prize.

After our appetites were wetted by this short encounter, the wildlife obliged. Pods of dolphins and whales came past the boat all afternoon. No sooner was one group out of sight, swimming past the boat, than we caught a glimpse of the next group coming just ahead of the bow. They were heading the opposite direction to us, and literally came in their hundreds. We learnt later in the day that it had been one of the best days the Queen Mary 2 had ever had, and an estimated 500 dolphins and whales passed the boat throughout the day. We were in heaven. On our own private balcony, overlooking perfectly clear aqua seas, completely flat and reminiscent of shimmering silk, with nothing but the ripples from the bow wave, and pods of dolphins swimming right by our window, perhaps only about 50 metres away at their closest, coming from underneath the ship and jumping right before our eyes.

Another transatlantic wonder is the sunsets, and sunrises. The sunset on our penultimate night was absolutely stunning, and the panorama I took doesn’t really show it in all its glory – it was breathtaking.

At the end of our voyage was the fantastic entrance to New York harbour. Here the sunrise was stunning. Never have I seen such pink skies in the morning. If anyone hasn’t yet tried it, it really should be on your list of “things to do before you die”, standing on the top deck of the tallest ocean liner in the world, as people are talking in hushed whispers that grow into small yelps as the funnel approaches the Verrazano bridge. They say 4 metres clearance but it doesn’t even look like 4 feet! The atmosphere on deck is unlike anything I’ve felt. Everyone is staring at one specific point waiting to see if it will fit, and right up until the last moment, no one believes it will (even those who have experienced it before!) It is beyond exciting.

As we slipped into New York, through the metaphoric gates of the Verrazano Bridge supports, to quote one of the fantastic lecturers we had on board, Bill Miller:

“We became another sparkling jewel on the magic bracelet that is New York City.”

As for my final word; the Queen Mary 2 is a fantastic liner. I can’t find words that do it justice but I would sail again on her tomorrow if I could. I had a magical experience.

Thank you so much Matt and we are all so pleased that you offered to share your experiences with us. At Cunard Line we don’t often talk about how many families and youngsters we have sailing with us. However at this time of year we can have as many as 300 youngsters on board for a crossing. We have good facilities for them and the scale of the ships means that guests are never really aware of just how many youngsters we have on board. I really enjoy seeing young children – and teenagers – dressed for dinner on a formal night. I am sure there must be many conversations prior to dniner along the lines of ‘Dad – I am not wearing that jacket and that funny bow-tie thing’. But wear them they do – and memories they create for the whole family. It reminds me of one of my own Queen Mary 2 family memories.

Back in 2004 there was much excitement in the Shanks Family household when I announced we would all be going on the first Queen Mary 2 ’shakedown’ voyage for two nights – we would be amongst the first to sail on the most famous ship in the world. As my wife and two daughters (14 and 12 at the time) travelled down the M3 to join the ship I called them to say that we would all be staying in a four-bed inside stateroom. I stressed that it would be rather embarrassing for them to be seen to be complaining about this and they had to be on their best behaviour. On arrival at the QE2 Terminal, they were met by a Butler and taken up to The Balmoral Duplex Suite where I was waiting to meet them. I shall always remember the look on my daughters faces – they were not after all in a four-bed inside stateroom, they were about to ’shakedown’ the largest suite at sea. Reading Matt’s blog reminds me of just how exciting and special Queen Mary 2 is. As a family we still treasure all the photos from that ’shakedown’ – and every cabin we have stayed in since has been somewhat of a disappointment by comparison. I hope that Matt treasures his memories and I hope he has thanked his mother for giving him that opportunity – I am sure he has. We look forward to Matt – and many youngsters like him – travelling with us in the future and ensuring the continued success of Cunard Line for many, many years to come.

Have a good weekend wherever you are.

Best Regards

Peter

For those of you travelling on board Queen Mary 2 between Southampton and New York this autumn you may be interested in some events happening throughout New York  from September. If you have already experienced the wonderful sights and attractions such as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, or if you’d like to experience a different side to New York you’ll be interested in today’s guest blog. Chris Heywood, the Vice President of Travel & Tourism Public Relations of NYC & Company shares with us what Lower Manhattan has to offer this autumn:

The eyes of the world will be on New York City as the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches. Leading up to and beyond the anniversary, NYC & Company, the City’s marketing, tourism and partnership organisation, is highlighting travel to the recently revitalised Lower Manhattan with its Get More NYC: Lower Manhattan campaign.  With 18 hotels—brands such as W, Andaz, Marriott, Hilton, Club Quarters, and Ritz-Carlton—and great restaurants, shops, cultural attractions, architecture and recreational opportunities, Lower Manhattan is poised to become a new focal point for visitors to experience the energy, excitement and diversity of NYC.  The 9/11 Memorial opens on September 12, and visitors can access free tickets through a timed-ticketing system at www.911memorial.org; the National 9/11 Museum will open in September 2012. 

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In an effort to highlight all that the area below Chambers Street in Downtown has to offer, NYC & Company’s new initiative highlights Lower Manhattan events, itineraries, hotel promotions, and much more.  From Stone Street to Battery Park, Lower Manhattan is a bustling area that is pedestrian friendly and easy to access via NYC’s seamless public transportation system or via ferry.  The area also serves as a launching pad to access other parts of the City, including Governors Island (open from May to October), Staten Island, Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

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Brooklyn is also an easy ferry or subway ride from Lower Manhattan, providing more access to the world’s most exciting city.  For a comprehensive listing of all there is to see and do in Lower Manhattan, go to www.nycgo.com/getmorenyc/lower-manhattan. To access information about all five boroughs—Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island—go to www.nycgo.com.  For general itineraries on what to see and do in New York City, go to www.nycgo.com/itineraries.  For a listing of annual events, go to www.nycgo.com/annualevents. 

Hello All

We have an exciting personal blog today from none other than Jerry Springer who recently travelled on board Queen Mary 2 – we are very grateful to him for sharing his story – I hope you enjoy it.

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In 1949, my parents brought my sister and me to America by way of the ‘Queen Mary’ – a 5 day journey from Southampton – in hopes of finding a new life – having lost most of their family in the Holocaust.

Though I was only 5 years old, I remember the morning we sailed passed the Statue of Liberty into the New York Harbor. Everyone came up on deck to look at ‘Miss Liberty’ – and in later years Mom told me I had asked her “What are we staring at? What does it mean?” She responded in her German “einfach alles”– ‘one day everything’. She was right; America has given us a wonderful life.

We have never forgotten that voyage – the ‘Queen Mary’, and so, for my sister’s birthday I bought 4 tickets for our spouses and us to relive the journey, this time on Queen Mary 2. What a magnificent ship, what a wonderful week – another life memory.

If you get the chance – sail away – call the Queens

Jerry Springer

Hello all, on 14 July we go on sale with our 2013 World Voyages & Exotic Discoveries. We will have both Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 on World Voyages and of course Queen Elizabeth at the same time will be undertaking a voyage which starts in Southampton and goes right out through the Americas, through the Pacific, round New Zealand and back to Southampton.  So for the very first time all three of our Queens in early 2013 will be away on long voyages.

We have been going round the world for many, many years, but I thought I would share with you how we pull these programmes together and the unique aspects of a long voyage with Cunard Line.

These days planning has to be done further and further in advance.  We have yet to finish the selling cycle for our early 2012 World Voyages and here we are putting on sale the cruises for 2013.  We find that with longer voyages our guests like to plan ahead, especially if it’s a full World Voyage, which could be between 105 and 110 days away from home.  As the world of cruising grows in popularity we are also having to book key ports and destinations further in advance – this is especially true when it comes to destinations like Sydney and Hong Kong.

Planning World Voyages is one of the most fun things we do.  You will find us in the office huddled around maps and atlases trying to find that unique blend of what we call “big hitting” ports as well as those smaller and more cultural destinations where our guests can really get a sense of local community and tradition.  We also take account of how fortunate we are to have guests joining us from many different countries around the world.  Where we can we use Queen Mary 2 to link different ships and itineraries between Southampton and New York and for 2012 and 2013 we have created the ability for our valued German guests to go right around the world with Cunard from Hamburg. You can even go round the world with us on two different ships – that is proving to be very popular. It is a chance to experience different ships and meet different people.

We also work hard to make sure we get a good balance between the full World Voyage and also some of the sectors so that guests can choose shorter duration holidays but still get a real sense of some of the exciting destinations that we visit.  For example, going through the Asian destinations proves to be very popular, as do some of the longer voyages, say from Sydney to Cape Town or Hong Kong to Sydney.  So for 2013 we believe we have a really good variety of offering for our guests – both our valued loyal guests and those looking to try a longer voyage for the first time.

As I mentioned, Queen Elizabeth is doing a very interesting long voyage from Southampton, but this can also be bought by our North American guests as a 36 night “Circle Pacific” voyage from Los Angeles, visiting the best destinations in the South Pacific and going round the beautiful islands of New Zealand.

Our most traditional World Voyage offering for 2013 will be on Queen Victoria. Now of course Queen Victoria spends 2011 and 2012 on her “Americas” deployment, visiting the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Hawaii.  For 2013 she returns to a full circumnavigation of the world and our most traditional World Voyage offering.  We expect this to be very popular with our guests right around the world. For example our North American guests can take this voyage from New York right the way round the world to Southampton and then join Queen Mary 2 on the same day to travel back to New York.  Our North American guests can also pick this voyage up in Fort Lauderdale or San Francisco. Our British guests can board in Southampton with as much luggage as they can muster and go right around the world without ever seeing an airport – marvellous.

Queen Mary 2 on the other hand, is doing a different long voyage.  Many of you will know that for the forthcoming 2012 World Voyage Queen Mary 2 will undertake her first Royal Circumnavigation of Australia.  This 21 night voyage around all the best bits of Australia has sold extremely well and is popular both for those of our guests going right around the world and many Australians who will join for that sector.  There is something rather cool about showing Australians the best of Australia.  It wasn’t too difficult to work out the itinerary because all the best bits of Australia are in fact on the outside.

For 2013 we had to find a way of following that and therefore we have decided as part of the 2013 World Voyage with Queen Mary 2 to go round New Zealand from Sydney.  I actually decided on this idea when I was visiting New Zealand earlier this year, both on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2.  New Zealand is beautiful – it was my first time there and I was struck both by the beauty by the scenery as we sailed along the coast of South Island, but also from the very welcoming approach of both Wellington and Auckland. It was very sad that we were unable to visit Christchurch due to the tragic earthquake that took place just three days before Queen Mary 2 was planning to be in town.  We instead went to Wellington and the way in which that particular port welcomed us and looked after our guests was terrific. It was there and then that I decided that for 2013 we would send our ships to New Zealand and send Queen Mary 2 around New Zealand – we hope in a little way that that we will give something back to New Zealand, but we also know that it is a beautiful destination for our guests to visit.

We look forward to welcoming many of our valued regular guests back to World Voyages with us, both in 2012 and for the new programme in 2013.  We also look forward to welcoming the very special “once in a lifetime” guests who join us for their first ever World Voyage. There are, believe it or not, a lot of people who aspire throughout their career and working life to go around the world as soon as they retire. We look forward to welcoming them on board one of our ships in both 2012 and 2013.

Do have a look at the different offers that we have available, both for the forthcoming 2012 World Voyage and the very attractive offers we now have available for the launch of the 2013 World Voyages.
There are a number of cruise lines that offer Round the World Voyages, but we believe that with Cunard there are some experiences that are extra special when you go round the world on one of our ships. In recent years I have been fortunate to experience events such as:

• Hosting Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Queen Mary 2 sailing from Mauritius to Cape Town and listening to his awesome and frank lectures.

• Departing New York earlier this year with all three of our Queens under a festival of fireworks alongside the Statue of Liberty in New York.

• Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.  Now I missed the arrival of Queen Mary 2 on her maiden call into San Francisco, but I am certainly not going to miss the maiden call of Queen Elizabeth into San Francisco next February.  And we will be back there in 2013.
• I have twice witnessed the meeting of Queens in Sydney Harbour and it is quite remarkable.  Whilst we don’t have a meeting of the Queens in Sydney in 2012 or 2013, we will of course have our ships calling into Sydney Harbour separately.  The sight of a Cunard Queen coming into Sydney Harbour, whether you are standing on the steps of the Opera House or whether you are lucky enough to be on board, is indeed a sight to behold.  It makes you proud to be British and it shows Sydney off like nothing else can. (By the way I challenge all of our guests to climb the bridge whilst in Sydney – I have done it the last two years and intend to be up there again next February).

• Being atop Queen Mary 2 a few miles of the coast of South Island of New Zealand with all the lights off seeing the most incredible night sky and hear our astronomer gasp out loud as he saw a star with his own eyes for the very first time.
• World Voyage Dinners – well they are something of a Cunard secret.  A secret known very well to all those who have joined us on a full World Voyage, but not something that many other people know about.  By way of saying Thank You to all those guests who book a full Round the World voyage with Cunard Line, we choose a sparkling venue in a major destination somewhere around the world and take all of our guests off the ship for a Gala Dinner. It is indeed a very special event and we will make it just as special in both 2012 and 2013.  It is our small way of thanking those guests for their wonderful loyalty.
• Sailing into Dubai on one of our new Ocean Liners and berthing alongside our dearly beloved QE2.  She remains much loved by all of us and going into Dubai each year gives us the opportunity to see the cherished past of Cunard Line from one of our new ships.

Many big white ships sail into many famous harbours around the world.  But there is something unique and special about sailing in on a Cunard ship – with our famous colours and famous red funnel we turn heads.  Thousands of boats and well-wishers often come out to greet us in key destinations – that makes us feel very special and reminds us all of the special history we have in so many ports around the world.

Lastly – and this was a pretty cool idea – a couple of years ago on Queen Mary 2 I met a recently retired surgeon.  He was also a very keen golfer.  He had decided that upon retirement he would go around the world on Queen Mary 2 and play a round of golf at the best golf club in every port we visited.  He kept our Purser’s office quite busy.  I think that too many of our Senior Officers were tempted to go and play golf with him.  But what a fabulous way to spend over a 100 days and I never did check whether his handicap had improved as a result.

So I hope I have helped explain the magic and opportunity of a World Voyage with Cunard Line – be it a full circumnavigation or a sector to some of the more interesting ports and destinations around the world.  We go on sale on 14 July for the 2013 programme.  We also have some availability and keen offers on the 2012 World Voyage.  So whichever one – or hopefully both – you plan to join us on we very much look forward to welcoming you on board.

That’s all for now

Best regards

Peter

Hello All

I have just returned from a few days business in New York. It’s our second home really – with Queen Mary 2 there on a regular basis over the summer. The reason for my visit was to hold a series of meetings with our close travel agent partners, meet with travel media partners and to take part in a Cruise Symposium for many of the ports we visit in Canada and New England. It was a very useful if tiring visit – but every time I travel to New York I bump in to Cunard History and I can’t resist telling you about it – so here goes.

Our travel agent event was held at the very prestigious Harvard Club. It is a beautiful and traditional building – and as we say in England ‘it does exactly what it says on the tin’. The outside of the building says it all;

Inside it is beautiful, wooden panels, grand staircases, libraries, meeting rooms and on the upper floors they have some accommodation, a gym and some squash courts. So we – along with 100 of our close travel agent partners felt very privileged to be there and felt a sense of the wonderful tradition of Harvard. The meeting went very well, we served tea and scones, I presented how Cunard was doing – how we now have the youngest fleet in the world, go to more places than ever before but importantly are still holding firm to the traditional values that our guests rightly expect from us. At the end of the session we held a Q&A and that was most useful – a chance for me to get some feedback on how we are doing, what we could do better and some very useful ideas.

Later that afternoon I had a meeting down at Chelsea Piers. Now Chelsea Piers are where many of our ships docked many years ago. So after the meeting I went for a look round – and found something quite amazing. Between two of the piers there is a wall of large black and white photos. When I say large – each one is about 2 metres high by 2 metres wide. The subject of the photos was primarily about our ship Carpathia. Many of you will know that in 1912 it was the Carpathia that went to the rescue of the Titanic – well she brought the survivors to this very spot.

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 This is a picture of people standing on the dockside awaiting the Carpathia’s arrival with survivors. Fifteen hundred lives had been lost and many were waiting to see if the Carpathia had brought their relatives to safety. In the picture you can see the old ‘Cunard Store’. It must have been a very moving and daunting time for all those present.

 Here you can see Carpathia alongside with Titanic survivors on board waiting to disembark. It is hard to think what it could have been like for those who had experienced the terrible tragedy and to now find themselves arriving in New York – many would have come with dreams and  instead now find themselves in such a sad situation.

It was quite something to stand and look at these huge black and white photos and to think that it all happened for real so many years ago on this very spot in New York. One has to have so much respect for all that were involved in the tragic Titanic events and the part that Carpathia played.

So later that afternoon, we took a boat trip down the river to show those taking part in the Cruise Symposium our Brooklyn Terminal. It was quite a menacing evening – it was raining. First up we sailed past a marvelous British sight – Concorde;

I always wonder at the Empire State Building – here she is against the darkening rainy skies;

New York is a city with tremendous spirit – and for the first time I saw World Trade Center One. It is about half way up, and already the tallest building in the financial district. One can’t help being moved by this sign of defiance after 9/11 – here is shot of how it looks today;

So that was a couple of days in New York and I hope you don’t mind me sharing it with you. At Cunard we are so proud to still have so many links to this famous city. We estimate that Cunard have brought over 10 million people to New York over the years – many to start a new life in North America. And still today Queen Mary 2 arrives with guests up on the top decks full of excitement and intrigue as they sail into this fabulous city. If you have not done it yet – then please come and join us. I often say that whatever price you pay for a Transatlantic Crossing – just the two hours arriving into this famous city are worth every cent or every penny of your fare.

New York, New York – so good they named it twice…….

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

Hello everybody – I trust you are keeping well. Greetings from North America – I have been on the West Coast for a few days meeting with our Cunard North America Sales Team. North America remains a very important place for Cunard, where we have many regular and valued guests. It is always good for me to spend time with our Sales Team – they provide me with ideas and feedback both from our guests and Travel Agents in North America. I was encouraging them to read our We Are Cunard Blog as it keeps them in touch with what we are up to and how the ships are doing. Talking of ships – they are all doing well. As I write, Queen Mary 2 is mid-Atlantic – and much excitement on board as we have some exciting and different entertainment on board this week – ‘Who’ I hear you ask – well that’s a clue and you will read about it here next week. Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are settling nicely into their European season. I will be sailing on Queen Victoria for a couple of days soon – looking forward to that and will let you know what I find.

Today we want to introduce you to our new Entertainment Director on board Queen Victoria. Keith is very much enjoying his first experience with Cunard – and from the feedback we have had from guests so far he has got off to an excellent start. I hope you enjoy reading more about him – and that you are able to meet him personally next time you are on board.

Before that – I have a fun picture to show you. Imagine what it would look like on approach to an airport runway from the bridge of Queen Mary 2 – well let me show you;

How did we do that I hear you ask. Well as Queen Mary 2 sailed up the Elbe River to Hamburg last week, they sailed past the massive Airbus factory – and they have their own runway (I guess if you build planes then you need your own runway). Captain Paul Wright took this picture from the bridge and sent it to me. It was taken from the side window of the bridge on Queen Mary 2 – but the perspective really looks as though Paul is about to land the ship on a runway – now that would have been quite a story.

So – over to Keith;

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Keith Maynard

Entertainment Director

Queen Victoria

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Congratulations on your permanent appointment as Entertainment Director; how have your first few months gone on board Queen Victoria?

Thank you! Well I must admit it’s been a fantastic roller coaster ride so far – Cunard does things very differently to other companies and it’s been a revelation to become part of such a dedicated and professional team. From my initial awe at first stepping on board Queen Elizabeth in December and then joining Queen Victoria 6 days later in Southampton to the present where I still occasionally pinch myself just to make sure that this isn’t all a dream. Queen Victoria is such a beautiful ship. I am surrounded by reminders of the Golden age of the transatlantic liners, pictures of these amazing Leviathans of the sea and the stars that became synonymous with them! I walk out onto the stage in the Royal Court Theatre and I could be anywhere in the West End or Broadway! But most of all I’ve loved meeting so many wonderful guests – people from all over the world who have had so many stories to tell of their past voyages on the Queens. As you can probably tell – I am very happy!

What did you know about Cunard before you joined Queen Victoria?

Funnily enough in the year leading up to me joining Cunard I had started to read extensively on the history of the great Ocean Liners. I think I had reached that point in my career where I had decided I was going to stay at sea rather than just saying, ‘well I’ll do one more contract and then I’ll move on’. Of course you can’t research or read about Ocean Liners and not be captivated by the wealth of history Cunard enjoys as one of the original pioneers of the industry. Discovering that throughout its 171 year history Cunard has been involved in almost every major world event, from the invention of the first Marconi wireless sets on the Lucania to Churchill’s belief that Queen Mary and Elizabeth singlehandedly shortened WWII by at least a year, I became enthralled with a company that for me represented some much needed national pride.

Having been at sea some years now how does it feel joining the Cunard family?

I feel a little like the prodigal son. Such is the welcome I have received. I feel totally at home now and can honestly not imagine working anywhere else! There really is a genuine team spirit on here and you know that all you need to do is ask and people are almost queuing up to help!

What have been some of the highlights during your career at sea?

Well I started back in 2000 and was lucky enough to be a part of the famous World Cup Cruise where for the first time since 1966 the entire English Football team meet up and spent two weeks aboard the M/S Sundream. I introduced the likes of Jack Charlton and Sir Jeff Hurst onto the stage and chatted at length with Nobby Stiles and Gordon Banks and the lovely Alan Ball. I’ve still got a wonderful picture at home of me holding the world cup surrounded by the team! Of course nothing quite compares with my most recent highlight – sailing out of New York for the first time as part of the historic royal rendezvous of the three Queens! To stand there in the freezing winter night air with Queen Mary 2 ahead, Queen Elizabeth behind, the Empire State Building lit up in Cunard Red and the fireworks exploding all around it was a moment I will truly treasure forever!

Although you are still fairly new to the company, what does “We Are Cunard” mean to you?

If I was to sum it up in one phrase it means ‘we are here for you’. And in saying that I make no distinction between guests and employees. Never have I known a company put so much effort into looking after everyone on board. Cunard is never happy complying with the base line or the bare minimum – we strive to set an example to the rest of the industry about how things should be done.

What would be your favourite golden nugget of advice to guests coming on a voyage for the first time?

Bring two sizes of clothing – one for the start and some slightly larger more comfortable fitting garments for the final few days…the food is incredible and there’s so much of it!

What is your ideal way of relaxing when you are on leave?

I ride my motorbike around the UK visiting friends and family. Currently I own a BMW1200GS which is sitting in my brother’s garage. My mum used to take me to school on a motorbike (much to my horror at the time) and both my brothers ride Motorbikes so you could say it’s a family calling – rather like their vocations –as both my father and two of my brothers are vicars and my sister is a missionary! I suppose you could be forgiven for thinking that I am the black sheep of the family – the one who ran away to sea!

When I am not spending time on the open road relishing Britain’s beautiful countryside I like to travel to some of the more remote areas of the world. I’ve been lucky enough to backpack around India, Thailand & more recently Cambodia where I was awe-struck by the majesty & splendor of Ankor Wat!

I am also a keen Scuba Diver and adore the chance to explore our amazing ports of call from under the water. My last dive was in Bonaire with the Chief Engineer Ronnie Keir. It was right in front of the ship so we had a chance to inspect the hull – I am happy to report that everything looked in good working order!!

In June I have booked to go back out to Thailand with my friend Gun Sukwanna who is the social hostess on Queen Mary 2. Our plan is simple – fly to Bangkok – buy a map of Thailand – and randomly point at a spot on the map (blindfolded) and then well…. who knows!

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?

I have always wanted to meet the Dalai Lama and in a similar vein travel to Tibet. I would also love to ride an old Enfield Bullet across India and into Nepal – oh and one day I need to dive the Galapagos Islands!

Career wise though I have always wanted to be a TV Presenter – I got very close a couple of years ago when I got down to the last two for the BBC’s search for a new CBBC presenter. In the end the producer of CBBC rang me and told me that it had taken them over a week to decide but that they chose the other chap because he had blond hair which was more of a contrast to the rest of the presenters! It was the first and only time in my life I wished I had been born blond!!!

What is your favourite quote and who said it?

‘Beauty is in the heart of the beholder’. HG Wells

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It is marvellous to read how enthusiastic Keith is – and I am sure he has a bright future with us and hopefully many of you will be able to meet with him in the future. He joins the list of Cunard Entertainment Legends – none more of a legend that the ‘James Bond’ of the Cruise Industry our very own Queen Mary 2 Entertainment Director Ray Rouse.

That’s all for now – back soon with a lovely story about ‘War Brides’ and the answer as to exactly ‘Who’ is travelling on Queen Mary 2 this week. Any guesses?

Best Regards

Peter