YEAR 2008

March 21, 2007 - For the first time in its 168-year history, Cunard will offer its guests the choice of sailing on one of three Queens - the most famous ocean liners in the world.

Overall the Cunard fleet will offer over 40 itineraries and over 95 ports of call or destinations in 2008, the highlight undoubtedly being Queen Victoria's first summer programme after her Maiden World Cruise. She will undertake ten voyages to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean roundtrip from Southampton, nine Mediterranean 'fly-voyages' from a choice of ports and two Ibero-Med voyages.

Says Cunard md Carol Marlow: "2008 promises to be one of the most exciting years for Cunard Line and our guests. The year will start in celebration with all three Queens spectacularly meeting in New York harbour in January 2008 for a 'Royal Rendezvous' before they go their own ways to offer legendary voyages to legendary places throughout the year."

Below are some examples of the itineraries offered in 2008

Queen Victoria

The highlight of the programme is undoubtedly the release of Queen Victoria's first summer programme after her Maiden World Cruise. Queen Victoria will undertake ten voyages to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean roundtrip from Southampton, nine Mediterranean 'fly-voyages' from a choice of ports and two 'Ibero-Med' voyages. Queen Victoria's itineraries have been designed to offer high port content, and many calls in 2008 will be maiden visits so that many spectacular welcomes are expected for the world's newest Queen.
A highlight of her roundtrip Southampton programme will be Cunard's return to the Baltic after an absence of several years. Queen Victoria's three 14-day 'Russian Rendezvous' voyages, departing on 27 May, 22 June and 18 July, will call at Zeebrugge (for Bruges), Gdansk, Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and all will feature an overnight in the spectacular city of St Petersburg. The July voyage has fares start from £1,749 for a D7 standard inside stateroom and rise up to £14,179 for a Q1 Grand Suite.
While mainly known for its transatlantic crossings and World Cruises, Cunard is no stranger to the Mediterranean. As far back as 1875 Cunard had 12 ships on Mediterranean service. A Mediterranean roundtrip voyage then was £40 and though this included all food it did not include alcohol - but brandy was sold on board for 3 shillings (15p) a pint and whisky was sold for 1 shilling (5p) a pint! Cunard will also be making a return to Mediterranean 'fly-voyages' between August and December 2008 with Queen Victoria with a programme offering a variety of liner voyages from Barcelona, Athens, Civitavecchia (for Rome) and Venice, Queen Victoria's birthplace.
These 12-day Mediterranean, Greek Isles and Black Sea voyages offer some exciting ports-of-call en route including Dubrovnik, Cannes, Mykonos, Istanbul, Izmir, Santorini, Odessa, Alexandria and Malta.
The 12-day 'Fabled Coasts' voyage departs Venice on 18 September and calls at Kusadasi, Istanbul (overnight), Odessa, Yalta, Athens and Sicily before ending in Civitavecchia (for Rome). Fares start from £1,649 for a D7 standard inside stateroom and rise up to £11,819 for a Q1 Grand Suite. The 12-day 'Ancient Wonders' voyage leaves Civitavecchia on 5 November and calls at Naples, Sicily, Malta, Alexandria, Port Said, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Kepez (for Troy) and Volos before ending in Athens. Fares start from £1,449 for a D7 standard inside stateroom and rise up to £11,169 for a Q1 Grand Suite.
Two 12-day 'Ibero-Med' voyages will position Queen Victoria in the Mediterranean and return her back home. She will sail Southampton to Venice on 1 August (calling at Gibraltar, Cannes, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Sicily, Corfu and Dubrovnik with an overnight in Venice) while on 29 November she will leave Civitavecchia for Southampton and call at Naples, Sicily, Katakolon, Dubrovnik, Malta, La Goulette (for Tunis) and Malaga. Fares for the latter voyages start from £1,149 for a D7 standard inside stateroom and rise up to £10,869 for a Q1 Grand Suite.

Queen Mary 2

Queen Mary 2, pictured, will spend much of the year fulfilling the role for which she was built - crossing the Atlantic between Southampton and New York. In 2008 there is an expanded transatlantic programme which offers 24 six-day crossings.
Providing a scheduled transatlantic service between the UK and America was the reason Cunard came into being over 167 years ago, and the passing years have given such voyages a patina of tradition, glamour and excitement. Today Cunard alone offers such evocative and historic voyages, and arriving by sea in New York remains one of life's 'must-do' experiences.
Fares for the six-day crossings begin at £899 per person including a transatlantic air fare in the opposite direction. A Grand Duplex will cost from £13,999 per person including flight. As in past years the transatlantic crossings can be combined with an exclusive land-stay and tour. For 2008 the popular ones, such as New York and Las Vegas, New York and Boston and New York and Toronto / Niagara, return but new for 2008 is the New York and Rockies Tour.
Queen Mary 2's programme also includes two Mediterranean voyages departing 14 June and 10 September with the latter being a 11-day trip to Vigo, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Civitavecchia, Gibraltar and Lisbon with fares from £1,499 for a D7 inside stateroom to £19,279 for a Q1 Grand Duplex. However, ocean liner luxury can be obtained from just £299 per person on Queen Mary 2's two-night voyage from Southampton to Cherbourg and back departing 14 July. The Cunard flagship will spend the final months of 2008 in the Caribbean on a series of 10-day Caribbean voyages to and from Fort Lauderdale. Ports of call include St Thomas, St Kitts, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Bonaire and Curacao. Fares start from £1,299 for a D7 inside stateroom to £12,069 for a Q1 Grand Duplex.
Queen Mary 2's sophisticated and glamorous Caribbean voyages differ from those offered by other vessels due to Cunard's unique heritage. From the elegance and grandeur of this classic ocean liner to the distinctly British style of white gloved service, traditional afternoon teas and grand balls. And the world's most luxurious ocean liner's size allows her to pamper her guests under the Caribbean sun with four bars and dining venues on deck, over 1,800 sunloungers, five swimming pools, 955 balcony staterooms, six on-deck jacuzzis, 'Sailaway Parties' and a range of outdoor sports facilities.

Queen Elizabeth 2

The world's most beloved ocean liner, QE2, will offer 17 voyages to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Canada in 2008, ranging from a three-day 'Summer Getaway' departing 17 July calling at Rotterdam (for Amsterdam) and Zeebrugge (for Bruges) with fares from £349 for a M6 inside stateroom to £1,929 for a Q1 Grand Suite to the 14-day 'Mediterranean Sojourn'.
This voyage departs on 27 August and calls at Lisbon, Cagliari, Athens, Zakinthos, Palermo, Naples and Valencia and has fares from £1,299 for a M6 inside stateroom to £8,599 for a Q1 Grand Suite. And, of course, QE2's roundtrip voyages to the Mediterranean from Southampton can offer so much more than 'ordinary' Mediterranean cruises because of her fast speeds.
On 10 September QE2 will depart Southampton for a 20-day 'Autumn Colours' voyage which will cross the Atlantic to Quebec and return after calling at Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport and New York; fares from £2,199 for a M6 inside stateroom to £17,179 for a Q1 Grand Suite.
Despite being the most travelled ship of all time (having clocked up almost 5.5 million nautical miles - more than any other ship in history) Cunard has found some new ports for QE2 to visit in 2008 and these are: Cephalonia in Greece (11 May), Split in Croatia (14 May), Propriano in Corsica (24 July) and Grandafjordur in Iceland (4 August). Again a special welcome is expected as the world's most loved ocean liner makes her maiden call.

As in previous years there are generous savings for those who book early. For Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 savings of up to 45% are available while for QE2 savings of up to 50% are available depending on the voyage.

For reservations call Cunard on 0845 071 0300.