As the world eagerly awaits the wedding of the century, Cunard Line and the youngest fleet at sea prepared for its own Royal Wedding festivities taking place whilst sailing during this momentous occasion. Officers and crew of flagship Queen Mary 2 put final celebratory touches on board yesterday in New York as guests embarked for the ship’s first Eastbound Crossing of the 2011 Transatlantic Season.
Featured aboard the Line’s regal fleet of Queens – Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the new Queen Elizabeth – will be Royal Wedding celebration activities, including:
• Viewing party of the Royal Wedding live via satellite TV broadcast in the Royal Court Theatre and in all staterooms
• Royal Wedding Afternoon Tea service featuring Twinings limited edition Royal Wedding Tea
• A commemorative “Princess Royale” cocktail to mark the occasion
• A celebration dinner and commemorative menu at each of the restaurants, including a slice of traditional wedding fruitcake
• A royal champagne toast to Miss Catherine Middleton and HRH Prince William by the ship’s Captain
• A Royal Wedding Ball with dancing to a big band orchestra in the Queens Room ballroom
“We will mark this commemorative occasion in the way expected of Cunard, and it promises to be a right royal event on board all three of our Queens,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “For guests sailing a Transatlantic Crossing, it is an experience like no other, and the Royal Wedding celebrations certainly add to what is already a voyage fit for royalty.”
Cunard’s association with the Royal Family dates back to 1859 when Queen Victoria bestowed the title of Baronet to Samuel Cunard (Cunard Line founder) for his services to the country during the Crimean War. Since then, eight Cunard liners have been named by senior members of the Royal Family – four by Her Majesty The Queen, including the recent October 2010 Royal Naming Ceremony of the Line’s newest ship, Queen Elizabeth.
On a luxury cruise vacation aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, guests revel in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination – enjoying activities such as the only planetarium and largest library at sea, white-gloved afternoon tea service, the engaging Cunard Insights guest enrichment programme and West End-style productions, as well as the first Canyon Ranch SpaClub on board a ship.
Queen Mary 2’s Transatlantic Crossings reflect the pinnacle of civility and refinement in ocean travel. The only company offering regularly scheduled Transatlantic liner service, Cunard is sailing 21 classic Transatlantic voyages between New York and Southampton, with extended Crossings between New York and Hamburg.
Queen Mary 2 also offers voyages to the Baltic, Norway and the North Cape, the Atlantic Isles and Iberia, as well as a return to the Mediterranean including maiden calls in Malaga and Valencia, Spain. All of these European itineraries can be combined with a Transatlantic Crossing on either side to create a Grand Voyage – offering North American guests the chance to sail to Europe roundtrip from New York.
