Cunard has just revealed that they will add a fourth ship to their fleet as a part of their ambitious plans for the brand’s future globally.
Carnival Corp.- the world’s largest cruise company and parent of Cunard- has signed a memorandum of agreement with Fincantieri S.p.A to build a new ship that will join the Cunard fleet in 2022.
The ship is yet to be named and Cunard have stated: “It’s fantastic that the naming of the new Cunard ship is causing interest as we continue to see and hear speculation and suggestions on an almost daily basis.
We are equally excited about deciding upon a name and are considering a host of options. Once we have the name confirmed, we will be delighted to share the news.”
The yet-to-be-named ship will carry 3,000 guests and join Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth as the fourth member of the Cunard fleet, the first time since 1998 that the luxury cruise brand will have four ships in simultaneous service.
The iconic luxury line has seen crowds of more than one million people gather in 2015 to celebrate the company’s 175th anniversary and Cunard has subsequently invested over £120 million refurbishing the flagship Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.
Alongside an array of exciting new itineraries featuring destinations and special event voyages for 2018 and 2019, Cunard has also continued to evolve the guest experience to meet the needs of the consumer by introducing new bar and dining signatures, entertainment offerings and brand partners across the fleet.
Senior Vice President for Cunard, Simon Palethorpe, stated: ‘We have only recently marked the 50th anniversary of one of Cunard’s much-loved ocean liners, the legendary QE2. What better way to celebrate her important role in Cunard’s past than by announcing our commitment to Cunard’s future with the commissioning of a new ship.
“Cunard offers unrivalled luxury ocean experiences and the new ship firmly underpins our plans to continue our growth across international markets.”
Cunard will be revealing exciting details about the new ship during the course of 2018 and through to the ship’s launch.
But, what are your thoughts on this exciting news? Are you excited to hear the name of Cunard’s newest ship in 12 years? Have your say here…
Cunard are also marking the 50th anniversary of QE2 with a special voyage on Queen Elizabeth next month; a 17-night return sailing from Southampton on the 8th September, calling in Spain, Italy, Greece and Croatia, with five celebratory theme days taking place.
Themes will include ‘Moving in Royal Circles’ which will focus on the relationship between the QE2 and the Royal Family, and ‘The Falklands’, which will look at the ship’s service during the 1982 conflict.
Celebrations will culminate with ‘QE2 Day’ on the 20th September as the ship spends the day at sea; highlights will include a QE2 ball, special QE2-themed menus, past-passenger gatherings, QE2 quizzes and guest talks as part of the line’s Insights Speaker programme.
Captain Ian McNaught, the QE2’s last master; Commodore R. W. Warwick, who served as QE2’s Captain for 13 years; Maureen Ryan, a QE2 social hostess; and Chris Frame, a maritime historian and author will all appear on the special sailing.
Cunard’s Vice President, Angus Struthers, said: “When QE2 came into service in the 1960s, many critics said she wouldn’t last a decade in the age of the jet but her unique design as a dual-purpose ship meant that she was versatile enough to operate both as a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship.”
Struthers added: “Given how famous and loved she was, we felt this was a great opportunity to pay tribute to this Cunarder’s remarkable life onboard our newest ship, Queen Elizabeth; herself designed to offer a perfect luxury cruise holiday.”
Click here to pre-register for all 2019/2020 Cunard cruises!
What are your thoughts on the news of Cunard’s newest ship? Which name did you vote for? If you have a better idea, leave your suggestion in the comments below!
Cunard Captain Tackle The Controversial With The Questions You Never Dared To Ask We introduce to you Captain Nick Bates, a man with 45 years experience at sea and the former captain of several Cunard ships…
Cunard Launch First Ever Crossword-Themed Cruise And It’ll Be In New York Guests will travel aboard Queen Mary 2, which underwent a $125 million-plus top-to-bottom redesign and refit last summer; new features include…
