In winter 2022, the Cunard fleet will travel over 116,000 nautical miles visiting incredible places around the world, calling at 93 destinations in 42 different countries. There will be a five fleet maiden call for Cunard and eight maiden port calls for the individual Cunard ships. There will also be 14 overnight stays in ports, to enable guests to enjoy longer to explore. There will also be 14 late evening departures, to enable guests to relax at their own pace.
Over 75% of all our calls on voyage in winter 2022 are between the hours of 9am to 5pm or longer, with the average time in port being 10 and a half hours per call.
A spokesperson for Cunard said: “Each voyage, whether it’s a two night short break or a full 112 night world voyage aims to deliver refined journeys for our guests. It is important to strike the right balance between port days and sea days on any cruise.
“Days at sea are important on a Cunard voyage because the ships themselves are a destination. Our itineraries have been designed to offer enriching days in port as well as plenty of time on board for guests to relax and enjoy all the ships have to offer.
“Cunard has undertaken more world voyages and set more ships across the world than any other passenger line, making us the true experts in world voyages. In fact, the concept of world cruising was invented by Cunard in 1922, when the elegant Laconia completed the first ever continuous circumnavigation of the globe by a passenger liner, taking in 22 ports in 130 days.”
The spokesperson continued: “In 2022, Cunard’s iconic flagship, Queen Mary 2, will embark upon a winter escape to South America that is packed full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Queen Victoria sets sail on a Western Circumnavigation of the Globe that is packed full of ‘must-do’ experiences, while Queen Elizabeth will carry out a programme of exotic voyages that offer richer, deeper and more regionally-focussed itineraries.
“This programme launch also includes Queen Mary 2’s first ever Northern lights voyages, offering guests the chance to see the elusive and breathtaking sights of the Aurora in the early spring; also included is Queen Elizabeth’s 2021 Alaska season, seven round trip voyages from Vancouver featuring a selection of the region’s highlight ports and stunning scenic cruising in the narrow waterways of the famous Inside Passage.
“Across the fleet, Cunard’s winter programme covers the world, offering a blend of iconic, world-class cities and smaller, less well-known but equally delightful destinations. Our itineraries have been crafted to offer enriching days in port as well as plenty of time on board for our guests to relax and enjoy all that our ships have to offer,” the spokesperson added.
Queen Victoria’s winter deployment consists of a classic Western Circumnavigation of the globe via the Panama Canal. The World Voyage can be taken as a round trip from either Hamburg (112 nights) or Southampton (108 nights).
The circumnavigation will begin by crossing the Atlantic to Florida via Bermuda, followed by a Trans-Panama segment. Queen Victoria will then cross the Pacific via Hawaii and Samoa to New Zealand. From there she will take in Sydney, Australia’s Gold Coast and Great Barrier Reef before travelling to Hong Kong via Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Following the visit to Asia, Queen Victoria will return to Southampton via Singapore, the Indian Ocean and South Africa.
Queen Mary 2 will undertake a brand new Caribbean and South America voyage in 2022; which can be taken as a round trip from Hamburg (73 nights), Southampton (71 nights) or New York (55 nights).
The beginning of the voyage is routed across the Atlantic to New York, before turning south to call at a series of highlight destinations in the eastern Caribbean. From there Queen Mary 2 will continue south to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, retracing the voyages of famous explorers as she Cape Horn and traverses the Magellan Straits and Beagle Channel. On her return northwards, Queen Mary 2 will call to the fabulous city of Rio de Janeiro, in time for the world famous Rio carnival. En route to New York, guests will have the chance to relax and unwind in some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
On her return home to Southampton, Queen Mary 2 will embark on her first ever Norway and Northern Lights voyage in late March, featuring an extended call to Tromso above above the Arctic Circle, to go in search of this awe-inspiring natural phenomenon.
In late 2021 and early 2022, Queen Elizabeth offers a series of round trip voyages from international ports that offer deeper, richer and more regionally focused itineraries. In between these home-ported deployments will be exotic grand voyages that capture the imagination and spirit of adventure in travel lovers across the world.
Australia – Mid November to early March
Queen Elizabeth will operate three roundtrip voyages from Melbourne and five from Sydney, covering the popular regions of South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. New in 2022 is a south Pacific Islands voyage, featuring port calls in Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Also included is a pair of “open-jaw” New Zealand voyages, travelling from Sydney to Auckland and from Auckland to Sydney. These can be taken individually as 11 or 12 night voyages, or combined into a longer 23 night Sydney round trip that offers the full experience of eight different New Zealand ports, scenic cruising experiences and a call to Melbourne.
Japan – mid April to early June
Cunard’s Japanese deployment will consist of five nine-night round trip voyages and one of seven nights, embarking from the Japanese capital city of Yokohama, on the doorstep of the capital city Tokyo. The nine night voyages will highlight the multi-faceted nature and deep cultural roots of Japan’s main islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Hokkaido, as well as a southern Islands voyage that includes islands in the Okinawa archipelago and two Taiwanese port calls. The early round trips are timed to take in the spectacular spring blooms across the region. The seven night cruise coincides with Golden week which is one of Japan’s most popular holiday seasons.
Alaska – summer 2021
In 2021, Queen Elizabeth will operate a season of Alaska round trip voyages from June to September, departing from and returning to Vancouver. Each voyage will feature a selection of the region’s highlight ports, as well as stunning scenic cruising in the UNESCO world heritage site of Glacier Bay National Park and the waterways of the famous Inside Passage.
The beauty of Alaska – Alaska is one of the world’s must-see destinations and visiting by cruise ship is one of the best ways to enjoy it. It is often considered “bucket list” experience due to the outstanding natural beauty of the region and the fact that many of the destinations are not easily accessible by land. Alaska is a land of staggering natural beauty including mountains, rivers, rainforests, fjords and of course, glaciers.
Destinations with a story to tell – Alaska has a rich history and culture centred around iconic and memorable destinations – from the gold rush spirit of Skagway and Juneau to the native culture of Ketchikan and the Russian charm of Sitka. In a 2011 poll of experienced cruisers, respondents ranked Alaska top among all destinations worldwide.
American wilderness at its finest – Alaska has over 430 species of birds, the largest population of bald eagles, and the largest carnivorous land mammal in the world (the brown bear). There is a huge population of sea mammals, from sea lions and seals to gray whales that weigh anywhere from 16 to 45 tons. Species endangered elsewhere are still abundant in Alaska.
Other fly cruises
Sydney to Tokyo – At the end of the Australian home port voyages in March, Queen Elizabeth will travel north to Japan via Southeast Asia. The voyage will include a variety of exotic and iconic destinations such as Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai and a maiden call to Beijing.
