QE2 in Sydney. Image credit: Cunard
Cruise liner Cunard is gearing up for the 50th anniversary of the Queen Elizabeth II with a special event voyage commemorating the ship’s first journey.
To celebrate the anniversary the QE2, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will set sail from Southampton, Britain on a themed 17-night voyage starting Sept. 8. Onboard celebrations will kick off Sept. 20, the exact date the QE2 was launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1967.
2.5 million passengers, 5.6 million miles
During the 17-night voyage through the Mediterranean Sea, Cunard has organized a series of themed events meant to celebrate the QE2.
The five themes include “Moving Royal Circles,” a look back at the bond between the British Royal Family and the QE2; “The Falklands,” to acknowledge the ship’s service in the 1982 conflict; “Triumph of a Great Tradition,” an examination of the QE2’s achievements and history of Cunard firsts and “World Flagship,” a tribute to the vessel’s 26 world cruises.
Cunard will round out its homage to the QE2 aboard the Queen Elizabeth with QE2-inspired menus, talks from special guests and historical snippets in the daily program.
QE2 on her final world cruise in 2008. Image credit: Cunard
“This Mediterranean cruise is perfectly timed to pay tribute to QE2’s launch and naming by HM Queen Elizabeth II 50 years ago,” said Angus Struthers, vice president of Cunard, in a statement.
“When QE2 came into service in the 1960s, many critics said she would not 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 as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship,” he said.
“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.”
Cunard often incorporates its past into programming for modern voyages.
For example, Cunard infused the cocktail experience had on board with the legacies of its noteworthy commodores.
Cunard Commodores have directed the cruise liner’s ships across the world’s oceans for nearly two centuries and Cunard counts more knighthoods among its captains than any other cruise liner. Fittingly, the seven captains to be honored with knighthood will be personified in a libation served at the Commodore Club on each of the Cunard Queens (see story).