QE2 owners announce revised plans for floating hotel

Plans to turn the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise liner into a luxury hotel have been scaled back, the ship’s owners have admitted.

Cunard’s prestigious vessel was sold to the Dubai firm Istithmar five years ago for £64 million. Its final voyage was to the Middle East in 2008, but since then it has remained largely unused, and is currently moored in the unglamorous surroundings of Port Rashid.

Initially the owners had hoped to transform the ship into a lavishly-appointed 1000-room hotel, but now they say it will feature just 300 rooms, and will retain many of its original features.

Rather than moving it to the more tourist-friendly Palm Jumeirah, the ship will also remain in Port Rashid, where it is hoped it will help transform the area into a tourist attraction. A new maritime museum will soon open nearby, and plans for an expanded cruise ship terminal have also been announced.

“Unfortunately we had many ambitious plans but they didn't work," said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Istithmar. “There were plans to renovate it in such a way that it becomes something totally different.... but we realised that a lot of people like the ship as it was.”

He added that public areas such as restaurants and entertainment halls would be largely left alone.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

The QE2 was launched in 1969 by the Queen, making its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. It was operated for nearly 30 years by Cunard, and was used to carry troops to the south Atlantic during the Falklands War.

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Fred Olsen Becomes Latest Line to Launch Price Promise

The Fred. Olsen Price Pledge means that if the price of the cruise is reduced for the cabin grade booked, Fred. Olsen will refund the difference through one or a combination of measures - a cabin upgrade, onboard credit (O.B.C.), or a cash refund.

The price pledge is applicable on bookings made from today (July 20th, 2012) to September 30th 2012, and applies to all sailings departing on or after April 6th, 2013 and which are featured in the current 2013/14 Worldwide Cruises brochure, except for the world cruises.

The moves follows that of Carnival, which introduced an Early Saver Promise into the U.K. market for the first time earlier this year; and P&O and Cunard, which both introduced Vantage Fares this week. Saga Cruises was in fact the first line to have an early booking promise, and has had this available to passengers for the past three years. Like P&O and Cunard's Vantage Fares, Saga's early price promise allows you to choose your cabin and if the price of a cruise is reduced - even for a day - the line contacts you and offers a reimbursement, again either in the form of O.B.C, an upgrade or refund.

Fred. Olsen has confirmed it will contact all guests entitled to refunds or upgrades before the cruise departure date to advise them of how they have benefitted.

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We want to offer our guests the best possible deal on their cruise with us, and by booking early with the Fred. Olsen Price Pledge, they will have the peace of mind that, should the cruise price reduce, then we will make up the difference, whilst they will be able to secure the best choice of cruise and cabins.”

The line also confirmed it will offer more ‘all-inclusive' cruises. The move follows a trial period with four limited-availability itineraries. The all-inclusive offers, which include drinks, but not tips, will now be extended to all cruise departures on or after April 6th, 2013 and featured in its current 2013/14 Worldwide Cruises brochure, for bookings before September 30th, 2012. The offer also excludes the world cruises and is limited to the first 100 bookings per sailing taken between now and the end of September 2012. The deal will also be added to all applicable bookings retrospectively.

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Sister Ships Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria Together

Norway saw two of Cunard's liners together in the country for the first time this week as both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria took their respective guests on luxury cruise vacations through the breathtaking Fjords.  The ships are pictured here at Flaam, near Sognefjord, where they called for a day on 25 June.

In true Cunard style, the sister Queens saluted each other several times, with the echoes of their whistles reverberating through the lush mountains for long periods after the initial blasts.

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Madam Butterfly 3D aboard QM2

As part of its worldwide release schedule, Cunard Line has announced the first shipboard screenings of the 3D feature film, Madame Butterfly 3D, in association with the Royal Opera House and RealD, the world’s most widely used digital 3D projection technology. Captured during live performances at London’s internationally renowned Royal Opera House, Madam Butterfly 3D will be shown aboard the Queen Mary 2, beginning July 6, 2012, the only ship currently scheduled to present the film. The film opened earlier this year in the UK and is being released worldwide in almost 40 other countries through the fall of 2012.

Cunard began its partnership with RealD in 2011 with the installation of RealD 3D projection technology, furthering the relationship later that year with screenings of the RealD and Royal Opera House co-production, Carmen in 3D. Madam Butterfly 3D is expected to draw equally large and appreciative audiences, when it is presented in the ship’s grand 450-seat theatre, Illuminations.

This second co-production between RealD and the Royal Opera House gives viewers the best seat in the house at one of the world’s most prestigious venues for one of the world’s best loved operas.

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Cruise lines under fire for high internet fees

Ocean-going cruise lines are facing growing criticism over the high charges they impose on passengers for internet access.

Despite the fact that many cruise companies pride themselves on offering an all-inclusive holiday experience, and with free internet becoming increasingly common in hotels, bars and even fast-food restaurants, research by Telegraph Travel has revealed that every major cruise line is still charging for internet and Wi-Fi access – with rates as high as £37.85 for a single hour's browsing.

More than 20 cruise lines were analysed in the study. Regent Seven Seas had the highest fees. The company charges a "pay as you go" rate of $0.95 (59p) per minute, or $57 (£35.40) an hour, in addition to a one-off "activation fee" of $3.95 (£2.45). Alternatively, passengers can opt for a $600 (£373) bill for 20 hours of browsing.

Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, NCL and P & O were also found to impose some of the highest fees. Celebrity charges passengers $24.95 (£15.50) for 38 minutes' access, or 41p per minute; Cunard charges $0.75 (47p) per minute, or $47.95 (£29.80) for two hours' access; NCL charges $0.75 (47p) per minute, or $55 (£34.20) for 100 minutes' usage. P & O charges 50p per minute or £35 for 100 minutes' access; its charge to send a single email is £2.50.

Four hours of internet browsing on an Azamara Cruises ship will cost holidaymakers $99.95 (£62) – marginally more expensive than on Carnival Cruise Lines, which charges $89 (£55) for the same amount of web time.

The cheapest pay-as-you-go access was 20p per minute, offered by Fred Olsen, while Paul Gauguin Cruises offers some of the best-value packages, with 250 minutes' access costing $0.25 (16p) per minute – although the line does charge an activation fee of £2.45.

Several Cruise clients commented on the issue via Telegraph Travel who undertook the research into internet charges onboard cruise ships to express frustration at the charges, with some criticising the speed and reliability of the internet access they have paid handsomely for.

"The cost of accessing the internet was so overpriced it wasn't worth it," said Geoff Hebden, 58, from Ipswich, who took a P & O cruise last year. "And yet small businesses, bars and cafés across the world offer it free – it's ridiculous."

Cruise lines defend their charges by citing the high cost of providing the service – internet access at sea is delivered using satellite communication, making it dearer than the same service on land.

"The cost of providing internet access from the middle of the ocean is expensive," said Graham Sadler, managing director of Regent Seven Seas. "As a luxury cruise brand we choose a fast speed, which may be reflected in the charges – but the quicker download speed means it may eventually become cheaper."

In contrast to ocean-going cruise lines, several river cruise companies – including Scenic Tours, Viking and AmaWaterways – do not charge for internet access.

Irish Ferries, which operates services between Ireland and the United Kingdom and France, does not charge, either, even though it uses satellite communication to provide the service.
A spokesman for the company said that it could not say how much it spent on providing passengers with the service, as it could not "separate out the cost of providing free Wi-Fi from [the cost of maintaining its existing] satellite equipment".

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Cunard Celebrates the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

Cunard will bring Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations to a close on the 5th June 2012 with the first-ever Cunard Royal Rendezvous in the fleet’s home port of Southampton, England. Here, the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth will approach the port soon after first light, sailing up Southampton Water, with a flotilla of small boats expected to welcome them in.

As the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria tie up at their berths, the QM2 will follow on, passing each ship in turn, with crew lining the foredeck of all three vessels, and the ships’ whistles sounding in salute.

The celebrations will culminate in an evening spectacular where all three ships will be brought within close proximity of each other, and a fusillade of fireworks and special effects will light up the evening sky.

The QM 2 will then lead Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in single file down the Solent as all three ships set out on their celebratory Jubilee voyages.

On board, Cunard’s renowned Insights enrichment programme will feature lectures by former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond (QM2), Professor Herbert Kerrigan QC, one of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Counsel in Scotland (Queen Victoria); and ITN royal commentator Robert Jobson (Queen Elizabeth).

Additionally, a highly distinguished and rare collection of Royal art, including eight original watercolors by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, 31 lithographs by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and 20 limited edition boxed sets of photographs by Lord Snowdon will be displayed on all three Queens, with limited edition prints available for purchase. This will be the only time that these prints are available for purchase outside the Belgravia Gallery in London.

Guests sailing on board Cunard ships will enjoy the Diamond Jubilee spirit into June 6, when special activities throughout the day will culminate in a Commemorative Dinner with a souvenir menu highlighting the 74-year relationship between Cunard and Her Majesty The Queen, followed by a Grand Ball.

Guests sailing aboard the voyages ending on 5 June will not miss out on any of the historic events taking place in London, or indeed Southampton, as Cunard will screen live BBC World News coverage of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, across the fleet, beginning at 9:00 a.m. (GMT).

The QM2’s Jubilee Voyage is five-nights calling at Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Le Havre (5 – 10 June).  The Queen Victoria’s 17-night (5 - 22 June) “Adriatic Explorer” voyage will call at La Coruna, Cephalonia, Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight), Split, Corfu and Oporto; and the Queen Elizabeth’s 14-night (5 - 19 June) “St Petersburg and Baltic Explorer” will call at Hamburg, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

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Britons take to the waves as cruise holidays soar

The popularity of cruise holidays will see the number of passengers setting off from British ports rise by almost third next year, official figures reveal.


With holiday budgets stretched, travel experts say that cruises are gaining popularity because they provide more “bang for your buck” than other holidays. Although the average cruise holiday costs around £1,000, the price includes food, entertainment and the chance to see numerous cultural sites in a one go. Falling prices, as a result of people booking holidays closer to the departure date, are also behind the rise.

According to the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA), 835,000 people will take a cruise holiday from a UK port in 2012, an increase of 28 per cent over the last two years

Many of the large cruise companies – such as P&O and Cunard – have launched large ships in the UK in the last few years to cater for the increased demand. For example in April 2010 P&O launched the Azura in Southampton, which can carry over 3,000 passengers.

The fact that cruise holidays are stress free – with no organization or map-reading required on the part of the holidaymaker – is an added attraction to make Britons.

Entertainment has become an increasingly important part of a cruise holiday. Singers such as Gareth Gates have recently appeared on ships. Other forms of entertainment include historical lectures or plays.

For example, Cunard has a commercial relationship with RADA, the acting school. The cruise company puts on “specially-edited versions of renowned plays, and adaptations of great literary classics on Transatlantic Crossings, each lasting no more than one hour”, according to its website.

Earlier this year, passengers on a week-long cruise from Southampton to New York got more than they bargained for in the entertainment stakes when Roger Daltrey, singer from The Who, took to the stage and sang a number of hits including My Generation.

Mr Daltrey was on the Queen Mary 2 liner with his friend, the Squeeze singer Chris Difford, who was on the ship giving writing workshops.

Carnival Announce new cruise terminal in Southampton

A fourth cruise terminal is to be constructed at the Port of Southampton after ABP and Carnival UK signed a major, 20-year contract.

The new terminal, which will be built at Ocean Dock opposite the site of the old Ocean Terminal. As Ocean Terminal was once home to many of the great transatlantic liners of the last century, when the port was first known as the ‘Gateway to the World,’ the new terminal will stand both as testimony to Southampton’s ocean-liner history and as a symbol of the modern cruising age.

The agreement will also give Carnival UK – the world’s leading cruise company, whose cruise brands include Cunard, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises – priority use of the port’s Queen Elizabeth II and Mayflower Terminals, further strengthening the group’s relationship with the port.

This announcement comes at a historic time for Southampton’s cruise business. Cunard’s Queen Victoria has, this Month (Dec 07), sailed into the port for the first time, and next year (2008) will see the arrival of P&O’s Ventura, the largest cruise ship ever to be built for the UK market. Both of these vessels will then be based at the port.

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New Cunard liner to enter service in 2010

Cunard Line announces that it has ordered a new 92,000-ton liner, to be named ‘Queen Elizabeth’, scheduled to enter service in the autumn of 2010.


Cunard signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the new 2092–passenger ocean liner, which will be built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard at an all-in cost of approximately €500 million. The vessel will be the second largest Cunarder ever built.

The new ship follows a long line of famous Cunard liners stretching back to the company's inception as the first operator of a timetabled transatlantic service 167 years ago.

Queen Elizabeth will offer the very best of Cunard’s values and traditions, blended with every conceivable modern luxury that today's discerning travellers expect. Through her opulent public rooms and impeccable service, the new ship will reflect the grandeur which has been associated with Cunard ships since the introduction of the Mauretania in 1907; and from the outside, her black hull, gleaming white superstructure and distinctive red funnel will echo the classic characteristics of the company's distinctive liner heritage.

Queen Elizabeth will fly the Red Ensign with her home-port Southampton, as is the case with the other ships in the Cunard fleet.

Be Part of Cunard's History

Queen Victoria will spend her first summer based in the sunny Mediterranean, with an array of exciting itineraries to some of the most enchanting ports of call in the region.

Many of Queen Victoria's voyages begin and end in different classic Mediterranean destinations, such as the Ancient Wonders of the Mediterranean voyage which embarks in Rome and concludes in Athens. Or Greek Isles & Aegean Shores which sails from Venice to Istanbul. Several voyages include overnight stays in some of the world's most charming cities, including Barcelona, Venice, and Istanbul.

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Queen Victoria - Cunard's New Ocean Liner

A butler to unpack luggage, champagne served in Waterford glasses, fresh orchids and personalized stationery – these are among the hallmarks of the Cunard Grills. An exclusive world, the Cunard Grills represent the pinnacle of seagoing service, luxurious accommodation and comfort. Now, in the grand Cunard tradition, Queen Victoria is poised to put her own stamp on the Cunard Grills, affording travellers the opportunity to experience a golden age of travel in the same memorable way that royalty, heads of state and celebrities have done for generations.

When she enters service in December 2007, Queen Victoria will offer innovation in tandem with the traditions that make a Cunard vessel the world standard-bearer.

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