CUNARD is taking the Queen Elizabeth 2 off
transatlantic crossings in a major move to increase the company’s ex-UK
sailings.
From 2004, the Cunard flagship will offer normal
cruise itineraries from Southampton instead of its traditional trips to New
York.
The transatlantic crossing will be operated by the
Queen Mary 2, which launches in January 2004.
The QE2 will join Caronia, which started cruises from
Southampton last week. By 2005, Carnival-owned Cunard will have three ships
based in the Hampshire port as a new 85,000-ton ship, dubbed the ‘New Cunarder’
will join its two sister vessels to offer more than one million berths annually
from the UK.
Next year, the QE2 will offer eight ex-Southampton
cruises around Europe, but will also continue the transatlantic crossing before
the QM2 comes into service. New cruises for 2003 include a South
America/Falklands offering and 20 nights in the Caribbean with fares from
£2,999 and £1,999 per person respectively under the Sailaway Fares discount
scheme.
Caronia begins sailings on January 10 with a 60-night
Caribbean and Amazon trip leading in at £5,879 per person.
The ship will also have sampler cruises of five to
seven nights, with prices from £599 per person.
The two ships will offer 31 cruises from Southampton
next year.
Cunard president and chief operating officer Pamela
Conover said: “We made a firm commitment last September to increase our
presence in the ex-UK cruise market by redeploying Caronia to Southampton. We
are taking the next steps to ensure that we build on this success and expand it
further with the placement of QE2 in the market.”
The New Cunarder, which will
remain as such until the official naming, will have 67% of cabins with
balconies, glass lifts and the QE2-concept single-seating gourmet dining.
Entertainment will be geared to a British market with on-board pricing in
sterling.