SOUTHAMPTON, England,
August 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Luxury cruise liner
Queen Elizabeth will play host
to QE2 event voyage
Luxury cruise brand Cunard, is honouring the 50th anniversary of
its longest serving ocean liner, QE2, with a special voyage onboard
the luxury cruise liner Queen
Elizabeth.
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The 50th anniversary of this much-loved ship will be
remembered as Queen Elizabeth sets
sail from Southampton on Friday 8
September for a 17-night voyage. Departing guests will enjoy
Venice's iconic canals, mythical
Mount Etna in Sicily and Corfu's
leafy beauty.
Angus Struthers, Vice President,
Cunard said: "This mediterranean cruise is perfectly timed to pay
tribute to QE2's launch and naming by HM Queen Elizabeth II 50
years ago. 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."
He 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."
Celebrations focus on five special theme days, each of which
will be accompanied by QE2 inspired menus, talks from special
guests, historical snippets in the daily programme, past-passenger
gatherings and QE2 quizzes.
Themes include Moving in Royal Circles which looks back
at the unique and special bond between QE2 and the Royal Family;
The Falklands which acknowledges the ship's service as a
troop ship in the 1982 conflict; Triumph of a Great
Tradition examining the QE2's remarkable career achievements
and the long history of Cunard 'firsts', and World Flagship
in tribute to QE2's 26 world cruises that made her an icon in
cities across the globe.
Celebrations culminate on QE2 Day - 20 September 2017 - exactly 50 years since the
ship was launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Events will
include a QE2 ball, and a historical retrospective of the ship's
service life to be hosted in Queen
Elizabeth's 850 seat Royal Court Theatre.
As part of Cunard's renowned and award winning Insights Speaker
programme, a number of special guests connected to QE2 will be
sailing onboard. One such guest is Captain Ian McNaught, QE2's last Master, who said: "This
voyage is a significant and timely tribute to the world's best
loved ship. QE2 remains the longest serving express liner in
history. She carried 2.5 million passengers over 5.6 million miles;
that's further than any passenger ship - ever! This remarkable ship
sailed alone on the North Atlantic for most of her career. She
carried the Cunard tradition from the bygone era of the ocean liner
and sustained it into the 21st century. The QE2 carried Royalty,
celebrities and served in the Falklands War."
He added: "What I remember most as her Master, were the
passengers. Everyday people who saved up to experience life onboard
the world's best loved ship. Many came back time and time again.
That is a tribute to the countless people who served as QE2's crew,
each one making the experience special and memorable. QE2 has been
gone for nearly a decade now, however on her 50th anniversary the
memory of her is strong. It is very fitting to be acknowledging the
QE2's remarkable career here onboard Queen
Elizabeth."
Other guests include Commodore R. W. Warwick who served as QE2's
Captain for 13 years; QE2 social hostess Maureen Ryan who served onboard the original
Cunard Queens as well as Queen Mary 2; and maritime historian
Chris Frame, author of a series of
books about QE2 and Cunard.
The voyage departs 8 September and returns 25 September. For
more information please go to http://www.cunard.com
Notes to editors
About QE2
QE2 was launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 20
Septembr 1967. The ship was the last large transatlantic liner
built in the United Kingdom.
During a service career of almost 40 years, the ship sailed over
5.6 million miles and carried more than 2.5 million passengers -
record numbers that are yet to be broken. In 1982, QE2 was
requisitioned for use in the Falklands War and sailed with 3,000
troops of the 5th Infantry Brigade. QE2 was a favourite
of the Royal Family having entertained HM. The Queen, HRH. The
Duke of Edinburgh, HRH. Prince
Charles and HRH Princess
Diana to name just a few. During the ship's career, she
sailed on 26 world cruises, carried celebrities and heads of state
and attracted crowds in every port she visited.
QE2 Fun Facts
- QE2 was very fast and had a usual service speed of 28.5 knots,
with a top cruising speed of 32.5 knots making her the fastest
passenger ship to sail in the 21st century
- QE2 was launched by Her Majesty The Queen on 20 September 1967. The launch was celebrated in
many countries of the Commonwealth
- QE2 was the longest serving flagship of the Cunard fleet and
the longest serving express transatlantic liner in Cunard's 177
year history
- QE2 was the last large express liner to be built in the
United Kingdom and the final
passenger ship to be constructed at the historic John Brown & Co. Clydebank
- QE2 was requisitioned as a troop ship in the 1982 Falklands
War
- QE2 made 806 Transatlantic Crossings in her career
- QE2 sailed over 5.6 million miles - the furthest distance by
any passenger ship - ever
- QE2 carried 2.5 million passengers
- QE2 was the first ship to carry a reigning British Monarch as a
passenger in 1990
- Cunard's first ship Britannia could have fitted into QE2's
Grand Lounge
- QE2's anchors weighed 12.5 tons each - one now resides on QE2
mile in Southampton
- Each year QE2 used more than 3 million eggs and enough
cling-film to wrap the ship many times over
About Cunard
Cunard is a luxury British cruise line based at Carnival
House in Southampton, owned by
Carnival Corporation since 1998. It has been a leading operator of
passenger ships on the North Atlantic, celebrating 175 years of
operation in 2015. There are three Cunard liners - Queen Mary
2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. For more
information, please see
http://www.cunard.com
Photography:
Cunard photography is available online at
http://www.cunard3queens.com or at http://www.cunardimages.com
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Press office contact details:
Ruth Harrington:
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Rachel Lloyd:
rachel.lloyd@cunard.co.uk 07773039895