The first leg of the new "Three Queens" world cruise will depart Southampton on January 5, 2011, for a tandem voyage with sister ship Queen Elizabeth to New York. At New York on January 13, passengers will join the new Queen Elizabeth for the world cruise sector to Fort Lauderdale, Aruba, Puerto Limon, the Panama Canal, Cabo San Lucas and Los Angeles, then across the Pacific to Hawaii, the Samoas, Fiji and four calls in New Zealand before reaching Sydney.
At Sydney on February 22, "Three Queens" passengers will transfer to the Queen Mary 2 for their final leg for two more calls in New Zealand, Guam, two calls in Japan, Xingang for Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nha Trang, Bangkok, Singapore and Phuket before calling at Mumbai, Dubai, Safaga, Sharm el Sheik and Monte Carlo, and a final call at Barcelona before returning to Southampton on April 19.
This itinerary will allow passengers to experience the whole Cunard fleet in a total of 103 nights. Meanwhile, Queen Mary 2 will differ in her 2010 and 2011 world cruise itineraries by sailing in 2010 from New York to Southampton and then the Mediterranean, and in 2011 from New York down to South America and South Africa then to Australia, Japan and then the Mediterranean before finishing in Southampton. As the latter cruise will not include a Transpacific crossing, it will not be a true circumnavigation, as the Queen Mary 2 is the only ship offering world cruises that is too big to navigate the Panama Canal.
Okay, Stephen, a question for you. If you had to chose only one of the three ships for a cruise, which one would you select and why? (Yes I am still thinking about doing Cunard despite the $$$)
Neal (International Association of Troublemakers)
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”- Mark Twain
Noordam, Dec 7,2008 in
See ya' when we get back!
HAL Veendam
Celebrity Century
Celebrity Constellation
HAL Noordam (the cruise from Hell)
As I have not been on any of the three yet, it's hard to say. But if I had to say now, I would do a transatlantic on QM2 for the true Cunard experience.
Stephen
Cruises booked: Queen Victoria November 2009, QM2 May 2010 and Queen Victoria March 2011.