Oil painting - live - to feature on Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic crossing

Robert Lloyd's preparatory sketch for his next QM2 painting

Passengers travelling on a Queen Mary 2 crossing to New York in November will have an opportunity to get their hands on a unique souvenir – an oil-painting of the ship actually created during the voyage.

Maritime artist Robert Lloyd – whose works hang prominently on all three Cunard Queens - will be in the ship’s Grand Lobby every morning, working on the painting and answering questions from guests.

The work will be sold to the highest bidder on the last afternoon at sea, and proceeds will be donated to The Prince’s Trust.

Fares for the crossing, which leaves Southampton on 12 November and arrives in New York on 19 November, start at £899, including return flight.

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Cunard's 175th Anniversary Details

Fans of British traditionalists Cunard will be pleased to know the company has released details of the celebratory voyages it has planned in 2015 to mark the 175th anniversary of its first ship, Britannia, which set sail in July 1840.  

 

Britannia inaugurated the first-ever regularly-scheduled service across the Atlantic and every year since then Cunard ships have crossed and re-crossed the Atlantic, in peace and war, without fail. 

 

Here are the details of the major events to come in 2015.

The 175th Anniversary Crossing

Flagship Queen Mary 2 will recreate history when she sails from Liverpool on July 4, 2015, following in the wake of Britannia, which left the city 175 years earlier to the day. This will also be the first time since January 1968  a Cunard ship has departed from Liverpool for America. The 10-night crossing from Liverpool will call at Halifax and Boston, just like Britannia, and will conclude in New York on July 14.

The full voyage, number M511D, begins in Cunard's homeport of Southampton on July 2 and the 12-night crossing from Southampton to Liverpool, Halifax and New York has fares from £2,249 per person.

There has been intense excitement about this voyage since it was initially announced and demand is expected to be high. Whether joining in Southampton or Liverpool, passengers will be taking part in the signature celebration of the company’s 175 years and will themselves become part of Cunard’s illustrious history.

A Salute to Liverpool

Cunard was founded in the city of Liverpool and the company’s Head Office remained there for 128 years. Today, the magnificent Cunard Building forms one third of the World Heritage-listed ‘Three Graces’ on the Pier Head. It is fitting, therefore, that 175 years after the inauguration of Cunard’s transatlantic service from Liverpool, the current fleet salutes the company’s ‘spiritual’ home. From May 24-26, 2015, Liverpool will play host to the three largest Cunard ships ever built in an historic three-day event.

Queen Mary 2 will arrive in Liverpool on May 24 and make her first ever overnight stay in the city, berthed in sight of the Cunard Building. The following morning, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria will sail into the city and, for a time, all three ships of the fleet will line up on the Mersey in a spectacle that is expected to draw huge crowds. Over a million people saw QE2 sail into Liverpool for the first time in July 1990.

Queen Mary 2 will then take her leave and sail out of Liverpool late morning on the 25th as Queen Elizabeth berths at the landing stage, where she will remain until late that night. Queen Victoria, meanwhile, will anchor in the Mersey.

Late in the evening, Queen Elizabeth will set sail and Queen Victoria will then take the berth and remain overnight, and for the following day, May 26. The event also features as a highlight of three very different cruises that go on general sale from 1pm on March 13:

Queen Mary 2: 10-night ‘British Isles – Liverpool Salute’

May 17-27, 2015. Voyage number M506. Fares from £1,499 per person.
This ‘lap-of-honour’ by the Cunard flagship leaves Southampton and calls at Cobh, Dun Laoghaire, Greenock (where celebrations to recognise the 125 Cunard ships built on the Clyde since 1840 will take place), Oban, Liverpool and St Peter Port before returning to Southampton.

Queen Elizabeth: 16-night ‘Baltic – Liverpool Salute’

May 11-27. Voyage number Q507. Fares from £1,849 per person.
Southampton – Oslo – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Tallinn – St Petersburg (overnight) – Warnemunde – Kirkwall – Liverpool – Southampton.

Queen Victoria: six-night ‘Liverpool Salute’

May 22-28. Voyage number V512. Fares from £899 per person.
Southampton – St Peter Port – Liverpool (overnight) – Southampton

Let the Party Commence – Southampton, May 3, 2015

Cunard’s 175th celebrations will start in earnest at its homeport of Southampton on May 3 when all 3 ships will sail into Southampton together and depart later that day in formation. This will be the first time Queen Mary 2 will have led the fleet out of Southampton in daylight.

After the meeting, Queen Victoria will depart on her ‘Lusitania Remembered’ voyage; QM2 will head for New York (seven-nights; voyage number M504, fares from £1,299 per person); and Queen Elizabeth will set sail for Northern Europe (eight-nights calling at Hamburg and Amsterdam; voyage number Q504A, fares from £849 per person). Places on these two sailings go on general sale from 1pm on April 8.

‘Lusitania Remembered’

On May 7, 2015, it will be exactly 100 years since Cunard flagship Lusitania was torpedoed while en-route from New York to Liverpool. The ship sank approximately 14 miles off the old Head of Kinsale in Ireland. In all, Cunard lost 22 ships during the First World War, including Carpathia, which had rescued all of the survivors of the Titanic.

This special seven-night cruise by Queen Victoria will commemorate the loss of Lusitania and of Cunard crew and ships in World War One more generally. The ship will call at Cobh (formerly Queenstown) on May 7, 100 years to the day since Lusitania was lost. A special service ashore will be held, to which all passengers on Queen Victoria will be invited, in addition to a number of other tributes that will be made that day.
 

Sailing round-trip from Southampton on May 3, Voyage number V510, Queen Victoria will call at St Peter Port (Guernsey), Le Havre, Cobh and Dublin. Fares start from £799 per person. This sailing goes on general sale from 1pm on March 13.

 

More info: call 0843 374 0000 or visit www.cunard.co.uk.

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Spend A Year At Sea With Crystal!

If, like us, you find getting away for the odd week or two a bit of a struggle, consider this little gem from luxury cruise specialists Six Star Cruises - a full YEAR'S cruise.

Yes, that's right, not a month or even a World Cruise (which usually spans three-plus months), but a full 365 days at sea, in the lap of luxury.

And who would do such a thing, do we hear you ask? Well Crystal Cruises, of course, masters of the worldwide tour and doing things in the ultimate style.

So, as part of its Fifth Anniversary Celebration Sale, Six Star Cruises is offering the chance to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, year-long voyage aboard the Crystal Symphony, with no expense spared.

 

Yes, of course it's expensive, but it's a year at sea on a truly luxurious, all-inclusive ship!

Setting sail in 2015, the Symphony departs from Singapore and spends the winter and early spring exploring South-east Asia and China’s most memorable ports. It uses the remainder of spring to take in the spectacular West Coast highlights of Alaska, and North and South America before crossing the Atlantic to spend the summer in Northern Europe.

 

It then heads back across the pond to arrive in North America just in time to experience Canada and New England in the autumn. The final portion of this epic journey takes cruisers down the East Coast to spend autumn and winter in the Caribbean before coming to an end in Rio de Janeiro.

To make this incredible sailing even more special, Six Star Cruises is offering complimentary chauffer airport transfers to start and end the cruise in true style. There is no booking fee and all customers will be helped expertly through all stages of their booking by one of Six Star's award-winning Cruise Concierge – luxury cruise experts who will tailor the passengers’ voyage precisely to their needs.

Passengers booking this truly spectacular voyage before the end of February can also take advantage of some reduced prices. To spend a year at sea on the Crystal Symphony in a balcony stateroom costs just £122,996, while a spacious Penthouse is available for £262,876. For the ultimate in opulence, passengers can enjoy a Penthouse Suite for £350,425. All prices are per person, based on two people sharing and include port taxes.

More info: call 0808 202 6105 or visit www.sixstarcruises.co.uk.

 

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Britannia's Maiden Season

Following on from yesterday's big news about all the wonderful culinary features and debut season of P&O Cruises' spectacular new ship Britannia yesterday (see this link), here is a round-up of her maiden season's voyages.

Pre-registration is open today (Feb 13), with regular bookings available from March 27.

MAIDEN CRUISE

Spain, Italy & France  

Mar 14-28, 2015 • 14 nights • Britannia B502

Southampton - Gibraltar - Barcelona - Monte Carlo - Rome (tours from Civitavecchia) – Ajaccio, Corsica - Cartagena - Seville (tours from Cadiz) - Southampton

Prices from £1,149 per person.

MAIDEN CANARIES CRUISE

Portugal, Spain & Morocco   

Mar 28-Apr 11 • 14 nights • Britannia B503

Southampton - Madeira - Tenerife - Gran Canaria - Lanzarote - Agadir - Seville (tours from Cadiz) - Lisbon - Vigo - Southampton

Prices from £1,199 per person.

MAIDEN SHORT BREAK

Guernsey

July 4-6 • 2 nights • Britannia B512

Southampton - St Peter Port, Guernsey - Southampton

Prices from £249 per person.

MAIDEN NORWAY CRUISE

Norway, Nordfjord & Sognefjord   

Apr 25-May 2 • 7 nights • Britannia B505
Southampton - Bergen - Olden - Cruise in Nordfjord - Flaam - Cruise in Sognefjord - Stavanger – Southampton

Prices from £699 per person.

MAIDEN BALTIC CRUISE

Scandinavia, Estonia & Russia

May 30-Jun 13 • 14 nights • Britannia B509

Southampton - Kristiansand - Oslo - Copenhagen - Stockholm - Tallinn - St Petersburg - Helsinki - Bruges (tours from Zeebrugge) - Southampton

Prices from £1,499 per person.

MAIDEN BRITISH ISLES CRUISE

British Isles              

July 6-18 • 12 nights • Britannia B513     

Southampton - sailing by Flamborough Head & South Shields - Edinburgh (tours from South Queensferry) - Inverness (tours from Invergordon) - Kirkwall, Orkney Islands - sailing by Cape Wrath - Glasgow (tours from Greenock) - Liverpool - Dublin (tours from Dun Laoghaire) - Cork (tours from Cobh) - sailing by South Cornwall - St Peter Port, Guernsey - Southampton

Prices from £1,249 per person.

MAIDEN TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE

Portugal & Caribbean                             

Oct 23-Nov 7 • 14 nights • Britannia B524

Oct 23-Nov 8 • 15 nights • Britannia B524A

Southampton - Madeira - St Maarten - St Lucia - Dominica - Grenada - Barbados (overnight in port on B524A) - Overnight flight to UK

Prices from £1,099 per person.

CARIBBEAN

Fly UK to Barbados (Friday departures overnight in port) - Grenada - Isla Margarita - Curacao - Aruba - Tortola - St Maarten - Antigua - St Kitts - Barbados (Saturday departures overnight in port) - Overnight flight to UK (flights from selected UK airports)

Friday Departures; Nov 20-Dec 5 • 15 nights • Britannia B526

Prices from £1,399.

More info: call 0843 374 0111 or visit www.pocruises.co.uk.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.  

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Cunard & P&O Get Sporty

One of the things we often here at World of Cruising is, "How do I stay in touch while I'm at sea?" And that is especially true during a big sporting year like this one, when sports fans are desperate to keep tabs on all the action even while they're cruising.

And it's especially true in 2014, when there is the summer World Cup in Brazil, the winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia, in February and Andy Murray defending his Wimbledon title in July

But both P&O Cruises and Cunard have announced that they will provide a guaranteed haven for sports fans on their two fleets this year. All coverage will be shown in public areas on board, starting with the Winter Olympics.  

The second half of the Premier League season will also feature, ahead of the FIFA World Cup in June and July. German Bundesliga matches will be shown, together with Formula 1 motor racing, the Australian French and US Open tennis tournaments and golf’s Ryder Cup, Open Championship and US Open.

Live coverage will be available to all P&O Cruises and Cunard passengers on Sport 24, and is satellite dependent.

Chief commercial officer Gerard Tempest said: “We are delighted to be able to include coverage of these major sporting events on board. We don’t want passengers to miss out on any of the excitement of the games by taking a cruise holiday – and now they won’t. Besides, I can’t think of a better way to watch the World Cup, or see Murray serve to retain his Wimbledon title, than sipping a mojito in the Med!” 

For summer cruises to watch the World Cup or Wimbledon:

P&O Cruises is offering a selection of seven and 14-night fly-cruise holidays in the Mediterranean on family-friendly contemporary ship Ventura from £999pp (N413B cruise, dep June 25), including return flights from Gatwick, Birmingham or Manchester, a seven-night cruise in an inside cabin, full board meals and entertainment on board.

More info: visit www.pocruises.co.uk or call 0843 373 0111.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 (pictured, above) will undertake 18 seven-night Atlantic crossings between Southampton and New York, with fares from £1,099pp, including one-way flight.

More info: visit www.cunard.co.uk or call 0843 374 0000.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a very special, limited-time offer to save 50% off a full year's subscription, which includes six issues PLUS our new year-end Cruise Directory. That means a year's worth of Europe's leading cruise publication will be only £15. Check out the special rate on this link!

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A Transatlantic Odyssey Under Sail

Avast there, me hearties! Get ready for a look at luxury cruising under sail this week as here at World of Cruising we've had a couple of stories from companies who specialise in sail-cruising.

Want to climb the mainsail or sit on the bowspit? Read on...!

With their teak-lined decks and billowing white sails, luxurious amenities, gourmet cuisine, exceptional service and only 150 to 300 guests on board,thet  here ships of Star Clippers allow you to soak up the ambience of almost owning your own private yacht. Passengers can even help the crew hoist the sails or learn their knots.

There is even more chance to experience the full majesty of these traditional vessels on a transatlantic voyage and Star Clippers are offering a special early-booking deal on one of their autumn sailings that make the opportunity more appealing.

The unique five-masted Royal Clipper (left, above) has a typical transatlantic cruise from Europe to the Caribbean, when she departs Lisbon on November 6, calling at Casablanca, Safi and Tenerife before arriving in Barbados on November 22. Early-booking fares are from just £1,540 for the 16-night voyage (with flights extra).

More info: call 0845 200 6145 or visit www.starclippers.co.uk.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a very special, limited-time offer to save 50% off a full year's subscription, which includes six issues PLUS our new year-end Cruise Directory. That means a year's worth of Europe's leading cruise publication will be only £15. Check out the special rate on this link!

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Cunard Plan 10th Anniversary Special For Queen Mary 2

Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 will celebrate her first ten years of service this year with a series of special events and ceremonial markers for the last genuine transatlantic liner. 

Since her spectacular naming by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton on January 8, 2004, QM2 has undertaken a total of 419 voyages, including more than 200 transatlantic crossings and called at 182 ports in 60 countries.

Since becoming Cunard’s flagship on completion of her maiden transatlantic crossing in May 2004, the vessel has remained unchallenged as the world’s largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive ocean liner ever built and the most famous and fastest passenger ship in operation today.

At 1,132ft in length, she would be taller, if stood on her stern, than the tallest building in Europe, the Shard in London, and would be over three times the height of St Paul’s Cathedral. Her 151,400 gross tonnage is the equivalent of nearly 19,000 London buses, and she boasts over four times as many rooms as the Dorchester hotel. 

In her first 10 years of service she’s sailed the equivalent of three times to the moon and back. She’s carried over 1.3 million guests, enough to fill Westminster Abbey 651 times. As well as human guests, over 2,000 dogs have travelled on Queen Mary 2, five times as many as in Battersea Dogs Home! 

QM2 departed on her eighth World Cruise yesterday, sailing together with Queen Elizabeth from Southampton after a fusillade of celebratory fireworks. The major 10th Anniversary celebrations will begin on May 9, however, when all three ships of the fleet will arrive together in their homeport of Southampton and Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth will salute the flagship’s first ten years. 

The day will feature special sail-pasts, a celebratory lunch and a spectacular send-off of fireworks as all three set sail together that evening, with Queen Mary 2 leading the way. Further details about the day’s events planned will be forthcoming soon.

Fares for the May 9-16 crossing to New York start from £1,279 per person, including a one-way transatlantic flight and $80 on board spending money. Fares for the May 16-23 crossing from New York to Southampton start from £1,249, with the same benefits.

More info: call 0843 374 0000 or visit www.cunard.com.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a very special, limited-time offer to save 50% off a full year's subscription, which includes six issues PLUS our new year-end Cruise Directory. That means a year's worth of Europe's leading cruise publication will be only £15. Check out the special rate on this link! 

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A Tall Ship, Yoga - And Barbados

Yoga and cruising together increasingly well in our hell-conscious world, hence we are always keen to bring you news of new options that feature these kinds of opportunities. It is something we have featured in the World of Spas section of the magazine, and it will be very much on our agenda as we go to SIX editions in 2014 (so look out for more news of that in the near future!).

In the meantime, Star Clippers are featuring TWO of their signature Yoga-At-Sea programmes next year, and we're keen to highlight them here at Time Spent At Sea.

Free daily yoga and meditation classes will be the order of the day on both the spring and autumn 2014 transatlantic crossing of the line’s flagship, the 227-passenger Royal Clipper. With nothing but the vast, open ocean as a distraction, yoga classes will take place in the open air, on the ship's classic teak decks, under 56,000sq ft of sails – the ultimate relaxation for body and soul.

 

Qualified yoga teacher Christel Vollmer, back on board by popular demand, will be holding the daily sessions of Astanga yoga, also known as power yoga, on deck in the cool morning on the 16-night spring  crossing, from Barbados to Malaga, departing April 12 and arriving April 28, from £1,420 (flights extra). She will then join the autumn transatlantic sailing, when Royal Clipper departs Lisbon on November 6, calling at Casablanca, Safi and Tenerife and arriving in Barbados on November 22. Prices are from £1,540 for 16 nights, with flights once again extra.

More info: call 0845 200 6145 or visit  www.starclippers.co.uk.

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Cunard Sing "Sweet Baby James" on Transatlantic Crossing

If you are a fan of 1970s rock icons, and you might like to combine the music with a cruise, then we at World of Cruising think you are likely to appreciate this...

Cunard Line will host Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter James Taylor during Queen Mary 2’s 10^th anniversary year in 2014, joining the flagship on August 27 for an eight-day Transatlantic Crossing from New York to Southampton via Halifax. The legendary singer and his band will headline two performances’ in the ship’s Royal Court Theatre during the voyage.

As a recording and touring artist, Taylor’s warm baritone is among the most recognised voices in popular music and his distinctive style of guitar-playing has been enormously influential. Over the course of his acclaimed song-writing and performing career, James has sold more than 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards for classics ranging from ‘Sweet Baby James’ in 1970 to ‘Covers’, his own interpretation of tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s, for which he was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2009.

 

Fares for the crossing start from £1,599 per person, including outward flight to New York.

 

PS: Be sure to get the new-look January edition of World of Cruising magazine for another fabulous Cunard feature, this time on the Queen Elizabeth, by Contributing Editor Gary Buchanan.

 

More info: call 0843 374 0000 or visit www.cunard.co.uk.

 

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Cunard's Singles Bonus

In response to passenger demand, Cunard is introducing a brand new Singles offer for seven or eight-night New York crossings aboard Queen Mary 2 for the rest of the year. The new fares, which offer sole occupancy of staterooms, represent outstanding value with eight-night crossings now starting at just £749 per room for single travellers. 

Based on Getaway pricing, these single fares require 100% payment up front and 100% cancellation applies.

Southampton to New York: November 12 (inside staterooms from £749, outside and balcony staterooms from £899) and December 15 (inside staterooms from £899, outside staterooms from £1,049 and balcony staterooms from £1,124). Prices include one-way flight from New York and transfers.

New York to Southampton: October 27 (eight nights) and November 19 (inside staterooms from £749, outside and balcony staterooms from £899), plus January 3 (inside staterooms from £1,049, outside staterooms from £1,199 and balcony staterooms from £1,174). Includes one-way flight to New York and transfers.

More info: call 0843 374 0000 or see www.cunard.co.uk.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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Michael Ball & David Essex Highlight P&O's Musical Cruise Extravaganzas

P&O Cruises is launching its biggest ever line-up of star-studded music cruises this autumn with famous faces from the stage and screen. The special guests include Michael Ball, David Essex, The West End Men featuring Lee Mead and Here And Now – with live performances from six 1980s legends including Paul Young, Toyah and many more, who will all be joining selected cruises on a choice of ships and itineraries. 

The celebrity cruises are now on sale today and include:
       
The West End Men, featuring Lee Mead, perform on a 12-night Canary Islands cruise on Ventura, departing September 29 from Southampton with ports of call at Madeira, La Palma, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Lisbon. Getaway Fares are from £849 per person.

Here And Now - The Very Best Of The 80s with Paul Young, Toyah, Heaven 17, Howard Jones, Carol Decker from T’Pau and Clare Grogan from Altered Images. They will perform on a 12-night Western Mediterranean cruise on Oceana departing October 22 from Southampton, with calls at El Ferrol, Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Gibraltar and Lisbon. Getaway Fares are from £749 per person. 

David Essex performs on a 15-night Caribbean transatlantic cruise on Azura departing November 1 from Southampton and finishing in Barbados. The ports of call include the Azores, Antigua, St Maarten, St Kitts and St Lucia, with Getaway Fares from £999 per person. 

Michael Ball performs on a 10-night Baltic cruise on Aurora departing December 9 from Southampton, with calls at Bruges, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gothenburg (overnight) and Oslo. Getaway Fares are from £599 per person. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's cruise-agent specialists.

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Adonia's New Caribbean & Latin American Voyages

Adonia, the smallest ship in the P&O Cruises fleet, will offer a new Caribbean, Central and South America fly-cruise programme for the first time in spring 2015. The port-rich programme will boast 10 new destinations, including three maiden calls for P&O - Bequia in the Grenadines, Cayenne in French Guiana and Trujillo in Honduras.

With a choice of 11 different itineraries from January 4 to April 4, 2015, the programme encapsulates some of the lesser-frequented, smaller and more intimate Caribbean islands; two of the world’s largest rivers (the Amazon and Orinoco); the rainforests in Central America as well as the popular Caribbean destinations of Barbados, St Maarten, St Lucia and Grenada.

Other new ports of call for Adonia include Colon in Panama, Horta in The Azores, Kingstown in St Vincent, Mayreau in the Grenadines, Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.

A choice of 14 and 28-night cruises starting and finishing in Barbados are available from £1,599 per person for a Vantage Fare. The 16 and 18-night transatlantic repositioning cruises are also available at the start and end of the season from only £1,349 per person for a Vantage Fare. A full list of cruises, with flights, include:
 

• A 19-night Caribbean Transatlantic cruise (D501) from Southampton to Barbados, departing January 4, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,499pp
• A 33-night Caribbean Transatlantic, Amazon and Orinoco cruise (D501A), from Southampton to Barbados, departing January 4, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,779pp
• A 15-night Amazon and Orinoco cruise (D502), round-trip from Barbados, departing January 22, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,599pp
• A 29-night Amazon, Orinoco & Eastern Caribbean cruise (D502A), round-trip from Barbados, departing January 22, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,579pp
• A 15-night Eastern Caribbean (D503), round trip from Barbados, departing February 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,699pp
• A 29-night Eastern Caribbean, Costa Rica & Honduras cruise (D503A), round-trip from Barbados, departing February 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,679pp
• A 15-night Costa Rica & Honduras cruise (D504), round-trip from Barbados, departing February 19, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,699pp
• A 29-night Costa Rica, Honduras & Eastern Caribbean cruise (D504A), round-trip from Barbados, departing February 19, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,679pp
• A 15-night Eastern Caribbean cruise (D505), round-trip from Barbados, departing March 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,699pp
• A 31-night Eastern Caribbean & Transatlantic cruise (D505A), from Barbados to Southampton, departing March 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,649pp
• A 17-night Transatlantic cruise (D506), from Barbados to Southampton, departing March 19, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,349pp

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists. 

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Cunard’s New Dining Aboard Queen Victoria

A new alternative dining venue, The Verandah, has opened on Cunard's Queen Victoria, replacing the Todd English restaurant. The new 100-seat option is based on the same concept as the popular and award-wining Verandah on Queen Elizabeth, with a slightly different menu featuring a sophisticated, contemporary and relaxed theme.

Peter Shanks, Cunard President and Managing Director, explained: "Queen Victoria's new restaurant is an exciting addition to the Cunard culinary offering, which now includes some of the most highly-rated dining at sea and no fewer than12  different venues. The passenger feedback we have received for both lunch and dinner in these first days of the Verandah’s operation has been very positive indeed and booking has proved essential for evening dining in particular."
 
The menu has been created by Jean Marie Zimmermann, who is a Michelin starred chef as well as Cunard’s global culinary ambassador. A particular highlight is Carpaccio of Smoked Beef with Marinated Aubergine, Quail’s Egg and Truffle Mayonnaise, which combines magical pairings of flavours with theatrical touches – the dish is served under a glass cloche filled with scented smoke.

There is a choice of seven entrees, 11 plats principaux and six dessert choices. Plats principaux include Beef and Lobster Flambéed with Cognac and Truffle with Parmesan Fries – the most popular dish to date – and Baked Rack of Lamb in Pastry with Morel Mushrooms and Madeira Reduction.

Todd English, offering a vibrant taste of the Mediterranean, will remain the alternative restaurant on Queen Mary 2 as befits her transatlantic crossings and more even mix of British and American passengers. This first-ever Todd English venue at sea has proved highly successful since its introduction in 2004.

Other evening dining alternatives include the Kings Court (Queen Mary 2) and The Lido (Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria). By night, these areas transform into intimate and casual spaces that offer cuisine from around the world. Queen Elizabeth's other choices including the South American grill Asado; Jasmine, with its menus drawn from across Asia; and Aztec, which adds its own twist to Mexican classics. Queen Victoria’s Lido transforms into Bamboo (Asian flavours), Coriander (Indian cuisine) and Prime (steaks and seafood).

The Kings Court on Queen Mary 2  offers delicious Italian dishes in La Piazza; traditional British dishes in The Carvery; and flavours from across Asia in Lotus. In addition, the Cunard flagship features the Boardwalk Cafe, offering burgers on deck.

Pictured above: Monkfish and Scallops in Brown Butter, Spinach and Parmesan Ravioli, Smoked Bacon Velouté, from the new Verandah restaurant menu. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Gauguin's 2014 Collection

Paul Gauguin Cruises, operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the MS Paul Gauguin, and the newly launched MV Tere Moana (above), has released its new "Voyages by Gauguin 2014 Collection" brochure.

The brochure features 26 itineraries and 62 voyages by the line’s two deluxe small ships, which both offer an elegant yet casual ambiance, luxurious accommodations, gourmet dining, trademark Polynesian hospitality and extraordinary all-inclusive value. Fleet distinctions, dining venues, entertainment, activities, destination guides, deck plans and sailing schedules are also highlighted.

For 2014, seven to 14-night voyages are offered on both ships, with the Gauguin sailing in French Polynesia, the South Pacific and South-east Asia, and Moana offering voyages in Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.

New itineraries on Gauguin include an 11-night Fiji to Australia voyage, a 12-night Australia to Fiji voyage and two 14-night voyages between Australia and South-east Asia. Maiden ports include: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea; Rabaul, Papua New Guinea; Samarai Island, Papua New Guinea; Thursday Island, Australia; Darwin, Australia; Komodo Island, Indonesia; Benoa, Bali, Indonesia; Semarang, Indonesia; Singapore; and Maupiti, Society Islands.

Returning favourites on Gauguin include: 12 and 13-night Fiji, Tonga, Cook & Society Islands; 7-night Tahiti & Society Islands; 10-night Society Islands & Tuamotus; 11-night Cook Islands & Society Islands; and 14-night Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands.

In 2014, Moana offers a variety of new seven-night itineraries: Round-trip Rome; Rome to Nice; Round-trip Nice; Nice to Barcelona; Colón, Panama to St. Martin; and Round-trip Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. New ports include: Mahón, Menorca; Palamós; Villefranche; Sanary-sur-Mer; Antibes; Ponza; San Remo; San Blas and Isla Gamez, Panama; Golfito, Drake Bay, Quepos and Isla Tortuga/Curú Wildlife Reserve, Costa Rica.

Moana will again offer a seven-night Colón to St. Maarten, voyage; a seven-night Round-trip St. Maarten itinerary; 14-night Transatlantic cruises; and seven-night European sailings in the Greek isles, Spanish isles, Dalmatian coast, and coastal France, Italy, and Spain.

Paul Gauguin Cruises is also extending included airfare from Los Angeles on Paul Gauguin itineraries. Prices start from £4,001 per person fly/cruise and from £1,497 cruise-only on Moana.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.