Thursday 14 August 2014

Cunard cancels two Queen Victoria sailings to repair Azipod propulsion unit




Two cruises on Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria have been cancelled so that a bearing can be replaced on one of the vessel’s Azipod propulsion units.

The cruise ship’s scheduled maintenance dry-dock has been brought forward from December 2015 to January so the work can be carried out before its next world voyage, embarking on January 20.

The affected cruises are a 12-night trip to the Canaries from January 3 to 15, and a five-nighter to Amsterdam and Cherbourg on January 15-20.

Passengers who had hoped to travel on the cancelled dates will be given a £100 on-board credit if they book any Cunard voyage within the next two years. Those who choose not to re-book will be given a full refund.

Cunard director Angus Struthers said the faulty propulsion unit has no impact on the ship’s safety, adding: “it is timely for the bearing to be replaced prior to the ship’s Round World Cruise.  While we are sorry to be cancelling two cruises, we are looking forward to welcoming all those affected back aboard a Cunard ship in the near future.”

While in dry dock, at the Blohm+Voss yard in Hamburg, Germany, Queen Victoria will be fitted with nine single cabins – using part of the space occupied by the casino.

Other work to be carried out includes the installation of large flat-screen TVs in all staterooms and the fitting of a sun awning around the aft Lido pool and on both sides of the Grills Upper Terrace. The shops will be extended with the addition of jewelry and watch stores.

On the technical front, scrubber technology is to be fitted to clean the engine exhaust.

The ship, which carries more than 2,000 passengers, was launched in 2007 by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.




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