Save £7 on tickets for January's Telegraph Cruise Show in London

Meet over 80 cruise lines, river specialists and tour operators, enjoy free food and wine tasting sessions from chefs James Martin, Eric Lanlard, Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith courtesy of P&O Cruises Food Heroes, be inspired by TV travel presenter Simon Reeve who will take part in a Q&A session on the Saturday, get the insiders' guide to destinations from Telegraph Travel journalists and cruise experts and much much more.

The show is packed with deals and competitions including £325 off a Fred Olsen cruise booked at the show, £100 off a Saga Cruises cruise, get a bottle of champagne with every £50 deposit placed with Cunard plus multiple competitions to win holidays, Kindle Fires, hampers and other treats.

The show is also running a daily prize draw* to win over £30,000 of holidays including a a 12 night Norwegian fjords voyage, a 7 night Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise and a 3 night break in Dubai.

Special offer: World of Cruising readers can save £7 on tickets!**
Get £13 adult tickets (£20 on the door) by quoting WOC. Book your tickets today here or call 0800 542 5859.

Find out more at www.telegraph.co.uk/cruiselondon

* See full competition details on the Telegraph Cruise Show website. **Applies to adult advance tickets for a limited time only. Booking fee applies.

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.

Cunard offer drinks on the house for selected December and January cruises

Passengers who book a selected Cunard pre-Christmas or post-New Year cruise on board Queen Mary 2 or Queen Elizabeth will be able to enjoy inclusive drinks throughout their time on board up to a value of $9 per drink ($12 per drink for Grills Suites passengers) as they explore our exquisite bars and lounges while celebrating the festive season in style.

This exclusive offer is available on the following cruises:
Experience the Big Apple on a seven day Transatlantic Crossing on board Queen Mary 2, departing Southampton on 15 December, and take in some last minute shopping before flying back to the UK. Balcony Stateroom Cunard Fares (including flights) are from £1,499 per person.

Alternatively treat yourself to a New Year’s break by flying to New York and sailing home to Southampton on board Queen Mary 2 on 3 January. Balcony Stateroom Cunard Fares (including flights) are from £1,479 per person.

Or see in the New Year in style on board Queen Elizabeth during an elegant four night cruise from Southampton to Hamburg on 6 January. Balcony stateroom Cunard Fares are from £569 per person.

Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine here          Follow us on Facebook 

Adventure Cruising blog

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.

Hollywood Rocks on board Queen Victoria

Celebrating the glamour of Hollywood’s heyday as well as movie soundtracks that have captured modern hearts, Cunard's  Queen Victoria has a brand new stage show ‘Hollywood Rocks’.  

The  production takes passengers on an imaginative journey from the silent screen, through the golden age of cinema, to contemporary Oscar winners. The show features song and dance numbers from some of the most famous movies in history including classics such as ‘Over the Rainbow’ from the Wizard of Oz, ‘Singing in the Rain’ which catapulted Gene Kelly to international stardom, ‘I Will Always Love You’ from The Bodyguard, ‘The Time of My Life’ from Dirty Dancing and an ABBA medley from ‘Mamma Mia’.

During the 45-minute performance guests can enjoy hits from blockbusters such as, ‘The Bodyguard’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Titanic’ as they sit back and relax in Queen Victoria’s three tier Royal Court Theatre, complete with the first theatre boxes at sea.

Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine here          Follow us on Facebook 

Adventure Cruising blog

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.

Sting brings his Broadway hit musical The Last Ship to the stage on Queen Mary 2

Englishmen in New York: Sting on board QM2 with Capt Kevin Oprey

Superstar Sting took his new musical to Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 this week. Two days after The Last Ship premiered on Broadway, he performed a selection of numbers on the stage of the ship’s Royal Court Theatre.

In April next year the show will be performed at the Sage in Gateshead to benefit the venue’s 10^th birthday appeal. Sting will be joined by a selection of the north-east’s finest traditional musicians, including Northumbrian pipe player Kathryn Tickell, and the Wilson Family from Billingham.

Sting wrote The Last Ship around his memories of growing up in the shadow of a shipyard on the Tyne. He said: "Cunard is one of the most famous names in shipping and a lot of very notable ships were built on Tyneside – Mauretania and Carpathia, to name but two.  There’s a great lineage. 

"I was born and raised in Wallsend in the shadow of the Swan Hunter shipyard.  My earliest memories are of ships being built and launched into the river.  You couldn’t escape Swan Hunter – there was a coal mine at one end of town and Swan Hunter at the other, so these ships loomed over our houses.

"With The Last Ship, I thought I would try and honour the community that I came from.  Because everyone around me worked in the Swan Hunter shipyard.  My grandfather worked in the shipyard.  All his brothers worked in the shipyard.  My family has had things to do with the sea for many years.” 

He added: “Cunard are backing the concert that we are doing with the Sage in Gateshead.  It’s a benefit for the Sage.  It’s only right and fitting to take this story back in some form to the people who inspired it, so I’m really happy to do that.” 

The Last Ship opened to rave reviews. One critic described it as “a wonderful, ebullient surprise full of heart and soul that lights up the New York theatre season like fresh fireworks.”

Sting’s QM2 show, in front of a specially-invited audience, also included old favourites such as Message In A Bottle, and – appropriately enough – An Englishman in New York.

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.

Cunard adds itineraries for 175th anniversary year

As Cunard prepares to celebrate its 175^th anniversary in style next year, three new cruises on board its flagship liner, Queen Mary 2 (above) have been announced for November 2015.   Two seven day Transatlantic crossings and a brand new 13-night Caribbean itinerary are now available.  

New sailings:

5-12 November 2015 Transatlantic  – this seven night transatlantic crossing with Queen Mary 2 departs Southampton on 5 November and sails into New York one week later. Prices start from £1,129pp including transfers and the return flight to the UK.

12-25 November 2015 Caribbean – this new Queen Mary 2 13 night winter sun holiday sails from New York calling at St Thomas, St Maarten, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Tortola and the Dominican Republic before arriving back in New York.  Prices start from £1,999pp including transfers and transatlantic flights to and from New York.

25 November-3 December 2015 Transatlantic  - this east-bound Transatlantic crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 departs New York on 25 November arriving in Southampton eight days later. Prices start from £1,299 per person including outward flight to New York and transfers.

Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine       Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Adventure Cruising blog

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.

Credit yourself with a little indulgence thanks to Cunard

Cunard has a new ‘Indulge Yourself’ campaign, offering the chance to savour a variety of on board treats for no cost on a range of cruises.

Passengers looking to book a voyage with Cunard - from a seven-day Transatlantic crossing with Queen Mary 2 to a lavish 23-day Mediterranean cruise with Queen Victoria - will be given additional onboard spending money when they make their booking before 30 November 2014.

The offer is available on selected sailings on board Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth (above) and Queen Victoria departing May - June 2015 and October 2015 - January 2016.

Guests can choose to use the money in the ships’ spas, dining in one of the alternative fine-dining restaurants, choosing favourites from the Martini Menu in the Commodore Club bar, or exploring one of the shore excursions.

 Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine here          Follow us on Facebook 

Adventure Cruising blog

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.

Cost and security concerns rule out Liverpool using Cunard Building as a cruise terminal

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, and the Cunard Building ECHO picture

Liverpool is likely to abandon ambitious plans to convert its famous Cunard Building into a cruise terminal.

One of the Three Graces – alongside the Liver Building and the former headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board – it was bought by the City Council for £15 million.

The Mayor, Joe Anderson, hoped its ticket hall could be used to check in passengers embarking cruise ships at the nearby Pier Head. Other plans included a restaurant and heritage centre.

But in order to meet border control and customs requirements, the passengers would have had to be transferred using a secure system, possibly a monorail.

According to consultants, the total cost of refurbishing the building and meeting security demands could have doubled the total cost, taking it to what has been described as “an astronomical” £30 million.

It is now likely the building will be used to accommodate council staff moved from other offices in the city, and the council would also consider offers to convert its upper floors into a hotel.

Mayor Anderson admits: “It is unlikely we will be able to deliver on putting the cruise terminal into the Cunard Building. The cost is astronomical; not only will it cost a fortune, [the pedestrian link] would take up space and blight the waterfront.

He denied that the council had bought a white elephant. “In seven years’ time, people will say ‘what a wonderful opportunity the mayor took.’ The purchase will be a success, not a millstone around my neck.”

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.

Cunard's QM2 delivers a special cargo from Belgium's WW1 battlefields

Queen Mary 2 arrived in the UK today with a very special cargo on board. The Cunard flagship was carrying a sandbag filled with soil from the First World War cemeteries in Belgium.

It was the last of 70 bags collected from every battlefield in Flanders, where soldiers from the Household Division fell. After being blessed at a quayside service, it was taken to Southampton Civic Hall. It will make its final journey by train to London, and on to the Guards’ Museum at Wellington Barracks, where a Flanders Field Memorial Garden will be opened by The Queen next month.

The project began on Armistice Day when the Duke of Edinburgh attended a service at the Menin Gate. Until now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has not allowed soil to be taken from the battlefield cemeteries.

The sandbag was on display to passengers during the short voyage from Zeebrugge.  QM2 Captain Kevin Oprey said: “It is an honour for Queen Mary 2 and Cunard to have played a part in bringing this last, special bag of soil home to the UK.  Many of our passengers have been moved by the presence of the soil on board and have wanted to pay their  respects.  Today’s ceremony is a poignant reminder of the bravery and sacrifice made by so many in World War One." 

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.

Balcony cabins on Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossings from just £799pp including flight – Sale ends 30 Sept!

Cunard has just launched a ‘New York Sale’ with balcony cabins on Queen Mary 2 available until 30 September 2014 for just £799 per person, including the outward or return Transatlantic flight.

For this special fare, passengers can and enjoy seven nights on crossings between October 2014 and January 2015.

Flying out to New York ahead of the ship will create the opportunity for festive shopping in the run-up to Christmas or the January sales, with no weight restrictions on luggage or jet-lag to worry about on the leisurely voyage back to the UK. Or sail from Southampton and enjoy five 25 hour days over the week at sea before making that New York arrival past the Statue of Liberty.

Westbound from Southampton to New York

•12-19 November 2014 M427B

•15-22 December 2014 M432

Eastbound Sailings from New York to Southampton        

•28 October – 4 November 2014 M425A
•19 – 26 November 2014 M429
•3 -10 January 2015 M502

Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine here          Follow us on Facebook 

Adventure Cruising blog

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.

Cunard packages shorter worldwide cruise sectors

Cunard has shorter worldwide cruises available and reveals its new Flagship Collection of premium hotel stays which can be combined with these departures to make cruise and stay holidays.

Sectors of the full World Cruises enable passengers to create shorter holiday options that take in key destinations of interest.  Featured durations range from 8-42 nights.

The new Flagship Collection offers a premium selection of pre and post-cruise hotel stays enhanced with special benefits, and features properties in Auckland, Cape Town, Dubai, Fort Lauderdale, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore and Sydney.

Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine here          Follow us on Facebook 

Adventure Cruising blog

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.

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! 

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.

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.

 

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

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.

Cunard's Single Traveller Bonus

Single travellers – and people who like to travel together but value having their own space – have some great opportunities to sail with Cunard this Autumn and Winter, with twin stateroom accommodation available for sole use without a single supplement and Grills Suites from only a 25% supplement on some departures. Single Supplements are usually 75% for staterooms and 100% for Grills Suites.

Canaries
Single travellers aboard Queen Mary 2 will pay no single supplement at all for staterooms on the November 30 departure, sailing from Southampton to the Canaries (and only 50% for Grills Suites). Single fares start at £599 for 11 nights.

Mediterranean
Aboard Queen Elizabeth, single supplements are only 50% for both staterooms and Grills Suites on 12-night (November 21) or 10-night (December 3) fly-cruises that sail from Rome to Sicily and the Greek islands, or from Rome to the French Riviera, Barcelona, Lisbon and back to Southampton. Single fares start at £749 for 10 nights, £899 for 12 nights.

Atlantic Coast
With Queen Victoria, single travellers will also pay no single supplement for staterooms on sailings on November 17 and 29 from Southampton to destinations including Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Grills Suites have only a 25% (29 November) or 50% (17 November) single supplement. Single fares start at £499 for 12 nights. 

Scandinavia
A 10-night Baltic sailing (December 13-23) from Southampton to Norway, Sweden and Denmark also has only a 50% supplement for solo travellers in Staterooms and Grills Suites. Single fares start at £749 for 10 nights. 

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!

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.

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!

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.

Cunard Offers New York Stays

A classic Atlantic crossing on the world’s only ocean liner, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, has been made even more attractive and ‘must-do’ with the inclusion of New York City stays. Two-night New York stays, from only £99 per person in the four-star Grand Hyatt Hotel, now mean that the May 13 crossing from Southampton is available with the two-night stay for an amazing £1,299 per person, including $80 onboard spending money per person.

The Atlantic crossings involved are:

Voyage	Depart	Direction	2 Night Stay pp	Voyage pp
M305A	13-May-13	Eastbound	£99	£1,299
M307C	25-May-13	Westbound	£299	£1,329
M308A	01-Jun-13	Eastbound	£299	£1,369
M310C	24-Jun-13	Westbound	£299	£1,399
M312	06-Jul-13	Eastbound	£99	£1,449
M314	20-Jul-13	Westbound	£149	£1,469
M315	27-Jul-13	Eastbound	£149	£1,449
M317N	08-Aug-13	Westbound	£149	£1,469
M318A	15-Aug-13	Eastbound	£149	£1,449

It’s not just the sheer impressive nature of Queen Mary 2 which makes her one of life’s ‘must-do’ experiences. Her size and scale are combined with exceptional service, sumptuous furnishings, superb dining, a spa unlike any other at sea, the largest Library at sea, the only Planetarium at sea and lavishly appointed staterooms. A genuine transatlantic liner, she offers luxury in a classic setting that is surprisingly modern.

Added to all of this is the arrival or departure and stay like no other, in a city like no other.  

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.