Cunard continues to make history in 2007

**Ally** · 12-15-2006, 12:08 PM

Cunard’s newest liner, Queen Victoria, is quietly taking shape at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard near Venice. Today the $522m newbuild is scheduled to have her diesel generator turned on, reports Cunard’s managing director, Carol Marlow. Float out is planned for January 15.

2007 promises to be yet another eventful year for Cunard culminating in the arrival of Queen Victoria into homeport Southampton on December 8. In between, the other ‘Queens’ in the fleet will be in the headlines with QE2 embarking on her 25th World Cruise and Queen Mary 2 her maiden world cruise, both leaving Southampton in January, each sailing a different itinerary as they circumnavigate the world.

Two highlights of the voyages will be the 'Meeting of Queens' in Fort Lauderdale on January 10 and in Sydney Harbour on February 20. It will be the first time two Cunard Queens have been in Sydney simultaneously since Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth regularly met there in 1941 and 1942 as part of their wartime trooping duties.

One of the most poignant occasions for Cunard next year will be the 40th anniversary celebrations for QE2, including a ‘lap of honour voyage around the UK in September which is sold out,’ says Marlow. The liner will depart Southampton on an eight-night round-trip voyage with stops in Tyne (overnight), Edinburgh, Greenock (Glasgow) arriving on September 20, where 40 years ago to the day Queen Elizabeth II named QE2, and onto Liverpool with the call coinciding with the official opening of its new cruise liner facility.

(Cunard)