Cunard Line has announced its 2006 winter cruise programme that features two epic Liner Voyages that will virtually circumnavigate South America…
Cunard Line has announced its 2006 winter cruise programme that features two epic Liner Voyages that will virtually circumnavigate South America. The new itineraries aboard the world-famous luxury liner Queen Mary 2 will feature a number of exciting maiden calls including a visit to Los Angeles.
Highlighting the new programme is a Liner Voyage in the grand Cunard tradition. The 38-day “South America Odyssey” lets passengers round Cape Horn via the Drake Passage, Beagle Channel and the Straits of Magellan. When Queen Mary 2 embarks on her journey, she will be the largest passenger vessel to ever navigate those storied waters. The historic voyage will visit vibrant South American capitals, world-class resorts, remote settlements, wildlife sanctuaries and treasures of civilisation. Prices start from $8,499 per person, double.
“When Queen Mary 2 visits a port for the first time she is welcomed in royal fashion with great fanfare,” said David Gevanthor, Cunard’s vice president of marketing. “These Cape Horn Liner Voyages offer guests the opportunity to share this excitement as they partake in an epic passage around the tip of South America.”
From January through April 2006 Queen Mary 2 will chart a memorable course through the East Indies and along the Atlantic seaboard of South America, around Tierra del Fuego to Chile and the Pacific Coast, then on to the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii and the United States. For those with wanderlust, but not unlimited vacation time, it is possible to choose from five shorter itineraries, which range from three to 14 days long. Air add-on fares are available from 161 North American cities in connection with the South America programme.
“Panama & the Caribbean” – departing January 3, 2006 – is a 12-day, round-trip cruise from the cold of New York to warm Caribbean climes with calls at St. Thomas, Curacao, Cristobal, Puerto Moin in Costa Rica. With the ship’s Pavilion Pool and Jacuzzis on Deck 12 covered by a retractable, glass roof, it’s possible for passengers to escape the inclement weather shortly after embarkation. As a sightseeing highlight, tours to the Panama Canal are offered from Cristobal. Cruise prices begin at $2,599 per person, double, including early booking savings.
“Route to Rio” will see the triumphant return of Queen Mary 2 to Rio de Janeiro after a one-year hiatus – her inaugural visit in February 2004 to celebrate Carnival was heralded throughout Brazil and neighbouring nations. A southbound voyage departs New York for Rio January 16, 2006, calling at St. Kitts, St. Lucia and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, en route. The reverse itinerary departs Rio on April 3, 2006, and visits Barbados in place of St. Lucia. Prices for the 12-day cruise start from $2,799 per person, double.
Cape Horn & Chilean Fjords” is a 12-day navigation of Patagonia. The Rio to Valparaiso (Santiago) voyage – departing January 27, 2006 – visits Montevideo, Uruguay; Ushuaia, Argentina; and Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt in Chile. The reverse itinerary departs March 22, 2006. Scenic wonders abound including the Straits of Magellan, Chilean fjords and Lake District, Tierra del Fuego and even a flightseeing excursion to Antarctica. Prices start from $2,999 per person, double.
“Andes & the Americas” – between Valparaiso and Los Angeles – is a two-week cruise to ports in seven countries. Queen Mary 2 will call at Callao, Peru (gateway to Lima); Esmeraldas, Ecuador (for Quito); Fuerte Amador, Panama; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; and Acapulco. From Fuerte Amador passengers can join an excursion to the Panama Canal Zone. The Valparaiso to Los Angeles itinerary departs February 8, 2006, and operates in the reverse direction March 8. Prices start at $3,299 per person, double.
“West Coast Escape” – February 22-25, 2006 – is a three-night voyage designed to enable Californians to sample the myriad pleasures of Queen Mary 2. The round-trip Los Angeles cruise makes a stop at Ensenada along the way. Prices start at $749 per person, double.
“Royal Hawaiian Liner” – departing February 25, 2006 – is an 11-day “liner voyage” sailing round-trip from Los Angeles to the Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Honolulu and Kailua-Kona. Prices start at $2,749 per person, double.
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