Choosing Cruising Blog

Cunard is bringing classical and contemporary jazz performances to various eastbound Transatlantic crossings aboard Queen Mary 2 from April - October 2010 including renowned trumpeter Eddie Henderson, who’s first trumpet lesson was given to him by the legendary Louis Armstrong.

In addition on the 29th April 2010 during the westbound crossing, acclaimed documentary filmmakers Dori Berinstein and Judd Ehrlich will join the cruise.  Cunard  was the sponsor of the 2009 World Documentary Feature competition and recognised as the 2009 Official Cruise Line of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Here are the charges on a selection of the most popular cruise lines for the cost (including the appropriate tip) for a bottle of Becks 330ml beer.

Fred Olsen £2.20 , P&O £2.35 , Princess £2.51, Ocean Village £2.65 , Holland America £3.05, Costa £3.05, Cunard £3.41, Celebrity £3.59, NCL £3.61, Royal Carribean £3.95.

Interestingly the British Lines such as Fred Olsen and P&O were the cheapest and American lines such as Royal Caribbean and NCL the most expensive.

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth floated out on 5th January 2010 in at at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste. Three specially-selected coins were welded under the ship’s mast for good luck and then blessed by a bottle of Italian Prosecco.

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The innaugral cruise leaves on 12th October 2010. See the itinerary here

Following on from Queen Mary docking in Liverpool in October, Cunard have announced that Queen Victoria will follow suit in July 2010. This hots up the competition with Southampton as a UK destination.

Queen Victoria

Queen Mary 2 sailed into Liverpool for the first time on 20th October 2009 as part of a UK tour for its fifth birthday. Weighing 151,400 tonnes and built at a cost of £460million, the Queen Mary 2 arrived as a shining symbol of one of Liverpool’s greatest - and world-famous - companies Cunard.

Queen Mary 2 arrives in Liverpool on 20th October 2009

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Here is a summary of the latest competitions run by cruise companies:

P&O Cruises is holding a running contest to find dancing stars to perform on it’s newest ship Azura during the VIP naming ceremony on 10th April 2010

For 3 years Thomson has been “Get Up and Dance” which starts again in January 2010 onboard Island Escape.

If you are a keen photographer, submit your photo of a Fred Olsen Ship/destination to www.fredolsenphotocompetition.co.uk with a camera as first prize, a watch as second and £75 onboard spending credit as third.

Are you a sculptor? Cunard is looking for a five-metre-tall sculpture to adorn the Royal Arcade shopping area of their lastest ship Queen Elizabeth. Judging will be decided in January 2010 by a panel including Charles Saumarez Smith, chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Opera singers have the chance to vie for €15,000 and a performance at the Vienna Opera house in the Hapag-Lloyd “X Factor” style competition

To mark the 5th birthday of Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, the ship will make her  inaugural call to Greenock and the Clyde on Monday 19 October 2009. It will be the largest ship ever to have sailed up the Clyde.

Queen Mary 2 visits the Clyde

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In preparation for his European tour James Taylor travelled aboard Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton in June with his family, band and entourage. In exchange for passage he gave two performances in the ship’s 1,150-person Royal Court Theatre playing to standing room-only crowds.

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Coming up on 23rd August aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 passengers will have the  opportunity to preview The Collection of Barbra Streisand Collection of fine art prior to auction on 17th October 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. The ship is travelling from New York to Southampton on it’s transatlantic passage. (more…)

P&O Cruises and Cunard have both broken records for 2011 world voyages bookings. From 1st July 2,044 people booked voyages from the two programmes. That’s a staggering 47% increase on the same day last year. As regular cruise passengers know, making early bookings rewards with huge savings. (more…)