Well, it’s certainly been a busy few weeks! From spending time in Hong Kong on board Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria to celebrate their round world voyages, to a visit to the shipyard in Venice, where Queen Anne’s finishing touches are underway and her crew are moving on board!
It was fantastic to start the month in Hong Kong to celebrate our round world voyages. They are very much a signature Cunard experience, and it was fascinating to visit the ships, guests, and crew so far away from home, to see how they are enjoying life on board.
These epic voyages are made up of guests who stay with us for the duration and guests who book segments and hop on and off the ships. Around 25-30% of those guests have booked a full round world cruise, and we hold a special gala evening on land for them. It was my first experience of this event, and I hadn’t realised just how much guests look forward to and enjoy the evening.
It’s quite incredible to hear from guests and crew about the different ports visited and their many experiences. For our Filipino crew members, their highlight had been a call in Manila a few days earlier, where many of them were able to take a day off to celebrate with their families. For our guests, Queen Victoria’s maiden call to Bitung in Indonesia, had seen the whole town arrive to welcome the ship, something that everyone agreed was truly unforgettable.
The galas are a celebration of the tradition and history of the Cunard world voyage and this year, both evenings were a combination of great food, traditional Chinese entertainment, and of course, post dinner dancing!
With speeches from myself and the captain, it’s also a chance to say ‘thank you’ to the guests for choosing us, and to the crew who work tirelessly to deliver an outstanding White Star Service and make sure everyone has a wonderful time. When I thanked the crew at both events, it was fantastic to see guests standing to applaud their service, which was a really proud moment.
On 25 March it was over to Venice to visit our newest Queen! It was a quick, day-trip dash, but enough time for me to take a tour and see Queen Anne’s wonderful designs taking shape. Guests are going to absolutely love her style and elegance… distinctly Cunard but with a fresh modernity that we can lean into for the future.
Highlights for me were the Britannia restaurant, The Golden Lion pub, our fabulously purple Royal Court theatre, and the wellness spaces we have on board, from the spa through to the gorgeous glass yoga studio.
That being said… there is still lots of work to do to get her ready for her maiden voyage. A huge thank you to everyone involved in getting her ready to set sail – a very busy few weeks coming up as we countdown the days until 3 May!
Speaking of counting down, the month was rounded off nicely back in Southampton, with our ‘Queen Anne Day’ in Carnival House on 26 March. Our shoreside colleagues had the chance to celebrate and learn all about our newest Queen, from her unique wellness offering through to her delicious dining options – and our Atrium countdown clock is officially ticking away until her maiden voyage.
I look forward to catching up with more of you soon. Lots for Cunard to look forward to in the weeks ahead!