A Cunard Scheduling Question

[Patria21]

For the last few years, at least, it has been possible to take the QM2's traditional January 3 eastbound crossing to Southampton to meet up with the Queen Victoria on January 11, when it would begin its world cruise. In 2025, however, while the QM2 will still arrive in Southampton on January 11, the two ships doing world voyages - Queen Victoria and Queen Anne - won't be there. They're leaving on January 9. I just find the switch puzzling and wonder if anyone has heard why Cunard has made it. It would seem like the company would want to encourage people, particularly people coming from America, to make that connection.I know my friends and I loved taking the QM2 to meet the Victoria this year: We referred to the ship as our "World Cruise Taxi." You can do use it yourself in 2024, but that appears to be the last time.

[bluemarble]

Here's an update to what I posted back in January in response to a question about how the current Cunard fleet's schedules have been coordinated in Southampton around the dates of the various world cruises over the years.

 

My take on this is that Cunard does tend to coordinate the schedules for two of the ships to be in Southampton on the same date when they are commencing their world cruises. Only once (in 2016) were all three ships scheduled to be in Southampton on the same date to start their world cruises. Once (in 2017) all three ships started their world cruises on different dates. And of course QM2 isn't doing a world cruise in 2025.

 

That said, I do think Cunard has missed a great opportunity to feature a "Three Queens" meeting in Southampton with QA, QM2 and QV there prior to QA and QV starting their 2025 world cruises. That's in addition to that lost opportunity for QM2 to serve as a "World Cruise Taxi" from New York for those who would like to join either the QA or QV 2025 world cruises from Southampton.

 

Interestingly there is a seamless connection to take QM2 back to New York after the QA 2025 world cruise. QA arrives back in Southampton on April 27, 2025 and a westbound crossing on QM2 departs that same day.

 

====================

 

2011

Jan 5: QE and QV left Southampton on world cruises; QM2 at sea in Caribbean

 

2012

Jan 10: QM2 and QE left Southampton on world cruises; QV in Puerto Quetzal

 

2013

Jan 6: QE left Southampton on world cruise

Jan 10:  QM2 and QV left Southampton on world cruises

 

2014

Jan 2: QV left Southampton on world cruise

Jan 10: QM2 and QE left Southampton on world cruises

 

2015

Jan 10: QM2 and QE left Southampton on world cruises

Jan 20: QV left Southampton on world cruise

 

2016

Jan 10: QM2, QV and QE left Southampton on world cruises

 

2017

Jan 5: QV left Southampton on world cruise

Jan 7: QE left Southampton on world cruise

Jan 10: QM2 left Southampton on world cruise

 

2018

Jan 7: QV and QE left Southampton on world cruises

Jan 10: QM2 left Southampton on world cruise

 

2019

Jan 3: QE left Southampton for Australia

Jan 10: QM2 and QV left Southampton on world cruises

 

2020

Jan 10: QM2 and QV left Southampton on world cruises; QE in Hobart

 

2023

Jan 11: QM2 and QV left Southampton on world cruises; QE in Dunedin

 

2024

Jan 11: QM2 and QV leave Southampton on world cruises; QE at sea in Australia

 

2025

Jan 9: QA and QV leave Southampton on world cruises; QE at sea in Australia

Jan 11: QM2 leaves Southampton on Caribbean cruise