Cunard Announces Queen Mary 2’s 500th Transatlantic Crossing
Queen Elizabeth’s 115-night World Voyage departs Southampton on January 23, 2029, marking the ship’s first return to New Zealand in four years, with calls at Auckland and Wellington.
Cunard has announced 93 voyages sailing between October 2028 and May 2029, including Queen Mary 2’s 500th transatlantic crossing and roundtrip departures from New York and Miami. The program, unveiled on October 21, 2026, covers all four ships in the fleet.
The schedule spans 104 destinations in 49 countries, with extended world and South America itineraries alongside shorter European sailings. The transatlantic program will also allow passengers to embark in Liverpool for the first time since 2015.
Four embarkation options for the transatlantic milestone
Queen Mary 2’s commemorative voyage will be available as a 21-night roundtrip from New York departing April 20, 2029, with fares starting at £2,924 per person. Passengers can also join an 11-night itinerary from Hamburg on April 30.
European embarkation options include a nine-night sailing from Southampton on May 2, starting at £1,709 per person, and a departure from Liverpool on May 4, with fares to the United States from £1,349 per person.
Paul Ludlow, president of Cunard, described the sailing as “reconnecting Liverpool with our iconic Transatlantic service.” The liner began scheduled transatlantic crossings in April 2004 and completed its 400th crossing in 2024.
Elsewhere in the season, the ship will offer Caribbean itineraries from Southampton and New York, including overnight calls in Bridgetown, Barbados, and Philipsburg, St Maarten. A 14-night Norway and Northern Lights itinerary is also scheduled, while a 14-night Western Mediterranean sailing can be booked as part of a 29-night roundtrip from New York.
World and South America voyages
Queen Elizabeth’s 115-night World Voyage will depart Southampton on January 23, 2029, with fares starting at £13,499 per person. The world program will offer roundtrip embarkation from both Southampton and Miami, visiting five continents, including destinations in New Zealand, Australia, Asia and South Africa.
The voyage includes the ship’s first return to New Zealand in four years, with calls at Auckland and Wellington. Overnight stays are scheduled in Cape Town, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney.
Before the world itinerary, the ship will reposition from Barcelona to Miami and operate four 14-night Caribbean voyages. The departures include Thanksgiving and Christmas sailings, plus a New Year’s Eve voyage featuring fireworks in St Thomas.
Queen Anne’s 86-night South America Discovery voyage will leave Southampton on January 9, 2029, with fares from £8,549 per person. An extended 90-night option will depart Hamburg, while passengers embarking in Miami can book a 60-night roundtrip.
The itinerary combines Caribbean calls with visits to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. An overnight stay in Rio de Janeiro coincides with Carnival, and further overnight calls are planned in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso and Callao.
The sailing will be among Queen Anne’s final itineraries under the Cunard brand before its planned transfer to P&O Cruises in May 2029. The ship, which entered service in 2024, is due to be refurbished and rebranded as part of parent company Carnival’s fleet changes.
Scandinavian sailings and first-time port visits
Queen Victoria will sail from Southampton to Scandinavia, Northern Europe, the Norwegian fjords, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and the Canary Islands. New itineraries of seven, 14 and 16 nights include a February departure with an overnight in Oslo and a longer Scandinavian sailing with overnight stays in both Copenhagen and Oslo. Two seven-night spring departures will visit Spain and France and the Norwegian fjords, respectively.
Across the fleet, the program includes 18 overnight port calls and 18 late-evening departures, with an average of 12 hours spent in port. Passengers can visit 64 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the itineraries.
Seven maiden calls are scheduled. Among them is Cunard’s first visit to Praia, Cape Verde. Queen Elizabeth will make its first calls at Fort-de-France, Martinique, and Nawiliwili, Hawaii; Queen Anne will add San Juan, Puerto Rico; St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Castries, St Lucia; and Colon, Panama.
Cunard World Club members can book from 2 p.m. on November 3, 2026, with general sales beginning 24 hours later. A 10% early-booking discount will be available for reservations made before midnight on December 30, 2026.
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