Cunard has been at the forefront of ocean travel for 175 years. Throughout its illustrious history the company has established everything from the first scheduled transatlantic crossings to the first electric lightbulbs and en suite bathrooms at sea, to the grandeur of the floating palaces of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, to the launch of the current fleet. Keeping this tradition alive, Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 will be subject to a major 25-day, dry dock refurbishment in Hamburg starting in late May. Interestingly, research shows that increasing numbers of guests are seeking to holiday in multi-generational groups – grandparents, parents and children. Often this necessitates one member of the family travelling as an individual. To support this, and for those simply travelling alone, for the first time, 15 Single Staterooms will be introduced during the refit.
With further growing trends for those booking Balcony Staterooms and those wishing to have more flexibility in their dining arrangements, 30 additional Britannia Club Balcony Staterooms will be created on board. Guests travelling in these staterooms will be able to dine at a time of their own choosing in the dedicated Britannia Club restaurant, which will be expanded.
Pets are also increasingly seen as integral to the family group. Queen Mary 2 is already the only cruise liner in the world to offer dedicated kennels and currently carries up to 12 dogs and cats on each Transatlantic crossing. Due to the fact that these kennel places frequently sell out, a further 10 will be created for four-legged travellers. Both a lamp post and a fire hydrant will be installed on the area of deck reserved for dog walking as part of the kennels development, ensuring that dogs from either side of the pond will feel equally at home! This was previously a feature of the kennels on Cunard’s former flagship, QE2, and was first introduced on board Queen Mary at the suggestion of The Duke of Windsor.
Angus Struthers, Cunard director, says,
“Queen Mary 2 is an icon in the world of luxury ocean travel. A ship that turns heads everywhere she goes, she is the pride of the Cunard fleet and we are committed to ensuring her reputation grows ever stronger. These enhancements are just the beginning of an exciting revitalisation for Queen Mary 2, and we look forward to making more announcements about this impressive refit in the coming months.”
www.cunard.co.uk
