MIAMI — Cunard Line’s upcoming newbuild, the Queen Elizabeth, will spend its maiden season sailing from Southampton to the Mediterranean, the Baltic and Northern Europe.
Cunard CEO Peter Shanks said that when the 2,092-passenger Queen Elizabeth debuts this October, the cruise line will increase capacity by about 50%.
Shanks said Cunard is looking to grow North American market share by one-third next year, when the Queen Elizabeth adds a third ship to its fleet.
"We are offering a more appealing and consistent approach to deployment,” Shanks said from the Seatrade convention in Miami. “With three ships, we are much more relevant our travel agents."
Part of the push to attract more North Americans is to commit the 2,000-passenger Queen Victoria to itineraries that are popular with North Americans, including a series of cruises to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean from Southampton, England. The ship will then position from Venice in late summer.
The Queen Victoria will sail a new Holy Land cruise for the line in 2011, a 12-day sailing from Civitavecchia, Italy, beginning Oct. 3 that will include calls in Israel (Ashdod and Haifa) and Port Said, Egypt.
The Queen Elizabeth will also sail a 19-day Voyage to the Holy Land from Southampton on Oct. 28, 2011.
Shanks said the line is increasing its overnight calls in many pots, including Venice, St. Petersburg, and Istanbul.
Updates on itineraries can be found at www.wearecunard.com.