Cunard Readies Coronation Celebrations on All Three Queens

Luxury British cruise line Cunard is going all out with special programs, menus, and events to mark the coronation on May 6 of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.

The wide range of festivities will be held aboard all three “Queens,” the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth cruise ships.

Cunard is gearing up to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences for guests sailing aboard all three of its ships during the coronation ceremonies of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday, May 6.

All three ships will be at sea on coronation day and the ceremonies will be broadcast live from Westminster Abbey into each of the ships’ Royal Court Theatres and into stateroom TVs.

Queen Elizabeth will be operating a 9-night tour of Southern Japan and Taiwan, while Queen Victoria will be returning from a 12-night voyage around the Canary Islands.

Queen Mary 2 is sailing a special Coronation Celebration voyage, which departed May 2 on a roundtrip cruise from Southampton to Liverpool. All three ships have a guest capacity of 2,691.

The line, a Carnival Corporation brand, is planning an exclusive coronation dinner menu to be served on May 6 to all guests on the three ships, featuring curated dishes that will highlight King Charles III’s favorite ingredients as well as his focus on farming and agriculture, game, and organic foods.

Cruisers will be able to toast Their Majesties with special cocktails, including a Coronation Oath, made with prosecco, white vermouth, grapefruit and cardamom bitters, and a Monarch Martini, using Cunard’s 3 Queens Gin.

Cunard’s Insights program on the three ships will feature royal commentator Dickie Arbiter, historian Caroline Aston and etiquette expert Grant Harrold.

Cruise guests also will be invited to participate in a special deck walk on May 8, marking The Big Help Out, a fundraising event for The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity. Cunard has partnered with the trust for the last 15 years, and has raised more than $3.3 million so far. The trust helps youth who face disadvantages and adversity.

Queen Mary 2 Returns to Service After Repairs

Queen Mary 2’s Coronation Celebration Voyage followed two canceled cruises on the iconic ocean liner. A technical problem forced the line to cancel the ship’s two previous sailings, an April 23 transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York, and the return transatlantic from New York that was to depart on April 30.

No specific reason was offered beyond a “technical issue,” and all fares and any booked excursions were refunded. Future cruise credits also were provided to disappointed guests. The ship remained docked in Southampton as repairs were made.

Cunard has royal connections that date back to 1861, when Prince Alfred sailed from Halifax to Liverpool on Cunard’s SS Arabia. According to the line, members of the royal family have sailed on each of the ships in the current fleet.

A fourth ship, Queen Anne, is under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. The 113,000 gross ton vessel, which will enter service in 2024, marked a construction milestone on April 14 when the Cunard red and black funnel was lifted into place.

Cunard in 2023 is celebrating two other milestones: The 100-year anniversary of the line’s first world voyage and the 100th year of providing photographers onboard its ships. Early this year the line launched a photo exhibition titled “Sea Views,” featuring many archived pictures as well as photos from past guests.