Carnival Corporation recently announced it attracted nearly a quarter of a million visits to its unique “CRUISE-A-NALITY” tool – an easy, fun and industry-first quiz that helps people determine what type of cruise vacation and brand experience is right for them. The results are based on a six personality-focused questions that generate a cruise “persona” for all types of travelers.
Of the thousands of people who completed the “CRUISE-A-NALITY” quiz, a total of 65 percent were women. Additionally, when combining both male and female respondents, nearly 40 percent of consumers who completed the quiz qualified as a “Captain Spontaneous” (male) or “The Free Spirit” (female) cruise personality – meaning they are up for whatever experience is thrown their way and always looking for a good time.
The “CRUISE-A-NALITY” tool, available on Carnival Corporation’s World’s Leading Cruise Lines website, combines onboard experience-based questions with destination-based questions to provide tailored cruise brand recommendations for each participant. For instance, if a male answered questions about what kind of onboard experience he was looking for that led him to the “Captain Spontaneous” persona and chose that he is looking for a tropical getaway, he might be provided with recommendations to travel on the company’s Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises or Costa Cruises brands.
“The CRUISE-A-NALITY tool is a fun way for travelers to look for the cruise vacation experience that is best for them,” said Ken Jones, vice president of group marketing and insights for Carnival Corporation.
It is easy to do, and it is helping our current and potential guests get a better understanding of their cruise personas. The more we can help get the right people on the right ship for the right occasion, the more we are able to ensure we exceed guest expectations. And of course, we always encourage our guests to work with their travel agent, who can provide excellent insight into how to make the most of a cruise vacation.”
The quiz has been an engaging tool for consumers, with people spending on average more than two and a half minutes on the site per visit. When that amount of time is combined with the more than 200,000 visits to the tool, it accounts for 445 days, or more than a year of time, exploring their cruise personality. When taking the quiz, there are 30 possible “CRUISE-A-NALITY” personas available. This includes the below eight corresponding personalities — four male, four female — that were the most popular personas based on consumer answers to the quiz:
MOST POPULAR CRUISE-A-NALITIES
CRUISE-A-NALITY
Description
Percent of Quiz-Takers
Captain Spontaneous (male)
The Free Spirit (female)
These personas are up for anything in pursuit of a good time on their cruise vacation
36% male
38% female
Adventure Man (male)
Madame Adventurous (female)
These personas are ready to take on any adventure out there
18% male
21% female
The Super Dad (male)
The Ultra Mom (female)
These personas are the ultimate-parents looking to have a good time with their kiddos
11% male
11% female
Admiral Amorous (male)
LadyLove (female)
These personas are the romantic-type looking to enjoy time with a significant other
11% male
9% female
Carnival Corporation launched the “CRUISE-A-NALITY” quiz as part of its new multi-brand marketing initiative targeting new cruisers, which led to the company airing a 60-second TV commercial during the Super Bowl on February 1.
Take the Quiz yourself and see what your “CRUISE-A-NALITY” is? – Click Here!
Cruise Addicts sailing with Disney Cruise Line now have an easier way to identify healthier menu choices for their children. As part of Disney’s commitment to make healthy living simpler and more fun for families, Mickey Check meals are now offered in rotational dining restaurants aboard all four Disney ships.
To receive the Mickey Check, foods must be nutritious and meet Disney Nutrition Guidelines for calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar. These guidelines were developed by leading child health experts and align to best-in-class dietary guideline recommendations. A complete Mickey Check kids’ meal, for example, includes three or more nutritious food groups (such as vegetables, whole grains, lean protein), has limited added sugar and does not have any trans fats.
[pullquote]”More and more families are looking for healthier options when they travel, and with Mickey Check, we’ve made it easy for them to identify these choices on our menus,” said Ozer Balli, vice president of Hotel Operations[/pullquote]
“More and more families are looking for healthier options when they travel, and with Mickey Check, we’ve made it easy for them to identify these choices on our menus,” said Ozer Balli, vice president of Hotel Operations for Disney Cruise Line. “Disney is known for exceptional, innovative and fun dining experiences at its parks and resorts around the world. And dining aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship delivers on the trust, quality and promise guests expect. Now, with the Mickey Check, our expert chefs are taking healthy food and making it fun and delicious for our youngest guests.”
Immersive dining experiences at Disney Parks and on Disney cruise ships blend cuisine with storytelling in a way that only Disney can. Whether it’s a quick meal on the go, a character dining experience or an exquisite adults-only dinner at Remy, cruise guests will find a range of food and beverage options to satisfy their exotic, health conscious and even comfort-food tastes.
The Mickey Check is used at various locations throughout Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, on Disney-licensed food products sold at retail and on qualifying recipes on Disney.com. The Mickey Check is a part of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living commitment that launched in 2006. For more information about Mickey Check and the Magic of Healthy Living, visit Disneymickeycheck.com.
Balearia's New Bahama Mama Ferry holds 1,000 passengers
Balearia’s New Bahama Mama Ferry holds 1,000 passengers
Broward County’s Port Everglades expects to see a 65 percent increase in daily passengers as Spain-based ferry company Balearia Ferry Express replaces its 460-passenger vessel with the 1,000-passenger Bahama Mama, which began service to Grand Bahama Island this week.
“Balearia’s new ferry will further enhance the opportunities for our Bahamian neighbors and U.S. tourists to travel between the Bahamas and Florida through Port Everglades,” said Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness during an inaugural celebration at the Port.
Balearia’s ferry service at Port Everglades grew approximately 34 percent from 90,909 passengers in Fiscal Year 2013 to 121,321 passengers in Fiscal Year 2014. Port officials expect the ferry company’s success to continue at an even faster pace with the new Bahama Mama, which carries more passengers and larger amounts of cargo, containers and vehicles.
Bahama Mama, formerly named Alhucemas, is expected to make 300 voyages to Grand Bahama Island and carry more than 200,000 passengers annually.
Balearia’s New Bahama Mama Ferry holds 1,000 passengers
Located in the second largest county in Florida, Broward County’s Port Everglades is consistently ranked as one of the three busiest cruise ports in the world with more than 4 million passengers 2014. Eight cruise lines, one ferry and more than 40 cruise ships sail from the South Florida seaport including: Balearia’s Bahamas Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn and Silversea Cruises. The Port’s wide-ranging fleet of cruise ships provides guests with an array of cruise vacation choices from the sunny Greater Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Dania Beach area. View details on the latest cruise offerings at porteverglades.net or contact us by emailing PortEverglades@broward.org.
Carnival Freedom with first ever Carnival Live stage setup on deck.
Country music artist Martina McBride aboard Carnival Freedom
Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, left, poses with legendary country music artist Martina McBride, right, prior to a Martina McBride Carnival LIVE concert Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, onboard Carnival Freedom while the ship was docked in Galveston, Texas.
Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, left, Operation Homefront CEO Tim Farrell, center, and Carnival Senior Cruise Director John Heald hold a large check facsimile just prior to a Martina McBride Carnival LIVE concert
Carnival Cruise Line, Texas’ number-one cruise operator, marked the arrival of Carnival Freedom at its new year-round homeport of Galveston on Saturday, Feb. 14, with a celebration honoring U.S. military personnel and their families.
In partnership with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization that supports military families, service members and their families were treated to an overnight event featuring a variety of daytime activities, including an exclusive outdoor Carnival LIVE performance by country music superstar Martina McBride, along with dinner and a full evening of entertainment, all compliments of Carnival.
Prior to McBride’s concert, Carnival presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to Operation Homefront.
McBride, a 14-time GRAMMY® nominee, performed on Carnival Freedom’s upper deck in the first Carnival LIVE show staged outdoors. It was her second time participating in the Carnival LIVE concert series that offers guests the best live music at sea from popular acts spanning a variety of musical genres.
“Performing for these military families was an incredible honor. And everyone really enjoyed the outdoor setting on the ship’s deck,” said McBride. “I hope that everyone who was there had a special Valentine’s Day experience; I’m so glad I was asked to be part of it.”
“We’re thrilled Carnival Cruise Line honored these service members and their families by providing a truly memorable day and evening of onboard fun and exciting activities,” said Tim Farrell, chief operating officer for Operation Homefront. “In that spirit, we’re also grateful for Carnival Cruise Line’s generous gift of $100,000, which will help military families here in Texas and throughout the country.”
Carnival Freedom recently underwent a $70 million makeover that added an array of Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancements, and attendees at Saturday’s event had full access to the ship’s many on-board innovations, including new family entertainment programming such as Seuss at Sea and Camp Ocean featuring 200 marine-themed activities.
The renovation also included complimentary eateries such as BlueIguana Cantina, and Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri, along with exciting new bar concepts BlueIguana Tequila Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar and the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub. Four new high-tech Playlist Productions shows were added, as well.
For additional information on the Carnival Freedom or any other “Fun Ship” vacation, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
On 5 February, Cunard kicked off the company’s 175th Anniversary celebrations in the US by paying homage to the Queen Mary when Queen Elizabeth docked in the port of Long Beach, California for the first time. Enthusiastic well-wishers turned out for the festivities which featured an emotional speech read by the Queen Mary’s Commodore Everette Hoard to the gathered crowd about the history of the Queen Mary, currently celebrating her 80th year in public life. Whistle salutes between the two ships followed, and a dazzling fireworks display finished the day as the ship pulled away from her berth.
View the video highlights from the special day:
This was the first time a Cunard ship had berthed in Long Beach since Queen Mary arrived at her retirement home in October 1967. In recent years the current Cunard fleet has saluted Queen Mary during brief visits to the harbour.
Queen Mary will celebrate the 80th anniversary of her Maiden Voyage in May 2016.
“During our 175-year history, the Queen Mary has been one of our most beloved ships,” said Richard Meadows, president, Cunard, North America. “This meeting of the Queens was especially memorable for our passengers, as this maiden call offered them the opportunity to disembark in Long Beach and experience the Queen Mary, an integral part of our history and tradition.”
Earlier in the day, the Queen Mary debuted their new Ship Model Gallery, featuring Cunard models of Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and QE2, along with the original Bassett-Lowke shipbuilder’s model of the Queen Mary – a spectacular and historically significant ship model measuring over 20 feet in length. In attendance for the celebratory ribbon-cutting was President of Cunard, North America, Richard Meadows; Bernadette Greene, Deputy British Consul-General of Los Angeles; Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia; John Jenkins, General Manager of the Queen Mary, and Everette Hoard, Commodore of the Queen Mary. Master of Queen Elizabeth Captain Alistair Clark was also in attendance.
For more information about Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth and to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, call Cunard toll-free at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com
Check out all the food you can eat while on a Carnival Cruise. Watch as these guys take a cruise aboard Carnival Sunshine. Produced by Foodbeast.com it has great information about the ship and the many amazing food options you’ll find while on-board.
Carnival Cruise Line today announced the details of its most innovative ship ever, Carnival Vista, debuting in spring 2016.
Carnival Breeze and Carnival Liberty Will Reposition To Galveston
PortMiami will be the year-round homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s largest ship to date, the 133,500-ton Carnival Vista, when it launches six- to eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning in December 2016.
Aft View of Carnival Vista
Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, Carnival Vista will take cruising to new heights, introducing groundbreaking features such as SkyRide, a suspended open-air cycling experience; the world’s first IMAX® Theatre on a ship; Kaleid-O-Slide, the line’s first water tube slide; and RedFrog Pub, including the line’s first onboard brewery.
With Carnival Breeze, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Freedom, Galveston will be home to three of the line’s most innovative ships offering the widest array of cruise durations and itineraries to top destinations in Mexico, Belize, Isla Roatan and The Bahamas. These three ships will carry 600,000 passengers annually from Galveston – more than any other cruise operator.
“Miami and Galveston are among our most popular points of embarkation and deploying our newest, most innovative ships to these homeports speaks volumes about our confidence in growing these markets,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. “These ships not only offer our guests incredible on-board experiences but also provide our valued travel agent partners with exciting new choices to market to their clients,” she added.
Carnival Vista kicks off its new schedule from PortMiami with a special four-day cruise to Grand Turk departing Nov. 29, 2016. The ship will then launch year-round six- and eight-day cruises beginning with an eight-day voyage departing Dec. 3, 2016. Six-day cruises feature Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, while a mix of different eight-day itineraries visit some of the Caribbean’s most sought-after destinations, including Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and La Romana (Dominican Republic).
The ship will also offer a combination of one-time voyages, including a five-day cruise departing Dec. 11 and seven-day voyages departing Dec. 17 and 24, 2016, that offer an exciting selection of ports including the Caribbean’s newest destination, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, as well as Mahogany Bay, Grand Turk, Belize, San Juan, St. Thomas and Cozumel, depending on the itinerary.
In addition to visiting breathtaking Caribbean destinations, guests can experience all the Carnival Vista has to offer – from the colorful Havana area with tropics-inspired staterooms and suites and Family Harbor with special accommodations and a new family concierge to delicious choices like Seafood Shack and new al fresco options at the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi and Cherry On Top, featuring a mixed-to-order premium ice cream bar.
Three- to 11-Day Carnival Vista Sailings from the Big Apple
SkyRide, the cruise industry’s first pedal-powered open-air aerial attraction soars guests 150 feet in the air.
Prior to the start-up of year-round service from Miami, Carnival Vista will operate a pair of voyages round-trip from New York beginning with a three-day cruise November 4-7, 2016, followed by an 11-day voyage departing Nov. 7, 2016, and visiting Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, Antigua and St. Maarten. Carnival Vista will then offer a spectacular 11-day cruise from New York to Miami Nov. 18-29, 2016, with calls at Grand Turk, Bonaire, Aruba and St. Maarten, an unmatched combination of great destinations not available on any other cruise from New York.
Carnival Liberty and Carnival Breeze will shift to Galveston in 2016, providing consumers with Texas-sized fun on departures from the Lone Star State.
Carnival Liberty will launch year-round four- and five-day cruises to Mexico from Galveston beginning March 21, 2016. Four-day “long weekend” cruises depart Thursdays and feature a stop at Cozumel, while five-day voyages depart Mondays and Saturdays visiting Cozumel and Progreso. Prior to the start-up of its new Texas-based program, Carnival Liberty will offer a special three-day cruise round-trip from Galveston March 18-21, 2016.
Carnival Breeze – the line’s newest ship – will offer three different week-long itineraries visiting popular ports in the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida beginning Dec. 11, 2016. Western Caribbean voyages call at either Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel or Belize, Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan) and Cozumel, while a Bahamas/Florida route includes Nassau, Freeport, and Key West. Carnival Breeze will also offer a special two-day cruise from Galveston Dec. 9-11, 2016, before kicking off its new year-round seven-day schedule.
Carnival Breeze and Carnival Liberty bring exciting new choices to Galveston, each with an array of on-board features. Carnival Breeze offers such innovations as a multi-dimensional cinema experience called Thrill Theater, Bonsai Sushi full-service Asian restaurant and WaterWorks highlighted by a 312-foot-long slide, while Carnival Liberty offers a classic American steakhouse, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar and a 14,500-square-foot spa.
New Value-Packed 12-day Cruises Offer Exciting Destinations
In preparation for their new deployments, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Breeze will each operate a unique 12-day cruise in 2016, visiting a variety of exotic Caribbean destinations. These departures have been created especially for those guests who are looking for a longer-length cruise vacation providing more time to enjoy the ships’ wide range of amenities while visiting less frequently traveled islands throughout the Caribbean.
Carnival Liberty will offer a 12-day cruise from San Juan to Galveston March 6-18, 2016, calling at St. Thomas, Barbados, Tobago, Grenada, Aruba and Grand Cayman. Carnival Breeze will operate a 12-day cruise departing Miami Nov. 27, 2016, and arriving in Galveston Dec. 9, 2016. Featured ports on this one-time voyage include St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Curacao, Aruba and Cozumel.
Additional Information and Reservations
Reservations are currently being accepted for these new deployments. For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
Additional information on the Carnival Vista is available at www.carnival.com/carnivalvista with regular Twitter updates @CarnivalVista.
Ted Lange, who played the bartender on The Love Boat, shows off his new cocktail fittingly called "The Isaac" that will debut aboard Princess Cruises' ships on Valentine's Day. (PRNewsFoto/Princess Cruises)
“The Isaac” Cocktail Pays Tribute to World’s Most Famous Bartender
Just in time for Valentines Day, Princess Cruises has introduced a new cocktail to sweeten celebrations on the high seas. Original Love Boat cast member Ted Lange, who played Isaac the bartender, created the amorous concoction, drawing inspiration from his character’s signature grin-and-point move and bright red jacket. The new drink is debuting on all Princess cruise ships in time for Valentine’s Day.
Fittingly called, “The Isaac,” the refreshing love potion includes white rum – a nod to Lange’s favorite cruise destination, the Caribbean; pomegranate syrup – channeling the famous red jacket his character wore and also an aphrodisiac; two pineapple leaves as garnish – tribute to his character’s two-finger signature point; lime juice and club soda, to add some sparkle.
Lange recently visited Crown Princess to demonstrate how to make his new creation for the ship’s bartenders and a video of this lighthearted demonstration can be seen here.
“The Love Boat put Princess Cruises on the map, bringing the romance and adventure of our cruise vacations into millions of viewers’ homes for the decade it was on air. So, who better to create a special cocktail celebrating love and romance at sea than Ted, who turned his character into the world’s most famous bartender,” said Rai Caluori, the line’s executive vice president of guest experience and product development.
Most people don’t know that while I was serving up drinks on the Love Boat, I also became a licensed bartender in real life,” said Lange. “If a bartender recognizes me, he or she always wants me to try their special drink. Now, I’m excited for everyone to try my special drink and I know they are going to love it. Like the song says, ‘come aboard, the Isaac’s waiting for you!'”
“The Isaac” is the line’s latest new onboard offering furthering Princess’ love quotient. Last fall, the cruise line unveiled ” Chocolate Journeys,” an enticing array of onboard chocolate offerings including custom-crafted desserts, chocolate and wine pairings, and exquisite chocolate bites created by one of the top names in artisan chocolate, Norman Love.
To enjoy “The Isaac” at home, here’s the cocktail recipe:
Ingredients: 2 oz white rum
2 oz pomegranate syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
splash of club soda
lime slice(s)
2 pineapple leaf spears
Glass: highball glass
Preparation: Fill highball glass with 2/3 ice or desired amount of ice. Into a cocktail shaker, add ice, white rum, pomegranate syrup and lime juice. Shake and strain into highball glass, filling just to the top of the ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with a fresh lime slice and two pineapple spears.
Tauck has announced the names of the two new Inspiration Class riverboats that will join its fleet next year, and the new vessels will be christened the ms Grace and the ms Joy. The names were selected from a pool of nearly 400 entries submitted by Tauck employees during a company-sponsored naming contest conducted last fall.
“I think these two names are wonderfully evocative of the emotional responses our guests have on our river cruises, both on and off our vessels,” said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. “Grace is defined as ‘refined movement,’ and I can’t think of a better description of how our guests travel along Europe’s rivers. And our Tauck-exclusive shore excursions, and the 90 years of destination expertise we apply when crafting them, certainly fill our guests with joy. It’s the combination of both elements, the onboard and onshore experiences, the ‘grace’ and the ‘joy,’ that have prompted readers of Travel + Leisure magazine to name us the ‘World’s Best River Cruise Line’ in three of the past four years.”
Next year’s launch of the ms Grace and ms Joy will bring the Tauck riverboat fleet to a total of nine vessels, representing a 125% expansion of the company’s capacity in a two-year period. In 2013 the Tauck fleet consisted of four Jewel Class ships, the ms Treasures, ms Swiss Jewel, ms Swiss Sapphire, and ms Swiss Emerald. In 2014 Tauck launched its first two Inspiration Class ships, the ms Inspire and ms Savor, and a fifth Jewel Class ship, the ms Esprit, is set to join Tauck’s fleet this spring.
Like Tauck’s other Inspiration Class ships, the new ms Grace and ms Joy will carry far fewer passengers – yet they’ll have far more service staff – than ships of the same size operated by other river cruise lines. Where the 443-foot-long Inspiration Class ships carry just 130 guests, other lines’ ships of the same length carry 190 passengers, or 46% more guests. And where other lines have just one cruise director to tend to the needs of those 190 guests, Tauck staffs each ship with a Tauck Cruise Director and three professional Tauck Directors to care for 130 guests.
With fewer passengers aboard their ships, Tauck is able to provide a more intimate, club-like atmosphere, a higher percentage of suites, and a second onboard dining venue, Arthur’s, with its own dedicated kitchen. Named for company Chairman Arthur Tauck Jr., Arthur’s offers more casual dining in a more intimate setting, providing an alternative to the fine dining found in the ship’s main dining room, the Compass Rose.
Also notable on the Grace and Joy will be eight “loft” cabins located on each ship’s lower (Emerald) deck. On other European riverboats the lower-level cabins are small, and because they’re mostly below the ships’ waterlines, they’re limited to modest, sealed windows at eye level that admit minimal sunlight and zero fresh air. Tauck’s 225-square-foot loft cabins, however, have a raised platform seating area located against the ships’ hull/outer wall with a correspondingly higher ceiling immediately above. The higher ceiling in turn allows the use of a much taller window than can normally be incorporated into lower-level cabins. The middle portion of this window can be opened electronically for fresh air, and being taller, the window allows far more natural light to fill the cabin. The loft cabin concept was introduced last year on the ms Inspire and ms Savor, and its innovative design has since been honored with a CruiseReport.com Editor’s Choice Award for Best Riverboat Accommodations, and a Magellan Gold Award for cabin design.
The ms Grace and ms Joy will each have twenty-two 300 square foot suites furnished with two French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows, a pull-out couch, roomy walk-in closets with built-in drawers, and a spacious bathroom with rain shower. Along with the suites, the newbuilds also have thirty-two 225 square foot cabins, plus an additional thirteen cabins ranging from 150 to 190 square feet. In keeping with Tauck’s policy of welcoming solo travelers, four of the 150 square foot cabins are set aside for guests traveling on their own. All suites and cabins feature in-room movies, minibar, individual heating and cooling controls, luxury toiletries, and plush bedding with 100% goose down pillows, 400-thread-count linens and pillow-top mattresses.
Dates for all of Tauck’s 2016 river cruise departures are now available on the company’s website, www.tauck.com, and travelers can reserve their preferred itinerary and departure risk-free with no cancellation penalties. Guests who make a 2016 reservation will be advised by Tauck once the itinerary and pricing are finalized, and they will then have two weeks to cancel and receive a full refund of their trip deposit and the cost of Tauck’s Travel Protection plan, if purchased.
Those interested in more information can contact their local travel professional, call Tauck at 800 468 2825, or visit the company’s website at www.tauck.com.
The 100 day countdown to the most spectacular gathering of the Cunard fleet officially gets underway on Valentine’s Day, Saturday 14 February. Just 100 days later, on 25 May, up to one million spectators are expected to gather as Cunard’s three Queens perform a magnificent salute to its ‘spiritual home’ of Liverpool.
The official 100 day digital countdown clock was unveiled by the Chair of Merseytravel, Councillor Liam Robinson at the Mersey Ferries Pier Head Terminal ready for one of the most romantic days of the year, St. Valentine’s Day. Joining him were loyal Cunarders, 26-year-old Scott Sandison and his 24-year-old fiancee Lauren Hayes from Edinburgh, who in 2007 met as teenagers on board QE2, with Scott proposing on stage six years later in front of hundreds of people on board Cunard’s Queen Victoria.
Unveiling the clock, Councillor Liam Robinson the Chairman of Merseytravel said, “Cunard’s three Queens spectacular will be a global event hosted by Liverpool. The celebration of Cunard’s 175th anniversary presents a huge opportunity for the city and I am delighted that Merseytravel will play its important part by transporting many of the tens of thousands of spectators who will converge on both sides of the River Mersey to witness the ships salute their spiritual home.”
“The Mersey Ferries in particular will have a very important role providing unique vantage points and the vital Tender Service to Queen Victoria when she is at anchor in the Mersey.”
On 25 May, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth will arrive in Liverpool to celebrate Cunard’s 175th anniversary year in dramatic fashion. The three Queens will meet on the famous Liverpool waterfront, performing manoeuvres in close formation to create a spectacular one-off event that will draw hundreds of thousands of people to the banks of the Mersey.
Celebrating the countdown to the magnificent event and St. Valentine’s Day, Lauren and Scott were invited to help unveil the clock after Cunard learnt about their love story. After first meeting on board QE2 the couple continued their long distance romance, even though it meant a 350 mile trip with Scott living in Glasgow and Lauren in Cambridge. Six years later the Gold Cunard World Club Members, who now live in Edinburgh, are planning to make their fifth cruise with Cunard their honeymoon.
Lauren said, “We’re both really honoured to be here today. We’ve got a huge emotional connection to Cunard, given our history with the company, and it’s just really special and exciting to be involved in such a big way like this. We’ve always felt part of the family when we’ve been on Cunard ships. For example we’ve both known one of the staff, Jessie Boy, longer than we’ve known each other! He was there when we met on QE2 and when we got engaged on Queen Victoria and hopefully we can arrange for him to be at our wedding!”
On 4 July 1840, Cunard’s first ship, Britannia, left the Mersey and changed the face of ocean travel forever by establishing the first scheduled service across the Atlantic. Queen Mary 2 will return to the cruise terminal on 4 July 2015, 175 years later to the day, to recreate the voyage of that first Cunard ship from Liverpool to Halifax and Boston. Today’s flagship will then continue on New York.
For more information about Cunard’s 175th anniversary crossings please visit www.cunard.com. For those interested in following us on Twitter you can find us at @CunardLine or like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/cunard. Share your favourite memories with #ForeverCunard.
For more information about Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth and to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, call Cunard toll-free at 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com
Carnival Corporation recently announced it attracted nearly a quarter of a million visits to its unique “CRUISE-A-NALITY” tool – an easy, fun and industry-first quiz that helps people determine what type of cruise vacation and brand experience is right for them. The results are based on a six personality-focused questions that generate a cruise “persona” for all types of travelers.
