Princess Cruises announces that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge will name Royal Princess, the newest addition to the line’s fleet. The ceremony at which The Duchess will name the ship will take place in Southampton on Thursday, June 13, and will be the highlight of week-long inaugural celebrations to welcome the vessel into service.

The spectacular ceremony will uphold British ship-naming traditions including the blessing, a performance by the Royal Marines Band and the pipers of the Irish Guards, together with contemporary highlights. Alan Buckelew, the line’s president and CEO said “It is a great honor for Princess Cruises that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has accepted our invitation to become the Godmother to Royal Princess. We are delighted that the Duchess will launch our new ship and can think of no better way to celebrate our company’s British heritage and our commitment to the country.”

Royal Princess will arrive at the Ocean Terminal in Southampton on Friday, June 7, where she will commence a series of events for customers and travel agents, including a special naming gala on the evening of Wednesday, June 12. The ship’s inaugural celebrations will conclude with her maiden voyage on June 16.

The 3,600-passenger Royal Princess is a new-generation ship. Among the special features found on board will be a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; an over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on water; the new Princess Live! television studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

The inaugural period of Royal Princess also includes two short preview cruises prior to and following the naming. After her maiden voyage the ship will sail Grand Mediterranean cruises throughout the summer, followed by Eastern Caribbean cruises beginning in the autumn. More information and video previews of the ship are available at www.princess.com/royalprincess.

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Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2 will mark a major milestone on her 6 July 2013 voyage from New York to Southampton, achieving her 200th Transatlantic Crossing in her ninth season since entering service in 2004. The milestone will be commemorated with various activities and special speakers and performers on board to add to the celebratory mood.

“Sailing a Transatlantic Crossing aboard our flagship Queen Mary 2 is a luxury travel experience like no other,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “And now with 200 Crossings under her belt, the grandest ocean liner in the world has proven to be the icon of the new golden age of ocean travel across the Atlantic.”

As part of the Cunard Insights on board enrichment program, Stephen Payne OBE, who was largely responsible for the overall design of Queen Mary 2, will present a fascinating perspective on her construction. Stephen also will be the guest of honor at an evening gala on board, which will include a commemorative dinner with a special menu. In addition, BBC newsreader and Classic FM presenter Nick Owen will lecture on board.

Also adding to the festivities will be 16 musicians, plus a band leader and vocalist, from the world-renowned Juilliard School of Dance, Drama and Music. The group will perform as a jazz orchestra providing a selection of Big Band, Swing and Glenn Miller style music and smaller ensemble pieces. Other Juilliard performances will include an evening event in the Royal Court Theatre with full orchestra and vocalist, an afternoon tea dance, lunch time jam sessions featuring an ensemble in the Chart Room, and a late evening ensemble in Illuminations. The band leader and members of the orchestra will also give two jazz master class lectures and a live Q&A.

Queen Mary 2 is still the largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive ocean liner ever built. She is also the fastest passenger ship in the world.

In the course of the flagship’s 200 Transatlantic Crossings, Cunard estimates that passengers have consumed:
• 8.4 million cups of tea
• 980,000 scones
• 481,000 bottles of champagne
• 644,000 eggs
• 960,000 litres of milk

In total, Queen Mary 2 has served 22.4 million meals and sailed over 600,000 nautical miles during her first 200 Crossings. These figures do not take into account her annual World Cruise or her sailings to the Canaries, Fjords, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, around Britain, up to Montreal and Quebec in Canada, or among the Caribbean islands.

Looking at Cunard’s earlier vessels, Queen Mary (1936 – 1967) crossed the Atlantic 1,001 times; Queen Elizabeth (1940 – 1968) crossed 896 times; and Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969 – 2008) crossed 812 times.

Transatlantic Crossings aboard Queen Mary 2 offer time to leisurely explore the ship’s extensive on board amenities and activities, including lectures through the award-winning Cunard Insights programme; stargazing in the only planetarium at sea; white-gloved afternoon tea served in the Queens Room or a spin around the dance floor during a Royal Nights themed ball; taking in a performance or workshop by members of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; or perusing 8,000 volumes in the largest library at sea.

Special promotional fares for the 200th Transatlantic Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 on the 6 July 2013 voyage start from $1,399 per person.

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“I name this ship Queen Elizabeth. May God bless her and all who sail in her,” declared HRH Queen Elizabeth as she christened Cunard’s newest liner, the magnificent Queen Elizabeth II. British monarchs have launched seven merchant ships bearing royal names since the Queen Mary in 1934. The newest vessel is the third named Queen Elizabeth and interestingly, Queen Elizabeth has witnessed all three christenings with the first being 72 years ago when her mother launched the first Queen Elizabeth. Her first christening was the iconic ‘QE2’ which was retired from the Cunard fleet several years ago.

It’s no surprise that a ship with such a royal pedigree is designed to take its guests around the world in a grand style that is neither glitzy by today’s standards. In fact, Cunard bills itself as the anti-cruise line and prefers to call their sailings voyages not cruises and their vessels ocean liners not cruise ships. Obviously the new ship has fans as its maiden voyage sold out in a record 29 minutes – making it the fastest selling voyage in Cunard Line’s 170-year history.

A queen with new jewels

Like her sister ship Queen Victoria launched in 2007, Queen Elizabeth II is a classic Cunard ocean liner, sporting the line’s distinctive black-and-red livery, red smokestack and elongated hull. For the new 92,400-ton, 2068-passenger liner, Cunard dug deep into its history to create an updated image of the original Queen Elizabeth. In its heyday, the original vessel was considered a state-of- the-art liner that transported passengers in style across the Atlantic between 1946 and 1968.

If you’ve cruised on Queen Victoria, finding your way around the new Queen Elizabeth II is easy, but there are some slight changes. There ship is slightly larger to accommodate an additional 38 staterooms; however, the most notable change is the lighter feel of the interior that is inspired by the Art Deco style from the original Queen Elizabeth. Additionally, you won’t find the Todd English restaurant that both the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria have.  On Queen Elizabeth II, Cunard re-introduced a specialty restaurant from the original, The Verandah.  Run by longtime Cunard chef, Jean-Marie Zimmermann, the venue pays tribute to its predecessor with identical art and original menus on display from their Verandah restaurants. Another unique aspect to Queen Elizabeth II is located in the Midships Bar where display cases of memorabilia related to the original liner, including tea sets, ship telephone, and the ship’s invoice from the shipbuilder, John Brown & Co., dated Feb. 5, 1938.  Also items from the QE2 are on display including the QE2’s bell and a bust of Queen Elizabeth that was in the QE2’s Queens Room.

Another class sister act

Many of the new features that were offered on Queen Victoria are also available on the Queen Elizabeth II. These include West End-style private viewing boxes at sea in the Royal Court Theatre; a two-story, spiral-staircased, 6,000-book library with a full-time librarian; Games Deck offering croquet, paddle tennis and traditional British bowls.

There are the usual cruise trappings on board too, of course, including a casino, a shopping arcade (with a Harrods shop), an Internet center, a dedicated children’s area, pools, a jogging track and a beautifully appointed 13,000-square-foot spa-and-fitness center that features a glass-enclosed exercise area with ocean views. The spa offers a comprehensive health and wellness program with a large hydrotherapy pool and thermal suite.

Queen Elizabeth II offers 1,046 staterooms in nine classifications ranging from Grand Suites to inside staterooms. Eight-five percent of the staterooms are outside and 71 percent offer balconies. Like all Cunard liners guests in the largest suites (the Queens Grill category) will have their own private sun deck, as well as butler and concierge service. The largest of these suites, the Queens Grill Grand Suites, which average about 2,000 square feet, have marble baths and stocked refrigerators.

As on all Cunard ships, you are where you eat, meaning your cabin category determines your dining room. Cunard has operated a three-tier system for years with the privilege of eating in the swank Queens Grill, where, in consultation with the staff, they can order just about anything they want. Guests in the junior suites dine in the Princess Grill. The rest of the passengers dine in the main restaurant, Britannia, which isn’t too shabby, either (it boasts two grand, curved staircases for those who wish to make an entrance). For breakfast, lunch and dinner, all guests can enjoy the Lido Café, a casual, bright and airy buffet eatery reminiscent of the café on the iconic QE2. Guests who want to hark back to the original Queen Elizabeth can dine in The Verandah. For traditional British pub food, the Golden Lion Pub has fish ’n’ chips, steak and mushroom pie, a ploughman’s lunch, and, of course, bangers and mash. Guests can enjoy cocktails in one of the ship’s dozen bars and lounges; the favorite seems to be the Commodore Club, on Deck 10, which features sweeping views over the ship’s bow. Tea in the indoor/outdoor Garden Lounge is a traditional treat, right down to the white-gloved butlers, gleaming silver and lovely scones.

Guests who love to dress up will enjoy participating in a dazzling dance event like a Black and White Ball, Royal Ascot Ball or Buccaneer Ball in the stunning Queens Room ballroom. The three-tiered Royal Court Theatre will house theatrical productions with a British flair that are typically historical and thought-provoking. For a $50 fee, guests can reserve a seat in one of the 16 private boxes, drink champagne during the performance, and meet the cast backstage afterward. Queen Elizabeth II is a traditional liner best suited to upscale, well-traveled guests who want a sophisticated travel experience and all the white-gloved service and luxury that goes with it.

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The Queen gets up close and personal with her new ship, Queen Elizabeth. in Southampton, UK. View photos of the historic occasion.

Greetings from Southampton where Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has christened Cunard’s newest liner, the magnificent Queen Elizabeth. British monarchs have launched seven merchant ships bearing royal names since the Queen Mary in 1934.

The newest vessel is the third named Queen Elizabeth and interestingly, Queen Elizabeth has witnessed all three christenings with the first being 72 years ago when her mother launched the first Queen Elizabeth. Her first christening was the iconic ‘QE2’ which was retired from the Cunard fleet several years ago.

The ceremony was quintessential British pomp and circumstance complete with color guard, color guard band, symphony orchestra, opera singer, and bag pipers. While music played invited guests watched large screen televisions of the Queen touring the ship. She even rang the ship’s horn to the delight of the audience. The ceremony even included vintage footage of the Queen touring and christening the QE2.

After disembarking the vessel the Queen rode in her official Rolls Royce to the outdoor naming staging area.Wearing a colorful teal blue coat and matching hat and sparkly brooch the Queen blessed the vessel stating “May God bless this vessel and all who sail in her”. Upon those words a jeroboam of 2009 Rothschild white wine smashed against the bow of the ship.

The 92,400-ton, 2068-passenger Queen Elizabeth is the third new vessel for Cunard Line in six years and replaces the aforementioned QE2.

Stay tuned for more from the new Queen Elizabeth .

Watch the christening of Cunard line’s new ship Queen Elizabeth with HRH Queen Elizabeth II blessing the ship. The event took place Monday, October 11, 2010