Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Cunard announces third consecutive season Down Under

683c233e25df65d98875ca5ab33c1d03_XL
Simon Palethorpe, right, and Matthew Gleaves with Cunard snr manager Australasia Katrina McAlpine, left, and Carnival Australia vp corporate affairs Sandy Olsen PHOTO: Helen Hutcheon
Queen Elizabeth will be based in Australian waters for a record 118 days during a third consecutive 2020/21 season.

This was announced by president Simon Palethorpe at a press conference in Sydney on Monday after sailing from Adelaide to Melbourne in Queen Elizabeth which is currently making her inaugural two-month season Down Under from now until April.

On his third visit to Australia, Palethorpe was accompanied by Matthew Gleaves, vp international development and planning who is making his first working trip Down Under and recently took over some of the responsibilities from David Rousham who has left the company.

As reported, it was the speed at which Queen Elizabeth’s two-month deployment in Sydney and Melbourne sold that led to her second 101-day season between December 2019 and March 2020.

Second season also a sell-out

According to Palethorpe this has ‘flown off the shelves’ and has, in turn, led to her third four-month season which will begin in November 2020 and include 60 itinerary options as she sails from Melbourne and Sydney.

The season will also feature visits from Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria making world voyages, with the royal trio spending 49 days in Australian ports.

A highlight will include a ‘royal rendezvous’ between Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in Sydney on March 1, 2021 and an overnight in Auckland on December 31, 2020 when Queen Elizabeth’s passengers will be among the first in the world to celebrate New Year.

Queen Elizabeth’s 2020/  21 Down Under programme will go on sale next month.

Australia growing faster than the US

‘I can absolutely confirm that Australia is the No. 3 global market for Cunard after the United Kingdom and North America,’ Palethorpe said.‘It is growing at a faster rate than the United States.’

He said after the top three, Germany comes next and there is a growing demand from Japan.