The UK cruise industry is gathering to celebrate Cunard Line. The celebration has generated considerable excitement among the residents of Southampton and the local media. The three Queens— Queen Mary II, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth —will meet there, sailing together for the first time in broad daylight. The three queens will be welcomed with numerous celebrations and festivities in the English city.
The meeting will take place on Sunday, May 3rd. The three ships will dock at the Southampton cruise port, and then the Queen Mary 2 will lead a procession down the Solent River to pay tribute to this important cruise port.
Cunard Line's Marketing Director, Angus Struthers, commented on the celebration: “We are delighted to begin our 175th anniversary celebrations in Southampton and to be able to share the celebration with the city, especially in this magnificent year that will mark a milestone in the company's history. Cunard Line has fantastic memories here, and we hope that residents and Cunard enthusiasts from all over will take advantage of this magnificent view and enjoy the spectacle of seeing our three queens sailing together.”
The procession will begin at 4:30 PM when the Queen Mary II sets sail, followed by the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Victoria. At approximately 5:20 PM, they will depart south, arriving in Calshot at 5:50 PM. The three queens will then sail to the Isle of Wight, and finally, around 7:30 PM, they will take different routes to begin their individual itineraries. The Queen Elizabeth will continue east towards Hamburg, the Queen Victoria south towards the port of St. Peter in Guernsey, and finally, the Queen Mary 2 will head west across the Atlantic towards New York.
The three queens will reunite at the end of May and will be together from the 24th to the 26th at Cunard Line's headquarters in Liverpool, UK. More than 100,000 people are expected to turn out to greet the ships as they sail along the Mersey, and the weekend will be declared a national holiday.
