<p>Sept 4 &ndash; Cunard&rsquo;s two modern luxury liners, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, will depart in January 2010 on their World Cruises, continuing the line&rsquo;s rich tradition of offering the most spectacular and historic World Cruises on The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World. Queen Mary 2&rsquo;s Royal Route of Exploration will chart a completely new, Eastbound-Westbound route on a unique itinerary of 101 days featuring 19 maiden calls, three overnight stays (in Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town) and her inaugural visit to South Africa. Queen Victoria&rsquo;s 99-day Voyage of Discovery circumnavigation includes 11 maiden ports of call, three overnights (in Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai) and three convenient U.S. embarkation gateways: New York, Ft. Lauderdale and San Francisco. Guests who book by Feb. 28, 2009 receive an additional 10% off Early Booking Fares.</p><p>&ldquo;On this pair of epic voyages, Cunard continues a storied tradition that began nearly 90 years ago,&rdquo; said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. &ldquo;In 2010, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria will visit a combined 31 countries, 57 ports and 30 maiden calls, continuing our legacy of impeccable White Star Service&trade;, fine dining and unrivaled accommodations.&rdquo;</p><p>In addition to full World Cruises, the ships offer a wide range of Liner and Segment voyages, which are now open for booking. These shorter voyages are ideal for travelers who wish to explore a specific part of the world or those whose busy schedules preclude an around-the-world journey.</p><p>Queen Mary 2<br />The world&rsquo;s grandest liner will sail a completely new itinerary departing New York on January 4 on a voyage spanning 101 days. This fascinating itinerary takes Queen Mary 2 east through the Mediterranean to India, the Far East and Australia and New Zealand before returning to New York westbound via South Africa, South America and North America. Queen Mary 2 will visit 35 ports, more than ever before on a single voyage, including Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo (Yokohama), Auckland, Sydney and Perth (Fremantle). In addition, she will make 19 maiden calls, including her inaugural visit to South Africa (calling at Durban and Cape Town), and first-ever calls at Phuket (Thailand), Vung Tau (Vietnam), Guam, Rabaul, the Whitsundays Islands and Mauritius. The ship will make three overnights in the celebrated ports of Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town.</p><p>In addition, Queen Mary 2 will offer 12 Liner Voyages, ranging in length from 35 to 80 days, including the 63-day New York to Sydney voyage and the 57-day Dubai to Cape Town voyage. Five shorter Segment Voyages of 17 to 23 days include the 23-day New York to Dubai voyage (which includes three maiden calls: Port Said, Safaga and Muscat) and 17-day Dubai to Hong Kong voyage (including four maiden calls: Mumbai, Phuket, Penang and Ho Chi Minh City).</p><p>Queen Victoria<br />Cunard&rsquo;s newest Queen, the regal Queen Victoria, will begin her third full year in service with a traditional 99-day westbound circumnavigation of the globe from New York to Southampton featuring three convenient U.S. embarkation points. The ship sails from New York on January 12, embarking guests in Ft. Lauderdale on January 15 and San Francisco on January 27. Highlights of Queen Victoria&rsquo;s third World Cruise include three overnight calls in Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai, as well as 11 maiden calls. The ship will traverse the Panama and Suez Canals, visiting 41ports including Acapulco, Melbourne, Shanghai, San Francisco, Cartagena, Phuket and Sharm El Sheikh. Guests have the option of adding a seven-day Transatlantic extension from Southampton to New York aboard Queen Mary 2, for a full 106-day circumnavigation.</p><p>In addition, the ship will offer 11 Liner Voyages, ranging in length from 32 to 82 days, including the 52-day San Francisco to Bangkok voyage and the 67-day New York to Bangkok voyage. Five shorter Segment Voyages of 15 to 29 days include the 23-day San Francisco to Sydney voyage.</p><p>Early Booking Fares &amp; World Cruise Benefits</p><p>Cunard&rsquo;s Early Booking Fares for the full World Cruise, Liner and Segment voyages represent a per-person savings of up to 10% when booked by Feb. 28, 2009. In addition, on-board credits of up to $2,000 per stateroom are available when booked by this date. Full World Cruise guests who book by Feb. 28 enjoy a wide range of special benefits including complimentary hotel and dining charges, special commemorative gifts, welcome aboard reception, senior officer dinner and three World Cruise cocktail parties. All guests who book the Full World Cruise will enjoy a gala World Cruise dinner. Grill accommodation guests also enjoy up to five exclusive, complimentary events ashore. Both ships feature three enchanting Overland Tours, which allow guests to leave the ship in one port for a multi-day tour (including all transfers and accommodations) and rejoin the voyage later. Aboard Queen Mary 2, Overland Tours explore Egypt, India and Africa, while Queen Victoria&rsquo;s Overland Tours highlight Indochina, China and Australia.</p>