Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Turns Its 500th Atlantic Crossing Into a Liverpool Homecoming – Queen Anne will Samba at Rio’s Carnival
A seven-night passage to New York anchors a season of 93 new voyages, including an overnight in Rio during Carnival and a trip around the world.
SOUTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM – 21 OCT 2026: On the evening of May 4, 2029, the Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to leave the Mersey bound for New York. It will be the ship’s 500th Atlantic crossing and the first time since 2015 that passengers can board a Cunard liner in Liverpool for the trip across. The company began its Atlantic mail service from the same city in 1840, when the paddle steamer Britannia sailed for Halifax and Boston.
The Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in regular transatlantic service, a distinction that gives Cunard something no other cruise line can offer. White-gloved waiters serve afternoon tea in the Queens Room, a ballroom that spans the width of the ship. On gala nights, the teacups give way to music and dancing.
The crossing is the westbound leg of a 21-night round trip that leaves New York on April 20 and returns May 11. Passengers can also embark in Hamburg, Southampton or Liverpool. Across the new season, which runs from October 2028 through May 2029, Cunard will call at 104 destinations in 49 countries, with 64 UNESCO World Heritage sites within reach. The schedule makes room for 18 overnight calls and 18 late-evening departures.
On the Queen Anne, one of those overnights is in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, when samba parades take over the city. The South America voyage runs 86 nights round trip from Southampton, with a 90-night option from Hamburg and a 60-night round trip from Miami. The itinerary also stays overnight in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Valparaíso and Callao, the port for Lima.
The Queen Elizabeth will spend New Year’s Eve in St. Thomas for the fireworks before setting off on a five-continent voyage, with overnights in Cape Town, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney. The world cruise runs 115 nights from Southampton or 116 from Miami, both round trip. The Queen Victoria will sail from Southampton to the Norwegian fjords and across Northern Europe, with overnight calls in Oslo and Copenhagen on select itineraries.
After a week of open water, the first glimpse of the New York skyline may be the moment passengers remember for the rest of their lives.
General bookings opened Nov. 4. In the United States, Cunard is offering 10 percent off eligible voyage fares for travelers who book Cunard Fare by Dec. 16, 2026. See Cunard’s new voyages.