John Honeywell

The new 113,000 gross-tonne vessel will become the 249th ship to fly the Cunard flag and its entry into service will mark the first time since 1998 that the line has had four ships in service together. The company has recently spent £94 million on a significant “remastering” of Queen Mary 2, including the construction of additional balcony cabins, and a further £30 million on a comprehensive refurbishment of Queen Victoria. Senior vice-president Simon Palethorpe says: “What better way to celebrate [QE2’s] important role in Cunard’s past than by announcing our commitment to Cunard’s future with the commissioning of a new ship. It’s taken several years for Azamara president Larry Pimentel to persuade the Royal Caribbean board to add to his fleet but the persistence has finally paid off.

During five specially-themed days during a 17-night cruise to Venice, guests will be treated to gala menus inspired by the liner, and talks from special guests who each have their personal connections with QE2. Themes include Moving in Royal Circles, looking back at the special bond between QE2 and the Royal Family; The Falklands, which acknowledges the ship’s service as a troop ship in the 1982 conflict; Triumph of a Great Tradition, examining the QE2’s remarkable career achievements and the long history of Cunard ‘firsts’, and World Flagship in tribute to QE2’s 26 world cruises that made her an icon in cities across the globe. Other guests include Commodore Ron Warwick who served as QE2’s Captain for 13 years; social hostess Maureen Ryan who served on board the original Cunard Queens as well as Queen Mary 2; and maritime historian Chris Frame, author of a series of books about QE2 and Cunard. Cunard Line’s vice president, Angus Struthers, said: This Mediterranean cruise is perfectly timed to pay tribute to QE2’s launch and naming by HM Queen Elizabeth 50 years ago. When QE2 came into service in the 1960s, many critics said she wouldn’t last a decade in the age of the jet but her unique design as a dual-purpose ship meant that she was versatile enough to operate both as a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship.

A major international cruise line has cancelled a charter booked by a far-right alliance after pressure from UK-based campaign group HOPE not Hate. not Hate, which lobbied for unity after the death of MP Jo Cox, and which has supported alternatives to far-right movements, urged Norwegian Cruise Line to cancel the booking on the grounds of Rebel Media’s links with white supremacists in north America. The company responded initially by saying only that “all guests who cruise with Norwegian are required to adhere to the guest conduct policy … which prohibits verbally abusive or offensive language as well as inappropriate or abusive behaviour. The headline speaker lined up for the so-called ‘Rebel Cruise’ was Gavin McInnes, known for his extreme online content and the leader of the alt-right linked ‘Proud Boys’ who have a record of violent action in support of their “Western chauvinism.

TUI Discovery 2 finally left her berth at about 23:45 local time, having delayed departure to wait for 14 passengers and two crew. P&O Cruises’ Britannia carries 4,324 passengers and 1,398 crew; Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas 2,500 passengers and 859 crew; and Thomson’s TUI Discovery 2 about 2,100 passengers and 750 crew. A company statement said: “Following the tragic events which have unfolded in Barcelona today, we have accounted for all of our customers and crew who were in the city at the time either as part of an excursion from our nearby Spanish resorts or while our cruise ship TUI Discovery 2 was in port. There is no Thomson ship scheduled to visit the city tomorrow, although TUI Discovery will be in Palamos, about 90 minutes away by road.