THE CRUISE EXAMINER - COMMENT ON THE LATEST CRUISE INDUSTRY NEWS BY MARK TRE'
Cybercruises.com
Monday June 29 - Week 27
A Tale of Three Queens: World Cruises
Most people (even most cruise lines) don't realize that 2009 marks the Centenary of World Cruising. It all started in December 1909, when Hamburg America Line's Cleveland left New York on a world circumnavigation that would bring her round to San Francisco in February 1910.
Her American passengers had to return home by rail as the Panama Canal did not open until 1914. More world cruises followed and finally, after the First World War, Cunard Line offered the first full circumnavigation, a voyage that was performed by the Laconia in 1922, followed by ships such as the Franconia and the Caronia, not to mention the more recent QE2.

Eighty years after the Laconia's first world cruise, Cunard is offering the opportunity to sail around the world in three Queens in 2011. Although not the first time Cunard has had three Queens (QE2 and Queen Victoria sailed together with Queen Mary 2 for a while), this new itinerary makes it possible to travel in not only the Queen Victoria, but also the brand new Queen Elizabeth, and for the final leg, the flagship Queen Mary 2, starting in Southampton on January 5 and changing ships in New York and Sydney. (Click here to see the last columns by The Cruise Examiner)