When will the cancelled Queen Mary 2 cruise from Southampton depart? Cunard confirm new date and arrangements

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Cunard, which operates Queen Mary 2 cruise liner said it has issued refunds to affected passengers following cancellation.

Flagship cruise operator Cunard has confirmed its rearranged departure date for the Queen Mary 2 after the company was forced to issue refunds following a last minute cancellation. The Queen Mary 2 cruise, which was due to depart from Southampton to New York on Sunday (April 23), was cancelled hours before it was due to set off over a technical issue onboard.

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Some furious customers reportedly did not receive a message by the company until Sunday morning, which Cunard said the fault was discovered on Saturday night when the ship was being assessed and would take longer than expected to fix. It said: “You will receive a full refund and a Future Cruise Credit of 20% of monies paid.”

According to The Telegraph, the technical issue also means that the planned return journey from New York to Southampton will also be cancelled. They have now confirmed the next voyage from Southampton will depart on May 7.

But passengers were quick to take their frustrations to Twitter. Lynda Hillyer said she was “disappointed and angry” by the cancellation. She said: “Cunard did not explain that they have also cancelled the return flights. I was due to fly back from Boston on May 20. To book new flights costs a small fortune.”

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One said what Cunard had offered was ‘not enough’. The post said: “Most people come in at least a day, sometimes two, before sailing. Hotels, meals, car hire, poss flights, parking, and things like putting dogs into kennels…it all adds up.”

One poster wrote: “Not angry, just sad. We just checked out of our Southampton hotel and were about to call Uber to take us to the QM2.” Others have also complained they have struggled to get in contact with Cunard’s customer services following the cancellation.

But Cunard said it was arranging flights home for guests at its expense, and was paying for all reasonable expenses. A Cunard spokesperson said: “We apologise to all guests affected by this cancellation.

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“Our customer care team and travel agent partners have been liaising with impacted guests and we are doing everything possible to provide support and make alternative travel arrangements.”

Flagship cruise operator Cunard has confirmed its rearranged departure date for the Queen Mary 2 after the company was forced to issue refunds following a last minute cancellation.  (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Flagship cruise operator Cunard has confirmed its rearranged departure date for the Queen Mary 2 after the company was forced to issue refunds following a last minute cancellation.  (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Flagship cruise operator Cunard has confirmed its rearranged departure date for the Queen Mary 2 after the company was forced to issue refunds following a last minute cancellation. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) | Getty Images

What is the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner?

The luxury ocean liner, which is Cunard’s flagship vessel, completes one crossing between the UK and US every month between April and November, taking seven days to reach New York. Prices for the voyage start from £839 per person.

The ship was officially named Queen Mary 2 by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004 after the first RMS Queen Mary of 1936. Queen Mary had in turn been named after Mary of Teck, consort of King George V.

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Queen Mary 2 is the only transatlantic ocean liner in regular service between Southampton and New York City following the retirement of Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2008. The ship is also used for cruising, including an annual world cruise.

The Queen Mary 2 sails near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)The Queen Mary 2 sails near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)
The Queen Mary 2 sails near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

The ship was designed by a team of British naval architects led by Stephen Payne, and was constructed in France by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. At the time of the construction, Queen Mary 2 was the longest, at 1,131.99 ft (345.03 m), and largest, with a gross tonnage of 148,528 GT, passenger ship ever built.

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