Voyage of Sporting Greats

Enjoy a speciality coffee or tea at this chic, art deco style café on board Queen Elizabeth.

Whatever the occasion, a Welcome On Board Package sets the stage for your voyage.

With a fully equipped gym on board each of our ships, and exercise classes guided by expert instructors, you don’t have to abandon your fitness regime when you holiday with us.

Wave goodbye to any preconceptions you may have of Australia, as you say hello to wonderful Hobart on the southeastern coast of Tasmania. Revel in the capital's splendid heritage, scenery and culture.

Hobart has a distinctly European look and feel, and a unique local character. Capital of Australia’s Island State, with Mt. Wellington as its backdrop, it has plenty to offer the adventurous and the inquisitive.

After Sydney, Hobart is the second-oldest capital city in the country, having been established in 1804 as a penal colony. Its location in the estuary of Tasmania’s Derwent River means it is sheltered and calm, although its southern latitude means it often experiences cooler climates than on mainland Australia.

Hobart may be a small city, but it is tightly packed with history, culture, art and an emerging food scene that is quickly gaining national attention. Known originally as Hobart Town or Hobarton, Tasmania’s capital city was named after the Colonial Secretary at the time of the town’s settlement, Lord Hobart.

Before Europeans arrived in Tasmania, the region was inhabited by indigenous peoples known as Muwinina, and in their language, the mountain that towered over the area was called kunanyi. Today it is known as Mount Wellington.

Although convicts were some of the earliest European settlers in Hobart, local opposition to the transport of more prisoners began in the 1840s. By 1853, no more penal colonies were brought to Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen's Land. Hobart is the home port for Australian and French Antarctic activities, with nearly 2,000 tons of cargo leaving the port for Antarctica each year.

One of the first sights that will greet Hobart cruise passengers is Mount Wellington, the city’s natural backdrop and an incredible viewpoint to see Hobart from a bird’s-eye perspective. The mountain towers over 4,000 feet above the harbour its peak dusted in snow in winter and covered in lush greenery for the rest of the year.

No call at Port Arthur is complete without visiting its once-feared and ever-infamous prison colony, a UNESCO historical site. Explore the fascinating ruins, once booming dockyard and restored houses.

After a spell in prison, you might like to visit the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, where you’ll get to meet some notoriously bad-tempered and increasingly rare marsupials.

Expect beautiful dining rooms, exceptional cuisine and a wonderful sense of space.

Our ships are ideal family holiday destinations, with plenty to keep our younger guests entertained.

Your Cunard voyage will be filled with wonderful moments. Take them with you in the form of a photographic souvenir.

Originally part of New South Wales, Victoria became a colony in its own right in 1851. The discovery of gold and the development of agriculture launched Melbourne’s rise to prominence and prosperity.

Your guide to Melbourne.

Melbourne is a green and welcoming city, teeming with cultural institutions as well as cafés, bars and restaurants serving a spectrum of international cuisine. Melbourne is also an event city, home to the Australian Open Tennis, the Melbourne Cup and numerous other sporting occasions. Anyone who gets to know the city finds it has a kaleidoscopic character. Signs of Melbourne’s heritage are everywhere, and yet the city bears the glass and steel hallmarks of a modern metropolis. A visit here guarantees myriad experiences, most within easy walking range, and others a short ride aboard one of the historic trams that criss-cross the city.

Exploring.

Melbourne offers much to see and experience and a port call here is never lacking in things to do. Arts Centre Melbourne is the city’s cultural heart, offering live music and theatre alongside a Sunday market. State Parliament House on Bourke Street is one of the city’s finest heritage buildings. The Eureka Skydeck offers unparalleled views of the city, accessed by a lift that ascends to the 88th floor in just 40 seconds, while the Royal Botanic Gardens is a wonderful place to lose yourself in sweeping lawns flanked by exotic plants. Federation Square, also known as ‘Fed Square’, is a cultural precinct in the city centre offering shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as the Melbourne Visitor Centre.

Eating and drinking.

Melbourne cuisine offers everything from South East Asian and Middle Eastern influences to the sunny flavours of the Mediterranean. The city is divided into pockets, each with a different feeling and flavour. Southgate has a sparkling multi-storeyed restaurant and bar complex overlooking the river.

Savour the fresh air and enjoy the wide variety of games available on our spacious open decks.

If your ship is at sea on a Sunday we're pleased to offer an interdenominational religious service.

Keep up with your exercise routine, or try something new, at fitness classes for all levels.

The stunning harbour city, Sydney, is Australia’s oldest and largest urban centre. Gold mining and sheep breeding propelled Sydney’s development, and today it’s the largest port in the entire South Pacific. Mark Twain called it “the wonder of the world”. Your port guide to Sydney.

Blessed with a natural harbour, countless golden beaches and world-class restaurants, Sydney is a dazzling metropolis and international gateway to Australia’s east coast. The city is famed for the quality of its outdoor living, yet a visit here offers more than a chance to soak up the sun. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, world-famous Opera House and the constant bustle of the harbour itself make Sydney one of the world’s most dynamic destinations. Venturing outside the capital of New South Wales unlocks mysterious protected coves, miles of sandy beaches and the dramatic landscape of the breath-taking Blue Mountains.

Exploring.

For spectacular 360-degree views, ascend Sydney Harbour Bridge’s south-east pylon from which Sydney Opera House and The Rocks - one of the city’s liveliest precincts and home to the Museum of Sydney and Museum of Contemporary Art - are visible. The Sydney Aquarium, National Maritime Museum and the Chinese Garden of Friendship can be found in Darling Harbour, with Chinatown also nearby. The Australian Museum, ranked one of the top five history museums in the world, is ideal for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of Australia’s aboriginal heritage. Alternatively, escape the city’s hustle at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Incorporating Government House and the Conservatorium of Music, this sprawling parkland offers 24 hectares of native exotic trees.

Eating and drinking.

Those unfamiliar with Sydney may be surprised by the sophistication of the city’s culinary scene. Sydney offers myriad dining experiences drawing on both eastern and western influences, along with restaurants producing some of the most innovative nouveau cuisine in the world.