2008 Cunard World Cruise Brochure: Queen Victoria & QE2 Routes, Fares and Itineraries
Cunard’s 2008 World Cruises brochure captures an important moment in the cruise line’s history: the beginning of Queen Victoria’s career and the final year of Queen Elizabeth 2’s Cunard service.
The historical brochure promotes two major 2008 voyages. Queen Victoria was scheduled to embark on her 106-night Maiden World Cruise from Southampton, while Queen Elizabeth 2 offered a 103-night South America, Pacific and Orient Odyssey. Passengers did not have to sail the complete itinerary; Cunard sold numerous world cruise sectors connecting cities including Southampton, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore and Dubai.
The brochure is also a fascinating time capsule of luxury cruise pricing. Queen Victoria’s complete 106-night Southampton-to-Southampton voyage was advertised from £10,999 per person, while QE2’s 103-night voyage started at £8,999. At the other end of the accommodation range, fares printed in the brochure climbed above £100,000 per person.
CruisePrism readers planning a Cunard sailing can also explore our Cunard drink prices and bar menus, Cunard restaurant menus, and Cunard Onboard Guides for more information about dining, drinks, entertainment and onboard activities.
A Historic Year for Cunard
The cover immediately establishes the significance of Cunard’s 2008 world cruise season.
It reads:
“Cunard World Cruises 2008”
Beneath that are the two featured ships:
• Queen Victoria – Maiden World Cruise
• Queen Elizabeth 2 – South America, Pacific & Orient Odyssey
The artwork shows the two Cunard ships together beneath the company’s longstanding slogan, “The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World.”
There was another major selling point printed directly on the cover: passengers booking by January 31, 2007 could save up to 50%.
Looking back, the combination of Queen Victoria and QE2 makes this much more than an ordinary cruise advertisement.
Queen Victoria joined the Cunard fleet in 2007. Queen Elizabeth 2, meanwhile, was approaching the end of a Cunard career that had begun decades earlier. QE2 retired from Cunard service in 2008.
The brochure therefore documents two very different stages in Cunard history: one Queen beginning her career while another approached the end of hers.
Queen Victoria’s 2008 Maiden World Cruise
Queen Victoria receives an entire page devoted to her Maiden World Cruise.
The headline voyage was:
Southampton to Southampton
106 nights
Fares from £10,999 to £115,869
Cunard also advertised a 99-night New York-to-Southampton version:
New York to Southampton
99 nights
Fares from £10,749 to £108,689
The brochure describes Queen Victoria as a “magnificent new liner” and promotes the voyage as a grand circumnavigation incorporating the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, India and the Mediterranean.
Queen Victoria’s 2008 World Cruise Route
The route map provides a remarkable visual record of Queen Victoria’s first world cruise.
Starting from Southampton, the itinerary shown travels west across the Atlantic to North America before continuing through the Caribbean and Central America and across the Pacific.
Ports and destinations visible on the brochure map include:
• Southampton
• New York
• Fort Lauderdale
• Aruba
• Puntarenas
• Acapulco
• Manzanillo
• Los Angeles
• Honolulu
• Pago Pago
• Lautoka
• Auckland
• Napier
• Wellington
• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Port Douglas
• Hong Kong
• Da Nang
• Kota Kinabalu
• Ho Chi Minh
• Singapore
• Kuala Lumpur
• Colombo
• Chennai
• Mumbai
• Dubai
• Salalah
• Safaga
• Athens
• Naples
• Rome
• Barcelona
• Lisbon
The route demonstrates just how ambitious the Maiden World Cruise was. Queen Victoria would cross the Atlantic and Pacific, visit Australasia and Asia, continue through India and the Middle East, and ultimately return to Europe.
Queen Victoria World Cruise Sector Fares
Passengers did not need more than three months of vacation time to participate.
Cunard divided the world cruise into individual sectors, a practice the company continues with modern World Voyages.
The 2008 brochure advertised several voyages from Southampton:
• Southampton to Singapore – 72 nights, £7,899 to £78,219
• Southampton to Sydney – 49 nights, £5,799 to £53,379
• Southampton to Auckland – 40 nights, £4,929 to £43,539
• Southampton to Los Angeles – 25 nights, £2,899 to £26,659
• Southampton to New York – 8 nights, £999 to £15,849
Voyages returning to Southampton included:
• Auckland to Southampton – 69 nights, £7,899 to £74,229
• Sydney to Southampton – 60 nights, £6,929 to £64,359
• Singapore to Southampton – 36 nights, £4,199 to £38,849
• Dubai to Southampton – 23 nights, £2,779 to £24,519
The enormous spread between the lowest and highest fares reflects the dramatically different accommodation categories available aboard a Cunard liner.
The brochure specifies that fares were per person in pounds sterling based on double occupancy.
Queen Victoria’s 2008 World Cruise Prices
The full 106-night Queen Victoria world cruise ranged from £10,999 to £115,869 per person.
That means even in 2008, the most expensive accommodation shown in this brochure could push the price of a complete world voyage well into six figures for a single passenger.
At the opposite end, the £10,999 starting fare works out to roughly £104 per person per night before accounting for exactly what was included in the particular promotional fare.
The historical prices are particularly useful today because they allow cruise enthusiasts to compare what Cunard charged for a world cruise nearly two decades ago with modern World Voyage pricing.
They should, however, be understood in their historical context. These are 2008 advertised fares printed in a brochure distributed before the voyage and should not be compared directly with current prices without accounting for inflation, changes in accommodations and changes in what cruise fares include.
Two Ships, One Voyage
Cunard also promoted an unusual combination itinerary involving both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2.
The Queen Victoria version began with:
Queen Victoria
Southampton to Auckland
January 6 to February 15, 2008
39 nights
Promotional fare from £3,999 to £42,609
Passengers could then spend six nights at the Langham Hotel in Auckland before joining:
Queen Elizabeth 2
Auckland to Southampton
February 21 to April 18, 2008
58 nights
Promotional fare from £4,899 to £69,519
The hotel stay was priced separately at £335 per person based on a double room or £440 per person for a single room.
This allowed passengers to combine two Cunard Queens into one extraordinary extended journey.
Queen Elizabeth 2’s 2008 World Voyage
The second major itinerary belonged to one of the most famous passenger ships of the 20th century: Queen Elizabeth 2.
The brochure labels QE2’s itinerary:
“South America, Pacific & Orient Odyssey”
The complete Southampton round trip was:
Southampton to Southampton
103 nights
£8,999 to £114,919
A 96-night New York-to-Southampton itinerary was advertised from:
£8,799 to £107,519
Cunard described the voyage as one for “connoisseurs,” highlighting destinations ranging from the Falkland Islands and Easter Island to South America, Australia, the Far East and Cape Horn.
Queen Elizabeth 2’s 2008 Route
QE2’s map follows a substantially different route from Queen Victoria.
The itinerary shown heads west from Southampton and New York before travelling through the Caribbean and along the eastern coast of South America.
The route continues around Cape Horn and across the Pacific.
Destinations visible on the map include:
• Southampton
• New York
• Fort Lauderdale
• Jamaica
• Puerto Moin
• Barbados
• Salvador
• Rio de Janeiro
• Montevideo
• Port Stanley
• Cape Horn
• Punta Arenas
• Valparaiso
• Easter Island
• Papeete
• Nuku’alofa
• Auckland
• Sydney
• Hobart
• Melbourne
• Adelaide
• Albany
• Fremantle
• Singapore
• Ho Chi Minh
• Hong Kong
• Shanghai
• Osaka
• Lahaina
• Honolulu
• Los Angeles
• Acapulco
The route is especially interesting because it illustrates how different two Cunard world voyages departing during the same season could be.
Queen Victoria’s voyage emphasized a westbound route through the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, India and the Mediterranean.
QE2’s itinerary placed much greater emphasis on South America before continuing across the Pacific and through Australia and Asia.
Queen Elizabeth 2 World Cruise Sector Prices
Cunard again sold numerous portions of the complete QE2 itinerary.
Voyages from Southampton included:
• Southampton to Singapore – 64 nights, £6,249 to £76,579
• Southampton to Sydney – 50 nights, £5,199 to £59,959
• Southampton to Auckland – 46 nights, £4,699 to £54,979
• Southampton to Valparaiso – 32 nights, £3,599 to £38,079
• Southampton to New York – 8 nights, £899 to £13,799
Return voyages to Southampton included:
• Valparaiso to Southampton – 73 nights, £6,999 to £87,389
• Auckland to Southampton – 60 nights, £5,799 to £70,419
• Sydney to Southampton – 56 nights, £5,439 to £65,529
• Singapore to Southampton – 41 nights, £3,769 to £48,289
• Los Angeles to Southampton – 20 nights, £1,899 to £23,039
• New York to Southampton – 6 nights, £799 to £11,899
The £799 New York-to-Southampton fare is particularly striking when viewed today as a historical Cunard fare.
Two Ships, One World Cruise
QE2 passengers had another opportunity to combine the two ships.
The brochure advertised:
Queen Elizabeth 2
Southampton to Sydney
January 6 to February 24, 2008
48 nights
Promotional fare from £4,199 to £58,959
Passengers could then transfer to:
Queen Victoria
Sydney to Southampton
February 24 to April 22, 2008
58 nights
Promotional fare from £5,899 to £63,329
This produced a 106-night journey using both Cunard liners.
The concept was aptly marketed as:
“Two Ships One World Cruise”
Cunard’s 2008 Connoisseur Collection
Cunard did not market the world cruises purely as shipboard experiences.
The Connoisseur Collection allowed passengers to extend their journey through hotels and multi-day overland tours.
The brochure describes the program as a way of leaving and later rejoining the voyage while exploring major inland attractions that could not be reached during a conventional port call.
Queen Victoria Overland Tours
The Queen Victoria options shown include an Australian Outback Tour.
This was advertised as a six-day post-voyage tour from February 24 to February 29.
The itinerary combined two major Australian attractions:
• Uluru, then commonly marketed internationally as Ayers Rock
• Great Barrier Reef
The tour also included Sydney.
Another Queen Victoria option was the Angkor Wat Overland Adventure.
This two-night, three-day program ran from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City from March 11 to March 13.
Passengers would leave the ship to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia before rejoining Queen Victoria in Ho Chi Minh City.
A third Queen Victoria option was:
Pink City of Jaipur & Taj Mahal
The three-night, four-day program operated from Colombo to Mumbai between March 25 and March 28 and was designed around Jaipur and the Taj Mahal.
Queen Elizabeth 2 Overland Tours
QE2 passengers were offered their own extended excursions.
The Angkor Wat Overland Adventure was available as a nine-day pre-voyage tour from March 2 to March 10, incorporating Angkor Wat as well as Bangkok and Singapore.
Another option was:
Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls Overland
This three-night, four-day program ran from Rio de Janeiro to Montevideo from January 26 to January 29.
The itinerary combined Buenos Aires with Iguazu Falls on the border region of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
A shorter Angkor Wat program was also offered from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City from March 10 to March 12.
The final QE2 overland program shown is:
Beijing and the Great Wall of China
This three-night, four-day tour ran from Hong Kong to Shanghai from March 14 to March 17 and included Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
Cunard’s 2008 World Cruise Hotel Prices
The Connoisseur Collection also included pre- and post-cruise hotel stays.
Hotels printed in the brochure include:
• Mandarin Oriental – New York
• Waldorf Astoria – New York
• Ritz-Carlton – Santiago
• Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey – Los Angeles
• Langham – Auckland
• Four Seasons – Sydney
• Shangri-La – Singapore
• Burj Al Arab – Dubai
• Ritz-Carlton Dubai – Dubai
The historical prices are fascinating.
For example, the first-night double-room rate shown for the Waldorf Astoria in New York was £145, while the Auckland Langham was £85.
At the opposite extreme, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai was listed at £675 for the first night of a double room and £1,275 for the first night of a single room.
The brochure states that Cunard’s hotel program included hotel accommodation, taxes and service charges, porterage, transfers between the airport, hotel and ship, and hospitality services from a Cunard representative.
Two Inspiring Voyages, Two Legendary Liners
The historical significance of the brochure becomes even clearer on a page titled:
“Two Inspiring Voyages, Two Legendary Liners”
Cunard looked backward as well as forward when marketing the 2008 voyages.
The brochure references Laconia and states that 86 years had passed since the Cunard liner embarked on what it describes as the world’s first circumnavigation by an ocean liner.
Against that history, Cunard positioned Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 as the next chapter.
The brochure states that the two Queens would explore 57 ports between them.
Queen Victoria would undertake her 106-night Maiden World Cruise, while Queen Elizabeth 2 would complete a 103-night journey across three great oceans.
2008 Cunard World Cruise Booking Benefits
Passengers booking by January 31, 2007 were also promised complimentary benefits.
For guests booking a full World Cruise, the brochure lists:
• Inclusive gratuities
• On-board credit
• World Cruise Gala Dinner
• Five exclusive shore events for Grill guests only
Passengers booking a World Cruise Voyage of 36 to 78 nights could receive:
• On-board credit
• Flight upgrades
• Exclusive shore events for Grill guests only
The brochure directs passengers to the complete 2008 Cunard World Cruise brochure for voyage-specific benefit details.
The Historic 2008 Tandem Crossing
Another section promotes what Cunard called a “Historic Tandem Crossing.”
The brochure explains that Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 would make a tandem transatlantic crossing in 2008.
As they approached New York, they were scheduled to meet Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2.
That meeting did happen and became one of the notable moments in modern Cunard history.
In January 2008, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria gathered in New York Harbor in a celebrated rendezvous of the three Cunard Queens.
The event was particularly significant because Queen Victoria was the newest Cunard Queen while QE2 was approaching retirement.
Complete Cunard 2008 World Cruise Sailing Schedule
The brochure includes a dedicated schedule page listing the available Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 world cruise sectors.
Queen Victoria Sailings
Queen Victoria’s complete Maiden World Cruise departed Southampton on January 6, 2008 for 106 nights.
The brochure lists these Queen Victoria departures:
• January 6 – 106 nights – Southampton to Southampton
• January 6 – 72 nights – Southampton to Singapore
• January 6 – 49 nights – Southampton to Sydney
• January 6 – 40 nights – Southampton to Auckland
• January 6 – 25 nights – Southampton to Los Angeles
• January 6 – 8 nights – Southampton to New York
• January 13 – 99 nights – New York to Southampton
• January 13 – 78 nights – New York to Dubai
• January 13 – 65 nights – New York to Singapore
• January 13 – 42 nights – New York to Sydney
• January 13 – 18 nights – New York to Los Angeles
• January 29 – 62 nights – Los Angeles to Dubai
• January 29 – 48 nights – Los Angeles to Singapore
• January 29 – 26 nights – Los Angeles to Sydney
• February 13 – 69 nights – Auckland to Southampton
• February 22 – 60 nights – Sydney to Southampton
• February 22 – 39 nights – Sydney to Dubai
• February 22 – 26 nights – Sydney to Singapore
• March 17 – 36 nights – Singapore to Southampton
• March 17 – 15 nights – Singapore to Dubai
• March 30 – 23 nights – Dubai to Southampton
This is an excellent example of how Cunard could sell a single world itinerary as dozens of different cruise vacations.
Queen Elizabeth 2 Sailings
QE2’s complete voyage also departed Southampton on January 6.
The brochure lists:
• January 6 – 103 nights – Southampton to Southampton
• January 6 – 64 nights – Southampton to Singapore
• January 6 – 50 nights – Southampton to Sydney
• January 6 – 46 nights – Southampton to Auckland
• January 6 – 32 nights – Southampton to Valparaiso
• January 6 – 8 nights – Southampton to New York
• January 13 – 96 nights – New York to Southampton
• January 13 – 78 nights – New York to Los Angeles
• January 13 – 57 nights – New York to Singapore
• January 13 – 43 nights – New York to Sydney
• January 13 – 25 nights – New York to Valparaiso
• February 5 – 73 nights – Valparaiso to Southampton
• February 5 – 55 nights – Valparaiso to Los Angeles
• February 5 – 20 nights – Valparaiso to Sydney
• February 19 – 60 nights – Auckland to Southampton
• February 23 – 56 nights – Sydney to Southampton
• February 23 – 37 nights – Sydney to Los Angeles
• February 23 – 17 nights – Sydney to Singapore
• March 9 – 41 nights – Singapore to Southampton
• March 9 – 23 nights – Singapore to Los Angeles
• March 29 – 20 nights – Los Angeles to Southampton
• March 29 – 15 nights – Los Angeles to New York
• April 12 – 6 nights – New York to Southampton
The sheer number of combinations demonstrates that the concept of selling individual world cruise sectors is far from new.
Cunard continues to offer World Voyage sectors today, allowing passengers to join or leave longer world itineraries at selected ports.
Two Ships, One World Cruise Combinations
At the bottom of the schedule, Cunard summarized two combination voyages.
One was:
Queen Elizabeth 2 + Queen Victoria
106 nights
Southampton – Sydney – Southampton
The other was:
Queen Elizabeth 2 + Queen Victoria
103 nights
Southampton – Auckland – Southampton
These were effectively world cruises assembled from portions of two different Cunard ships.
For ocean-liner enthusiasts, this may be one of the most interesting parts of the entire brochure.
Queen Elizabeth 2 in the Cunard Fleet
The final photograph provides a classic Cunard promotional image of Queen Elizabeth 2.
The brochure advertises QE2 cruises to:
• The Mediterranean
• Iberia & the Canaries
• Northern Waters
• North America & Canada
• The Caribbean
• World Cruise
By 2008, QE2 had become one of the most recognizable ocean liners in the world.
Cunard confirms that Queen Elizabeth 2 entered service in 1969 and retired from the Cunard fleet in 2008.
That makes this World Cruises 2008 brochure particularly poignant in retrospect. It was advertising new adventures aboard QE2 during what would become her final year in Cunard service.
Queen Victoria Was the New Generation
Queen Victoria represented the opposite end of the timeline.
She joined Cunard in 2007, and the voyage promoted in this brochure was explicitly her Maiden World Cruise.
The brochure even carries a disclaimer explaining that Queen Victoria was still under construction at the time it went to press and that the images shown were impressions only.
That single sentence helps date the marketing material to an especially interesting period: Cunard was selling a 106-night journey aboard a liner passengers had not yet had an opportunity to experience.
Queen Victoria remains in the Cunard fleet today.
What Happened to Queen Elizabeth 2?
Queen Elizabeth 2 retired from Cunard service in 2008.
Her departure marked the end of an extraordinary career with the cruise line, while Queen Victoria represented the newer generation of Cunard ships.
The current Queen Elizabeth should not be confused with Queen Elizabeth 2.
The present Queen Elizabeth joined Cunard in 2010 as a sister ship to Queen Victoria, two years after QE2 left Cunard service.
How Different Were 2008 Cunard World Cruise Prices?
The headline fares provide an unusually clear historical comparison.
Queen Victoria:
106 nights from £10,999
Queen Elizabeth 2:
103 nights from £8,999
Cunard still operates full World Voyages and individual world cruise sectors today, so the fundamental concept visible in this 2008 brochure survives.
What has changed are the ships, destinations, fare structures, accommodations and prices.
That makes old cruise brochures useful beyond nostalgia. They preserve hard numbers that allow cruise enthusiasts to examine how the economics of long-distance cruising have changed over time.
2008 Cunard World Cruise FAQ
Which Cunard ships sailed world cruises in 2008?
This brochure promotes Queen Victoria’s Maiden World Cruise and Queen Elizabeth 2’s South America, Pacific & Orient Odyssey.
How long was Queen Victoria’s first world cruise?
The brochure lists Queen Victoria’s Southampton-to-Southampton Maiden World Cruise at 106 nights.
When did Queen Victoria’s 2008 world cruise depart?
Queen Victoria was scheduled to depart Southampton on January 6, 2008.
How much did Queen Victoria’s 2008 world cruise cost?
The complete 106-night Southampton round trip was advertised from £10,999 to £115,869 per person based on double occupancy.
How long was QE2’s 2008 world cruise?
Queen Elizabeth 2’s complete Southampton-to-Southampton itinerary was 103 nights.
How much did QE2’s 2008 world cruise cost?
The brochure advertised the 103-night itinerary from £8,999 to £114,919 per person.
Could passengers book only part of the world cruise?
Yes. Both Queen Victoria and QE2 were sold in numerous world cruise sectors connecting major ports such as Southampton, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore and Dubai.
Could passengers sail on both Queen Victoria and QE2?
Yes. Cunard specifically advertised “Two Ships One World Cruise” combinations that allowed passengers to travel aboard both liners during the same extended journey.
Was 2008 Queen Victoria’s first world cruise?
Yes. The brochure explicitly identifies the voyage as Queen Victoria’s Maiden World Cruise.
Was 2008 QE2’s final year with Cunard?
Yes. Queen Elizabeth 2 retired from Cunard service in 2008.
Did Queen Victoria and QE2 meet Queen Mary 2 in 2008?
Yes. The brochure promoted a historic tandem crossing culminating in a meeting with Queen Mary 2 in New York. Cunard’s historical records confirm that Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria participated in a major New York Harbor rendezvous in 2008.
Did Cunard offer overland tours during the world cruises?
Yes. The brochure advertises extended programs visiting destinations such as Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, Angkor Wat, Jaipur, the Taj Mahal, Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Beijing and the Great Wall of China.
Were hotels available before and after the cruise?
Yes. Cunard’s Connoisseur Collection advertised stays at hotels including the Waldorf Astoria, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz-Carlton properties, Langham Auckland, Four Seasons Sydney, Shangri-La Singapore and Burj Al Arab.
Are the prices in this brochure current?
No. They are historical fares for Cunard’s 2008 World Cruises and should only be interpreted in that context.
Does Cunard still offer world cruises?
Yes. Cunard continues to operate long World Voyages and shorter World Voyage sectors, although current ships, routes, durations and prices differ from those shown in this historical brochure.
Why This 2008 Cunard Brochure Matters
Vintage cruise brochures are sometimes treated as little more than collectibles, but this one documents a genuinely transitional moment in Cunard history.
On one side was Queen Elizabeth 2, a ship whose Cunard career stretched back to 1969 and would end later in 2008.
On the other was Queen Victoria, a brand-new Cunard Queen preparing for her first journey around the world.
The brochure placed those generations side by side.
Passengers could circumnavigate the globe aboard Queen Victoria for 106 nights, travel aboard QE2 for 103 nights, purchase shorter sectors of either itinerary, or even combine the two ships into a single extended voyage.
Cunard also built elaborate land programs around those journeys, offering hotels and multi-day excursions to places such as Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, Uluru, Iguazu Falls and the Great Wall of China.
And in New York, the two ships would participate with Queen Mary 2 in one of Cunard’s memorable three-Queen rendezvous events.
Nearly two decades later, this 2008 Cunard World Cruises brochure preserves the routes, fares and marketing surrounding that remarkable moment.
For anyone interested in Queen Elizabeth 2 history, Queen Victoria’s early years, vintage cruise prices or the evolution of Cunard World Voyages, it offers a detailed snapshot of a year when one legendary Cunard liner was nearing the end of her career just as another was beginning hers.
