CELEBRATIONS of theatre, music, fashion, food, wine and space with stars including Michael Roux Jr., Ruthie Henshall, Midge Ure and Ian Rankin are among the special events set to take place on Queen Mary 2's transatlantic voyages between Southampton and New York this year.
Cunard has revealed its 2020 line up of voyages, featuring exclusive speakers, activities and workshops.
London Theatre at Sea, in partnership with the Olivier Awards, will take place from May 13 to 20. Guests can take part in dance classes, choirs and design workshops. Singer Ruthie Henshall and James Bond lyricist Don Black will perform.
The Transatlantic Fashion Week, from May 24 to 31, is set to feature US design duo Badgley Mischka, who will launch their 2021 resort collection in an exclusive runway show, as well as offering a Q and A.
Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr. will headline Cunard’s first ever Festival of Food and Wine from June 7 to 14.
He will take Le Gavroche to sea by indulging guests with a series of hosted dinners, cooking demonstrations and Q&As. The crossing will also bring together award-winning wine writer Will Lyons, food editor Lisa Markwell and celebrated wine critic Steven Spurrier. For guests interested in the world of wine, join the Cunard Wine Academy while onboard to gain the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 1 Award.
The Journey of Genealogy returns from August 14 to 21 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. Experts from Ancestry, the largest online family history resource in the world, will join guests on board.
Anthony Inglis will conduct the UK’s National Symphony Orchestra on a special crossing as guests are treated to an evening of American themed numbers, and the Last Night of the Cunard Proms between September 4 and 11.
This year’s World Space Week crossing focuses on women in space. Guests will enjoy listening to acclaimed speakers from the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, aerospace and astronautics from October 2 to 9.
Cunard’s first-ever Transatlantic Music Week will feature everything from rock to jazz and gospel to opera. Performers at the event, from October 23 to 30, include Grammy award-winner Midge Ure, gospel sensation Kingdom Choir, singers from the English National Opera, Broadway stars Faith Prince and Seth Rudetsky and classical cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.
The Literature Festival at Sea in partnership with the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the Times and the Sunday Times, returns from December 1 to 8. The programme features readings, talks and workshops with some of the world’s most renowned names in literature. Award-winning authors Ian Rankin, Kate Mosse, Alexander McCall Smith and Prue Leith will join guests.