Cunard 2027–2028 programme release

Where does Cunard sail in 2027 and 2028?

Cunard’s 2027–2028 programme spans ocean voyages across several continents, with sailings ranging from short getaways to grand world voyages stretching beyond 100 nights. Departures run from late October 2027 through to early May 2028, giving you a wide window to plan your preferred timing. The majority of sailings are one-way itineraries — worth keeping in mind when you plan your travel to and from the ship, though our team can take care of the connecting legs as part of a single package.

Which regions does Cunard cover?

The programme is built around Cunard’s traditional strengths: long ocean crossings, immersive world voyaging and voyages along the coasts of the British Isles. Here is where the cruising is concentrated, and who each region suits best.

Transatlantic crossings

Transatlantic sailings make up the largest part of this programme, and for good reason. There is nothing quite like crossing an ocean properly — days at sea, evenings in the ballroom, mornings on deck watching the horizon. Queen Mary 2 is the ship most closely associated with this route, designed as a true ocean liner rather than a cruise ship, and she does it with a sense of occasion no other vessel can match. Sailings typically connect Southampton with New York, so a one-way crossing can be paired with a stay in either city — and we can arrange the hotel, flights and transfers at both ends.

British Isles voyages

A substantial share of the programme explores the waters around Britain and Ireland. These sailings depart from Southampton, making them a genuine no-fly option for anyone already in the United Kingdom — though for Australian travellers, they pair naturally with a pre- or post-cruise stay. Expect dramatic coastlines, historic harbours and the kind of elegant shipboard routine that Cunard does so well. Browse all British Isles cruises to see the full range of departures in this region.

Round-the-world voyages

Cunard’s world cruise programme for 2027–2028 includes sailings that call at ports across multiple continents over voyages that can stretch to 117 nights. These are the longest sailings on offer and suit travellers who want to see a great sweep of the world from one ship, with the rhythm of sea days and port days that only a true ocean voyage can provide. If you have been thinking about a world cruise, this programme gives you serious options — and our cruise experts can help you work out which segment or full voyage suits your schedule and budget.

Transpacific routes

Transpacific sailings connect Asia and the Americas across the Pacific, often touching Sydney, Singapore, Los Angeles and Yokohama (Tokyo) along the way. For Australian travellers these are particularly accessible: a sailing from Sydney means no international flight at all if you are in the city, or a short domestic hop if you are not. One-way transpacific itineraries that end in another city connect back to Australia via a domestic or short-haul flight — something our team can slot into your overall booking.

South East Asia

Cunard’s South East Asia sailings move between ports across the region, with Singapore and Hong Kong among the embarkation points. These itineraries suit travellers who want to combine a Cunard voyage with time in one of Asia’s great cities before or after sailing. We can build that stay into your booking — hotel, transfers and any tours — so it reads as one joined-up holiday rather than two separate trips stitched together.

South Africa

South Africa sailings bring one of the world’s most dramatic coastlines into the picture. Cape Town features as a port on several of these itineraries, a city well worth time before or after the voyage. These are long-haul sailings from an Australian perspective, and they work best when treated as the centrepiece of a wider trip — exactly the kind of journey our DreamAway packages are designed to support.

Also worth exploring: the programme includes sailings to the Caribbean — particularly through Miami — and to the Norwegian coast, as well as voyages taking in the Canary Islands and Portugal, offering even more variety within a single programme release. For Caribbean options specifically, you can compare Caribbean cruises in 2027 and Caribbean cruises in 2028 to see what suits your travel window best.

Which ships are sailing in the 2027–2028 Cunard programme?

Four ships carry the Cunard flag through this programme. Each has a distinct character, and choosing between them is one of the most enjoyable decisions you will make.

Queen Anne — Cunard’s newest ship, launched 2024

Queen Anne is the newest addition to the Cunard fleet, having entered service in 2024, and she brings a fresh energy to the line’s long traditions. Art Deco elegance runs through the ship’s design, but the details feel genuinely contemporary rather than merely nostalgic. The Carinthia Lounge is a favourite spot for cocktails with live music before the evening begins properly, while the grand Queens Room ballroom is the heart of the ship’s social life. Then there is The Golden Lion pub — proper British pub atmosphere at sea, with a menu developed with Michelin-starred chef Michael Roux. Queen Anne carries the highest number of sailings in this programme.

Choosing the right cabin makes a real difference on a long voyage. Queen Anne’s grades run from compact inside options to the flagship Grand Suite:

• Britannia Inside cabin IA — 13.7 m². A personal cabin steward available around the clock, with daily turndown service.
• Britannia Deluxe Ocean-view cabin EA — 21.9 m². Around 3 m² more living space than the standard ocean-view grade, with a separate seating area.
• Britannia Club Balcony cabin A1 — 21.9 m². Includes exclusive access to the Britannia Club Restaurant with a reserved table, for a more intimate dining experience.
• Queens Grill Grand Suite Q1 — 133.8 m². The largest suite on board, more than twice the size of the Master Suite category.

See the full range of options on the Queen Anne cabins and deck plans page.

Queen Elizabeth

Step aboard Queen Elizabeth and the golden age of ocean travel comes back to life — chandeliers, a sweeping promenade deck and Art Deco styling throughout. Cunard’s White Star Service is felt most acutely here: your table in the Britannia Restaurant, the Princess Grill or the Queens Grill is set to a standard you would struggle to find on land, let alone at sea. The Royal Court Theatre stages shows in the evenings, the Queens Room ballroom invites dancing, and on a fine afternoon the deck croquet is a small but genuinely charming detail. Queen Elizabeth carries the second-largest share of sailings in this programme.

Cabin grades on Queen Elizabeth:

• Britannia Inside cabin Deluxe GB — 19.2 m². Around 5 m² more spacious than standard inside cabins — a meaningful difference over a long voyage.
• Britannia Ocean-view cabin EB — 18.3 m². A cabin window brings natural daylight and sea views that inside grades cannot offer.
• Britannia Club Balcony cabin A1 — 24.0 m². Your own private balcony, with access to the Britannia Club Restaurant’s reserved table dining.
• Queens Grill Grand Suite Q1 — 127.7 m². Approximately 90 m² of private balcony space — more outdoor room than any other Queens Grill suite on the ship.

The Queen Elizabeth cabins and deck plans page has the full layout.

Queen Mary 2

Queen Mary 2 is the world’s last true ocean liner — a designation that is not marketing language but a technical one, describing a ship built for the sustained North Atlantic crossing rather than sheltered-water cruising. Crossing the Atlantic aboard her, days at sea with nothing but ocean in every direction, is genuinely unlike any other voyage. The Planetarium — the only one at sea on any ocean-going ship — gives you a place to lie back and take in a star show while the real thing passes overhead on deck. White Star Service, ballroom dancing lessons and the Queens Room complete the picture.

Cabin grades on Queen Mary 2:

• Britannia Inside cabin HB with atrium view — 14.8 m². The only inside cabin with a view of QM2’s impressive atrium, making it brighter and more open than standard inside grades.
• Britannia Solo cabin outside KB — 16.5 m². Designed for solo travellers, with no single supplement, and full Britannia comfort for one person.
• Britannia Balcony cabin BU, covered loggia — 25.0 m². A sheltered loggia rather than an open balcony, giving you fresh air and sea views in any weather.
• Queens Grill Grand Duplex Suite Q1 — 208.9 m². A maisonette suite across two levels, offering more than 200 m² of private space — more than twice any other Queens Grill suite on board.

See the full cabin layout on the Queen Mary 2 cabins and deck plans page.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria is Cunard’s most intimate ship — large enough to offer everything the line is known for, but small enough that the experience never feels anonymous. Gala evenings in the Queens Room, white-gloved Afternoon Tea, and a Royal Court Theatre that delivers West End-calibre entertainment — vocalists, illusionists, aerial performers — night after night. If you prefer a ship where you will see familiar faces at dinner and feel genuinely at home after a couple of days, Queen Victoria rewards that instinct. View the Queen Victoria cabins and deck plans for full grade and size details.

Where do Cunard’s 2027–2028 sailings depart from?

Southampton is the dominant home port for this programme, accounting for the largest share of departures. It is the natural base for Cunard’s transatlantic and British Isles sailings. For Australian travellers, Southampton is most conveniently reached with a flight into the United Kingdom and a short onward journey to the port — our team can arrange the whole sequence as one booking.

Miami is the next significant departure point, particularly for Caribbean itineraries. It is worth noting that Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) are about half an hour apart, so a Florida-based sailing is worth checking from both ports for dates and availability — see our Fort Lauderdale cruise page for comparison.

New York features strongly as both an embarkation and a disembarkation point, pairing naturally with a stay in the city either side of the voyage. Los Angeles serves transpacific departures heading westward across the Pacific. Sydney offers the most accessible starting point for Australian travellers — if you are in New South Wales, you can board without an international flight; from another state, a domestic connection is a straightforward first step. Singapore and Hong Kong complete the embarkation picture for South East Asia itineraries.

Are there any fare reductions available?

Some sailings in this programme carry a reduction from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that same sailing. The maximum reduction available reaches 19%, though that applies to a single departure; most reduced sailings sit closer to around 10% off. Fare types such as early-saver and last-minute offers appear across the programme at various times, so it is worth checking back or speaking with one of our cruise experts who can alert you when a fare moves on a sailing you are watching.

Prices start from A$439 pp* for shorter sailings, with longer voyages — world cruises and extended transpacific routes — priced accordingly. Our Best Price Guarantee means that if you find a lower published price elsewhere, we will match it.

Make it a holiday

Almost all of these sailings embark at ports in the United Kingdom, the United States or Asia, which means most Australian travellers will be combining their Cunard voyage with international flights and at least one or two nights ashore. That is not a complication — it is an opportunity to turn the trip into something more. CruiseAway can bundle flights, hotels, tours, transfers and insurance around your sailing as a DreamAway Package, or build a fully custom itinerary if you want something more tailored. One booking, one point of contact, and our cruise experts to help you pick the cabin grade and fare inclusions that suit your budget and travel style.

If you are already thinking about the holiday around the cruise — a few nights in New York before boarding QM2, a post-cruise stay in Singapore — our team handles exactly that. You should not have to stitch those pieces together yourself.

Explore more 2027 sailings

If you are exploring Cunard as part of a broader 2027 cruise search, a few related pages are worth a look. The full 2027 cruises listing covers all lines and regions departing that year. For Australian itineraries, cruises around Australia in 2027 give a sense of what is sailing closer to home. Travellers considering a Pacific crossing or a Sydney departure might find cruises from Sydney to New Zealand in 2027 or cruises from Sydney to Hawaii in 2027 a useful comparison. If Singapore is part of your travel plan, cruises from Singapore in 2027 cover departures across multiple lines from that port.

For the festive season specifically, Christmas cruises from Sydney in 2027 and Christmas cruises from Brisbane are popular choices that book up early — as do New Year’s Eve cruises across the board. If January departure fits your plans, the January 2027 Sydney departures page gives a focused view. You can also look at the Princess Cruises 2026–2027 Australia season or the Princess 2027–2028 season launch if you are comparing lines for the same period. The broader full Cunard cruise listing covers all available Cunard departures beyond this specific programme window, and the main cruises hub is a good place to start if you are still working out which line or region is right for you.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.