Cunard QUEEN VICTORIA going to P&O to become ARCADIA!!

Could this mean that Carnival/Cunard finally figured out that a Vista Class ship is not suitable for Cunard? Maybe they are finally seeing the big picture? No word on *if* the "new" QUEEN VICTORIA will be an entirely new class of ship. We only know she will be "enhanced".

Ernie

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Cruise operator Carnival to restructure UK capacity

Monday April 5, 8:53 am ET

Cruise operator Carnival to restructure UK capacity

Monday April 5, 8:53 am ET

LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - The world's biggest cruise group, Carnival Corp/Plc (London:CCL.L - News; NYSE:CCL - News), said on Monday it would start operating two new luxury ships over the next three years, as it announced a restructuring of its UK capacity.

The firm said the Queen Victoria ship being built at Italy's Fincantieri Marghera Yard for its Cunard Line brand would now be transferred to P&O Cruises and renamed as Arcadia. The new Arcadia is scheduled to enter service in April 2005.

It said Cunard Line had ordered an enhanced Queen Victoria, also to be built by Fincantieri, and scheduled to enter service in January 2007.

Carnival operates 12 cruise brands in the U.S., Europe and Australia including Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, AIDA, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, Swan Hellenic, and P&O Cruises Australia. (reporting by Santosh Menon

haha you hadn't posted it here yet so I did but then deleted it as we both posted it at exactly the same time. Anyway, this is surprising news if true!!! I wonder if the new QUEEN VICTORIA will be another liner? Perhaps a smaller version of the QM2 or similar design?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CGT:

Anyway, this is surprising news if true!!! I wonder if the new QUEEN VICTORIA will be another liner? Perhaps a smaller version of the QM2 or similar design?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's true, as I believe it's an official Cunard press release.

I also think it's good news. One less brand that must endure a Spirit/Vista Class ship. She will be much better suited at P&O.

I don't think the new QV will be "liner" in the true sense of the word. I think she will remain a cruise ship, but be far better suited for the Cunard brand. She could end up being another modified Vista Class as well, but with more suites? Who knows??

Ernie

Okay, let's see if all the Carnival bashers, who complained about QV in the first place, relent and admit that Carnival Corp. knows what they are doing afterall.

Personally, I'm a bit on the fence about this move. I would have rather seen Cunard keep the ship, rename it something like Franconia, and still build the enhanced QV......but that's just me.

I think another thing they're thinking is that QM2 is stealing the Vista-class QV's thunder. This does give Cunard a longer opportunity for QM2 hype to settle down.....

Russ

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Linerguy:

I think another thing they're thinking is that QM2 is stealing the Vista-class QV's thunder. This does give Cunard a longer opportunity for QM2 hype to settle down.....

Russ<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree Russ. And that may be part of Cunard's thinking. I also think the higher-up's at Carnival Corp. felt that P&O was in more dire need of tonnage based on their operating profits. Basically QV will be more profitable as a P&O ship in the short term.

I'm not convinced either that the "new and improved" QV will be anything more than another Vista Class ship with a Cunard positive spin put on it. No doubt she will be improved with a lower capacity and more suites, but in the end she might still be just another Vista Class ship.

I know Carnival's Technical Services team has been busy with new designs for Holland America and Carnival Cruise Lines, but I've heard nothing about Cunard. Given the time, money, and effort put into QM2, I think it's doubtful they have come up with a completely new design for Cunard on such short notice. I think some other Carnival Corp. brands have a greater need for a new design (mainly Carnival itself), and I think this is where a lot of the design efforts are allocated. I certainly could be wrong, but something tells me the "new" QV won't be much different then the old QV, otherwise Cunard probably would have been touting the fact she is a prototype, rather then just "improved".

Ernie

"Enhanced" is a PR/marketing term of art for "we don't have any idea what we're talking about yet -- or even whether you'll like it or not -- but when we do we promise to make you believe it's 'better.'"

Also, they must be fairly confused over at Carnival/Cunard because they had only just made the announcement (with a fair amount of hoopla) barely two weeks ago about QV's naming ceremony taking place in Southampton next year.

I know nothing about nothing, but maybe the Carnival left hand did not know what the Cunard right hand was doing. (Or should I say the Carnival body did not know what its Cunard finger was doing? )

Crouton

[This message was edited by Crouton on 04-05-04 at 12:42 PM.]

LONG LIVE QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 !!!

This will give us several years of having the 2 queens sailing in and out of Southampton. And maybe when they get themselves organized, they will again pass at sea on the North Atlantic.

QE2 1969 x2, 1978 x2, 2001 x2 1 trip in 1991, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003

SS France 1972 x2 and 1974 x1

SS Raffaello 1974 & 1975

Sea Venture 1974 to Bermuda

SS Rotterdam 1976 & 1977 Nassau & Bermuda

Noordam 1992 & 94/95

Statendam 1993

Horizon 1996

Galaxy 1997 - trip #3 ??

Windward (Now Norwegian Wind) 1997 3 trips before lengthening

Ryndam 1999

Amsterdam - New Years 02/03 with sail7seas and many other happy folks

Serenade Of The Seas 2003 trip #7

QM2 1/31/04

Single since 1991 except Serenade.

QM2 11/6/04 & Queen Victoria - sometime in 2005

Supposedly that wonderful crew that was on the Caronia last month was going enmasse to the Queen Victoria. I hope this doesn't just dump them out "to sea" without jobs. They were just too good. In fact they were MUCH BETTER than what the crew sounded like on the QM2!

Rick,24 cruises and counting! Next cruise- #25-Riverboat cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna in July '04