Luxury Cruise Line, Cunard is putting its loyalty to Australia on show by partnering with four fair dinkum Aussie companies ahead of its record season Down Under.
So, which quintessentially Australian brands have Cunard selected to star at sea?
R.M.Williams and Akubra
The famous Aussie clothing brands will collaborate with Cunard to create a new uniform for Queen Elizabeth’s Bellboys to wear during their Australian season. While the uniform is yet to be designed, it will incorporate an Akubra hat and R.M. Williams’ trademark boots.
“This collaboration with Cunard is the chance to unite two iconic brands across land and sea and showcase R.M.Williams onboard Queen Elizabeth during its 2019 season Down Under.”
R.M.Williams Chief Marketing Officer Mathew Hayward.
STARWARD
The 225-litre barrel of modern single malt whisky, to be known as The Seafarer, will spend 12 months travelling the world on Queen Elizabeth’s decks. Aged for two years previously at STARWARD’s Port Melbourne distillery, its maturation will be aided by the motion of the ocean, the salt of the sea air and changing climates along the journey.
The barrel will be opened and the whisky made available onboard Queen Elizabeth and at STARWARD’s distillery bar once the ship begins her history-making season of cruises from Australia in February 2019. As part of their partnership, STARWARD and Cunard will donate bottles of The Seafarer to raise funds for charity.
Australian Dance Theatre
The award-winning ADT will create a unique performance of its latest work The Beginning of Nature to be performed onboard Queen Elizabeth during its 2019 Australian season, while the ship’s company will also stage workshops and movement classes for ship guests.
This will be the first performance at sea for the ADT which is known around the world for its pioneering works.
“Australian Dance Theatre is thrilled to have been chosen alongside some of the nation’s most iconic brands to participate in what is a unique opportunity to showcase all things quintessentially Australian on one of the world’s most famous cruise ships.”
Australian Dance Theatre Executive Director Shaun Comerford.
While announcing the partnerships onboard Queen Elizabeth in Sydney yesterday, Sture Myrmell, President of Carnival Australia which represents Cunard, said the initiatives broke new ground for Cunard and reflected the cruise line’s increasingly strong commitment to the Australian market.
“These partnerships are designed to embrace Australian products and culture and celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 2019 season Down Under, which sets a new record for Cunard’s current fleet of Queens,” he said.
Australians’ interest in holidays at sea – and cruises with Cunard – has surged since Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth’s predecessor, QE2, brought Sydney to a standstill when they visited the city together in 2007.
The number of Australians taking cruise holidays annually has leapt from 251,000 in 2007 to almost 1.3 million in 2016.
Recognising the demand, Cunard decided to base Queen Elizabeth in Australian waters for an unprecedented two months next year, with 27 different cruise itineraries on offer as she sails from Sydney and Melbourne.
Cunard will go even further the following summer, with Queen Elizabeth set to return to Australian waters for an extraordinary 101 days of cruising, from December 2019 to March 2020.
READ: Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth heads Down Under for longest stay yet
READ: ALL HAIL! CUNARD IS BUILDING A 4TH QUEEN