2008 will mark an exciting year on the Cunard Cruise Line calendar as it will be the first time in history, that three Cunard Queens will be in service simultaneously.

The newest, Queen Victoria, joins the fleet in December 2007 and will embark on 21 captivating voyages that will include dozens of celebratory maiden calls around the world.

Queen Victoria's 2008 programme include a Caribbean Holiday - a 22-day voyage, departing roundtrip from Southampton, England on December 11, 2008, with stops in Ponta Delgada, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Madeira and Vigo. Voyage fares start from $5,695.

The schedule also features visits to Europe, Norway and the Canary Islands on itineraries of four to 22 days.

Among the highlights are three 14-day Russian Rendezvous itineraries circling the Baltic Sea and featuring two full days in St.

Petersburg, Russia; a full range of Mediterranean ports featuring Egypt and the Greek Isles, and the best ports of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean including Monte Carlo, Florence and Istanbul.

These voyages follow Queen Victoria's 106-night Maiden World Cruise and will be detailed in Cunard's 2008 Voyages brochure to be published in mid-April.

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"This is an exciting time in our history," says Carol Marlow, President of Cunard Line. "Even as Queen Victoria is under construction, we have been at work mapping out an incredible itinerary of fascinating places to show off this extraordinary new ship. Whether a guest is sailing with Cunard for the first time, or the fortieth time, Queen Victoria will offer an array of once-in-a-lifetime experiences reminiscent of the Golden Age of Ocean Travel."

An extraordinary shipboard experience awaits Queen Victoria's first passengers. Long regarded as the trend-setter in glamorous ocean travel, Cunard voyages offer the epitome of luxury and refinement and Queen Victoria is no exception. 

The ship's sumptuous surroundings, fine dining and renowned White Star Service(SM), together with sharply focused itineraries and myriad entertainment and enrichment programs, captivate passengers and confirm Cunard's place as purveyor of the world's most extraordinary ocean voyages.

The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria will not only be a classic ocean liner, offering the very best of Cunard's heritage and traditions, along with all modern day luxuries, but will also feature many exciting innovations.  

These will include the first traditional West End-style private viewing boxes at sea in the Royal Court Theatre; the first floating Cunardia museum display, housing Cunard artifacts and memorabilia and the first two-story, 'spiral staircased' library at sea. The ship will also feature the line's celebrated luxury Grills accommodation and dining, further enhanced on Queen Victoria with exclusive deck terraces and an al fresco dining option.~~adz:Right~~

From the outside, her distinctive black and red livery will hint at what differentiates a Cunard liner from a standard cruise ship. This will be most evident in the ship's adherence to liner traditions of the past, with elegant double- and triple-height public rooms featuring rich wood paneling, intricate mosaics and gleaming chandeliers. There will also be a grand, colonial-style Winter Garden complete with a retractable glass roof.

As well as being the second largest Cunarder ever built, Queen Victoria's arrival is particularly noteworthy as it will mark the first time that three Cunard Queens have been in service together in the company's 168-year history. She joins the world's grandest ocean liner, Queen Mary 2 and the world's most famous ship, QE2.

The Queen Mary 2, which already made three visits to St. Kitts for the current cruise ship season, returns on April 7th and 14th. The Queen Elizabeth 2 will berth on May 2nd.