Cunard says its Queen Mary 2 ocean liner will return to Liverpool later this year in a visit lasting two days. Tony McDonough reports

Cunard’s luxury ocean liner Queen Mary 2 will return to Liverpool this autumn.

Queen Mary 2 was last berthed at Liverpool Cruise Terminal in September 2024 after crossing the Atlantic from New York for the 400th time. She will arrive in the Mersey on Thursday, September 18, and depart on Friday, September 19.

This is a visit aimed at travel agents and on how they can “communicate the Cunard difference to customers”, with a number of immersive on board experiences – from dining to entertainment – designed to showcase the brand’s luxury proposition.

Agents will receive Cunard’s iconic White Star Service while on board, and will be treated to drink receptions, training workshops, a speciality dining experience and shore excursions.

Groups will also benefit from both hosted experiences and free time – to help curate their own personalised moments.

Tom Mahoney, director of UK sales at Cunard, said: “There is no better way to understand the magic of a Cunard voyage than by stepping on board and experiencing our luxury proposition firsthand.

“Our 2025 programme of fam trips and ship visits is designed to empower our valued travel agent partners with the knowledge and confidence to sell Cunard with passion and expertise.”

Liverpool is the port where Cunard started passenger services between Europe and North America in 1840.

Since then, Cunard ships have crossed the Atlantic every year, beginning with the paddle steamer Britannia, which departed Liverpool on July 4, 1840, bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Boston.

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Sadly, Cunard regular transatlantic cruises from Liverpool were suspended in November 1966 after RMS Sylvania left Princes Landing Stage and began her journey to New York. There have been a number of one-off cruises since.

In 2026 it will be 60 years since that voyage and for the whole of that time Cunard’s transatlantic services have operated out of Southampton.