Cunard has launched nearly 180 ships with enough firsts and foremost to be forever inscribed in maritime history. Canadian Samuel Cunard began his steamship company in early 1800's with a vision, but it is unlikely he foresaw ships with size, speed or cultured, gracious living afforded by magnificent Cunarders of today.

The onboard ambience attracts a loyal following of guests with similar interests and values - opportunity to socialize with peers who share so much in common is one of great joys of "traveling Cunard."

Cunard Cruise Lines White Star Service can only be described as truly European in that staff attends to every desire with polite, gracious and highly responsive attention - unobtrusive but very much there. When you first come on board, if you half-close your eyes, you will sense immediately that you are on a liner from twenties or thirties. But open them fully and you will realize at once that décor is strikingly contemporary.

Civilized pleasure of afternoon tea, complete with crumpets, scones, berries and clotted cream. QM2 and QE2 each have an authentic English pub offering an incredible variety of beverages ranging from single malt whiskies, special brandy and cognacs, to beer from around world. Guests can watch sports programs on satellite TV and enjoy time honored pub food.

Each Ship Is A Virtual City At Sea!

Each ship is a virtual City at Sea featuring every pleasurable pursuit found in most cosmopolitan metropolis. There are sports activities, fitness classes, spa treatments, and exquisite boutique shopping and stimulating enrichment programs, from round-table discussions with eminent scholars, to a wide variety of classes and workshops.

In tradition of great ocean liners of past, accommodation is matched with reserved tables in one of main dining rooms, most with single seating dining. Cunard's Queens Grill and Princess Grill restaurants are recognized as providing finest epicurean experiences on globe. And there are many complimentary alternative restaurants as well.

Evenings are filled with excitement with gala balls and dazzling theme events providing opportunity to dress to nines - an increasingly rare treat in a day and age governed by monotony of "country club casual". Add dancing to a live orchestra in ballroom, fine liquors and smokes in cigar bar, cabaret, film festivals, superb performances in grand show lounge (QM2's Apassionata, as just one example, is a dance extravaganza with styles from Glen Miller's Swing to tantalizing Argentinean Tango). It is not to be missed.

Cunard's goal with introduction of QM2 is to acquaint a whole new generation of travelers with joys of a Transatlantic Crossing. You could fly across by air in six hours, but six rewarding days at sea give you gracious gift of time - opportunity to do wonderful things that you never have time for at home. Freedom at last!

More grand news! Plans call for another magnificent Cunarder, Queen Victoria, to be delivered in 2007. At 85,000 tons she will carry 1,850 guests, and will be in style of QM2 and QE2.

Queen Mary 2 (QM2)

Superb gustatory celebrations by Mediterranean master Todd English, 24-hour room service, Largest wine selection afloat, Acres of poolside decks and promenades. Full scale Illuminations Planetarium, Afternoon tea accompanied by a string quartet in colonial-style Winter Garden, and a 20,000 square-foot Canyon Ranch SpaClub® brims with therapies and facilities. Fitness center with 50 pieces of card equipment, weight room, Deck sports, Canard connections, and QM2's academic and enrichment programs. On Transatlantic Crossings renowned University of Oxford will present their fascinating Oxford Discovery Programs, as well as a Grand West End style cinema, Ballroom dancing, jazz and champagne clubs. Fine wine bar, G32 for rock and disco, cabaret in Chart Room, casino, Royal Court Theatre for brilliantly staged shows and West End-caliber productions. Gallery of shops, largest library at sea, Computer Center (classes too), The Play Zone - supervised "kids camp", Gentlemen hosts, Facilities for pets.

She's like every Cunarder before her. The stupendous QM2 is a ship of opulence and splendor where classic Cunard hallmarks weave throughout. Sweeping staircases, towering dining salons, a grand ballroom and an unprecedented cache of innovations include a virtual college-at-sea, Cunard ConneXionssm. ConneXions are a cultural campus with a full syllabus of mini-courses, seminars, workshops and eminent guest lecturers selected by University of Oxford. You can learn about everything from film-making to marvels of cosmos, even take a ride through outer space in a "Search for Life" at IlluminationsSM, QM2's planetarium.

If you want to get physical, there are five pools (one with retractable dome), golf simulator, shuffleboard, paddle tennis, a 360 degree promenade for walking and jogging, plus a fitness center which features personal trainers and panoramic views. Then reward yourself in 20,000 square foot Canyon Ranch SpaClub®, brimming with therapies and a wondrous thalassotherapy pool.

“Hermanus has best land-based whale watching in world” and “You're sure to see hundreds of whales breaching from waters off rocky cliffs to West” or “You'll definitely see them lob tailing from vantage point of golden beaches to East”.

And this indeed is a fact.

Every year, like clockwork, whales return to Hermanus for their yearly rendezvous in Walker Bay, carrying out their annual rhythms of mating and calving.

Considering what people actually understand about Southern Right Whale - named because it was “right” whale to hunt – whales perspective will always be something mysterious and unknown.

What we do know is that they prefer warmer waters of Walker Bay for a breeding ground rather than cold waters of their usual haunt, Arctic Circle.

According to calendar they can be seen from July to November. What areas of Walker Bay or time of day to expect them is hard to say. But there is one expert in Hermanus who is sure to know.

The Whale Crier of Hermanus

If you've never heard of Whale Crier of Hermanus, it’s because Hermanus is only place in world to have one. If you're interested in whales this is one whale expert you definitely need to meet.

Pieter Claasen was first to lift a horn-shaped tube of kelp to his lips at age 11, sounding first base notes announcing arrival of whales. Since then, his predecessor, Wilson Salukazana, has become Hermanus's second whale crier.

He answers any questions posed to him about whales…

Wilson can tell you where they come from, what kinds there are in bay and even names of aerial stunts they perform. He also knows best coves along shore and places where you can get within 20m of these gentle submariners.