For the first time in Cunard's 171 year history the cruise line will be able to offer weddings at sea, as the ships will no longer be registered in the UK. Ships registered in the UK are only allowed to offers weddings while in ports and with the correct authorities present, whereas ships registered in Bermuda or Malta are able to offer weddings at sea with the ship's captain.

Peter Shanks, Cunard President and Managing Director, explains: "Most of our competitors have been developing increasingly popular and lucrative weddings at sea programmes, and these are now very big business in the cruise industry. We receive a lot of enquiries about the possibility of being married on one of our ships particularly about weddings mid-Atlantic on board Queen Mary 2, which no other company can offer".

Cunard's 'Weddings at Sea' programme will be available in spring 2012, once all three ships have completed their World Voyages. Details will be released in November, with bookings taking place in from December. Once all the details are available we will have them on the Iglucruise site and our expert staff will be on hand to help organise the perfect wedding cruise for you.

Written by Stephen Adam
© Iglucruise

Cruise wedding packages are lucrative business and due to UK law, ships registered here are only allowed to marry people at port, which isn't exactly as romantic as a wedding on the ocean waves. On ships registered in the Bahamas and Malta, such as sister lines, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises, couples can marry at a ceremony officiated by the captain, whether the ship is at sea or in port.

Re-registering the ships would mean the cruise line, synonymous with British cruising, would have to fly the flags of either Malta or Bermuda and would no longer be emblazed with Southampton but with either Valletta or Hamilton. Though the cruise line would remain based in Southampton, how much would these changes make to the brand's identity?

In a statement provided to Cruise Critic, Peter Shanks, Cunard's President and Managing Director, said, "It's no secret that weddings at sea are now very big business. We know there is a pent-up demand, as we receive many enquiries, especially about marriages on transatlantic crossings which no other line can offer. However, this business is currently denied to us as our fleet is registered in the UK, and we have for some time been examining our options."

The options, as discussed by Shanks include a single ship registered in with Bermudan or Malta, to offer the at-sea wedding experience, or for Cunard to re-register the entire fleet, though he did go on to say: "I must stress that at present no decision has been made."

With wedding cruises being big money and becoming increasingly popular, this move by Cunard could make financial sense at the cost of breaking with 171 years of tradition. Would you rather get married mid-cruise, on a beautiful sea day, or in port, overlooking the cruise terminal, all for the sake of a flag?

^{Source: Sue Bryant Cruise Critic}

Written by Stephen Adam
© Iglucruise

Cunard Line are very excited about today with the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria departing from Southampton to a display of fireworks and much anticipation. It is rather fitting that the world's most famous Transatlantic cruise ships will be meeting in New York, the port that is equally renowned with Southampton as the home of Transatlantic cruising.

Under all the excitement there have been some incredible deals released, and what better way to celebrate the meeting of the world's most quintessentially British cruise liners than booking a trip onboard one of these stunning ships. Iglu cruise will be celebrating today with Cunard and here are three of the best offers around:

Enjoy Cunard's most famous itinerary onboard the QM2 with deals starting at £679 pp and extra nights in New York only £99!

Escape to the Med this spring with the Queen Victoria and enjoy up to $720 complimentary spend and balconies from only £1359 pp.

Last but not least enjoy Christmas in style on board Cunard's newest cruise liner, the Queen Elizabeth, and soak up the Canary Islands winter sun.

Keep an eye on the Iglu Cruise Facebook and Twitter pages for photo's of the three Queens in New York later today.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort

After arriving in Southampton on Friday the Queen Elizabeth hosted a pre-naming party where around 800 travel agents and VIPs attended. Iglucruise were among those to be the first onboard to enjoy the regal, art-deco inspired ship.

On Monday Cunard's Queen Elizabeth was officially named by The Queen, becoming the third ship to bear her name. Opposed to the usual celebration of smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull, Cunard had opted to use a jerobeam (double magnum) of 2009 Rothschild white wine. The ceremony was followed by the crowd enjoying patriotic tunes including Land Of Hope And Glory in a quayside ceremony.

The Queen then enjoyed a tour of the ship with the ship's captain, Chris Wells, and enjoyed the unveiling of her portrait from artist Isobel Peachey, the youngest women to be commissioned to paint the monarch.

The Queen Elizabeth also played host to celebrities such as Jimmy Saville, Lesley Garett and Judith Chalmers, with the latter singing her praises; "I love everything, the wood, the art deco design, the Golden Lion pub. It’s very luxurious and seems lighter than the Queen Victoria. I want to cruise on this ship."

On Tuesday the ship set sail on her maiden voyage, a 13 night Canary Islands cruise - taking in ports such as Lisbon Tenerife and Madeira.

She may be the the newest ship in the fleet but Cunard are really stepping up their game and the Queen Elizabeth is no exception. The stunning sister ship of the Queen Victoria is proving to be even more popular than expected.

The Queen Elizabeth is the third ship to be named by The Queen, who also named the QE2 in 1967 and the Queen Mary 2 in 2004. The ceremony will be a milestone in British maritime history as well a major event of worldwide interest.

Though the maiden voyage of the Queen Elizabeth sold out in a record 29 minutes there is still limited availability on her other 2010 sailings.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort

Camilla will visit the Queen Victoria when she docks in Liverpool for the first time on the 26th July, as part of celebrations for the 170th Anniversary of the company's first ship setting out from Liverpool in July 1840.

Peter Shanks, Cunard’s president and managing director, said: “Cunard is honoured that Her Royal Highness named this fine ship, and delighted that she continues to display such an interest both in the ship and in the crew. The Duchess will always be warmly welcome onboard”.

The Duchess will be escorted onboard by Peter Shanks and will meet several crew members before heading to the bridge. At midday she will sound the ship's whistle, before cutting the cake to commemorate Cunard's 170th Birthday.

Written by Stephen Adam

Spanish fisherman Benito Estevez, from Vigo, found the camera in his trawler nets. On discovering that the memory card was still intact he made it his mission to return the camera to the owners. Mr Estevez first contacted Cruise Critic, the cruise fan forum site, and later the story made in onto BBC South Today, where a friend of Mrs Gregory saw the story and got in touch.

Barbara and Dennis Gregory were pleasantly surprised to hear the news their camera had been found. Though the camera was damaged beyond use, the memory card with their silver wedding anniversary pictures had survived. The couple, who live in Johannesburg, South Africa, travelled to Vigo last week to meet Mr Estevez and to retrieve the pictures.

Mrs Gregory had said "It's too big a thing to sit a million miles away at home and just say thank you by email," while on the dockside in Vigo. "The pictures were of our silver wedding anniversary trip of a lifetime. But once it falls to the bottom of the Atlantic you just give up on it... The fact that he dredged it from the sea bed is almost miraculous. [The] deep concern of Benito to find us, and the effort that he went to, is beyond the normal call of human duty."

Benito Estevez added "I looked for the owner of the pictures because I thought how I would feel if I lost some important memories. And now we have met Barbara and Dennis, I am so happy."

Written by Stephen Adam, quotes from BBC News.

Peter Shanks, Cunard's President and Managing Director, described the commissioned artwork; “We needed to fill that space with something which would not just be dramatic but which would also reflect our emphasis on traditional materials. After much thought, it was decided to commission a 5.6 metre (18 ft 6 in) high marquetry panel depicting the original Queen Elizabeth, an Art Deco icon, using a variety of natural woods from around the world'.

“Once we had decided on the theme and the medium, it didn't take us long to conclude that no-one was better qualified for this work than the company of the exceptional craftsman Viscount David Linley (nephew to Her Majesty The Queen), whose creative ability and mastery of wood is renowned”.

The dramatic artwork spans two decks and shows the port bow of the original Queen Elizabeth seen dramatically from sea level.