Queen Mary 2 calls in Durban ahead of 2026 grand voyage from Cape Town

Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 called in Durban on Thursday as part of her 110-night world voyage, marking a South African stopover ahead of her scheduled cruise from Cape Town on April 13th.

The world’s largest and only remaining ocean liner arrived from Singapore and will continue to Cape Town before departing the following day for Southampton, completing the final sector of her 2026 world voyage, which concludes on April 30th.

The itinerary spans 30 ports but her voyage from Cape Town is also bookable as a 17-night cruise to Southampton, or a 25-night itinerary with a trans-Atlantic crossing to New York.

As the flagship of Cunard, Queen Mary 2 is the only vessel in regular service designed and operated as a true ocean liner, maintaining scheduled transatlantic crossings between Europe and North America.

Her Durban call forms part of a broader operational pattern that includes periodic visits to South Africa. The ship last called in Durban on April 3rd, 2023, carrying around 2,000 passengers, while a 2020 visit took place under more restricted conditions during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the vessel entered port to allow six South African crew members to disembark under health authority supervision.

This year’s deployment carries additional significance, with Queen Mary 2 marking two milestones in her operational history.

In January, she completed her first transit of the Panama Canal, passing through the new locks and sailing beneath the Bridge of the Americas, an event that represented a notable expansion of her routing capabilities.

The transit provided passengers with a rare opportunity to experience a full canal passage on a vessel not originally designed for such itineraries.

Later in 2026, the ship is expected to complete her 450th transatlantic crossing, reinforcing her long-standing role in maintaining a scheduled ocean liner service in an industry otherwise centred on cruise operations.

“This will be one of several visits she has made to South Africa over the years, but this year seems especially significant,” said Shaun McCarthy, Managing Director, Whitestar Cruise & Travel. “Not only is she marking important milestones, but out of roughly 300 to 350 cruise ships in operation today, about 150 of which are classified as luxury vessels, she remains the only true ocean liner in the world.”

Following her departure from Cape Town later this month, Queen Mary 2 will reposition to the United Kingdom and begin a dedicated season of transatlantic crossings between May and December 2026.

This programme will see the ship return to her core North Atlantic route, maintaining the scheduled Southampton–New York service that has defined her role since entering service.