The countdown is on till Cunard’s return back Down Under. But the line’s upcoming season will be a special one. And it will include partnerships with culinary powerhouses like Matt Moran.
The arrival of the new Queen Anne and celebrations of Cunard’s 100th year in Australia will show some unique itineraries available for Australians.
One of which is a five-night voyage where passengers will get to rub shoulders with Australian culinary royalty names like Matt Moran, Julie Goodwin, Nornie Bero, Darren Purchese, and Katie Spain.
As part of the Great Australian Culinary Voyage, guests will get to take part in live talks, interactive dining events, and carefully curated workshops.
Purchese and Spain will join dedicated food-themed shore excursions in places like Hobart, to show guests the rich food history of the Apple Isle.
Cruise Passenger was given a sneak peek into one of the divine dining experiences which will be hosted by Matt Moran onboard the Queen Elizabeth.
Moran and his head chef Tom Gorringe are no strangers to Cunard – this is the third year they have hosted a beautifully tasting menu, incorporating Australian ingredients.
The culinary voyage
Moran will take over Queen Elizabeth’s dining venue, The Verandah, with an exceptional six-course degustation menu. He is one of Australia’s most recognised, celebrated, and influential chefs, having hosted prime-time shows such as MasterChef and MasterChef Junior, Heat in the Kitchen, The Chopping Block, My Restaurant Rules, The Bank, his own conceptualised award-winning TV show Paddock to Plate and The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Maggie Beer.
At an intimate dinner at Aria, Moran’s 25-year-old flagship fine dining restaurant, the team walked us through the dishes, guests on the Great Australian Culinary Voyage will find.
The tasting menu will include items like crab, cucumber, buttermilk, and caviar, Gundagai lamb loin with peas, morels, and Madeira, and for dessert, a chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut dome.
“Tom will be preparing the ingredients at our restaurant, and then walk across to the Overseas Passenger Terminal to board the Queen Elizabeth. Amazingly, we can see the ships come in from our restaurant,” Moran said.
Meanwhile, Goodwin will host talks and workshops and will reveal secrets behind her mezze platter, while in the Lido Alternative Dining Restaurant on Queen Elizabeth, Bero will be incorporating native ingredients in her dishes. Purchese’s sweet creations can be found at Cunard’s Champagne Afternoon Tea while Spain, who is one of Australia’s leading wine journalists will be hosting masterclasses.
Fares start from A$1,386 per person in a twin share Inside Stateroom. To read more, view the itinerary here.
Queen Anne‘s arrival in Australia
Also, on the cards for this Australian season is the arrival of the brand-new Queen Anne on her world cruise. Departing from Hamburg on January 7, or Southampton on January 9, a Cunard spokesperson said the sectors are between Sydney and New Zealand and the Asian itineraries are extremely popular.
Aussies can fly to Auckland to meet Queen Anne for a five-night voyage to Sydney, taking in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands. Or from Sydney, you can join the Queen Anne and embark on a 19-night voyage to Hong Kong or a 25-night option that ends in Singapore.
Some of the port calls include Brisbane, and Cairns before sailing to Indonesia and the Philippines.
