Luxury cruise line Cunard announced a groundbreaking partnership with the legendary Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) at the RCGS annual College of Fellows Dinner held at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The partnership, which will bring together the two organizations’ shared histories and passions for travel and exploration, was announced by Matthew Gleaves, VP of Commercial Development for Cunard in North America.
As part of the partnership, experts from the RCGS will be featured on select 2023 voyages as part of Cunard’s renowned InsightsTM onboard enrichment program. RCGS headliners will be on every Cunard voyage in the 2023 Alaska season on Queen Elizabeth, from June through August, and on the Canada/New England voyage in September, from New York to Quebec, on flagship liner Queen Mary 2.
Founded over 182 years ago by Canadian Samuel Cunard, Cunard has a storied history of travel and exploration, offering travelers the opportunity to explore the world’s iconic cities and lesser-known destinations with modern amenities and unparalleled innovation. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, with its 26,000 full-time educators and robust Fellowship of distinguished thought leaders and geographical advocates, is dedicated to understanding and educating people about the diverse human and physical landscapes of Canada and beyond.
The RCGS speakers, who include best-selling author and adventurer John Geiger, underwater explorer Jill Heinerth, worldwide adventurer George Kourounis, and former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde, will offer custom-curated programming for Cunard guests. Gleaves stated, “Cunard is committed to exploring the beauty and rich culture of the region and educating guests during their time with us. There is no better organization to help us succeed in this than the RCGS, and we intend to make this a long-lasting partnership.”
RCGS CEO John Geiger added, “Our mandate to make Canada better known to Canadians and the world will be furthered by this exciting partnership with Cunard. Through collaborative enrichment programming and providing Canadian Geographic content onboard, we hope each Cunard guest will come to appreciate and love the dynamic and diverse landscape and people of our country.”