9-23-2011 - Continuing on her maiden New England & Canadian Adventure voyage, Cunard Line’s newest ship, Queen Elizabeth, made her first visit to Boston, Massachusetts yesterday. Welcoming Queen Elizabeth to the historic port were David Mackey, Interim CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), along with local dignitaries, and port and local tourism officials. As part of the traditional maiden call plaque ceremony, Mackey and Captain Christopher Wells, Master of Queen Elizabeth, presented plaques to each other to commemorate the special day.

“The Port of Boston is honored to welcome Queen Elizabeth. The cruising industry continues to generate significant economic impact for our region, with more than 7,000 jobs and $429 million in income for Massachusetts in 2010,” said David Mackey. “Cunard Line’s historic ties with the Port of Boston have certainly contributed to these activities, and we look forward to welcoming Queen Elizabeth again on her future voyages.”

The city of Boston also holds great historical significance for Cunard Line, being the first U.S. city that the company’s first passenger ship, Britannia, called on at the conclusion of her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England in 1840.

Joining the celebration to welcome Cunard’s newest ocean liner was Nancy Haas of Shreve, Crump & Low, America’s oldest and finest jeweller, who presented an exclusive Boston Harbor Bowl to Captain Wells in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s maiden visit. The jeweller’s historic ties with Cunard date back to 1840 when Shreve, Crump & Low created a 2.5 foot silver cup that was to be presented to Sir Samuel Cunard. The “Boston Cup” went missing and was found in 1967 in an antique store in Maryland. Cunard purchased the cup and later displayed it on board Queen Elizabeth 2, and it now resides on board the line’s flagship Queen Mary 2.

“We are pleased to celebrate our relationship and strong longtime Boston ties with valued port officials, the Coast Guard, the British Consulate and Shreve, Crump & Low, as well as other Bostonians here today. We appreciate their passion about our history and also our future as the youngest fleet at sea,” said Captain Christopher Wells, Master of Queen Elizabeth.

Bostonians share an affinity for Cunard’s hallmark of dressing up. A recent online survey commissioned by Cunard measuring the attitudes of 1,500 U.S. residents revealed that more than half of them enjoy dressing up five times or more each year. Bostonians enjoy the elegance and glamour of getting decked out more than residents of Washington, DC and San Francisco. In addition, respondents said they preferred to dress up on a cruise vacation, rather than during a land-based holiday.

Prior to her maiden call to Boston, Queen Elizabeth visited New York for a rare overnight call to Manhattan. She continues her maiden New England & Canadian Adventure voyage up the eastern seaboard through Maine to the Canadian ports of Halifax, Nova Scotia and Québec City, Québec.