Cunard Line managing director Peter Shanks has been appointed chairman of the Passenger Shipping Association. Mr Shanks becomes the 17th incumbent and replaces Lars Olsson of Stena Line who now becomes vice chairman of the industry body.

Announcing its 2011 programme, Cunard Line has cited a desire to widen its agent distribution base as a potential key to its success. The brand will add the Queen Elizabeth to its fleet later this year, allowing the luxury brand to offer its most extensive range of voyages in 2011.

Cunard Line, operator of the most famous ocean liners in the world, is pleased to announce a partnership with The Juilliard School that will present stellar jazz performances on select 2010 eastbound Transatlantic Crossings aboard Queen Mary 2.

Special ceremonies at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste, Italy, were held today to mark the float out of Cunard’s newest liner, Queen Elizabeth.

Cunard has shrugged off the world’s current economic woes by unveiling the first details of its unashamedly luxurious £365 million, 90,000-ton liner Queen Elizabeth, which will enter service in October 2010.The 964ft vessel aims to put to recreate the halcyon days of cruising, during what the company said was a “more civilized era of travel”.