Captain Gregory, a submariner, was previously awarded the OBE for the longest continuously submerged patrol in Royal Navy history.

This was followed by an unscheduled 24-hour stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia to repair some ship equipment damaged in bad weather, and then a visit to St John's, Newfoundland.

On 26 September 2000, Cumberland worked with local fishermen to aid the rescue of survivors of the Greek ferry Express Samina which ran aground two miles off the island of Paros.

In 2003 Cumberland embarked two teams from M Squadron, Special Boat Service (SBS) and (in partnership with RFA Wave Knight) seized 3.6 tonnes of cocaine in the mid-Atlantic as part of an anti-drug operation.

In October 2005 she intercepted and boarded a speedboat in the Caribbean Sea off Nicaragua from which they seized two tonnes of cocaine, and detained four suspects.

[15] All European Union citizens were entitled to rescue by the Cumberland, but needed to carry a passport or other document that could serve as proof of nationality; would-be passengers were advised to telephone the British embassy in Malta.

[16] In March 2011, Cumberland took part in Operation Ellamy, the British role in the coalition action during the 2011 Libyan civil war by enforcing a naval blockade.

"[18] Since frigates HMS Westminster and Cumberland began enforcing the United Nations Resolution with other Allied naval forces on Friday [18 March 2011], the dictator's ships had shown "a very marked reluctance" to leave their bases... As well as ensuring arms do not slip through the naval cordon drawn across the Gulf of Sirte, both ships are using their surveillance suites to monitor activities along the Libyan coast, providing vital intelligence for the overall mission.

[20][21] On 18 April 2011 Cumberland made her final entry into her base-port of Devonport from an intense and successful patrol involving oil production protection in the Gulf, counter-piracy operations, evacuating refugees from Libya and enforcing an arms embargo against the country's ruler.