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With Reuben Goossens

Cruise’n’Travel Journalist & Maritime Historian

 

 

MV Queen Mary 2

QM2 was for a very short time the world largest cruise ship

Photograph provided by Carnival Australia

From Birth to Reality

On Thursday January 08, 2004, her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II said those all too familiar words at the naming of MV Queen Mary 2 … “I name this ship Queen Mary 2. May God bless her and all who sail in her,” then with the push of a button a hefty “Jeroboam of Veuve Cliquot” bottle of champagne smashed against the starboard side of the bow.

From Left to Right: Carnival Cruises CEO Mickey Arison – Pamala Conover Cunard’s President
Commodore Ronald Warwick & HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Photograph BBC & www.ruderhaus.de

At the time the 151,400 GRT (gross registered ton) QM2 was the largest, longest, tallest, widest, and most expensive passenger ship ever to be built, and she was built by Chantiers l'Atlantique at St Nazaire, France at a cost of US$800 million. She departed on her 14-day maiden cruise on Monday 12 January 2004. Cunard’s chief executive, Pamela Conover said, “Queen Mary 2 is the first transatlantic liner to be built in over 30 years and she is really a transatlantic liner built for the 21st century.” With the Queen Mary 2 sailing under the Red Ensign, the flag of the British merchant fleet, the British government said she is a symbol of the revival of the nation's once-mighty seafaring tradition.”

Since then she has undertaken many Trans-Atlantic as well as around the world and shorter cruises, and she has become a popular ship with many, but especially so with the Americans! QM2 accommodates 2,600 passengers in the lap of luxury and she has a complement of 1,253 officers and crew.

 The Grand Lobby

 

Royal Court Theatre

 

Queens Lounge - Ballroom 

 

The Planetarium

QM2 offers a host of fine facilities, including expansive promenades and sweeping staircases running between her 15 decks, that rises some 74 metres above the water. She has no less than 10 restaurants, five swimming pools, and a planetarium. QM2 also boasts a ballroom, numerous bars, and a massive two-story theatre with seating for 1,000 patrons, a casino, gym, luxurious kennels for those pampered pooches (only on Trans-Atlantic crossings). The artwork onboard is estimated to be worth $A6.6 million. Passengers will pay from A$2,145 to more than A$49,500 for their passage in well-appointed accommodations, most of which have private balconies.

Accommodations

 

The photographs shown below provide just a small sample of the accommodations available on the QM2. But it does take you from the very best top of the ship to an inexpensive inside cabin, thus providing an overall picture of the comforts available. Some these days, are set on having a balcony, well great if you wish to spend the extra. Personally I am always happy with a window. Cabins up high in the ship are not always the best as those who sail frequently know. Thus, lower decks tend to be popular with frequent cruisers, and they chose a cabin amidships. They tend to be closer to all the ships venues and, OK, for those who are not the best sailors, it is the best spot on the ship! Choose an inside or outside cabin? Frankly, I know many who choose and inside cabin and save a great deal of money, meaning having done several cruises they can do another cruise. The idiom is, well you only sleep in there, and there is a great deal of truth in that. But, it is all up to personal preference. Mine is a window, and I feel a balcony is a waste of time. You usually get blown away anyway. I have had balconies on three cruises and hardly used then on each due to the wind factor, out of the many weeks I would have spent up to 8 hours on them. Not worth the money! The promenade and Lid decks are free and there are stewards running around ready to get me a drink at beck and call!

 

The Lounge of the Grand Duplex

 

Penthouse

 

Queen Mary Suite

 

Deluxe Balcony Stateroom 

 

A functional, but economical inside twin/double bedded room

Sheer Size

QM2 is the successor of the magnificent Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was built in Scotland and launched in 1936. She was named for the present queen’s grandmother; the wife of King George V. QM1 is easily recognised by its distinctive triple funnels and is now permanently berthed at Long Beach California, used as a convention centre, hotel, restaurant, entertainment and ritzy wedding venue.

The elegant Queen Mary was one of England’s greatest Liners - Seen here at Long Beach California

Image provided by “Hotel Queen Mary” Long Beach

 

A size comparison between the RMS Queen Mary and MS Queen Mary 2

QM2’s sheer size allowed the creation of a variety of passenger spaces. This in turn allows for a world of diversity. Athletes will find one of the best-equipped playing fields anywhere. Sybarites can enjoy the rejuvenating treatments of the world-renowned Canyon Ranch SpaClub®. If you are into health and fitness, there is a state-of-the-art gym including a separate weight room. Visit to the planetarium, a wine tasting seminar, or take a walk down history lane at the Maritime Quest Exhibit. QM2's is a veritable City at SeaTM. She is the liner of the future, yet has the touch of yesteryear.

Keeping Fit!

 

There is a fully equipped Gym and fitness Centre 

 

Pavilion Pool has a sliding glass roof as well as two Jacuzzis 

Personally, being conservative, unlike the QE2, I do not find her exteriors pleasing, as her hull design is based on ships already built for the other Carnival stable of ships, which includes Holland America Line, P&O Cruises UK, Princess Cruises and Costa Cruises, etc. However having said that, I believe that internally the QM2, is without a doubt a ship of the future setting new standards in luxury, offering an unequalled number of facilities of any luxury cruise ship/ today, but, please do not call her a liner, for she is not! Managements of modern cruise companies today have no shipping background whatsoever and they have no idea what the work liner means. I have been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and operated a cruise company in the seventies, and these modern so-called experts that come out of the hospitality & marketing industry continue to offend me! QM2 and all other ships sailing today are “cruise ships!”

More Lounges, Bars & other public Rooms

 

Chart Room Bar

 

Chart Room Bar & lounge

 

Golden Lion Pub

 

 

There is a well stocked Library

 

I left it to last, for there has to be one – the Casino

 

Restaurants  

 

The magnificent two story Britannia Restaurant 

 

The Queens Grill. This ultimate dinning experience comes at quite a cost!!!

 

Todd English Restaurant 

 

The elegant Asian Lotus Restaurant 

 

 

An impressive bow shot!

 

QM2 Specifications

Tonnes:                      151,400

Length:                      345 meters / 1,132 feet

Width:                        41 meters / 135 feet

Draft:                         10 meters / 32 feet 10 inches

Passengers:                2,620

Crew:                         1,253

Power:                       157,000 horsepower, environmentally friendly, gas turbine/diesel electric plant

Propulsion:                  Four pods of 21.5 MW each; 2 fixed and 2 azimuthing

Speed:                       Max 30 knots (34.5 mph)

 

Interesting Facts

 

QM2 is five times longer than Cunard’s first ship, Britannia (230 ft.)

QM2 is 113 feet longer than the original Queen Mary

QM2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall (550 ft.)

QM2 is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall (984 ft.)

QM2 is more than 3 ½ times as long as Westminster Tower (Big Ben) is high (310 ft.)

QM2 is only 117 feet shorter than the Empire State Building is tall (1248 ft.)

QM2 is more than three times as long as St. Paul’s Cathedral is tall (366 ft.)

QM2 is as long as 41 double-decker London buses (31 ½ ft. each)

QM2's whistle (taken from the original Queen Mary) is audible for up to 10 miles

 

 

Visit our many features on the following Carnival PLC Cruise Companies

P&O Cruises Australia: Pacific Sun  / Pacific Dawn

P&O Cruises UK: Aurora / Oriana / Artemis

Princess Cruises: Pacific Princess / Sun Princess / Dawn Princess

Cunard: Queen Mary 2 / Queen Victoria

Seabourn: Seabourn Yachts (online soon)

 

 For the Latest Cruise NEWS read our …

P&O/Princess/Cunard/Costa/Seabourn/Carnival News Updates

 

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Please Note: Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site. I have been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and I am currently semi-retired, but continue to write cruise/ship reviews and writes articles to inform cruise/ship enthusiasts and provides information for those intending a cruise. If you are interested in a cruise, I am happy to refer to an dedicated cruise agent in Australia or New Zealand, agents that specialises in cruising and who will be able to best to advise you and offer the best fares possible. Be assured, I do NOT receive a commission from these agents, and in the majority of cases these agents will not be aware of my involvement as I provide the enquirer with the requested information and the agents (in their region) contact details. Reuben Goossens.

 

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Photographs on Cruise-Australia and ssMaritime are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind and make themselves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seem a multitude of my own photo’s on other sites, yet some even refuse to give credit, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. Let us do the right thing and show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due!

 

 

 

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