A French shipyard has begun work on what will be the biggest cruise ship in history – the £550 million Queen Mary 2. The project is the fourth in a line of British luxury vessels launched by famed shipping company Cunard, following the Queen Mary, which first sailed in 1936, the Queen Elizabeth and the QE2.
With a capacity of almost 4,000 – and a passenger to crew ratio of around 2 to 1 – the liner features an art deco interior, hundreds of works of art and five double-deck flats. The mammoth vessel also will include a grande descente staircase for passengers who like to make a spectacular entrance.
The ship, which will stretch 1,000 feet in length and weigh 150,000 tonnes, is the biggest ever constructed. As tall as a 21-storey building, it is said to be too large to navigate the Panama Canal. The QM2 will cross the Atlantic in six nights, travelling 50 per cent faster than a typical cruise ship.
Currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyards in Saint Nazaire, western France, the ship will be delivered to the port of Southampton. Its maiden voyage is planned for 2003.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
