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Queen Mary II
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The world's largest, till now, 5 star cruise ship "Queen Mary II", set sail for the United States on its maiden voyage Monday, January 12th, 2004, carrying 2,600 passengers who paid from 4,400 and up to 48,000 dollars for the privilege. The 150,000-ton Cunard Line vessel left the southern English port of Southampton on the 14-day journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
It's 2,600 passengers will have the run of 6 restaurants, 5 swimming pools, an art gallery and a movie theater that doubles as a planetarium.
The ship is named for Queen Mary, wife of King George V who reigned from 1910 to 1936, and grandmother of the Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II. The "II" in the ship's name, refers to this being the second ship named after the Queen. The first "Queen Mary" came into service in 1936 and is now retired. "Queen Mary II" was officially launched by Queen Elizabeth II.
The cruise liner took more than 5 years to build at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. It is 1,138 feet long (that is longer than 3.5 soccer fields) and 238 feet high (that is as tall as a 21-story building and taller than the Statue of Liberty). It weighs 19 times more than the Eifel Tower. Its 157,000 HP engines can power any kind of activity in a city with 70,000 residents. Its construction costed 1 billion dollars.
Cunard Lines belongs to the U.S. company Carnival, but sails under the British Flag.
However, the "Queen Mary II's" reign as the world's biggest ocean liner is expected to be brief. Cruise operator Royal Carribean Cruises Ltd. recently confirmed an order with Finland's Kvaerner Masa Yards for the "Ultra Voyager", which will accomodate 3,600 passengers and be bigger than the "Queen Mary II". The "Ultra Voyager" is expected to enter service in 2006.
01-20-2004