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great ships of 2003 Queen Mary 2 New Technology Melded to the North Atlantic Tradition By David Tinsley, technical editor Confounding the skeptics who said the 70.300-gt Queen Elizabeth 2 would be the last transatlantic liner ever built, the 150.000-gt Queen Mary 2 is set to make her service debut in January 2004, signifying a $780- million investment in a luxury passenger ship struc- turally engineered for the North Atlantic. Destined to uphold and revitalize the Cunard liner tradition, the 30-knot QM2 will break new ground in passenger ship technology, while incorporating lessons learned with the 1969-commissioned QE2. The chal- lenge of fulfilling an extremely tough schedule in a notoriously harsh environment, and of meeting rising customer expectations as to service quality, comfort and reliability in all conditions, permeates every aspect of the technical design. Carnival Corporation's deci- sion to build on the Cunard legacy, taken forward so successfully over the past three decades and more by the QE2, denotes the U.S. group's perception of the long-term potential in a specialized or niche market for point-to-point voyages, a field entirely distinct from the general cruise holiday business. The newbuilding's design is based on an operating requirement for a minimum eight or nine months' deployment each year on the North Atlantic. Longer cruises to destinations worldwide will complement her regular operating schedule on the transatlantic run between Southampton and New York. Since the vessel has been conceived to maintain the link between the UK and USA in accordance with a six-day rotation, she embodies the margin of power and speed to skirt espe- cially rough weather, or to recover time lost in slowing for navigation through such adverse conditions, obviat- ing scheduling delays. QM2 offers a capacity for 2,620 passengers, on the basis of lower berth occupancy alone, rising to a maximum of 3,090 passengers if upper berths are taken into account. The intention with the prestigious new vessel has been to achieve the req- uisite, exacting operational performance criteria, using innovative maritime and engineering technologies, and to evoke a feeling of grandeur, elegance and comfort, without sacrificing contemporary style and amenities, to meet the target market's expectations of the Cunard brand. QM2 Set for Historic Maiden Voyage 1 i W8H j By Pamela Conover, President and COO, Cunard Line The long history of Cunard Line is filled with momen- tous occasions and it would be difficult to imagine a company with a greater number of legendary ocean lin- ers to call its own. The early "Cunarders" launched the world's first regularly scheduled transatlantic passen- ger service in the 1840's. The historic "Queens" helped define luxury ocean travel in the 20th century. For almost two hundred years, Cunard has been in the fore- front of maritime engineering and innovative technolo- gy. But there may be no greater event in Cunard's illus- trious history than the arrival, in 2004, of Queen Mary 2. The maiden voyage of Queen Mary 2 in January is the beginning of an entirely new era for Cunard Line, one that will see, for the first time ever, a fleet of three Cunard "Queens" plying the oceans of the world. As Queen Mary 2 takes over the modern cruise industry's only regular transatlantic service, the hugely popular Queen Elizabeth 2, which, since the 1960's, has defined luxury ocean travel, will shift to Europe while maintain- ing its world cruise schedule. Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 will be joined in 2005 by another new Cunard build, the 1968-passenger Queen Victoria. In building Queen Mary 2, Cunard Line's challenge was to create the defining ocean liner for the 21st century, one that met the all needs and wishes of today's sophisticat- ed cruise traveller. This is reflected in a myriad of ways, from an exceptional choice of dining experiences pre- sented by chefs of world renown, including Daniel Boulud and Todd English, to the participation of Oxford University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in learning and entertainment activities to the only Canyon Ranch spa at sea. In short, we were not interested in building a retro version of a 1930's liner. In every sense, from her engine room and bridge to such passenger amenities as state-of-the-art information technology and a planetarium, Queen Mary 2 is thoroughly and daringly modern. Happily, we also had Cunard's extraordinary history to draw on as well, and, in the design and decor of Queen Mary 2, that legacy of clas- sic elegance plays a vital role. In the end, we believe, it is this seamless blending of heritage and contemporary luxury that makes Queen Mary 2 a work of art. 24 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
