Hi Everyone,
I received this press release from Cunard and thought it would be of
interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings, they are
available on my web site.
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Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
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Construction of Queen Elizabeth Begins
Keel Laying Ceremony held today in Italy
2 July 2009 - Today a ceremony to mark the keel laying of Cunard
Line's new Queen Elizabeth was held at the Monfalcone shipyard of
Fincantieri near Trieste, Italy. The second largest Cunarder ever
built, Queen Elizabeth's keel is the third Cunard has lain in the
space of seven years. When she enters service in October 2010, she
will join Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria as not only the most famous
ocean liners in the world but also the youngest fleet in passenger
travel.
The keel laying involves the placement in the dry dock of the first
section of the ship's hull. This section is made up of six
pre-manufactured blocks, weighs 364 tons and is fitted with 104 tons
of pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment.
The ceremony followed an intensive period of design and development.
Fifty-three sections will be used in the construction of Queen
Elizabeth and she will take to the water for the first time at her
float out in December.
"We are delighted to be back here among our friends at Fincantieri so
soon after we took delivery of Queen Victoria in 2007-the first
Cunarder to be built in Italy-and I am sure that Queen Elizabeth will
be just as popular and successful as her two sister ships," said Carol
Marlow, president of Cunard Line. "We at Cunard are always impressed
by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone at Fincantieri, and we
look forward to the next year-and-a half of working closely with them
on this ship, which will be nurtured by their skill and vision and
built into a vessel equal in stature to the other great Cunard
liners," she added.
Paolo Capobianco, director of Fincantieri Shipyard, said, "Our company
is the heir to the Italian shipbuilding industry and the world leader
in cruise ship construction and believes, as Cunard does, in the
possibility and the need of actively matching tradition and
innovation. Building a new liner for Cunard is a special achievement
for Fincantieri and takes us right to our roots, fostering both our
determination to build once again a passenger ship of high
technological content and unmistakable style, reflecting the best of
the industry and tailored to the needs and requirements of the ship
owner."
Queen Elizabeth will feature the unique Cunard traditions linking her
with her sisters Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria and their
predecessors, together with all the modern day luxuries Cunard's
guests have come to expect and some exciting features that will give
the vessel her own style and personality.
Named after the first Queen Elizabeth, one of Cunard's greatest ships,
the new Queen Elizabeth will reflect her predecessor in interior
grandeur, décor and style, but with a modern twist. From the outside,
her distinctive black and red livery will hint at an experience that
differentiates a Cunard liner from a modern-day cruise ship. This will
be most evident in the ship's adherence to liner traditions, with
elegant double and triple height public rooms on a grand scale,
luxuriously endowed with rich wood panelling, intricate mosaics,
gleaming chandeliers and cool marbles. Art Deco features will pay
homage to the original Queen Elizabeth and will allow the new ship to
reflect a more civilized era of travel.
Furthermore, in addition to the extensive Cunard entertainment
programme on board, Queen Elizabeth will offer some unique strands
inspired by the era of the first Queen Elizabeth, such as country
house parties at sea, evening piano sing-a-longs and period dancing,
from traditional ballroom to the jitterbug and the jive, all within
the setting of this 21st century ship.
As successor to Queen Elizabeth 2, the ship will also reflect this
great liner through artworks and memorabilia and its very own "Yacht
Club."
Queen Elizabeth will also pay homage to the links that Cunard has
enjoyed with royalty and the maritime world over the years with
photography, memorabilia and exhibits.
Queen Elizabeth will depart on her Maiden Voyage on 12 October 2010-a
voyage which sold out in a record-breaking 29 minutes 14 seconds in
April 2009. This 13-night celebration will leave from Cunard's home
port of Southampton and will call at Vigo (for Santiago de
Compostela), Lisbon, Seville (Cadiz), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas),
Tenerife (Santa Cruze de Tenerife), La Palma (Santa Cruz de la Palma)
and Madeira (Funchal).
Her Maiden Season will run from October 2010 to January 2011 and
include voyages to the Western and Central Mediterranean and the
Caribbean. Fares start from just $1,195 per person for the five-night
26 November 2010 Gallic Debut voyage with ports of call at Amsterdam,
Zeebrugge and Le Havre; while the 13-night Iberian Discovery voyage
departing 1 December 1020 features fares from $2,395 per person, with
ports of call at Vigo, Lisbon, Seville, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La
Palma and Madeira.
The world's newest ocean liner will depart Southampton on 5 January
2011 on her 103-night epic Maiden World Voyage, which has just been
released for sale. This will see her make 35 maiden calls, including
Cunard's first call ever at Port Denarau (Fiji). In total, Queen
Elizabeth will call at 38 ports in 24 countries as she makes her way
west around the globe, with maiden transits of both the Panama and
Suez Canals and calls at Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Dubai and Lisbon. Queen Elizabeth will be in great company
as her sisters will be present on several occasions during the voyage:
she will sail in tandem to New York with Queen Victoria before all
three Queens will meet for a Cunard Royal Rendezvous in New York on 13
January 2011; and then she meets with Queen Mary 2 in Sydney and
Civitavecchia and Queen Victoria again in Aruba. Full World Voyage
fares aboard Queen Elizabeth start from $19,995; Queen Elizabeth's
Segment World Voyage fares start from $2,545. Fares are based per
person, double occupancy.
For more information and to book a voyage aboard the new Queen
Elizabeth, consult your travel professional. |