Dubai will be one of the high-profile ports of call of the new ‘Queen Elizabeth’ when it undertakes its 103-night epic maiden world voyage on January 5, 2011, from Southampton.
The luxury liner will touch Dubai on March 31, 2011, after covering cities like Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore, and then proceeding to Lisbon.
On July 2, 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.
‘Queen Elizabeth’ is already making waves before she enters service. Her October 2010 Maiden Voyage which was placed on worldwide sale to past guests was sold out in a record 29 minutes – easily making this the fastest selling voyage in Cunard’s 170-year history.
“This is an impressive record set by what will be the an impressive ship and speaks volumes about the Cunard brand as well as for the resilience of the cruise sector in these challenging times” said Ashok Kumar, Business Development Director, Cruise Master Middle East agent of Cunard Line in the Middle East.
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.
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 new ship will also reflect this great liner through artworks and memorabilia and its very own “Yacht Club.”
Before the epic Maiden World Voyage, the new Queen Elizabeth will depart on her Maiden Voyage on 12 October 2010 — a voyage that sold out in a record-breaking 29 minutes 14 seconds in April 2009 – for a 13-night celebration.
