Queen Mary 2
Key Particulars
Gross Tonnage: 148528
Net Tonnage: 99158
Displacement: 79461 load; 75800 design
Deadweight: 19189 registered; 17961 load; 14300 design
Designer: Stephen Payne (overall); Maurizio Cergol (emergency egress design consultant); Tillberg, designteam (interior design)
Classification: LR +100A1, + LMC, UMS, NAV, PSMR, *IWS
Length: 345.03m / 1131.99ft oa; 314.25m / 1031.00ft wl; 301.35m / 988.68ft pp
Breadth: 49.00m / 160.76ft ext; 41.00m / 134.51ft wl
Draught: 10.30m / 33.79ft load; 10.00m / 32.81ft design
Air draught: 62.00m / 203.41ft design
Depth: 13.71m / 44.98ft mld
Decks: 18 plus 1 tween deck and 1 partial deck (12 passenger)
Complement: 3964 (2711 pax dbl occ, 1253 crew); 4524 (3271 pax max occ, 1253 crew)
Cabins: 1363 (298 inboard, 1065 outboard) - includes 30 handicap-accessible canins and 30 hearing-impaired cabins; 703 crew
Yard Data
Chantiers de l'Atlantique G32
Timeline
19 December 1997
James Cameron's epic film Titanic was released and sparked a renewed interest in the romance of a transatlantic liner.
early 1998
Cunard finalized plans for two liners, of around 84000 gross tons and 2000 passengers each.
3 April 1998
Carnival Corp. & plc enters into an agreement with Trafalgar House to purchase the Cunard Line Ltd.
1 June 1998
Carnival Corp. & plc completed their purchase of the Cunard Line Ltd. from Trafalgar House.
8 June 1998
Carnival announced that Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding would begin work on a new liner to replace the aging liner Queen Elizabeth 2, dubbed Project Queen Mary. At this point, a Panamax ship was being conceived, and would have a gross tonnage of 70000 to 80000.
8 November 1999
The Cunard Line announced that they had completed the GA for Project Queen Mary. She would be the largest passenger ship ever built. Old hopes for a Panama-capable liner had been decimated by the need for elevated lifeboats, balcony cabins and revenue-generating volume, and then by a need for a stable platform for all of that even in the worst weather on the North Atlantic. The GA at this point showed about 1250 cabins, for 2500 double occupancy.
10 March 2000
Carnival Corp. & plc signed a letter of intent with Chantiers de l'Atlantique for the construction of a massive new liner. The proposed ship was expected cost £550,000,000, and an updated double occupancy figure of 2800 was provided. Other potential yards, such as Harland & Wolff, Meyer Werft, and Fincantieri, had all dropped out for various reasons.
6 November 2000
A contract was signed between Chantiers de l'Atlantique and Carnival Corp. & plc., and Project Queen Mary became G32, her shipyard hull number. The contract value of £538,000,000 was slightly less than anticipated at the time of the LOI signing seven months before.
February 2001
MARIN concluded model testing on "MARIN8012," the 4.57m / 15.00ft self-propelled model of G32. The model successfully weathered simulated hurricanes, justifying the design which Stephen Payne and his team at Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding had spent so much time on.
12 January 2002
The first pieces of steel were cut for G32.
16 January 2002
Formal steel cutting ceremony for G32, conducted by Cunard president Pamela Conover.
11 June 2002
Maiden voyage set for 12 January 2004.
4 July 2002
The first block of G32 was ceremoniously placed in the construction drydock.
8-11 August 2002
The first block of G32 was floated and shifted down the dock a distance.
1 December 2002
G32 was floated down to the 'deep end' of the drydock.
21 March 2003
Queen Mary 2 was floated out of the drydock and tethered to the fitting out quay.
June 2003
All 4 podded propulsion units were installed, and painting of the liner's exteriors began.
25-29 September 2003
Builder's sea trials for Queen Mary 2. One of her bow thruster covers was blown off and the shipyard had to manufacture a replacement.
7-11 November 2003
Owner's sea trials for Queen Mary 2.
22 December 2003
Cunard Line Ltd. took delivery of Queen Mary 2 from Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
8 January 2004
Queen Elizabeth II named Queen Mary 2 at an impressive ceremony in Southampton, England.
12 January 2004
Queen Mary 2 set sail on her maiden voyage. She sailed from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 14 days.