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The ship then underwent extensive renovations that cost about $31 million. In 1971 the liner began hosting tours, and by year’s end a portion of its Museum of the Sea was opened to the public. Queen Mary’s hotel began accepting guests the following year, and several restaurants were added.
Canyon Ranch SpaClub®
Cunard cruise ship weddings, ceremonies, and parties could be held in some of the QM2's lounges. The Illuminations Theatre, the first at sea Planetarium and a Cinema are on Deck 2, where are also the Empire Casino, the Royal Court Theatre, the Grand Lobby, the Golden Lion Pub, Britannia Restaurant's level 1. The upper level of Illuminations Theatre, Britannia Restaurant, and Royal Court Theatre are on Deck 3, together with a shopping arcade, Queen's Room, Veuve Cliquot (champagne bar), Sir Samuel's (wine bar), Chart Room, G32 Nightclub.
Carinthia Lounge
During this time she even set a new speed record, which she held for 14 years. But when the Queen Mary docked in New York in September 1939 that would be the last time she would carry civilian passengers for many years. Our flagship ships are truly spectacular ships, and you will experience an incredible sense of liberation in their space.
Alan Cumming on the Pleasures of Cruising on the Queen Mary 2 - Town & Country
Alan Cumming on the Pleasures of Cruising on the Queen Mary 2.
Posted: Mon, 26 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
History & Art
Because of modern safety codes and the compromised structural soundness of the area directly below, the swimming pool could not be used for swimming after the conversion, although it was filled with water until the late 1980s. Today the pool can only be seen on guided tours and from the first class entrance on R deck. No second-class, third-class or crew cabins remain intact aboard the ship today. This second plan was based on converting most of her first- and second-class cabins on A and B decks into hotel rooms, and converting the main lounges and dining rooms into banquet spaces.
Now Open and Welcoming Passengers Onboard
RMS Queen Mary 2 is the first cruise ship with CODAG propulsion system (“combined diesel and gas”) based on gas turbines that magnify diesel-produced power. Theoretically, RMS Queen Mary 2 is a classless ship, but passengers are actually separated (like on all Cunard liners) as their onboard dining locations are according to their cabin's category/cruise fares paid. Despite these issues, traveling on QM2 still feels like a special experience, and there's a feeling of quiet excitement onboard. Dressing for dinner is taken seriously, and passengers enjoy the romance of walking the Promenade Deck, dancing in the Queens Room and experiencing the Planetarium. And the thrill of approaching the New York port (if you're on a Cunard Queen Mary 2 westbound crossing) becomes progressively more palpable the nearer you get to the U.S. On recent crossings, the ship under delivered in some areas, notably the (un)helpfulness of a couple of crew members and the quality of food in the ship's main dining room, Britannia Restaurant, where the majority of passengers eat.
January 26 - March 26, 1958
The Penthouse Suites have two beds, a bath, a shower, a living area and a balcony. Downstairs you'll find a guest bathroom, a living and dining area as well as a balcony. A private balcony and separate seating area offers space to relax and, of course you have exclusive access to the Grills Lounge and renowned Princess Grill restaurant.
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At 1,019.5 feet (311 metres), the Queen Mary was Britain’s first entry in the 1,000-foot category of ships. It had a gross tonnage of 81,237 and was built to carry 2,038 passengers. The ship was never as elegant as the Normandie and had a somewhat slower cruising speed—28.5 knots for the Queen Mary, while its French rival was 29 knots—but its luck was much better. The Normandie burned at the dock in New York in February 1942 while being refitted as a troopship.
Featured Queen Mary 2 cruises
Under the command of Captain John Treasure Jones, who had been her captain since 1965, she sailed from Southampton for the last time on 31 October with 1,093 passengers and 806 crew. After a voyage around Cape Horn, she arrived in Long Beach on 9 December.[53] Queen Elizabeth was withdrawn in 1968 and Queen Elizabeth 2 took over the transatlantic route in 1969. The 1960s were a decade of major change and with the rise of popularity in air travel; ocean liners were slowly becoming obsolete. The old world luxury and sensibilities of the Queen Mary seemed outdated in a modern world now transfixed on the notion of space exploration. As England and France declare war on Germany, the Queen Mary’s days as a passenger ocean liner appear over.
From NY to the UK by water: 5 things to know aboard the Queen Mary 2 - USA TODAY
From NY to the UK by water: 5 things to know aboard the Queen Mary 2.
Posted: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Things to Know About Doing a Crossing on the Queen Mary 2
The 1300-passenger ship RMS Queen Mary 2 is Cunard's current flagship, one of the most modern (by design and technologies) and currently the world's biggest ocean liner specifically designed for regular Transatlantic ocean crossings. QM2 was created with perfection, from bow to stern, with gorgeous public areas, lavish restaurants, ballrooms, theatres, bars and lounges, and even a Planetarium (the first at sea). In order for passengers to be well protected when the ship is moving fast (30 knots), invisible windscreens were built. Like all other vessels of her era, the Queen Mary used maritime MF and HF radio frequencies to communicate with other ships and with shoreside high seas radio stations. Most of the world’s shipping lines contracted with radio companies to provide equipment and skilled radiomen for their ships, the largest being Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company. Cunard Lines selected the much smaller International Marine Radio Company to provide their ships with radio equipment and operators.
They planned to develop the land adjacent to Queen Mary, and upgrade, renovate and restore the ship. During their management, staterooms were updated with iPod docking stations and flatscreen TVs and the ship's three funnels and waterline area were repainted their original Cunard red colour. Many lifeboats were repaired and patched, and the ship's kitchens were renovated with new equipment. The owners of the Spruce Goose, the Aero Club of Southern California, sold the plane to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon. One problem that arose during the conversion was a dispute between land-based and maritime unions over conversion jobs.
Elegant suites and staterooms, re-imagined Grills experiences and sumptuous new restaurants make Queen Mary 2 more exciting than ever. The Carinthia Lounge serves an alternative breakfast and lunch along premium coffees. Those who have sailed on her before will love the changes, and those who have not will appreciate the elegance and classic lines of this traditional ocean liner. The full itinerary visits 27 ports in 16 countries and 33 UNESCO Sites. Customers with full itinerary (roundtrip) bookings enjoy a Welcome Onboard Reception, services by World Voyage Concierges, use of an exclusive lounge, Gala Event ashore, complimentary daily gratuities. On December 8, 2017, QM2 operated a cruise-themed after "The New York Times" crossword's 75th anniversary.
That August, Queen Mary made her fastest eastbound passage since August 1938, crossing in 4 days, 10 hours and 6 minutes at an average speed of 29.46 knots (54.56 km/h). The cabin-class main dining room featured a large map of the transatlantic crossing, with twin tracks symbolising the winter/spring route (further south to avoid icebergs) and the summer/autumn route. During each crossing, a small motorised model of Queen Mary would travel along the mural to indicate the vessel's progress en route.
Cunard also has refurbished and added new menus to the Queens and Princess Grill. During the Queen Mary 2 remastering, Cunard added 30 Britannia Club staterooms, 15 Britannia single staterooms, and five Britannia inside staterooms. These new accommodations increased the total number of guests on the ship to 2691. Each cabin has free room service with a simple menu - burgers, pasta, crackers which can be ordered by phone at any time.
Former ambassadors and politicians, award-winning actors and filmmakers have also spoken on historical and contemporary topics. Stephen Payne was the vessel's naval architect - a CCL-Carnival's designer, who resembled features of some former ocean liners. These aspects include three thick black lines which recall the appearance of the first Queen Mary. Because Queen Mary 2 is too large and cannot dock in all ports, the passengers are ferried in tenders to and from the ship. For transporting passengers to shore, tenders pull up to loading stations, which have large hull doors for hydraulically opening outwards and forming a boarding platform.
In August 2004 (during the Summer Olympics in Greece), the ship was chartered and stayed docked for 2 weeks in Port Piraeus (Athens) serving as ship hotel. The ship's "remastering" was an opportunity not just for improved functionality and aesthetics, but for Cunard to improve on these areas, too, and we feel they haven't been addressed. However, the ship really excels in its specialty dining, both at Kings Court Specialty A La Carte -- the ship's daily changing themed restaurant -- and its new addition, The Verandah.
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