Cunard's Queen Mary 2
Cruise liner Cunard’s flagship vessel the Queen Mary 2 will soon set sail on her first voyage since undergoing a $132 million refurbishment.
The Queen Mary 2’s renovations drew inspiration from the original ship, launched during the peak art-deco movement of the 1930s, and contemporary interior design. On June 23, the Queen Mary 2 sailed into Southampton Water alongside her sister ships Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, where the cruise liner was greeted by high-profile guests.
On the sea again
Cunard has been operating luxury cruise liners for the last 176 years. The renovations for its flagship vessel marked the 80th anniversary since the original Queen Mary set sail to become a symbol of British elegance.
The refurbishment saw the redesign of the Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites and restaurants as well as the Britannia staterooms, with work expected to be completed by the end of the year. Cunard also added 30 Britannia Club staterooms, 15 Britannia single staterooms and five Britannia inside staterooms to the ship.
Britannia stateroom aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2
Also, Cunard introduced The Verandah, the Queen Mary 2’s new speciality restaurant, and restructured the popular buffet area, the King’s Court (see story).
Additionally, Cunard is making transatlantic crossings more comfortable for guests’ pets as well, with 10 new kennels, complete with Liverpool lamp posts and New York fire hydrants.
More than 1 million man-hours went into the refurbishment process over a period of 25 days. The ship also received a new coat of paint, needing more than 3,900 gallons for the hull.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 in New York Harbor
After the Queen Mary 2 is received by her high-profile guests in Southampton, the cruise liner will sail the transatlantic crossing to New York.