Cunard's
New Queen Makes Her Long-Awaited Debut October 11, 2010
The
Queen Elizabeth during her recent sea trials
The long awaited arrival of the successor to Queen Elizabeth 2 has finally arrived. After
being handed over to Cunard on September 30, she will be christened on October
12 in Southampton by her namesake, Her Majesty the Queen.
What is she like? And what one may expect?
To begin, the Queen Elizabeth is Cunard's second largest
ship after the Queen Mary 2. The 92,000-ton
ship was built at a cost of roughly $500 million, at the Fincantieri Monfalcone
Shipyard in Italy. She sports 16 decks of which 12 are for guests, and has a
normal cruise speed of 21 knots. (Her maximum speed is 23.7 knots.)
The newbuild sports rich wood paneling, intricate mosaics,
and lots of Art Deco flourishes in the public areas that combine to give the
ship her own personality, although the style is reminiscent of her sister ships--the
modest-sized Queen Victoria and the much larger Queen Mary 2. Like her sisters,
the QE offers elegant public rooms and cozy public areas.
Her three-deck-high Grand Lobby showcases her grandeur while
linking the vessel to Cunard's famous ocean liners of the past. The Lobby is
decorated with finishes of light mahogany and marble, a stunning art deco
chandelier from the era of the first Queen Elizabeth, and cantilevered
balconies. A magnificent two-and-a half-deck-high marquetry panel depicting the
first Queen Elizabeth (built in 1940)
dominates the grand staircase. Plaques detailing the Captains who have served
on the two previous Cunard ‘Elizabeths' celebrate the continuation of the
‘Elizabeth' name. A third plaque will list the new QE's future masters. Also
occupying a prominent position in the Lobby is the newly commissioned portrait
of Her Majesty the Queen, the ship's godmother.
Accommodations . . .
Queen Elizabeth offers 1,046 staterooms, of which 738
feature balconies; and 162 are inside cabins. There are 127 Queens Grill and
Princess Grill Suites (photo below) on Queen Elizabeth, paired with dining in
the Grills restaurants located on Deck 11. For the first time the four Grand
Suites and two Master Suites, ranging in size from 1,493 to 1,100 square feet,
are named after the six Cunard Commodores who have been knighted: Commodore Sir
Arthur Rostron, Commodore Sir Edgar Britten, Commodore Sir Ivan Thompson,
Commodore Sir Cyril Illingworth; Commodore Sir James Bisset and Commodore Sir
James Charles. Each suite features a portrait and biography of the Commodore after
whom it is named.
The
staterooms range in size from 615 to 243 square feet, depending on the category
chosen. Decorated in soft muted colors, the
staterooms feature a sitting area with sofa and table. WiFi is also available
for laptop users. And as customary on the other ships, plush bathrobes and
slippers are available for guests to use.
Dining . . .
As on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, each category of
stateroom is paired with a sea-view restaurant—where you stay determines
where you eat. The Queens Grill and Princess Grill Restaurants are for those
guests in the premium Grills suites, while the Britannia Restaurant is for the
stateroom accommodations. Just like the old days when first, second and third
class prevailed on the ocean-crossing liners.
The Britannia is the main dining venue and spans Decks 2 and
3 at the stern. It evokes memories of classic ocean liner restaurants with its
sweeping staircase connecting the two decks. Breakfast and lunch are served by
open seating while dinner is a fixed early or late sitting.
Queen
Elizabeth also offers a new venue--the Britannia Club (photo left)--where
guests traveling in AA category staterooms enjoy single-seating dining at a
time of their choosing in an exclusive sea-view dining room with art deco
flourishes and a colorful decorative ceiling with backlit glass panels and a
sand-blasted decorative art deco glass wall.
Both the Queens Grill and Princess Grill Restaurants are
located on top of the ship (Deck 11), enclosed by graceful and gently curving
panoramic glass walls on the seaboard sides,
and cantilevered out over the side of the vessel above Deck
10. Both Grills offer a single seating, so guests can enter at a time of their
choosing. The Grills are somewhat similar architecturally but feature different
décor. Grill guests also have exclusive use of their own private bar and lounge
conveniently located next to the Grill restaurants, and complete with resident
Concierge. French–style doors open from each Grill Restaurant onto the
Courtyard - an exclusive patio area, where al fresco dining is offered, and
steps lead up to the Grills Terrace – a secluded retreat that's on the
ship's uppermost deck where Grill guests can enjoy luxurious sun beds and
dedicated waiter service during the day.
There are several alternative dining venues. The Garden
Lounge, also named after a room on the first Queen Elizabeth, hosts occasional
"Supper Clubs" with musical entertainment and dancing. The area has a
palm–filled conservatory feel inspired by the glass houses at Kew Gardens
and its vaulted glass ceiling makes it a truly light, bright and airy place to
sit by day.
The Lido Restaurant, up on Deck 9, is a light spacious areas
with wonderful sea views, and offers breakfast and lunch buffet style. In the
evening, the Lido converts into three dining venues with table service: Asada
for South American cuisine; Aztec for Mexican dishes and Jasmine for Asian
delights.
The Café Carinthia. located on Deck 2. overlooks the
Grand Lobby. The popular venue introduced on Queen Victoria, offers guests
sweet pastries, fine teas and coffees.
Entertainment . . .
The three-deck Royal Court Theatre, with tiered seating for
832 guests, is the location for the main entertainment of the evening with
full-scale, West End-style productions featuring world-class entertainers.
Decorated in a regal blue and gold color scheme, this grand auditorium offers
private boxes on the upper level along with a lounge area for guests to enjoy
drinks during the show by ringing for service as they wish on their private
(and silent!) velvet bell pull.
Cunard is introducing an original concept in theatrical
entertainment at sea with the newly formed Queen Elizabeth Theatre Company.
Guests will enjoy a brand new repertoire of shows premiered by the Theatre
Company's 29 singers, dancers, actors and musicians. New shows will include the
hit "Slice of Saturday Night," a popular nostalgic pastiche of 1960s music
which has been staged in London and toured extensively throughout the UK and
US. Adapted especially for the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Company by its original
writers, the Heather Brothers, "Slice of Saturday Night" features all of the
Theatre Company members - the largest production show that Cunard has ever
staged.
Queen Elizabeth's two-deck Queen's Room ballroom, another
Cunard signature feature, is designed for dancing, cocktail parties and
traditional English afternoon teas complete with finger sandwiches and freshly
baked scones with jam and cream. This superb room highlights Cunard's royal
links and traditions and has murals inspired by views from royal palaces, a
photographic collection of Cunard's Royal ship namings. It also displays the
original Royal Standard given by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
when she came to name the original Queen Elizabeth back 1938. Other highlights
are the dramatic high ceiling, crystal chandeliers, a large 1000 square foot
dance floor with inlaid wood patterns and rich wall décor, with
spectacular art deco backlit glass panels.
Opposite the Queens Room is the Queens Arcade, a quiet lounge
where morning coffee and afternoon tea is served, against a backdrop of
stunning ocean views.
Queen Elizabeth's impressive aft outdoor space on Deck 9 is
the venue for a new concept of entertainment with garden parties reminiscent of
those held at British country houses, while the forward Games Deck, named after
the same deck on the original Queen Elizabeth, offers paddle tennis and
introduces croquet and bowls under a canopy to shield players from the sun. The
bowls green is appropriate given the fact that Queen Elizabeth's homeport of
Southampton, England houses the oldest surviving bowls green in the world,
first used in 1299!
The original Queen Elizabeth is celebrated in the Midships
Bar on Deck 3 in a space named after one of the more popular spaces on the
original ship. There, cabinets house memorabilia from that liner with the
artwork typical of the 1930s and 1940s.
The ship also includes the Yacht Club, which is named after
the very popular entertainment space that was located in aft on the QE2,
offering guests the perfect venue for activities and gatherings during the day
or dancing at night, with views from its 270 degrees of windows.
The very traditional Royal Arcade on Decks 2 and 3 present high-end
London boutiques around a sculptured centerpiece. New on this ship is Fortnum
& Mason, London's famous department store in Piccadilly, offering unique
teas, preserves, biscuits and gifts. Other tony venues include Penhaligon,
Chopard, Harris Tweed, Aspinal, and men's clothing designer SinHackett.
The wood-paneled two-tiered Library, always a favorite place
on a Cunard ship, features a unique leaded-glass ceiling and a globe from the
era of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I, along with its 6 000 book collection.
ConneXions Conference Centre and Internet Centre on Decks 1
and 3 comprise an education center that will hold classes on such diverse
subjects as Computer Training, Maritime Navigation, Art, and Wine Tasting. WiFi
Internet access is also available as is GSM mobile phone connectivity throughout,
the ship.
Art on board . . .
The art and memorabilia on board will captivate guests with
a unique mix of contemporary art, items from the QE2 and the original Queen
Elizabeth along with signature art deco pieces. In addition, Queen Elizabeth's
fine art program will depart from the art auction format with Cunard's
introduction of a partnership with Clarendon Fine Art, a gallery in London's
tony Mayfair district. Clarendon on Cunard will offer contemporary artworks on
view for sale, including sculpture and collectors' art books.
Art throughout Queen Elizabeth also celebrates the ship's
predecessors. Examples include the art deco plaques on display at the Tour
Desk, listing all the masters of the first Queen Elizabeth and the QE2; the
murals in The Verandah, inspired by the original Queen Mary Verandah Grill
artwork; a tribute to the QE2 in the Yacht Club, with striking photos and
– from the QE2 herself – a silver ship model and a builder's plaque
and bell. Artifacts from the first Queen Elizabeth will also be on display in
the Midships Bar.
Cunard Place, located on Deck 2 near the Queens Room, will
feature memorabilia highlighting the relationship between the three Queen
Elizabeth liners and Great Britain's Royal Family, as well as murals based on
the Queen Elizabeth and the QE2 launch ceremonies painted by Italian artist
Diego Bormida.
Housed in the Queens Room are three significant pieces: a
bust of Her Majesty The Queen by Oscar Nemon; a replica of the
Cunard-commissioned portrait of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh
that was originally on display in the Caronia's main lounge and then was moved
to the QE2; and a second replica painting of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth by Sir
Oswald Birley, commissioned for the original Queen Elizabeth and subsequently
displayed on the QE2.
Throughout the ship, other paintings pay tribute to Cunard's
history. Robert Lloyd's oil mural
of three Queens meeting in Southampton, Queen Elizabeth in Sydney Harbour, and
printed porthole murals of maritime scenes will be on display in the Commodore
Club, with other works in the forward stairwells.
Known for
painting in oils using a palette knife, artist Harley Crossley had seven of his
large original paintings of Cunard and White Star ships displayed on one of the
stairways on board the QE2. His most recent work of art, depicting Queen
Elizabeth leaving Southampton, will be on display in the Grand Lobby.
Then there is the Cunarders Gallery, an area dedicated to
collectable artwork surrounding Cunard itself, which will display collections
of historical images, vintage travel posters and celebrity photographs, all for
sale.
The Royal Spa and fitness . . .
The 13,000 square foot Queen Elizabeth's Royal Spa features Art
Deco décor and includes two levels for treatment rooms, as well as fitness and
pool facilities. Like her sister ships, Queen Elizabeth's spa offers a
comprehensive health and wellness program with a spectacular Hydrotherapy Pool
and Thermal Suite. A new fixture is the Royal Bath House. This covered space is
a social relaxation area that includes both the Thermal Suite and Hydrotherapy
Pool, all adjacent to the main outdoor pool on Deck 9. Plush robes, slippers
and other amenities will be provided. Day passes are available for those guests
not booking a treatment.
To promote overall wellbeing, the Royal Spa also offers
services using the ancient traditions of Chinese medicines and Ayurvedic
techniques including acupuncture.
Adjoining the Spa, is the Fitness Center, a fully appointed
work-out facility and an aerobics studio featuring signature fitness classes,
including Walkvest®, Walking Poles sessions and Aqua Tone that incorporates
different types of water equipment to improve muscle tone.
Recreational activities . . .
Queen Elizabeth's outdoor space in aft on Deck 9 is the
venue for a new concept of entertainment with garden parties reminiscent of
those held at British country houses during the era of the first Queen
Elizabeth liner. The Games Deck, also named after the same space on the
original Queen Elizabeth, offers paddle tennis and introduces croquet and bowls
under a canopy to shield players from the sun. The bowls green is appropriate
given the fact that Queen Elizabeth's homeport of Southampton houses the oldest
surviving bowls green in the world, first used in 1299!
In addition to the large hydro-pool in the Spa are two
outdoor swimming pools on Deck 9, one of which is located at the stern with a
large sunbathing area.
Overall . . .
Cunard
is about maritime history—170 years of it. The new Queen Elizabeth will
feature
many unique Cunard traditions linking her with her sisters
and their predecessors, together with all the modern day luxuries Cunard's
guests have come to expect and love. But there will also be features that will
give the new QE her own style and personality.
The first Queen Elizabeth was one of Cunard's greatest ships
with an illustrious history--she was converted into a troop ship during World
War II, as an example. And the new Queen Elizabeth will reflect her predecessor
in interior grandeur, décor and style, but with her own modern twist 70 years after
the original QE launched in 1940.
(Pictured above is the first
ship to sail for Cunard in 1840—the Britannia)
Itineraries . . .
The fall 2010 maiden voyages for Queen Elizabeth offer a series
of itineraries in Europe from her homeport of Southampton. On January 5, 2011,
the ship embarks on her 103-day world cruise. In spring/summer 2011, the ship
will offer a series of 14-day Baltic voyages that include a full day and
overnight call in St. Petersburg, two seven-day Fjord departures, an 11-day
voyage to the North Cape, a maiden Around the British Isles voyage, plus a
number of voyages to the Atlantic Isles and Canary Islands.
Rounding out her 2011 season will be a series of five-day
Getaway voyages and two visits to the United States on roundtrip voyages from
Southampton. Growing interest in overnight calls will see the newest Cunarder
also stay overnight in Amsterdam, Venice, New York and Quebec.
***************
Queen
Elizabeth Ship Statistics
Builder: Fincantieri Cantieri Navali SpA Monfalcone Shipyard
(near Trieste)
Entered service: October 12, 2010
Godmother: Queen Elizabeth
Gross tons: 92,000
gt
Length: 964.5
feet (294.0 metres)
Width: 106 feet (32.25 meters)
Draft: 25.9 feet (8.0 meters)
Diesel Engines: 6 x Mak M43C engines
Pods: 2 ABB pods
Thrusters: 3 Fincantieri Riva Trigoso Thrusters
Stabilizers: 2Fincantieri Riva Trigoso
Cruising speed: 21.7 knots (Maximum 23.7 knots)
Registry: UK
Passengers: 2092 (do)
Crew: 997; Officers, mainly British; International
Decks 12 Guest (16 total)
Lifts 12 (There are three passenger stair towers arranged
along the length of the ship. Each stair tower will contain a bank of four
lifts arranged about the centre of the ship. Each lift will have a capacity of
18 persons. In addition for passengers who prefer not to use the stairs there
will be two 8-person lifts giving access to the tender embarkation platforms.)
Electric Current: 110 v and 220 v
Websites: www.cunard.com and www.QueenElizabeth.com
NOTE; This report on Queen
Elizabeth was written from information provided by Cunard. A full onsite review
will be available in the near future. Photos courtesy of Cunard. ---The
Editor
