RMS Queen Mary 2 - wikipedia RMS Queen Mary 2 For other ships called Queen Mary, see Queen Mary ( ship ). RMS Queen Mary 2 Queen Mary 2 passing the Black Jack navigational buoy at the southern tip of Southampton Water outbound from Southampton to New York 2 Sept 2013. History Name : Queen Mary 2 Namesake : Queen Mary Owner : Carnival Operator : Cunard Line Port of registry : 2004 -- 2011 : Southampton, United Kingdom 2011 -- present : Hamilton, Bermuda ( British ) Ordered : 6 November 2000 Builder : STX Europe Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint - Nazaire, France Cost : UK £ 460 million ( € 700 million ) ( US $900 million ) Yard number : G32 Laid down : 4 July 2002 Launched : 21 March 2003 Christened : 8 January 2004 Completed : 23 December 2003 Maiden voyage : 12 January 2004 Identification : Call sign ZCEF6 IMO number : 9241061 MMSI number : 310627000 Status : In service Designer : Stephen Payne General characteristics Type : Ocean liner Tonnage : 149,215 GT Displacement : 79,287 tonnes Length : 1,132 ft ( 345.03 m ) Beam : 135 ft ( 41 m ) waterline, 147.5 ft ( 45.0 m ) extreme ( bridge wings ) Height : 236.2 ft ( 72.0 m ) keel to ( top of ) funnel Draught : 33.8 ft ( 10.3 m ) Decks : 14 passenger, 18 total decks Installed power : 4 x Wärtsilä 16V 46C - CR / 16,800 kW ( 22,848 mHP ), 2 x GE LM2500+ / 25,060 kW ( 34,082 mHP ) Propulsion : Four 21.5 MW Rolls - Royce / Alstom `` Mermaid '' electric propulsion pods : 2 fixed and 2 azimuthing Speed : 30 knots ( 56 km / h ; 35 mph ) Capacity : 2,695 passengers ( after 2016 refit ) 2,620 passengers ( original design ) Crew : 1,253 officers and crew RMS Queen Mary 2 ( also referred to as the QM2 ) is a transatlantic ocean liner. She is the largest and only major ocean liner built for the British Cunard Line since Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line. The new ship was named Queen Mary 2 by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004 after the first 1936 namesake ship RMS Queen Mary. Queen Mary was in turn named after Mary of Teck, consort of King George V. With the retirement of Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2008, Queen Mary 2 is the only transatlantic ocean liner in line service between Southampton, England and New York City, New York, which operates for part of each year. The ship is also used for cruising, including an annual world cruise. The ship was designed by a team of British naval architects led by Stephen Payne, and was constructed in France by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in 2003. At the time of her construction, Queen Mary 2 was the longest passenger ship ever built, and with her gross tonnage of 148,528 also the largest. She no longer holds this distinction after the construction of Royal Caribbean International 's 154,407 GT Freedom of the Seas in April 2006, but remains the largest ocean liner ever built. Queen Mary 2 was intended for routine crossings of the Atlantic Ocean, and was therefore designed differently from many other passenger ships. The ship 's final cost was approximately $300,000 US per berth. Expenses were increased by the high quality of materials, and having been designed as an ocean liner, she required 40 % more steel than a standard cruise ship. Queen Mary 2 has a maximum speed of just over 30 knots ( 56 km / h ; 35 mph ) and a cruising speed of 26 knots ( 48 km / h ; 30 mph ), much faster than a contemporary cruise ship. Instead of the diesel - electric configuration found on many ships, Queen Mary 2 uses integrated electric propulsion to achieve her top speed. Diesel engines, augmented by gas turbines, are used to generate electricity for electric motors for propulsion and for on - board use. Some of Queen Mary 2 's facilities include fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea. Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Design and construction 2.1 Exterior 2.2 Interior 2.2. 1 2016 refit 3 Technical 3.1 Power plant and propulsion system 3.2 Navigation 3.3 Water supply 4 Service history 4.1 World cruises 4.2 Anniversary voyage 4.3 The Boston Cup 4.4 Propulsion failures 4.5 Cunard Royal Rendezvous 4.6 Atlantic rowing 4.7 Atlantic rescue 4.8 Engine fire 4.9 Plant incident 4.10 200th transatlantic voyage 4.11 10th birthday celebrations 4.12 Cunard 175th anniversary 5 Environmental performance 6 References 6.1 Notes 6.2 Bibliography 7 External links Characteristics Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of Cunard Line. The ship was constructed for eventual replacement of the aging Queen Elizabeth 2, the Cunard flagship from 1969 to 2004 and the last major ocean liner built before the construction of Queen Mary 2. Queen Mary 2 had the Royal Mail Ship ( RMS ) title conferred on her, as a gesture to Cunard 's history, by Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004 on the Southampton to New York route. Queen Mary 2 is not a steamship like many of her predecessors, but is powered primarily by four diesel engines, with two additional gas turbines used when extra power is required ; this integrated electric propulsion configuration is used to produce the power to drive her four electric propulsion pods as well as powering the ship 's hotel services. The spaces for these prime movers are also split, and controls are also backed up, with the intention of preventing a single failure from disabling the ship. Like her predecessor Queen Elizabeth 2 she is built for crossing the Atlantic Ocean, though she is regularly used for cruising ; in the winter season she cruises from New York to the Caribbean on twelve - or thirteen - day tours. Queen Mary 2 's 30 - knot ( 56 km / h ; 35 mph ) open ocean speed sets the ship apart from cruise ships, such as MS Oasis of the Seas, which has a service speed of 22.6 knots ( 41.9 km / h ; 26.0 mph ) ; QM2 's normal service speed is 26 knots ( 48 km / h ; 30 mph ). While the hull of a cruise ship will typically have a block coefficient of 0.73 ( 1.0 would represent a rectangular block ) Queen Mary 2 is more fine - lined, with a block coefficient of 0.61. Design and construction Queen Mary 2 under construction, her radar mast in the right foreground RMS Queen Mary 2 ( pink ) compared to large ships and buildings : The Pentagon, 1,414 feet, 431 m RMS Queen Mary 2, 1,132 feet, 345 m USS Enterprise, 1,123 feet, 342 m Hindenburg, 804 feet, 245 m Yamato, 863 feet, 263 m Empire State Building, 1,454 feet, 443 m Knock Nevis, ex-Seawise Giant, 1,503 feet, 458 m Apple Park, 1,522 feet, 464 m Cunard completed a design for a new class of 84,000 GT, 2,000 passenger liners on 8 June 1998, but revised them upon comparing those specifications with Carnival Cruise Line 's 100,000 GT Destiny - class cruise ships and Royal Caribbean International 's 137,276 GT Voyager class. In December 1998, Cunard released details of Project Queen Mary, the project to develop a liner that would complement Queen Elizabeth 2. Harland and Wolff of Northern Ireland, Aker Kværner of Norway, Fincantieri of Italy, Meyer Werft of Germany, and Chantiers de l'Atlantique of France were invited to bid on the project. The contract was finally signed with Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a subsidiary of Alstom, on 6 November 2000. This was the same yard that built Cunard 's former rivals, the SS Normandie and SS France of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. Due to QM2 's size and complexity, the shipyard resourced the project at 1.7 to 2 times higher than a typical cruise ship. Her keel was laid down on 4 July 2002, in the construction dock at Saint - Nazaire, France, with the hull number G32. Approximately 3,000 craftsmen spent around eight million working hours on the ship, and around 20,000 people were directly or indirectly involved in her design, construction, and fitting out. In total, 300,000 pieces of steel were assembled into 94 `` blocks '' off the dry dock, which were then stacked and welded together to complete the hull and superstructure. After floating out on 21 March 2003, the QM2 was fitted out in the large fitting out basin ( `` Bassin C '' ), the first ship to use this huge dry dock since the shipyard built large tankers in the 1970s, such as the MV Gastor. Her sea trials were conducted during 25 -- 29 September and 7 -- 11 November 2003, between Saint - Nazaire and the offshore islands of Île d'Yeu and Belle - Île. The final stages of construction were marred by a fatal accident on 15 November 2003, when a gangway collapsed under a group of shipyard workers and their relatives who had been invited to visit the vessel. In total, 32 people were injured and 16 were killed, after a 15 - metre ( 49 ft ) fall into the drydock. Construction was completed on schedule. Cunard took delivery in Southampton, England, on 26 December 2003. On 8 January 2004, the liner was officially named by Queen Elizabeth II. Exterior Queen Mary 2 at Trondheim, 2007 Queen Mary 2 at Cape Town, showing the constanzi stern Queen Mary 2 's principal naval architect was Carnival 's in - house designer, Stephen Payne. Payne intended many aspects of the ship 's design to resemble notable aspects of former ocean liners, such as Queen Elizabeth 2 and the ship 's predecessor Queen Mary. These features include the three thick black lines that wrap around either edge of the ship 's bridge screen, and at the stern end of the superstructure, which are to recall the appearance of the crossovers of the forward decks on the first Queen Mary. Queen Mary 2 has 14,164 square metres ( 152,460.0 sq ft ) of exterior deck space, with wind screens to shield passengers as the ship travels at high speeds. Three of the ship 's four swimming pools are outdoors. One of the pools on Deck 12 is covered with a retractable magrodome. The indoor pool is on Deck 7, in the Canyon Ranch Spa Club. In common with liners such as RMS Queen Mary, there is a continuous wrap - around promenade deck on Deck 7. The promenade passes behind the bridge screen and allows passengers to completely circumnavigate the deck while protected from the strong winds generated by the ship at speed. One circuit of the promenade is a distance of 620 m ( 2,030 ft ). The flanking promenades are created by the need to step the superstructure in, to allow for space for lifeboats. By SOLAS standards, the lifeboats should have been lower on the ship 's hull ( 15 m ( 49 ft ) above the waterline ), but for the sake of Queen Mary 2 's appearance as well as to avoid the danger of large North Atlantic waves damaging the boats in a storm, Payne convinced SOLAS officials to exempt Queen Mary 2 from this requirement, and the boats are 25 m ( 82 ft ) above the waterline. Payne 's initial intent was to make the ship 's stern profile with a spoon shape, similar to that on most previous ocean liners, but the mounting of the propeller pods required a flat transom. The compromise was a Constanzi stern -- a combination of the two. The final design was agreed upon, as a Constanzi stern provides the transom required for azimuthal pod propulsors, and provides better seaholding characteristics in a following swell than a standard transom stern. In common with many modern ships, both passenger and cargo, Queen Mary 2 has a bulbous bow to reduce drag and thereby increase speed, range, and fuel efficiency. Bulbous bow of Queen Mary 2 While of a design similar to that of Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2 's funnel has a slightly different shape, because a taller funnel would have made it impossible for the ship to pass under the Verrazano - Narrows Bridge in New York City at high tide. The final design permits a minimum of 13 feet ( 4.0 m ) of clearance under the bridge. As Queen Mary 2 is too large to dock in many ports, passengers are ferried to and from the ship in tenders, which can be used as lifeboats in an emergency. These are stored while at sea in davits alongside the lifeboats. To transport passengers to shore the tenders pull up to one of four loading stations, each of which has a large hull door that hydraulically opens outwards to form a boarding platform, complete with railings and decking. Queen Mary 2 is a post-Panamax ship. As a result, Queen Mary 2 must circumnavigate South America to cross between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The decision not to constrain her size to transit the Panama Canal was taken as Queen Elizabeth 2 only transited once a year, during the world cruise. Cunard decided to pass up the convenience of the occasional passage in favour of a greater passenger capacity. Interior As is the case with many modern passenger ships, many of the major public rooms on board Queen Mary 2 are on the lowest public decks of the ship, with the passenger cabins stacked above. This is the opposite of the traditional practice on ocean liners, but the design allowed for larger rooms to be contained within the stronger hull, as well as for more passenger cabins to have private balconies higher up on the ship, where they are less affected by large waves. Payne attempted to create a central axis to the two main public room decks ( similar in fashion to the Normandie ), but a full vista is broken by various public rooms that span the full beam of the ship. The dining rooms were placed further aft, though not directly at the stern, where the fore - and - aft pitching of the ship is most noticeable, and might cause discomfort to dining passengers. Deck 2, the lowest passenger deck, contains the Illuminations theatre, cinema and planetarium ( the first at sea ) ; Royal Court Theatre ; Grand Lobby ; `` Empire Casino '' ; `` Golden Lion Pub '' ; and the lower level of the `` Britannia Restaurant ''. Deck 3 holds the upper levels of `` Illuminations '', the `` Royal Court theatre '' and the `` Britannia Restaurant '', as well as a small shopping arcade, `` Veuve Cliquot champagne bar '', the `` Chart Room '', `` Sir Samuel 's '' wine bar, the `` Queen 's Room '', and the `` G32 '' Nightclub. The other main public deck is Deck 7, on which are the `` Canyon Ranch Spa '', `` Carinthia Lounge '', `` King 's Court '', the `` Queen 's Grill Lounge '', and the `` Queen 's Grill '' and `` Princess Grill '' restaurants for higher - fare passengers. The public rooms on Deck 8 include the à la carte `` Verandah Restaurant '' an 8,000 - volume library ( the largest of any cruise ship ), a book shop and the upper part of the Canyon Ranch Spa. Also on Deck 8 is a large outdoor pool and terrace at the stern. The kennels, located aft on starboard side of Deck 12, are available only for transatlantic crossings. They can accommodate up to twelve dogs and cats in six small and six large cages. The lower two decks of the Grand Lobby on Queen Mary 2 The King 's Court area on the ship is open twenty four hours a day, serving as a buffet restaurant for breakfast and lunch. The overall space is divided into quarters, with each section decorated according to the theme of the four separate alternate dining venues that are `` created '' each evening through lighting, tableware, and menus : Lotus, which specialises in Asian cuisine ; the Carvery, a British style grille ; La Piazza, with Italian food ; and the Chef 's Galley, which offers an interactive experience to food preparation. The passengers ' dining arrangements on board are dictated by the type of accommodation in which they choose to travel. Around 85 % of passengers are in Britannia class, and, therefore, dine in the main restaurant. However, passengers can choose to upgrade to either a `` junior suite '', and dine in the `` Princess Grill '' ', or a suite, and dine in the `` Queens ' Grill ''. Those in the two latter categories are grouped together by Cunard as `` Grill Passengers '', and they are permitted to use the `` Queens ' Grill Lounge '' and a private outdoor area on deck 11 with its own whirlpool. This feature is also present on both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. However, all other public areas can be used by all passengers. As the Britannia Restaurant takes up the full width of the ship on two decks, a ' tween deck, called Deck 3L, was devised to allow passengers to walk from the Grand Lobby to the Queen 's Room without traversing the dining room mid-meal. The deck consists of two corridors that run beneath the upper balcony of the restaurant on Deck 3, and above the main dining area on Deck 2. This is why the balcony of the Britannia has tiers that step up towards the hull. This arrangement is illustrated on the hull where there is a stack of three rows of windows in the area where the main restaurant sits, the two upper and lower most rows illuminate the dining room, while the centre row serves Deck 3L. There is a similar arrangement through the Royal Court Theatre. As well, the passages that run on either side of Illuminations on Deck 3 ramp upwards to compensate for the change in deck elevation between the entrance to Illuminations and an elevator bank forward of the room. John McKenna 's bronze sculpture panel on the grand lobby staircase More than 5000 commissioned works of art are visible in Queen Mary 2 's public rooms, corridors, staterooms and lobbies, having been created by 128 artists from sixteen different countries. Two of the most notable pieces are Barbara Broekman 's tapestry, an abstract depiction of an ocean liner, bridge, and New York skyline which spans the full height of the Britannia Restaurant, and the British sculptor John McKenna 's sheet bronze relief mural in the Grand Lobby, a 7 m square portrait of the ship fabricated in bronze inspired by the Art Deco mural in the main dining room of the original Queen Mary. 2016 refit In July 2015, Cunard announced plans for a month - long refit of Queen Mary 2 at the Blohm + Voss Shipyard in Germany in late May and June 2016. Major changes include the addition of fifteen individual staterooms, which will be the first on the ship, thirty additional balcony staterooms, and ten more animal kennels. Technical Power plant and propulsion system Queen Mary 2 's power plant comprises sixteen - cylinder Wärtsilä 16V46CR EnviroEngine marine diesel engines, generating a combined 67,200 kW ( 90,100 hp ) at 514 rpm, and two General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines, which together provide a further 50,000 kW ( 67,000 hp ), all of which is converted into electricity used to power electric motors that drive the propellers. Such an arrangement, known as integrated electric propulsion ( IEP ), provides for economical cruising at low speed combined with an ability to sustain much higher speeds when required, and has been common in naval vessels for some time. While Queen Mary 2 is the first passenger ship to feature IEP propulsion, the first major passenger vessel to be powered by gas turbines was the Finnish ferry GTS Finnjet in 1977. Thrust is provided by four Rolls - Royce Mermaid azimuth thruster type podded propulsion units, each featuring one forward - facing low - vibration propeller with separately bolted blades. The forward pair of thrusters is fixed, but the aft pair can swivel through 360 °, removing the need for a rudder. The Queen Mary 2 is the first quadruple - propeller passenger ship completed since the SS France in 1961. Queen Mary 2 carries eight spare blades on the foredeck, immediately forward of the bridge screen. Three of the eight spare propeller blades mounted on the foredeck Because Queen Mary 2 's propulsion machinery is electrically decoupled from her propellers, her propulsion arrangement may arguably be more accurately described as `` CODLAG electric '' ( by analogy with turbo - electric and diesel - electric ) ; however `` integrated electric propulsion '' is the term of art. The diesel engines and gas turbines drive electric generators, which provide the power to drive four 21,500 kW ( 28,800 hp ) Alstom electrical motors located inside the podded propulsors ( and thus entirely outside the vessel 's hull ). Unusually, Queen Mary 2 's gas turbines are not housed along with her diesels in the engine room deep in her hull, but instead are in a soundproofed enclosure directly beneath the funnel. This arrangement allowed the vessel 's designers to supply the oxygen - hungry turbines with air intakes without having to run air ducts the height of the ship, which would have wasted valuable interior space. Navigation Queen Mary 2 has a state - of - the - art navigation system designed by British firm Kelvin Hughes, meeting and exceeding all International Maritime Organization regulations. The system consists of six radar navigation scanners and eight multifunction display units. The system includes the latest generation of Electronic Chart Display and Information System ( ECDIS ), allowing for fully paperless navigation and redundancy of operation. Queen Mary 2 is fitted with Kelvin Hughes solid state `` SharpEye '' radar scanners. Water supply Fresh water aboard Queen Mary 2 is supplied by three seawater desalination plants. The plants, each with a capacity of 630,000 litres ( 170,000 US gal ) per day, use multiple effect plate ( MEP ) distillation technology. The plants ' energy is supplied primarily by steam and cooling water from the ship 's gas turbines and diesel engines, or if needed by steam from the ship 's two oil - fired boilers. The traditional multiple - effect distillation technology has been improved for the ship 's plant, so that scaling of plates is reduced, vastly reducing maintenance required. The desalinated water has a very low salt content of less than five parts per million. Average total water production is 1,100,000 litres ( 290,000 US gal ) per day with a capacity of 1,890,000 litres ( 500,000 US gal ) so that there is ample spare capacity. The ship could easily be supplied by only two of the three plants. Potable water tanks have a capacity of 3,830,000 litres ( 1,010,000 US gal ), enough for more than three days of supply. If the engines are running on low load ( when the ship is running at a slow speed ) the engine jacket cooling water temperature is insufficient to heat the seawater to run the desalination plants. In that case steam from oil - fired boilers is used to heat the sea water. This is uneconomical as generating steam is expensive. It may be cheaper, therefore, to buy water in a particular port than to produce it on board. The seawater intakes are located in the hull of the ship. Concentrated salt solution ( brine ) is discharged to the sea closer to the ship 's stern together with cooling water from the engines. An additional plant was added during the 2016 refit works. Service History Queen Mary 2 in San Francisco Bay in 2007 On 12 January 2004 Queen Mary 2 set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the United States, carrying 2,620 passengers. She was under the command of captain Ronald Warwick, who had previously commanded Queen Elizabeth 2. Warwick is the son of William ( Bill ) Warwick, who had also been a senior Cunard officer and the first captain of Queen Elizabeth 2. The ship returned to Southampton late from her maiden voyage after bow doors covering the thrusters failed to shut in Portugal. During the 2004 Summer Olympics Queen Mary 2 sailed to Athens and docked at Piraeus for two weeks for use as a floating hotel, serving the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and his wife Cherie, French President Jacques Chirac, then United States President George W. Bush, and the United States Olympic men 's basketball team. According to Cunard, Queen Mary 2 's passengers have also included jazz musician Dave Brubeck and singers Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, and James Taylor. One 2005 transatlantic crossing saw Queen Mary 2 carrying, in a locked steamer trunk, the first United States copy of J.K. Rowling 's book Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince, autographed by the author. In a promotional press release for the event, Cunard said that this marked the first time a book had been transported to its international launch aboard an ocean liner. In January 2006 Queen Mary 2 embarked on a circumnavigation of South America. Upon departure from Fort Lauderdale, one of her propeller pods was damaged when it struck a channel wall, forcing the ship to sail at a reduced speed, which resulted in Commodore Warwick 's decision to skip several calls on its voyage to Rio de Janeiro. Many of her passengers threatened to stage a sit - in protest because of the missed calls, before Cunard offered to refund the voyage costs. Queen Mary 2 continued to operate at a reduced service speed and several itinerary changes were necessary until repairs had been completed after the ship returned to Europe in June, where Queen Mary 2 paid a visit to dry dock and the damaged propeller pod was unseated. In November, Queen Mary 2 was drydocked once more at the Blohm + Voss yard in Hamburg ( drydock Elbe 17 ) for the reinstallation of the repaired propeller pod. At the same time, sprinkler systems were installed in all of the vessel 's balconies to comply with new safety regulations which had come into effect since the MS Star Princess fire. Additionally, both bridge wings were extended by two metres to improve visibility. Queen Mary 2 at Pier Head, Liverpool, England during a 2009 visit After completing the journey around South America, on 23 February 2006, Queen Mary 2 met her namesake, the original RMS Queen Mary, which is permanently docked at Long Beach, California. Escorted by a flotilla of smaller ships, the two Queens exchanged a `` whistle salute '' which was heard throughout the city of Long Beach. Queen Mary 2 met the other serving Cunard liners Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 on 13 January 2008 near the Statue of Liberty in New York City harbour, with a celebratory fireworks display ; Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic for the meeting. This marked the first time three Cunard Queens have been present in the same location. Cunard stated this would be the last time these three ships would ever meet, due to Queen Elizabeth 2 's impending retirement from service in late 2008. However this would prove not to be the case, as the three Queens met in Southampton on 22 April 2008. Queen Mary 2 rendezvoused with Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai on Saturday 21 March 2009, after the latter ship 's retirement, while both ships were berthed at Port Rashid. With the withdrawal of Queen Elizabeth 2 from Cunard 's fleet and its docking in Dubai, Queen Mary 2 became the only ocean liner left in active passenger service. On 3 August 2007 three men were stopped by police while escorting and piloting a replica of the first American combat submarine within 200 feet ( 61 m ) of Queen Mary 2, then docked at the cruise ship terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The replica was created by New York artist Philip `` Duke '' Riley and two out - of - town residents, one of whom claimed to be a descendant of David Bushnell, who had invented it. The Coast Guard issued Riley a citation for having an unsafe vessel, and for violating the security zone around Queen Mary 2. On 19 October 2011, Queen Mary 2 had her registry changed to Hamilton, Bermuda, from her previous home port of Southampton, to allow the ship to host on - board weddings. This marked the first time in its 171 - year history that Cunard has not had a ship registered within the UK. Bermuda is a member of the Red Ensign Group and the ship continues to fly the undefaced Red Ensign rather than the Bermuda Red Ensign. World cruises Queen Mary 2 in Sydney, 20 February 2007 On 10 January 2007, Queen Mary 2 started her first world cruise, circumnavigating the globe in 81 days. On 20 February, she met her fleet - mate, Queen Elizabeth 2, also on her 2007 world cruise, in Sydney harbour. This is the first time two Cunard Queens had been together in Sydney since the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth served as troop ships in 1941. Despite the early arrival time of 5 : 42 am, the Queen Mary 2 's presence attracted so many viewers that the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge were blocked. With 1,600 passengers leaving the ships in Sydney, Cunard estimated the stopovers injected more than $3 million into the local economy. On 10 January 2012, the ship embarked on a three - month world cruise from Southampton, travelling south and then east around Africa, a first ever circumnavigation of Australia, to Japan, then back to Southampton along the south coastline of Eurasia and through the Suez Canal. Anniversary voyage In October 2009, Queen Mary 2 celebrated her fifth year in service with an 8 - night voyage around the British Isles. The voyage included maiden visits to Greenock and Liverpool. The Boston Cup Carried aboard Queen Mary 2 is the Boston Cup. Sometimes referred to as The Britannia Cup, this artifact was created for Sir Samuel Cunard in Boston, United States, to commemorate the arrival of his first vessel RMS Britannia. Cunard had selected Boston as the American port for his Atlantic service, which resulted in a strong connection between Boston and the Cunard Line. It is believed that the cup was presented to Sir Samuel Cunard sometime in 1840 ; however, for much of its life it was missing. It was discovered in an antique shop in 1967 and returned to Cunard, where it was placed aboard Queen Elizabeth 2. In 2004, when QM2 became the flagship, the Boston Cup was placed aboard QM2. It is in a glass case, aft of the Chart Room lounge. In July 2007 the National Geographic Channel broadcast an episode of the documentary series Megastructures about Queen Mary 2. The vessel also featured in the pilot episode of the documentary TV series Mighty Ships. Propulsion failures The Rolls - Royce Mermaid propulsor pods fitted to QM2 have proven to be prone to failure. The failures had been so frequent and extensive that Carnival Corp. ( USA ), by way of its Cunard Line division, has taken Rolls - Royce Corp. ( UK ) to court in the United States in January 2009. The former placed claim that the Mermaid pod propulsion systems fitted to Cunard Line 's flagship Queen Mary 2 are inherently defective in design. Cunard contends that Rolls Royce knew about the design deficiencies and deliberately conspired to mislead, deceive and defraud in the course of winning the contract. The Achilles ' heel of the design has been the motors ' massive thrust bearings, which have continued to show a tendency to fail even after numerous attempts at redesign. In January 2011 Carnival Corporation was awarded US $24 million ( approx. UK £ 15 million at the time of verdict ) by the United States court due to the repeated failure of the propulsors. Cunard Royal Rendezvous Two years after the first Cunard Royal Rendezvous on the same date Queen Mary 2 met up with Queen Victoria and the then brand - new MS Queen Elizabeth for another Royal Rendezvous in New York City on 13 January 2011. Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic for the event. All three ships met in front of the statue of Liberty at 6 : 45 pm for Grucci fireworks. The Empire State Building was lit up in red to mark the event. On 5 June 2012, the three Queens met again, but this time in Southampton to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Atlantic rowing Queen Mary 2 has rendezvoused with ocean rowing teams in the middle of the Atlantic. On 30 July 2010 she met up with Artemis Investments, whose rowing crew were Don Lennox, Livar Nysted, Ray Carroll, Leven Brown. Carroll had been a former engineer and was patched through via marine VHF radio and QM2 's tannoy system to speak to the captain and crew. On 26 September 2013 Queen Mary 2 resupplied solo - rower Mylène Paquette and her vessel Hermel with a replacement satellite phone, drogue anchor and groceries. Queen Mary 2 changed her course by 20 degrees and only added 14 miles to the overall distance of the crossing. Atlantic rescue In June 2017, the ship came to the rescue of another sailor, a former Royal Marine Mervyn Wheatley who had got into difficulties whilst taking part in a trans - Atlantic race. The British and Canadian coastguards coordinated a long - range rescue. The rescue involved a Royal Air Force Hercules aircraft after they detected Wheatley 's distress beacon. Engine fire A small fire broke out in the gas turbine engine room ( located high on the ship behind the Queen Mary 2 sign ) on the evening of 5 October 2011. The fire was started in one of the ship 's gas turbines. No injuries were reported, and crew on board the ship managed to safely extinguish the fire. Plant incident On 23 September 2010, an incident occurred in Queen Mary 2 's aft harmonic filter room. This resulted in the shutdown of all four propulsion motors and a loss of electrical power throughout the ship. Within an hour, the ship 's main generators were restarted and it was able to resume passage. The later investigations finding revealed that an explosion was caused by electrical arcing within the aft harmonic filter igniting leaked dielectric fluid vapour. 200th transatlantic voyage On 6 July 2013 Queen Mary 2 departed New York en route to Southampton on her 200th transatlantic voyage. On board speakers were Stephen Payne OBE -- the ship 's designer -- and presenter and newsreader Nick Owen, who presented talks about the ship 's design. 10th birthday celebrations Undefaced Red Ensign flown by RMS Queen Mary 2 in New York, July 2014. On 6 May 2014, all three Queens met up for the first time in Lisbon, Portugal. The three ships sailed abreast of each other from Lisbon to Southampton. On 9 May 2014 Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria led Queen Mary 2 up the Southampton channel where they docked in formation at the QEII terminal and performed a birthday salute to Queen Mary 2. The anniversary included a tour of the ship by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. Cunard 175th anniversary On 25 May 2015, all three Queens met, once again, at Liverpool, in order to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the shipping line. After arriving at Liverpool the previous day, Queen Mary 2 made a brief excursion to the entrance of the River Mersey to welcome her two fleetmates into port in the early afternoon. The three Cunarders then sailed, in formation, towards Liverpool. The ships spent several hours together, before the departure of Queen Mary 2 to Saint Peter Port, Guernsey. On 2 July 2015, Queen Mary 2 began a 175th Anniversary Crossing in Southampton. She sailed first to Liverpool, leaving that city after a fireworks display on 4 July, the actual anniversary date of Cunard 's first transatlantic voyage. Queen Mary 2 followed the route of the original ship Britannia, calling first at Halifax, Nova Scotia. After a day there, she headed first upriver into the harbor, using her bow thrusters and swivel - pod motors to negotiate the tight turnaround to come back down close to the cityfront. A 21 - gun salute and bagpipe band honored the ship. From Halifax, the ship sailed to Boston and was there for a full day at the cruise terminal. ( Boston was the terminus of the original crossing in 1840. ) In the evening, the captain backed the ship out of the slip and continued backing up all the way to the Maritime History Museum, where a fireworks display was presented before Queen Mary 2 sailed away. After a night and day at sea, the vessel entered New York Harbor early the morning of 14 July and docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Later in the evening the vessel sailed to the lower harbor, between the Statue of Liberty and the Battery, for the Forever Cunard Queen Mary 2 Light Show. Environmental performance See also : Environmental impact of shipping When designing Queen Mary 2, the designers aimed to reduce the ship 's impact on the environment by improving fuel efficiency and through better management of waste, not only to reduce fuel costs, but also to increase the service life of the ship, as it was predicted that tighter environmental regulations would be implemented while the ship was in service. Initial targets included the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable uses and zero discharge of solid waste into the sea. For economic and other reasons, as well as to reduce energy consumption from incineration, some of these measures were not implemented. Queen Mary 2 's environmental performance nevertheless is an improvement from that of many older ships, as well as international standards on waste. According to Cunard, the ship exceeds some requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships ( MARPOL 73 / 78 ) of the International Maritime Organization. It discharges waste into the sea only in areas more than 12 nmi ( 14 mi ) from any coast, even though MARPOL allows discharge of treated organic waste and treated bilge water closer to the shore. Discharges of potentially harmful substances, in particular the residual oil content of treated bilge water and air emissions, are monitored regularly to ensure compliance with environmental standards. In areas where air pollution from sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, is a concern, the ship switches to low - sulfur fuel to minimise air pollution. According to the carbon offset company Climate Care, passenger ships release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per passenger mile than long haul flights. Cunard attempted to reduce the carbon footprint of Queen Mary 2 by improving engine efficiency and reducing friction while the ship is in motion. In November 2008, the ship was given a refit in Hamburg, part of which involved the repainting of the hull in paint which is designed to reduce drag and improve fuel economy. According to Blohm + Voss, her 2016 refit included the installation of `` scrubbers '' and exhaust gas filters to reduce emissions. References Notes Jump up ^ Queen Mary 2 Vessel details, Lloyd 's Register ( registration required ) Jump up ^ Lloyds Register, Vessel Status - 9241061 Jump up ^ Cunard Production Services ( 2009 ). `` Queen Mary 2 : G32 nightclub ''. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 23. ^ Jump up to : `` Queen Mary 2 ( 9241061 ) ''. Ships In Class. Lloyd 's Register. Retrieved 2012 - 07 - 19. Jump up ^ United States Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange, Search for `` Queen Mary 2 '', Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 18 Jump up ^ `` QUEEN MARY 2 TECHNICAL INFORMATION '' ( PDF ). Cunard.com. Cunard. Retrieved 16 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 -- Ship Facts ''. Cunard Line. 2011 - 02 - 23. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 02. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 : A ship of superlatives ''. Cunard Line. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 ''. Maritime Matters. Archived from the original on August 5, 2003. Jump up ^ McDaniel, Colleen. `` New Cruise Ships In 2014 ''. www.cruisecritic.com. Cruise Critic. Retrieved 5 November 2015. Jump up ^ Queen Mary 2 Cruises Cunard Retrieved 21 January 2012 Jump up ^ `` The History, Construction and Design of Queen Mary 2 ''. Sealetter Travel Inc. Jump up ^ `` Royal Mail employee 's Courier newspaper ''. Royal Mail. August 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Queen Mary 2 Technical '' ( PDF ). Cunard. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2010 - 01 - 06. Retrieved 2013 - 01 - 08. ( archived from the original 6 January 2009 ) ^ Jump up to : Mathisen, Oivind. `` A Ship For The Sea ''. Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine : Winter 2003 - 2004. Cruise Industry News. Retrieved 26 October 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Queen Mary 2 ''. The Great Ocean Liners. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Departmental case studies - QM2 - Carnival '' ( PDF ). Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General. National Audit Office ( UK ). Retrieved 18 March 2015. Jump up ^ `` Construction of the Largest Liner in the World, Part One, July 4, 2002 ~ March 16, 2003 ''. World Ship Society. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 16. Jump up ^ Plisson, Philip ( 2004 ). Queen Mary 2 : The Birth of a Legend. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0 - 8109 - 5613 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Toll climbs in Queen Mary 2 shipyard accident ''. CTV News. 2003 - 11 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Queen launches Queen Mary 2 ''. BBC. 2004 - 01 - 08. Jump up ^ Davidson, Carla. `` Long Live the Queens '', American Heritage, August / September 2005. Archived May 7, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Cunard press pack : Future Engineers 2008 ''. Cunard. October 2008. Archived from the original on 2001 - 02 - 05. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 23. Jump up ^ Maxtone - Graham, John ( 2004 ). Queen May 2 : The Greatest Ocean Liner of our Time. Bulfinch Press. p. 22. ISBN 0 - 8212 - 2885 - 4. Jump up ^ Arturo Paniagua Mazorra ( September 14, 2004 ). `` Queen Mary 2 ''. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 23. Jump up ^ Maxtone - Graham, John ( 2004 ). Queen May 2 : The Greatest Ocean Liner of our Time. Bulfinch Press. p. 21. ISBN 0 - 8212 - 2885 - 4. ^ Jump up to : `` Queen Mary 2 : Built to keep alive the traditions of the great ocean liners '' Professional Mariner ( 2003 ) Retrieved 11 December 2009 Jump up ^ Barron, James ( 18 April 2004 ). `` This Ship Is So Big, The Verrazano Cringes ''. The New York Times. New York. Jump up ^ Alistair Greener ( January 22, 2009 ). `` Transiting the panama canal -- From East to West or West to East ? ''. Cunard ( blog ). Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 23. ^ Jump up to : QM2 Deck Plans Cunard. Retrieved 27 November 2009 Jump up ^ Cunard. `` Cunard Frequently asked questions : What is Illuminations on Queen Mary 2 ? ''. Cunard Line. Retrieved 26 September 2017. Jump up ^ Burbank, Richard D. ( 2005 ). `` The Queen Mary 2 Library ''. Libraries & Culture. 40 ( 4 ) : 547 -- 561. doi : 10.1353 / lac. 2005.0064. Jump up ^ Sottili, Carol ( 11 June 2016 ). `` Which cruise ship library is right for you ? ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cunard unleashes new amenities for pampered pets ''. Cunard. February 15, 2006. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 23. Jump up ^ `` QUEEN MARY 2 '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Mazorra, Arturo Paniagua ; ' ' Sealetter Cruise Magazine ' ' : The History, Construction and Design of Queen Mary 2 ''. Sealetter.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` ' ' Cunard ' ' : QM2 Fact Sheet '' ( PDF ). Cunard.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Gaynor, Louisa Frey : The Queen ( Mary 2 ) rules the Atlantic ''. Usatoday.com. 2005 - 08 - 17. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ Liverpool Daily Post `` Queen Mary 2 Liverpool visit : The ship that offers her passengers ' trip of a lifetime ' '' October 21, 2009 Jump up ^ `` Queen Victoria Public Rooms '' ( PDF ). Cunard. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. Jump up ^ `` The art of cruising in luxury ''. Nqsouthern.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 ''. Onderneming & Kunst. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. ^ Jump up to : `` Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 to undergo major refurbishment in early summer 2016, befitting the world 's most iconic ocean liner '' ( Press release ). CNW Group. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Finnjet historical society Homepage ''. Retrieved 20 November 2009. Jump up ^ `` Electrical Pod ''. Rolls Royce Marine. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 12 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Azimuthing electrical podded propulsor ''. Rolls - Royce. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ Karonen, Petri ( 1992 ). Enso - Gutzeit Oy laivanvarustajana : Oy Finnlines Ltd ja Merivienti Oy 1947 - 1982 ( in Finnish ). Imatra : Enso - Gutzeit. pp. 106 -- 109. ISBN 952 - 9690 - 00 - 2. Jump up ^ Queen Mary 2 : The Genesis of a Queen. Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique, A Publication of the Naval Architect. 2004. pp. 50 -- 55. ^ Jump up to : Cunard. RMS Queen Mary 2 Technical Specification. Flyer made available to passengers of the QM2. Jump up ^ `` UBIFRANCE Orelis ' technology to recycle Queen Mary 2 's waste water ''. 16 April 2004. Retrieved 26 November 2009. Jump up ^ Elaine Barker ( 23 January 2006 ). `` Passengers threaten mutiny on crippled ' Queen Mary 2 ' ''. The Independent. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. Jump up ^ `` ' ' Queen Mary 2 ' ' will be floating fortress ''. Nqsouthern.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ Smith, Tim ( 2004 - 08 - 16 ). `` Watch out aboard Queen Mary because ship is sinking ''. NY Daily News. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ Stars on board Queen Mary 2 Jump up ^ `` World 's most famous ocean liner carries first J.K. Rowling - signed US copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince ''. 7 November 2005. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. Jump up ^ Andrew Downe ; Amy Iggulden ( 28 Jan 2006 ). `` Cunard foils QM2 mutiny with full refund offer ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Blohmvoss Repair Schedule - 2006 '' ( PDF ). Blohmvoss. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 Meets Namesake Queen Mary on February 22 Marking a Cunard Milestone ''. The Cruise Line Ltd. 12 January 2006. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. ^ Jump up to : `` Royal Rendezvous : The Luxury Cruise Ships of Cunard : Cunard Cruise Line ''. Cunard. 2011 - 03 - 03. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` QE2 to leave Cunard fleet and be sold to Dubai World to begin a new life at the palm ''. Cunard Line. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007 - 07 - 06. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 20. Jump up ^ Eleanor Williams ( 22 April 2008 ). `` Royal gathering of sea ' Queens ' ''. BBC News. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Three ' Queens ' in final meeting ''. BBC News. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 27. ( ) Jump up ^ `` QE2 Retirement ''. Qe2book.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` QE2 and QM2 in Dubai ''. Chriscunard.com. 2009 - 03 - 21. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ Makeshift submarine found in East River Jump up ^ `` Permanent Revolution ''. New York magazine. Sep 10, 2012. Jump up ^ It 's Official : Cunard Re-flags Cruise Ships in Bermuda, Launches Weddings at Sea, cruisecritic.com, 19 October 2011 Jump up ^ `` FAQs - Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Registry ''. Retrieved 16 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` QM2 sails into Sydney ''. The Age Company Ltd. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Queen Elizabeth 1940 - 1973 ''. The Great Ocean Liners. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. Jump up ^ David Braithwaite ; Andrew Clennell ; Deborah Snow ( February 21, 2007 ). `` Sydney in meltdown as hordes crowd to see giant ships ''. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 26. Jump up ^ Super ships choke city Sydney Morning Herald 20 February 2007 Retrieved 11 December 2009 Jump up ^ `` World Cruise Cruise with RMS Queen Mary 2 on 10 / 01 / 2012 ( M203 ) ''. seascanner.com. Jump up ^ `` Huge cruise liner visiting city ( Greenock ) ''. BBC News. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Town welcomes huge cruise liner ( Liverpool ) ''. BBC News. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 11 - 24. ^ Jump up to : `` The Boston Cup ''. Chris ' Cunard Page. Retrieved 2010 - 02 - 16. Jump up ^ Maxtone - Graham, John ( 2004 ). Queen May 2 : The Greatest Ocean Liner of our Time. Bulfinch Press. pp. 46 -- 49. ISBN 0 - 8212 - 2885 - 4. Jump up ^ `` Cunard Celebrates a Special Anniversary ''. Wearecunard.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ Megastructures : List of Episodes National Geographic Channel UK Retrieved 12 December 2009 Archived April 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Specifications : Carnival Sues Rolls - Royce Over Queen Mary... ''. 2009 - 01 - 16. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 19. Jump up ^ `` The Tale of the Mermaid Pods ''. 2009 - 01 - 08. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Cunard Line Announces 2012 - 2013 Deployment - Cruise Industry News Cruise News ''. Cruise Industry News. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ Cox, Martin ( 30 July 2010 ). `` QM2 ′ s Mid-Atlantic Rendezvous ''. Maritime Matters. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ Mackenzie, Linley ( 5 August 2010 ). `` World record holder Carroll returns to home soil ''. Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` All oar nothing : How four men conquered the Atlantic ''. The Scotsman. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ Gordon, Sarah ( 26 September 2013 ). `` Cruise ship to the rescue ! Queen Mary 2 delivers supplies to solo woman rower ''. Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ Paquette, Mylène ( 27 September 2013 ). `` Letter to the Captain of the Queen Mary 2 and his wife ''. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 comes to aid of Canadian rower Mylene Paquette ''. BBC News Online. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013. Jump up ^ Monk, Dave. `` I want to sail the Atlantic single - handed, says Queen Mary 2 captain after helping lone rower ''. Shipmonk. Retrieved 29 September 2013. We made a 20 - degree alteration to the south and it only added fourteen miles to our overall distance. Jump up ^ The Guardian 11 June 2017 Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 - Interview with Chief Engineer Brian Watling ''. beyondships.com. Jump up ^ `` Travel News, Tips, and Guides - USATODAY.com ''. USA TODAY. Jump up ^ Report on the investigation of the catastrophic failure of a capacitor in the aft harmonic filter room on board RMS Queen Mary 2 while approaching Barcelona, Marine Accident Investigation Branch. 2010 - 09 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Queen Mary 2 Celebrates 200th Transatlantic Crossing ''. World Maritime News. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Back at the helm : Duke of Edinburgh visits the Bridge ( and even keeps smiling while touring the ship 's LAUNDRY ) to celebrate Queen Mary 2 's 10th anniversary ''. Associated Newspapers Ltd. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Cunard shipping marks 175 years in Liverpool ''. BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Three Queens Liverpool 2015 : Key times for all the weekend events ''. Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 25 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Anniversary cruises 2015 ''. Cunard. Retrieved 25 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` FORever cunard queen mary 2 light show ''. Quantum Theatricals. Retrieved 2 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Is cruising any greener than flying ? ''. The Guardian. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ Brasse, Michael ( May 23, 2016 ). `` Master refit : The Queen Mary 2 docks at Blohm + Voss on May 27, 2016 '' ( PDF ) ( Press release ). Hamburg, DE : Blohm + Voss GmbH. Retrieved 25 May 2016. Bibliography Plowman, Peter ( 2007 ). Australian Cruise Ships. Dural, NSW : Rosenberg Publishing. ISBN 9781877058509. Saunders, Aaron ( 2013 ). Giants of the Seas : The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK : Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848321724. Smith, Peter C. ( 2010 ). Cruise Ships : The World 's Most Luxurious Vessels. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK : Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 9781848842182. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Mary 2 ( ship, 2003 ). Cunard : Queen Mary 2, Official website Location tracking at MarineTraffic Queen Mary 2 ( QM2 ) on Chris ' Cunard Page Video Clips of QM2 at Newport and Boston `` Queen Mary 2 '' -- -- review by Douglas Ward in The Daily Telegraph, London. Timeline of the world 's largest passenger ships Syracusia ( 240 BC ) Thalamegos ( 200 BC ) Caravel ships ( 1400s ) SS Royal William ( 1831 ) SS Great Western ( 1837 ) SS British Queen ( 1839 ) SS President ( 1840 ) SS Great Britain ( 1845 ) HMS Himalaya ( 1854 ) RMS Atrato ( 1854 ) SS Great Eastern ( 1858 ) RMS Celtic ( 1901 ) RMS Baltic ( 1903 ) RMS Empress of Scotland ( 1906 ) RMS Lusitania ( 1907 ) RMS Mauretania ( 1907 ) RMS Olympic ( 1911 ) RMS Titanic ( 1912 ) SS Imperator ( 1913 ) SS Leviathan ( 1913 ) RMS Majestic ( 1914 ) SS Normandie ( 1935 ) RMS Queen Mary ( 1936 ) RMS Queen Elizabeth ( 1940 ) MS Sovereign of the Seas ( 1987 ) MS Sun Princess ( 1995 ) MS Carnival Sunshine ( 1996 ) MS Grand Princess ( 1997 ) MS Voyager of the Seas ( 1999 ) MS Explorer of the Seas ( 2000 ) MS Navigator of the Seas ( 2002 ) RMS Queen Mary 2 ( 2004 ) MS Freedom of the Seas / MS Liberty of the Seas / MS Independence of the Seas ( 2006 ) MS Oasis of the Seas ( 2009 ) MS Allure of the Seas ( 2010 ) MS Harmony of the Seas ( 2016 ) Ships of the Cunard Line Current fleet 2004 RMS Queen Mary 2 2007 MS Queen Victoria 2010 MS Queen Elizabeth Former ships 1840 -- 1994 1840 RMS Britannia 1856 RMS Persia 1865 SS Java 1862 RMS Scotia 1870 SS Abyssinia 1870 SS Parthia 1878 SS Aleppo 1881 SS Servia 1881 SS Catalonia 1882 RMS Aurania 1884 RMS Etruria 1884 RMS Umbria 1892 RMS Campania 1893 RMS Lucania 1898 SS Ultonia 1899 SS Ivernia 1899 RMS Saxonia 1903 RMS Carpathia 1904 RMS Slavonia 1905 RMS Carmania 1905 RMS Caronia 1907 RMS Lusitania 1907 RMS Mauretania 1910 RMS Franconia 1911 RMS Albania 1912 RMS Laconia 1913 RMS Alaunia 1913 RMS Aquitania 1914 SS Orduna 1918 SS Empire Barracuda 1920 RMS Lancastria 1920 RMS Samaria 1921 RMS Antonia 1921 RMS Ausonia 1921 RMS Andania 1921 RMS Scythia 1922 RMS Andania 1922 RMS Berengaria 1922 RMS Franconia 1922 RMS Laconia 1922 RMS Majestic 1923 RMS Ascania 1924 RMS Aurania 1924 SS Letitia 1925 RMS Carinthia 1927 SS Laurentic 1929 MV Britannic 1934 MV Georgic 1934 RMS Olympic 1936 RMS Queen Mary 1939 RMS Mauretania 1939 SS Pasteur 1939 MV Empire Audacity 1940 RMS Queen Elizabeth 1943 SS Empire Battleaxe 1943 SS Empire Broadsword 1943 SS Valacia 1945 MV Empire Ettrick 1947 RMS Media 1947 RMS Parthia 1949 RMS Caronia 1954 RMS Saxonia 1955 RMS Ivernia 1956 RMS Carinthia 1957 RMS Sylvania 1969 MS Queen Elizabeth 2 1971 MS Cunard Adventurer 1972 MS Cunard Ambassador 1975 MS Cunard Countess 1976 MS Cunard Princess 1980 SS Atlantic Conveyor 1983 MS Sagafjord 1983 MS Caronia 1994 MS Royal Viking Sun Years indicate year of entry into Cunard service. VIAF : 151618562 LCCN : no2004027268 GND : 4807387 - 8 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RMS_Queen_Mary_2&oldid=805839648 '' Categories : Ocean liners Ships built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique Ships built in France Ships of the Cunard Line 2003 ships Passenger ships of Bermuda Hidden categories : Pages with login required references or sources Webarchive template wayback links CS1 Finnish - language sources ( fi ) All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2012 Use British English from July 2014 IMO Number MMSI Number All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2014 Good articles Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Navigation Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Български Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français Galego हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ Қазақша Lëtzebuergesch Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Plattdüütsch Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Slovenščina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 17 October 2017, at 23 : 39. 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Question: where does the queen mary 2 sail to
Answer: in the winter season she cruises from New York to the Caribbean on twelve- or thirteen-day tours