Birth of a Megaliner

Up to now Queen Mary 2, the most exciting and prestigious passenger liner the world has ever seen, has been only a vision on a designer's drawing board but now this amazing project is actually beginning to take shape

In less than two years' time Southampton will witness the dramatic entrance of Cunard's 150,000- ton megaliner as she arrives in her home port for the first time

Between now and that momentous day the vessel, hailed as the largest, widest, tallest, longest and most expensive in passenger shipping history, will be created deck by deck and cabin by cabin in the Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard at St Nazaire

The fact that Cunard has chosen to continue its long-established connection with Southampton and pick the docks to be the home port for this record-breaking ship is an enormous boost to the reputation of the city as a leading global centre for the international cruising industry

Every year millions of pounds are generated by Southampton-based ships which pour huge amounts of cash into the local and regional economy by using local supplies and services as well as safeguarding thousands of shore-based and seagoing jobs

On Wednesday, with the press of a button, Pam Conover, the president and chief operating officer of the famous shipping line, started the cutting of the steel to be used in the construction of QM2

The vessel, with a half-a-billion pound price tag, will be the first true ocean-going liner, as opposed to a modern-day cruise ship, to be built for more than three decades and she will be the fastest passenger ship since Southampton's flagship of the British merchant marine, Queen Elizabeth 2, entered service in 1969

With the liner's proposed life of more than 40 years, the building of the ship is quite simply one of the most important industrial projects of this century

Although equipped with the most up-to-date, sophisticated navigation, propulsion and communication equipment, QM2's design will echo the look and atmosphere of the past, great Atlantic Cunarders central to Southampton's maritime heritage

QM2 will feature classic Cunard hallmarks of grand staircases, expansive promenades, gracious public rooms and restaurants, all on an imposing scale

The look of the ship owes much to the design of previous leviathans of the seas such as Normandie, SS France, the original Queen Mary and, of course, Queen Elizabeth 2

The sheer size of the ship, say Cunard, has enabled its team of architects to create a variety of passenger spaces, from a majestic three-storey dining room to intimate bars and lounges and sumptuous staterooms, of which threequarters will have their own private balcony, offering a level of luxury unprecedented at sea

Although QM2 will carry the name of Southampton on her side and fly the Red Ensign, no British shipyard was able to compete successfully to build such a complex project and so, unlike so many of her forerunners such as the original Queen Mary, this vessel will emerge from a French shipyard

Early in the liner's development period there was a suggestion that Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard might be in the running to build the ship but the company had to drop out of the contract race despite intense negotiations between Cunard and the British government

With the decline of the British shipbuilding industry and the disappearance of UK yards, the expertise and experience needed to construct today's highly sophisticated vessels, and the ability to submit cheaper tenders now lies with continental European operations

In recent years the shipping industry in countries such as Italy, Germany, France and Finland, with strong financial backing from their governments, have seized the opportunity to corner the market in constructing the highly-complex modern-day vessels such as QM2

At one time British workmen were recognized for producing the best ships in the world but it is a sad fact of life these days that the specialist building skills, which have been developed and honed in overseas yards, just do not exist in this country

Although Britain still leads the way in the military sector, in areas such as warship design and technology, with companies such as Southampton's Vosper Thornycroft at the leading edge, the last passenger liner to be built in this country was Cunard's Caronia, formerly Vistafjord, which first entered service nearly three decades ago

"Nowadays it isn't possible to build Queen Mary's successor on the Clyde, and so it seems entirely appropriate that she should come into being at the birthplace of her only equal, her well-matched rival, Normandie,'' said Ms Conover

"In Cunard's 163-year history the company has had more than 250 passenger ships, but never before have we built one in France

"Queen Mary 2 will be the first, but I hope not the last

She will be the beginning of what we trust will be a long and prosperous association

"She will be heir to all that has gone before and a showcase of the art of shipbuilding in its most refined and masterful form'' Although at present QM2 is nothing more than a collection of steel sheets, thousands of potential passengers have already contacted Cunard, some even sending in blank cheques, all anxious to have a place on the ship's historic maiden voyage from Southampton

The arrival of the vessel will mean that for the first time in a generation, Cunard will have two liners, QM2 and QE2, capable of crossing the largest oceans

Cunard is convinced that the time of transatlantic travel has returned and that there is a yearning for a leisurely voyage offered by liners, for which a growing number of people are prepared to pay

Once QM2 is in service linking Southampton and New York it is expected that QE2, which has reigned supreme in the Atlantic for so many years and which still has a long life in front of her, will undertake line voyages to destinations such as South Africa, the Far East, South America and Australasia

"This means an investment not only in the transatlantic tradition but one in the classic line voyages that still evoke strong memories today,'' said Ms Conover

Just as aboard her sister QE2, each grade of cabin on QM2 will be paired with a seaview restaurant where passengers will dine during their cruise

The exclusive grill rooms will be reserved for guests travelling in the higher category of staterooms while restaurants will serve passengers in deluxe and standard grade cabins

"QM2's main dining room, seating 1,351 passengers, will be one of the most remarkable rooms at sea, spanning the full width of the ship and nearly three decks high,'' said Ms Conover

"It will be designed to recall memories of former ocean liners with a sweeping central staircase, perfect for those who want to make a grand entrance

'' The ship's main lounge will be the location for full-scale West End-style shows

A forward observation lounge will be on deck nine while the nightclub will be overlooking the stern of the vessel

Among the unique features of QM2 will be an 800-seater planetarium and a seven- classroom College of the Seas teaching subjects such as computing, seamanship, cookery and languages

Published 19/01/02