THE sheer size of the world's biggest passenger liner, Southampton's Queen Mary 2, has delayed its shipyard float out ceremony due to take place this weekend.
So vast is the 150,000-ton QM2, that a special extra-deep water basin is being used to house the vessel after it is moved from dry dock at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard in Saint-Nazaire. However the basin needs further dredging to accommodate the ship and the float out has now been put back about two weeks.
Shipping line, Cunard said that the hitch would not change the timetable for the £550m vessel, due to arrive in Southampton at the end of this year.
A Cunard spokesman said: "We are expecting everything to be on time, but we think the float out will be delayed by about two weeks."
QM2 is due to arrive in Southampton on December 19 ahead of her naming ceremony on January 10.
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