ONE of the most significant events in the construction of the future Southampton megaliner, the 150,000 ton Queen Mary 2 is to take place in a few weeks time.

The keel of the largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive passenger ship in history is to be laid on Thursday, July 4.

News of the ceremony was announced by Cunard president and chief operating officer, Pam Conover in Southampton on board the company's cruise ship, Caronia, in Southampton Docks yesterday.

The day has been specially chosen as it will be 162 years to the day that Cunard's first ship, Britannia, left Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Boston, America.

"Work is now well under way on QM2 at the shipyard and she will arrive in Southampton in mid-December next year. That is just 411 days away,'' said Ms Conover.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo, Ms Conover also revealed that the Cunard flagship, Queen Elizabeth 2 is to be withdrawn from regular transatlantic service in 2004 to be deployed permanently on Southampton-based cruises.

In another move Cunard said it was to greatly increase its UK cruise programme out of Southampton from next year with QE2 and Caronia offering a total of 31 departures from the docks - a record for the company.

"We made a firm commitment last September to increase our presence in the ex-UK cruise market by redeploying Caronia to Southampton starting today,'' said Ms Conover.

"Her programme has been a huge success vindicating that decision. Now we are taking the next steps to ensure that we build on this success and expand it further with the placement of QE2 in the market.

"In early 2005 in Southampton we will also add an 85,000 ton new-build, currently referred to as 'The New Cunarder', purpose-built for the UK market.''