Cunard's flagship sailed into US homeport on 6 July following a US$132 million refit
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cunard's flagship ocean liner Queen Mary 2 sailed into its US homeport of Brooklyn in New York on 6 July following a US$132 million refit.
The refit was conducted in the Blohm + Voss Shipyard, in Hamburg, one of the only shipyards in the world large enough to accommodate Queen Mary 2. It was a 24-hour a day operation, with over one million man hours put into the refurbishment over 25 days. Work included a complete repaint of the ship exterior, significant technical enhancements, structural changes, and interior upgrades.
“More than any other ship in our Carnival Corporation fleet of more than 100 ships, Queen Mary 2 is the most famous, the most recognisable and certainly the most unique,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. “It was the dream of our Chairman Micky Arison to build the Queen Mary 2 almost 15 years ago. He aspired to recreate that luxurious ocean liner experience from the past and Queen Mary 2 is the glorious result.”
Cunard redesigned and refurbished the Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites and restaurants, as well as Britannia staterooms, the latter to be fully completed by the end of the year.
The company also added 30 Britannia Club staterooms, 15 Britannia single staterooms and five Britannia inside staterooms, as well as The Verandah, a new specialty restaurant. Other redesigned public spaces and restaurants included the Kings Court buffet area and the Carinthia Lounge, which was formerly the Winter Garden.
Queen Mary 2 also features 12 additional pet kennels (now 24), as well as a new owner's lounge, pet playground, and a larger outdoor area with a historic English lamppost and an American fire hydrant. A full-time Kennel Master takes care of daily pet responsibilities including feeding, walking and cuddling the pets onboard.
“The remastering of Queen Mary 2 continues the transatlantic tradition by the thoughtful contemporising of the product for today's discerning traveller, while maintaining the refined design aesthetics and service standards that are deeply based in British style and refinement,” said David Noyes, CEO, Cunard. “The Remastering is a testament to Cunard’s attention to detail, incorporating inspiration from our past that continues to propel the powerful Cunard story, which we think will strongly resonate with today’s travellers.”
Queen Mary 2 set sail for Southampton following the launch in the US, continuing her schedule of iconic Transatlantic Crossings.