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The world's
biggest cruise liner sailed into its home port of Southampton on England's
south coast for the first time on last Friday to be met by a throng of
people and a flotilla of small ships.
The Queen Mary 2, which stands as high as a 23-story building, arrived from
Saint-Nazaire in France where it was built. Fifteen people were killed when
a temporary walkway collapsed as they were crossing it on a tour of the ship
last month.
The 150,000 ton ship will be officially named by Queen Elizabeth on January
8, four days before it leaves on its sold out maiden cruise to Fort
Lauderdale in Florida.
Longer than three football pitches, the ship will carry about 3,000
passengers on its first cruise. A ticket for a top cabin costs around
$50,000.
The ship has more than 1,300 cabins including four royal suites and six
penthouse apartments, and is serviced by a crew of more than 1,200 people.
The new cruise liner is being named after the original Queen Mary ocean
liner, which entered service on Cunard's prestigious Atlantic route in 1936,
becoming one of the best-known ships of the golden age of liners. |
