Birth of a Legend

On Her Way
On January 8th, 2004, Queen Elizabeth II smashed a jeroboam of champagne smartly against the hull of Queen Mary 2. With the words of blessing, "May God bless her and all who sail in her," the largest, grandest ocean liner ever, embarked on the first of its predicted 1,200 Atlantic crossings.

Taller than a 23 storey building – this modern luxury liner dwarfs the Statue of Liberty, the Tower of London and the Colosseum in Rome. However, the ship’s designers deliberately built it to pass beneath New York’s Verazzano Narrows Bridge – by a clearance of only 3 metres!

The QM2 has 10 individual restaurants, cafes, and bistros on board. The opulent Britannia dining room seats 1,300 diners. In fact, there are more gourmet meals served on board each night than in the entire city of Manchester.

Luxury Living with Class
For any passengers wanting to elevate their spirits with culture, there’s a library with 8,000 books to peruse, a theatre, cinema (doubling as a full-size planetarium) , and an art gallery featuring 300 specially-commissioned works of art valued at more than $5 million US. The liner's education program, devised by Oxford University, offers lectures and workshops on history, art, literature, business, politics, philosophy, and sociology.

Of course, more typical ocean liner pastimes like shopping, fitness and gambling in the casino are also options for QM2's passengers. There are 14 decks of sports facilities, shops, bars, lounges, and five swimming pools – including specialized zones for kids of all ages.

The price for this kind of over-the-top voyage doesn’t come cheap. A basic transatlantic passage starts at around £999 and rises to £20,000 per person for the best suite - which includes marble bathrooms, private balconies, a separate living room, and it’s own butler.