Two sisters meet - QE2 and the Queen Mary Two
The Queen Mary Two - the worlds largest ocean liner when launched and the Queen Elizabeth Two meet in Sydney Harbor today. I've seen the QE2 before and it is a huge ship, but the new Queen Mary Two makes it look tiny, such is the immense size of the new ship. It represents state of the art in cruising, some basic facts about the QM2
* Length: 345 meters / 1132 feet
* Beam: 40 meters / 135 feet
* Beam at Bridge Wings: 45 meters / 147.5 feet
* Draft: 10 meters / 32 feet 10 inches
* Height (Keel to Funnel): 72 meters / 236.2 feet
* Gross Tonnage: Approximately 150,000 gross tons
* Passengers: 2620
* Crew: 1253
* Top Speed: Approximately 30 knots (34.5 mph)
* Power: 157,000 horsepower, gas turbine/diesel electric plant
* Propulsion: Four pods of 20 MW each. 2 fixed and 2 azimuthing.
* Strength: Extra thick steel hull for strength and stability for Ocean Trips
* Stabilizers: Two sets
* Cost: Estimated $800+ million dollars
It also has 15 restaurants and bars, 5 pools, a casino, ball, theater and planetarium. The Queen Mary Two is the biggest OCEAN liner (there are now bigger cruise ships but they are not design to ply the big oceans). To sail on her puts you in an elite group.
A short history lesson - QM2 and QE2 are named after their predecessors the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth two ocean going cruise liners that were made famous in the second world war by being converted into huge troop carriers. Capable of carrying more than 10,000 troops. The ships were so fast that no convoy could kept up so they didn't sail in convoy. Their speed alone was enough to kept them safe from U-Boats. So well did they do their jobs that by wars end they had transported 1.5 million troops and made a significant contribution to the winning of the war. After the war they rained supreme as ocean liners until the arrival of the jet age saw passenger numbers plummet.
Although we can now go from one side of the globe to another in a relatively short space of time Cruising has made a huge come back as the wealthy and well off seek to escape the rat race and enjoy seeing the world in a more romantic setting.
I look forward to the day my own family cruises the seas for fun.
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The article remains the property of Alastair Harris and his immediate family. It may be freely republished over the internet but must remain unchanged and include original links.
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