Queen Mary 2
Queen Mary 2 (QM2) was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique St. Nazaire for Cunard to relieve Queen Elizabeth 2 from frequently undertaking Atlantic crossings. When finished in 2004 QM2 was the largest passenger ship ever built. Sadly her inauguration was overshadowed by a fatal accident where fifteen people were killed during a visit of the nearly finished ship. (see this BBC article)
Although Queen Mary 2 was designed for fast North Atlantic crossings, her accommodation and amenities are comparable to those of other contemporary passenger ships. In the years surrounding her construction a marketing narrative, strongly promoted by Cunard, began to distinguish QM2 as a “liner” from other cruise ships. This framing was widely repeated across the emerging internet and has since become common in online sources. While her unique design and lack of sister ships do set her apart, elevating these features into proof of a fundamentally separate ship type goes further than the technical differences alone justify. Comparable distinctions can be found among other purpose-built or unconventional passenger ships relative to more standardised designs. The narrative also tends to overlook that not every ship historically employed in line service was built for fast transatlantic crossings. A more measured description of Queen Mary 2 is that she is simply a fast ship; a vessel designed for slower transatlantic crossings would, in essence, closely resemble a contemporary cruise ship with comparably modest modifications. Ironically, in recent years QM2 has frequently operated longer Atlantic crossings, suggesting that the original, demanding specification was poorly matched to the service she ultimately came to perform. Given that much of the attention surrounding her introduction stemmed from her status as the back then world’s largest passenger ship, a slower vessel of the same size might have generated comparable public interest while also avoiding the limitations preventing QM2 from berthing at more attractive locations. However, it is of course always easy to be wise with the benefit of hindsight.
Photos from her inaugural transatlantic crossing: Albums @ Ships, Ships 'n More Ships
For a brief technical description of QM2 visit ship-technology.com.
