Cunard Line's Queen Victoria launched; ship to replace QE2 being built
MIAMI -- Luxury cruise provider Cunard Line is launching a ship named Queen Victoria and has announced plans to build a new ship named Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen Victoria launched Monday in Southampton, England, for its maiden voyage around Northern Europe.
It will be the first time in history that three Cunard Queens are in service simultaneously. On Jan. 13, the Queen Victoria will sail across the Atlantic with the QE2 and meet the Queen Mary 2 in New York.
The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria will carry 1,980 passengers. Its first year of service includes sailings to the Canary Islands, the Norwegian fjords and the Mediterranean.
Cunard Line, a unit of Miami-based Carnival Corp., said the 92,000-ton Queen Elizabeth will be built in Italy at the Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard with delivery expected in the fall of 2010.
The new ship will cost $700 million to build and will carry 2,092 passengers. The Queen Elizabeth will be the second-largest ship Cunard has ever built, and it will allow Cunard to keep three ships in service after the QE2 is decommissioned in November.
The company said it made the order for the new Queen Elizabeth in response to strong bookings for the Queen Victoria, which also is being built by Fincantieri.
Cunard ships are known for their opulence, dating back to the introduction of the Mauretania in 1907.
The Queen Victoria's home port will be Southampton, as will Queen Elizabeth's when it launches.
"We are delighted that Her Majesty The Queen has given her blessing to our calling this new Cunarder 'Queen Elizabeth,' after our first vessel of that name," said Carol Marlow, president of the Cunard Line.
Details at www.cunard.com.