Queen Mary 2 Project
Queen Mary 2 or QM2 is the largest passenger ship ever built. The ship has a nightclub, a
spa, a wine bar, 15 restaurants and bars, a library, and a planetarium. The ship is 1,132 feet
long, has the capacity to carry 2,620 passengers, and weighs about 151,400 tons. The
maiden voyage on January 14, 2004 made history, and the project was such a success that
it was awarded a maritime Oscar from Berlitz in their 2005 guide to Ocean Cruising and
Cruise Ships.
The project was announced by Cunard on June 8, 1998 and the original plan called for an
84,000 ton and 2,000 passenger liner. Stephen Payne was hired as the project manager to
head the project. In late 1999 there was sufficient incentive to scale up the Queen Mary
Project, which would push back delivery dates. Later in March of 99, Cunard announces
the letter of intent to build the liner at Chantiers de LAtlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire,
France. It was expected to be launched at the end quarter of 2003 and cost nearly US$780
million dollars.
Designing the vessel was going according to plan and, a scale model tank test was
conducted on a fifteen foot QM2 to simulate hurricane conditions. The liner reacted well
and the results pleased the designers, engineers, and executives. There was reason for
concern following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. A company that was
investing heavily in the liner nearly became bankrupt and rumors were going around about
the project being halted. In October, it was reaffirmed that the vessel project will still go on
