Cunard Orders New Queen Elizabeth

[tombarnes]

Cunard Orders New Queen Elizabeth

The Cunard Line's parent, Carnival Corp. has ordered a new Queen Elizabeth which will join the Queen Mary 2 and the soon-to-be- launched Queen Victoria. I assume this will be the QEIII. The ship will be 92,000 tons and will carry 2092 passengers. I'll post more details as they become available. There seems to be no limit for the luxury cruise market at this time.

The Houston Chronicle

[Raintree21]

Wow. I wonder if they will bestow upon it the title of RMS (Royal Mail Ship). There are currently only two ships operating with that designation, QM2 and the St. Helena.

[Captain Worley]

I'm hoping it'll be a better looking ship than the QM II. I was really disappointed when I saw it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I don't believe the QM II is in the same class as the QM or either QE.

[tombarnes]

It's quite possible that the new Queen Elizabeth will share the chunky profile of her sister ships, if only for the reason that the raging demand for balconies may dictate a less streamlined design. I also prefer the elegant lines of the older ships- especially those like the S.S. United States. Sadly, the demands of the modern tourist may make such elegant lines impossible to achieve. I'm hoping for the best, but am realistic about the probable outcome.

[tombarnes]

The new Queen Elizabeth will actually be considerably smaller than the Queen Mary 2, carrying roughly 500 fewer passengers. You are correct that these new shhips are more rightfully considered hybrids than true liners, though the QM2 can cut through the water pretty fast when she wants to. Even the lines of the QE2 were compromised somewhat with the addition of a few balconies on the upper levels. This is a reflection of the demands of the modern cruise business. New ships are not built for speed (though some may possess it anyway) but for creature comforts. The need to slice through the Atlantic in record time isn't there anymore.