Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique to build world's largest liner
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Cunard Line has signed a contract with Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, to build the world's grandest and largest passenger vessel ever constructed: Queen Mary 2.
The 150,000-ton ocean liner, which is expected to enter service in late 2003, will be built at a cost of approximately $780 million (US). Queen Mary 2 will have a passenger capacity of 2,620 based on two guests per cabin and measure 1,132 feet in length and 237 feet in height from keel to funnel top, with beam of 135 feet, making it not only the longest but also the widest passenger ship in the world.
Nearly three-quarters of the ship's 1,310 staterooms will offer their own private balcony. A diesel and gas turbine power plant will produce 157,000 horsepower, enabling the ship to travel at speeds of nearly 30 knots or 35 miles per hour.
At 1,132 feet, Queen Mary 2 will stretch nearly four football fields in length. She will feature 17 decks and tower 200 feet above the waterline, equal to the height of a 23-story building.
More details on the big boat can be found at www.cunard.com
