Posted on 01/12/2004 1:15:12 PM PST by finnman69
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AFP) - The world's newest and biggest cruise liner, Queen Mary 2, was set to depart Monday on its first transatlantic voyage, braving a nasty North Atlantic winter storm en route to sunny Florida.
AFP Photo
The black-hulled 345-meter (1,139-foot) flagship of Cunard, the upmarket British unit of US cruise line group Carnival, was scheduled to sail at 5 pm (1700 GMT) for a 14-day journey to Fort Lauderdale.
It had yet to slip its moorings by 6:15 pm (1815 GMT), however, as it continued to load baggage at Southampton harbour.
"It's just an unusual amount of luggage that's being loaded," Cunard spokeswoman Penny Guy told AFP from the ship. "The last iron box is going on right now."
Once out of the relatively calm waters of the Solent, which separates the Isle of Wight from England's south coast, the Queen Mary 2 was expected to be tested by the storm moving up the English Channel.
Torrential rain and winds of up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour were forecast and the sea was expected to be extremely choppy for the 1,400 passengers and crew.
The voyage, via the Canary Islands and the Bahamas, was to be the first serious test of Queen Mary 2's seaworthiness since it was constructed and launched last year at Saint Nazaire, on the French Atlantic coast.
A Cunard spokesman said the ship -- formally named by Queen Elizabeth II (news - web sites) at a ceremony in Southampton, its home port, last Thursday -- would set sail regardless.
"She is built to go through the worst Atlantic storms," he said.
"If she was a normal cruise ship there may be an impact, but the QM2 is constructed for this. The only possible change there could be will be to the firework display to send her off."
The early days of the Queen Mary 2 were marked by tragedy -- 15 people were killed and 28 injured in an gangway accident at Saint Nazaire in November.
If the huge, towering ship rides out the storm, passengers will begin to enjoy the unrivalled luxury it offers, including 14 bars and restaurants, four swimming pools, a cinema and a theater with over 1,000 seats.
Ticket prices reflect the comfort available and the passenger list is made up of well-off, mainly North American, travellers.
The most expensive Grand Duplex cabins, equivalent to suites in a five-star hotel, cost 22,429 pounds (32,394 euros, 41,525 dollars) per person.
For this price, Cunard provides a private butler to serve the suite's guests, binoculars to observe the horizon and, for a finishing touch, a portraits of Queen Elizabeth linking arms with husband Prince Philip.
For those unable to afford Grand Duplex, the Royal Suite with private balcony or the Balmoral Suite with state-of-the-art entertainment system and gym machine, there is still top class service on offer.
Some cabins are admittedly smaller and some are not fitted with a porthole. But even their occupants can enjoy a game of golf, smoke a cigar in the Churchill bar or relax in one of the many jacuzzis.
IF??? Oh, man, the Luddites in the lamestream press are smacking their lips and hoping for the worst. Must be cozy in that bed with the islamists.
Beautiful ship. Wish I could be on her.
That's ok, but if anyone said "God Himself could not sink this ship!" jump overboard.
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