QUEEN Mary 2 has this week attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators to cliff-tops, piers and beaches on the UK coast.
They have witnessed the elegant form of the largest, longest, widest, tallest and most expensive North Atlantic liner ever built.
Those ashore may marvel at her size and spectacle, but those on board are enjoying a journey of a lifetime.
The great liner arrived at her home port of Southampton last Thursday morning after a crossing from New York.
Next Friday evening – her fifth birthday party over – she will set off across the Atlantic once again, maintaining the transatlantic service that has been Cunard Line’s hallmark since the wooden paddle steamer Britannia left Liverpool for Halifax, Nova Scotia and Boston in 1840.
Several hundred American passengers are on board for the entire 20-night voyage.
Thanks in no small part to the sheer volume of space, guests marvel at the elegance and style of their surroundings.
The Grand Lobby is a six-storey high space dominated by a winged-staircase and dramatic works of art – part of £3m-worth of art on board.
The main Dining Room, the Britannia Restaurant (seating 1,347 guests) spans the full width of the ship and almost three decks in height. . A vast tapestry of a past Cunard liner hangs as a centrepiece behind the Captain’s Table.
The 200-seat Queen’s Grill, decorated in gold, is for guests booked in the highest-grade staterooms and features the finest dining. These guests also have the exclusive use of the Queen’s Grill Bar and the outdoor Queen’s Grill Terrace
The Princess Grill, decorated in silver, is for guests in the Junior Suite staterooms.
QM2 offers several alternative dining venues with informal dining provided in the King’s Court where breakfast and lunch are served buffet style.
The Royal Court Theatre, with tiered seating for 1,094, is a full-scale, West End-style theatre. On Friday evening, opera star Lesley Garrett gave two spell-binding performances.
