TWO giant Cunard liners will visit the firm’s historic home of Liverpool next year as part of a major maritime festival.

The new Queen Elizabeth will berth at the City of Liverpool terminal during her maiden UK circumnavigation in September 2011, while the Queen Mary 2 is to make a return visit after docking in the city last October.

Liverpool City Council said it would stage the maritime festival to celebrate the coup of having both ships visit the cruise liner terminal in the space of a week.

Talks are also at an advanced stage with the Royal Navy to have a major military vessel on the Mersey, which means the terminal will have a vessel berthed on it on nearly every day of the festival.

Liverpool Council’s tourism and enterprise leader Gary Millar said: “This will be the busiest week in the city from a cruising point of view in 50 years.

“The festival will see lots of free family activities taking place throughout the week.

“The fact that Cunard is bringing two major vessels here shows the attraction of the city to the cruise liner industry.”

The Queen Mary 2 – Cunard's flagship cruise liner with 3,056 passengers – is the biggest in the world and will be on her second Round Britain voyage when she visits the city.