Discover the world of cruise travel

Make the most of your cruise vacation with information from CruiseDiva.com™

Insure My Trip
Use the automated quote form to compare plans

Copyright © 1995-2003 
Linda Coffman

Queen Mary 2 — Follow Her Progress

Issue 6 -- June 2003          Exclusive Champagne Bar Cunard Line and the world famous house of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin have agreed to create an elegant Champagne Bar aboard Queen Mary 2. The elegant, 64-seat venue will be Clicquot’s first and only venture on a cruise ship. Located in the fashionable Mayfair Shops area of the ship, the bar will feature a variety of Champagnes, as well as a menu including caviar and foie gras. In addition to the first and only Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar at sea, QM2 will have the first and only spa at sea operated by the world-famous Canyon Ranch health resorts; the world’s first and only planetarium at sea; the largest ballroom at sea; the largest library at sea and the largest wine cellar at sea. Among the 10 dining venues on board, will be the first and only shipboard restaurant by popular American chef Todd English. Guest Lecturers from Oxford Under a new partnership with England’s prestigious University of Oxford, authors, historians, artists, scientists and celebrities will highlight the enrichment program on QM2. The “Oxford Discovery” series will offer a variety of entertaining and expert guest speakers, classes and workshops under the banner Cunard ConneXions, which is an innovative, new cultural enrichment program that will be featured on transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton, England. QM2 passengers will be able to take courses on a variety of topics such as British and American Rock ‘n’ Roll of the 1960s, Shakespeare on Film, Modern Art from the Tate to the Met, and the Internet Explosion. As the world’s oldest English-speaking university, Oxford’s internal resources and long-standing academic and institutional links are unparalleled. Throughout its    history, Oxford has produced gifted men and women in every sphere of human endeavour who have studied or taught at the University. Among these are five Kings, 40 Nobel prize-winners, 25 British Prime Ministers, nine current holders of the Order of Merit, three Saints, 85 Archbishops and 18 Cardinals. Art on Display Cunarders have long been repositories of fine art and Queen Mary 2 will continue this tradition in grand style. The art consultancy firm of Onderneming & Kunst is responsible for assembling the multi-million dollar collection of nearly 5,000 works of art. The Netherlands-based company awarded commissions for more than 300 original works, which are being created by renowned international artists. These range from expansive murals to freestanding bronze and glass sculptures, oil paintings, watercolours, mosaics, reliefs, and models, among other works. Major elements of the QM2 art collection include a sculptural relief of some 450 square feet for the lobby, a trompe l’oeuil painted ceiling of 1,200 square feet for the Winter Garden lounge, and a 300-square-foot tapestry for the Britannia dining room. In addition, there are a number of oil paintings in the range of 250-300 square feet each, several groupings of oversized bronze sculptures and some 4,000 limited-edition prints for the ship’s staterooms and hallways. QM2 Construction Update • Approximately 1,000 out of 2,017 passenger and crew cabins have been installed. • The painting of the ship's exterior begins next week. • 60 master plasterers from Paris are at work on the decorative parts of public room ceilings.

Follow the progress...

• Queen Mary 2, Part 1

• Queen Mary 2, Part 2

• Queen Mary 2, Part 3

• Queen Mary 2, Part 4

• Queen Mary 2, Part 5

• Queen Mary 2, Part 6

• Queen Mary 2, Part 7

• Queen Mary 2, Part 8

• Queen Mary 2, Part 9

• Queen Mary 2, Part 10

• Queen Mary 2, Part 11

• Queen Mary 2, Part 12

Text & images courtesy of Cunard Line & PR Newswire Photo Service

---

Cruise News