Queen Mary 2 Salutes the East Coast on Birthday Voyage

8 October 2009 (Southampton, England) – Residents along the East Coast will have plenty of opportunity to see Queen Mary 2, the largest liner in the world, as she progresses north from Flamborough Head to the Tyne on Friday 16 October as part of her celebratory ‘lap-of-honour’ around the British Isles to mark her fifth birthday. Queen Mary 2 is flagship of Cunard Line, owner of the most famous ocean liners in the world and the youngest fleet in the world. Cunard Line celebrates the 170th Anniversary of its founding in 2009 – so this is a double celebration for the company and its flagship.

She will be passing specific points on the coast at the following times:

Flamborough Head, 1330 hours

Scarborough, 1445 hours

Whitby, 1500 hours

Hartlepool, 1615 hours

Sunderland, 1700 hours

Tynemouth, 1730 hours

The voyage commemorates the introduction into service of Queen Mary 2 five years ago in January 2004. Still the largest, longest, tallest, widest, most expensive ocean liner ever built and, since the retirement of QE2, the fastest passenger ship in the world. Queen Mary 2 entered service just four days after being named by Her Majesty The Queen during the most spectacular naming ceremony Southampton, her home port, had ever seen.

Since that historic entry into service Queen Mary 2 has sailed almost 750,000 nautical miles, completed over 120 Atlantic crossings (the route for which she was specifically built, the first passenger ship to be built for that trade in 35 years), and made calls to 115 ports in 45 countries.

Since becoming Cunard flagship in May 2004, taking over the mantle from QE2, Queen Mary 2 has also become one of the most celebrated ships in the world and successfully continues the Cunard passenger liner tradition established almost 170 years ago.

Peter Shanks, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, says:

“We are very proud of our flagship and her achievements since she entered service and this is an important birthday for Queen Mary 2. This voyage will see her make maiden calls to ports which have a binding and historic connection with Cunard. I would encourage as many people as possible to come out and wish Queen Mary 2 well during the course of this ‘lap-of-honour’”.

Ports-of-call on this special birthday voyage, which departs Southampton on 15 October, include South Queensferry, Greenock, Liverpool, Cobh and Cherbourg.

For further information contact:
Eric Flounders, Public Relations Manager, 0207 940 5390, eric.flounders@cunard.co.uk
Michael Gallagher, Public Relations Executive, 0207 940 5391, michael.gallagher@cunard.co.uk