Queen Mary 2 Makes U.S. Debut
by Daniel McCarthy /Richard Meadows, center left, President, Cunard, North America, Captain Christopher Wells, center, and David Noyes, center right, CEO, Cunard, joined by Cunard Kennel Masters.
Cunard’s remastered Queen Mary 2, fresh off a 25-day dry dock, was seen by an American audience for the first time in Brooklyn yesterday.
The $132 million refurbishment, completed in the Blohm + Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, added a number of new features and upgrades to the ship, which originally debuted in 2004. There is a redesigned Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites and restaurants; an additional 30 Britannia Club staterooms, 15 new Britannia single staterooms and 5 Britannia inside staterooms; a new specialty restaurant, the Verandah; and a complete refresh of the King’s Court buffet area.
The addition of the single staterooms is something CEO David Noyes has called “an important part of [our market].”
“On the original Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth 2, there were a number of solo cabins and we’re following in that tradition,” he said, noting that Cunard almost always sells out solo cabins.
Cunard also doubled the number of kennels—another berth that frequently sells out—from 12 to 24.. The QM2 is the only cruise liner to offer dedicated kennels. To make dogs “from either side of the pond feel at home,” Cunard says, a lamp post and a fire hydrant will be installed on the area of deck reserved for dog walking.
The ship is currently on its way back to Southampton, keeping the old tradition of Cunard transatlantic crossings despite the brand new look.
