By
Michele Witthaus |
The refurbishment of Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 at Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg is now complete and the vessel has returned to Southampton.
The ship, which is the world’s largest ocean liner, had work undertaken in all staterooms, the spa, and various bars and restaurants, as well as the children’s play zone.
Over a period of two weeks from 24 November to 6 December, thousands of workers replaced the equivalent of almost ten football fields of carpet and manufactured about 18 miles of fabric into over 6,000 individual items. More than 1,250 loads were craned onto the ship and 20,000 litres of paint and varnish used. The new-look designs were realised by Tillberg Design, which was involved in developing the original concept for the ship’s interiors. A specially commissioned oil painting of the British monarch by painter Gail Graham is a new feature of the decor. Queen Elizabeth named the vessel during the opening ceremony in January 2004.
“Queen Mary 2 is an iconic leader in the world of luxury ocean travel and receives consistently high ratings by guests and the cruise industry,” said Peter Shanks, Cunard president and managing director. “A ship that still turns heads everywhere she goes, she is unquestionably the pride of our fleet. We are committed to maintaining that impeccable reputation, and this significant refurbishment is an important investment on behalf of our guests.”
Queen Mary 2 was recently named the world’s Top Large Resort Ship in the 2012 Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising.