In May 1998 , the leaders of Carnival Cruises , the first company world cruise, ask the naval architect Stephen Payne to think about designing a transatlantic giant , equipped with completely new facilities and to replace , in the fleet of their subsidiary Cunard ’s famous Queen Elizabeth 2. Very quickly, Stephen Payne, passionate great liners of the 1930s, defines the general line of this exceptional ship, just the largest cruise ship in the world at 345 meters long, 41 meters wide and 72 meters high ( equivalent to 23 floors ). L’architecte removes the best aspects of the past and the present results : the breakwater to the beach before it is inherited , very elegant, the Normandie. The facade , she is very inspired by that shaped stairs, the original Queen Mary . But the "steps" have given way to a gentle slope . The Queen Mary was fitted with fins open gateway: they are taken but closed to allow better face the bad weather in the North Atlantic. The Queen Mary 2 Queen Elizabeth 2 borrows its wheelhouse and the general line of the fireplace . However, the new cunardier is indeed a boat twenty-first century that combines both the benefits of a cruise ship and those of a liner.
Initially, two opposing views : a cruise ship is very open to the outside and allows passengers to enjoy a breathtaking view of the sea , however, it is very ill-equipped to weather the storm . . A liner is , it is designed to resist the waves , but it is in fact very close. The challenge was to make it attractive for QM2 cruises. Passengers are very sensitive to the presence of cabins with balconies, Stephen Payne creates numerous . But to prevent the opening of some of them is found in water in case of bad weather, he top edge instead. As a result, public buildings occupy the Queen Mary 2 bridges unusually low on a ship , so as to provide better stability to the vessel and release enough space above to accommodate three bridges with outcries balconies: the cabins are appointed have of course the sea view but they are protected by large openings in the ship . This arrangement is reminiscent of that adopted on the Rotterdam , belonging to the Holland America Line (HAL) , another subsidiary of Carnival .
The rounded back of the QM2 stops at the waterline and overcomes a flattened shape , belonging to a modern ship. This mode of treatment , already used on the Eugenio C , is well suited to "pods liners " QM2 being moved by four pods of 21.5 MW each about 28,800 horses. Two of these pods are stationary, while the other two, those situated further to the rear , can be rotated 360 degrees and thus ensure the maneuverability of the ship. The engines are no longer inside the liner, the acquired space can increase the number of cabins , so the cost for each trip . QM2 produces its energy through four diesel engines from 16 megawatts ( approximately 21,500 horsepower ) each and two gas turbines of 25 megawatts (approximately 33,500 horsepower ) each.
The Queen Mary 2 is also equipped with three thrusters of 3.2 MW each , about 4,500 horses , allowing lateral movement .
In late November 1999, the Cunard puts various European sites compete and finally chose the Chantiers de l’Atlantique , Alstom , Saint -Nazaire .
January 16, 2002 took place the cutting of the first plate and the first block is placed in the form of construction of Chantiers de l’Atlantique July 4 , 2002. A little over a month later, on August 10 , the shell is moved to another part of the construction shape . On December 1 , the shell , which now weighs 28 000 tonnes is moved a second time in the deepest part of the form of construction where it continues its construction until March 21, 2003 where the hull is completed, is again shifted to the form of weapons or " C Basin ."
On 15 November 2003, while the ship is open to the families of the staff and the people of Saint-Nazaire, the collapse of a bridge that connects the dock to the Queen Mary 2 being armed in the great form of Chantiers de l’ Atlantique in Saint -Nazaire was 16 dead and 29 wounded. It is the poor technical design of the bridge (called "box" in the jargon ), which was mainly challenged (no braces ) , by the Committee of enquête.
Officially delivered to its owner by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique December 22, 2003 , after successive campaigns trials off Belle-Ile, QM2 , officially named by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II began her first big crossing the January 12, 2004 between its home port of Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is commanded by Captain Ronald Warwick.
