Cunard Line has taken delivery of Queen Elizabeth – the second largest Cunarder ever and the third new liner the company has built in six years.
The Handover Ceremony took place today on board the new 92,400-ton vessel at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard. The event included a speech by Cunard President and Managing Director Peter Shanks. The Italian flag was ceremonially lowered and the Red Ensign was raised. And so another magnificent Cunard liner will enter the Register of British Shipping.
Peter Shanks commented after the ceremony:
“This ceremony to mark the completion of the ship, and our acceptance of delivery, is just the first of a number of significant events over the next few weeks – including the ship’s official naming by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton on Monday 11 October. I’m certain the British will take this truly magnificent ship to their hearts, as they have all the Cunard Queens”.
Queen Elizabeth is due to leave the shipyard on 30 September, and sail to Southampton – where she will berth at the Ocean Cruise Terminal on Friday 8 October.
She will depart on her Maiden Voyage at 1700 hours on Tuesday 12 October.
Enjoy a series of events in Southampton from 9 – 11 October to celebrate the naming of Cunard’s newest cruise liner Queen Elizabeth.
Witness Guildhall Square come alive with Elizabethan charm across the weekend and find out what special displays and activities are taking place at the museums. The weekend culminates on Monday 11 October with a free live broadcast on a big screen in Guildhall Square of the ship naming by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Elizabethan Experience: Guildhall Square
Sat 9 October 11am – 5pm and Sun 10 October 11am – 4pm
Drop in to Guildhall Square and let Groundlings Theatre Company take you back in time in this free theatrical experience with lots of audience participation.
• See Queen Elizabeth I and her Royal Court take walkabouts around the Square.
• Watch the sword fighting and duelling or mock the latest villain in the stocks.
• Be entertained with the Elizabethan music and dancing or visit the animal farm.
• Try a Hog roast, laugh at the Court Jester’s jokes and mix with the costumed characters. You never know, you may even bump into Shakespeare himself!
The “Queen” at home; The liner Queen Elizabeth and others : Museum of Archaeology, Winkle Street, SO14 2NY
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 October 11.15am, 1pm and 2pm
Admission: Free – seating is limited
To mark the naming of the new Cunard ship Queen Elizabeth and as part of Southampton Film Week, there will be a screening of the archive film of the original Queen Elizabeth and other liners from the Wessex Film and Sound Archive.
Get Creative With The Queens: Maritime Museum
Sunday 10 October 11.30am – 3.30pm
Admission: Free event – normal entry fee to Museum applies for adults. All children must be accompanied, no more than two children per adult.
Enjoy this drop-in session with Brick by Brick Theatre Company and get creative with the Queens. Try nautical themed dressing up, knot tying, flag making, Morse code and more!
Sunday 10 October 7.30pm
The Kings Of Queen: Guildhall Square
No one can resist singing along to Queen’s Greatest Hits, what better way to celebrate the new ship and also round off the Music in the City events at a free outdoor performance by one of the top Queen Tribute Bands The Kings of Queen. Their brilliant vocals and musicianship, together with a unique sense of theatricality, produce a superb visual act with sensational music and a high energy non-stop performance. They will rock you!
Live Broadcast of the Naming Ceremony of Queen Elizabeth: Guildhall Square
Monday 11 October from 3.25pm
Watch Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II name this glorious ship and enjoy the ceremonial events broadcast live on a big screen in the newly refurbished Guildhall Square.
Cruising With The Queens
Maritime Museum, The Wool House, Town Quay Road, SO14 2AR
Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm. Saturday – Sunday 11am – 4pm
Admission: Adult £2.50, Children £1.50, Children under 7 Free, Family tickets £5.50, Concessions £1.50
This display celebrates the famous “Cunard Queens” – ocean liners named after British queens: the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The exhibition features ship models, posters, photographs, souvenirs, menus, deck plans and brochures selected from the city’s maritime collection, which all bring to life this special part of Southampton’s heritage.
Walk the QE2 Mile
The QE2 Mile is the pedestrian route that runs through the heart of the city and links the city’s parks, new Cultural Quarter, shopping high street, old town and the waterfront at Town Quay. Plaques have been laid from the Bargate down to the waterfront, marking key events in the city’s history. The plaques represent everything from the early Roman settlement in the city, to the opening of the National Oceanography Centre. Why not follow the QE2 Mile to visit the Museums and the Waterfront where limited views of Queen Elizabeth can be seen.