Queen Mary 2 is Cunard's flagship and the world's only ocean liner operating regular scheduled transatlantic crossings. Purpose-built for the North Atlantic, she combines the scale and facilities of a modern passenger ship with the speed, strength and seakeeping characteristics required of an ocean liner.
Construction and entry into service
Queen Mary 2 was designed by a team led by British naval architect Stephen Payne and built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, as yard number G32. Her keel was laid in July 2002, she was floated out in March 2003 and the completed vessel was delivered to Cunard in December 2003.
Queen Elizabeth II named the ship at Southampton on 8 January 2004. Queen Mary 2 departed on her maiden voyage to Fort Lauderdale on 12 January 2004 and subsequently assumed Cunard's flagship role.
The ship is registered at Hamilton, Bermuda. Her permanent IMO number is 9241061, while her current MMSI is 310627000 and her call sign is ZCEF6.
An ocean liner rather than a conventional cruise ship
Queen Mary 2 was engineered principally for regular service across the North Atlantic. Her long bow, strengthened hull, high freeboard, powerful propulsion plant and comparatively deep draught distinguish her from ships designed primarily for warm-water cruising.
At 345.03 metres long and 149,215gt, Queen Mary 2 was the world's largest passenger ship when completed. Her beam is approximately 41 metres at the waterline, widening to around 45 metres across the bridge wings, and her draught is approximately 10.3 metres.
The ship has 18 decks in total, with 14 passenger decks. Cunard currently advertises accommodation for approximately 2,683 guests supported by around 1,173 crew. Maximum occupancy can be higher when additional berths are used.
Power, propulsion and speed
Queen Mary 2 uses an integrated electric propulsion system. Four Wärtsilä 16V46 diesel engines and two General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines generate electricity for hotel services and four Rolls-Royce Mermaid podded propulsion units.
Two of the pods are fixed and two can rotate through 360 degrees for steering. Three bow thrusters assist manoeuvring in port, while four large stabiliser fins help reduce rolling at sea.
The liner is capable of approximately 30 knots, considerably faster than the normal operating speed of most modern cruise ships. Her usual service speed varies according to itinerary and operational requirements.
Accommodation and dining
Queen Mary 2 offers Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill accommodation. The principal restaurant allocated to each guest is linked to the accommodation category booked, continuing a longstanding Cunard tradition.
Dining and refreshment venues include the Britannia Restaurant, Britannia Club Restaurant, Princess Grill, Queens Grill, Kings Court, Steakhouse at The Verandah, Golden Lion, Carinthia Lounge and the Champagne Bar. Venue names and concepts may change during future refits.
Distinctive spaces and experiences
The Queens Room is known for formal evenings, afternoon tea and its expansive dance floor. The Royal Court Theatre hosts stage productions and visiting performers, while Illuminations combines a cinema, lecture theatre and planetarium.
The ship also has an extensive maritime library, the two-level G32 nightclub, the Commodore Club observation lounge, a spa, fitness facilities and several pools. Her kennels allow a limited number of cats and dogs to travel on selected transatlantic crossings, an unusual facility among passenger ships.
Cunard's Insights programme brings writers, broadcasters, scientists, historians, performers and other specialists aboard selected sailings for talks and interviews.
2016 remastering and later refit
Queen Mary 2 underwent a major remastering in 2016. The project refreshed hundreds of cabins, created additional single and Britannia Club accommodation, expanded the kennels and reworked major public areas including Kings Court, the Carinthia Lounge and the Grand Lobby.
A further operational refit was completed at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam between October and November 2023. Work included technical maintenance, hull treatment, new interior carpets and refurbishment of passenger staterooms. Deck7 therefore records 2023 as the latest verified refurbishment year while recognising 2016 as the ship's most extensive transformation to date.
Environmental equipment
Queen Mary 2 is powered by conventional marine fuels rather than liquefied natural gas. She is equipped to connect to shore electricity at compatible terminals, allowing onboard generating machinery to be switched off while alongside. Associated British Ports confirmed the ship's use of Southampton's shore-power infrastructure in 2022, and Cunard confirmed fleetwide capability in 2023.
Deck7 has not located a sufficiently clear current primary source confirming the ship's exhaust-gas cleaning configuration, so that field remains marked as unknown.
Transatlantic crossings and world voyages
Regular crossings between Southampton and New York remain Queen Mary 2's defining deployment, although she also operates cruises to destinations including Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Canada, New England and the Caribbean.
The ship completed her 400th transatlantic crossing in 2024 and is scheduled to mark her 450th in November 2026. Her 2026 programme also included a 108-night World Voyage and the liner's first transit of the Panama Canal.
Queen Mary 2 remains a singular vessel: a large modern passenger ship designed not simply to cruise between destinations, but to maintain Cunard's scheduled ocean-liner tradition across the North Atlantic.