QUEEN Elizabeth is the second-largest ship to be constructed for Cunard, exceeded only by Queen Mary 2, and is capable of carrying up to 2,092 passengers.

Running mate to Queen Victoria (QV) and Queen Mary 2, it has a modified design and is slightly larger than QV at 92,000 tons, largely due to a more vertical stern.

Following the ship’s construction in Italy from 2007 to 2010, Cunard officially confirmed that the Queen would name Cunard’s new ship, a ceremony which was held in Southampton on Monday, October 11, 2010, before the ship set sail on her maiden voyage to the Canary Islands the following day.

Unlike many previous Cunard Queens, Queen Elizabeth is not a true ocean liner as she does not have the heavy plating throughout the hull nor the propulsion system of a dedicated transatlantic liner.

However the bow was constructed with heavier plating to cope with the Transatlantic run, and the ship has a high freeboard.

Although having an almost identical interior arrangement to Queen Victoria, the decor is very different. The ship is a tribute to the two previous Queen Elizabeths: the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth 2.

She also evokes the era of the 1930s, in which Cunard’s first Queen Elizabeth was launched, with many art deco interior touches.

The ship also features a Britannia Club section of the main restaurant, which is a feature popular on Queen Mary 2.

This service allows passengers in the Britannia staterooms to have single seating dining arrangements, without having to upgrade to the more premium ‘Grills’ classes.