A NEW QUEEN ELIZABETH IS SET TO RULE THE WAVES OF THE OCEANS. TOWERING OVER THE QUAYSIDE AND STILL CLUTTERED WITH SCAFFOLDING AND OTHER SIGNS OF CONSTRUCTION THE LATEST ADDITION AND THIRD AND BIGGEST OCEAN LINER TO BEAR THE QUEEN ELIZABETH TOOK TO THE WATERS FOR THE FIRST TIME RECENTLY. BUT, THERE'S AT LEAST ANOTHER NINE MONTHS OF FITTING OUT BEFORE THE QUEEN ELIZABETH WILL SET SAIL ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE FROM SOUTHAMPTON. THE £365 MILLION LINER, WHICH IS BEING CONSTRUCTED AT THE FINCANTERI SHIPYARD, NEAR TRIESTE IN ITALY, IS REPLACING THE QE2, BUT SHE WILL NOT BE REFERRED TO AS THE QE3. INSTEAD IT IS HOPED THE NEW SHIP WILL RECALL THE 1930s OPULENCE OF THE ORIGINAL QUEEN ELIZABETH. SHE WILL CARRY THE SAME ROYAL STANDARD THAT QUEEN ELIZABETH, LATER THE QUEEN MOTHER PRESENTED WHEN SHE LAUNCHED THE ORIGINAL IN 1938. AT 92,000 TONS, THE NEW SHIP IS 20,000 BIGGER THAN THE RECENTLY RETIRES QE2 AND 10,000 TONS BIGGER THAN THE FIRST QUEEN ELIZABETH. SHE IS THE THIRD LUXURY SHIP TO BE LAUNCHED BY CUNARD IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS AND WILL SERVE AS A SISTER SHIP TO THE QUEEN VICTORIA AND QUEEN MARY 2, CUNARD'S FLAGSHIP AT AN ENORMOUS 148,000 TONS. DESPITE THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE THE COMPANY BELIEVES THERE IS A STRONG DEMAND FOR CRUISES, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE OLDER GENERATION. THE SHIP, WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 2,092 GUEST, WILL ALSO HAVE A WEST END-STYLE THEATER WITH PRIVATE BOXES. THE LINER'S INTERIOR WILL BOAST WHAT THE COMPANY DESCRIBES AS AN 'ART DECO FLOURISH'. PRICES FOR A TWO-WEEK VOYAGE START AT £1,099 FOR A STANDARD ROOM AND CAN REACH £3,699 FOR THE MOST LUXURIOUS QUEENS GRILL SUITES, WHICH OFFER THEIR OWN BUTLER AND PRIVATE ENTRANCE. CUNARD CEO PETER SHANKS SAID: 'OF OUR 170 YEARS OF HISTORY THERE HAS BEEN AN ELIZABETH IN THE FLEET FOR OVER 70 YEARS AND THIS SHIP WILL TAKE THE NAME FAR INTO THE 21st CENTURY.'
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