OSLO, Norway -- Cunard said it is planning to build the "grandest
and largest" transatlantic liner.
Larry Pimentel, Cunard Line president, said the ship, dubbed
Project Queen Mary, would be a "stately superliner that will evoke
the spirit of a bygone era of seagoing luxury." The ship, he added,
would be "the epitome of elegance, style and grace." "Our goal is
nothing less than to create a new golden age of sea travel for
those who missed the first," Pimentel told the line's Norwegian
shareholders here.
Cunard was acquired by Carnival Corp. and Norwegian investors
from Kvaerner ASA. The line was merged last month with Carnival
Corp.'s Seabourn Cruise Line and renamed Cunard Line Ltd.
Officials said the ship would not be a substitute for the
70,000-ton QE2, Cunard's current top liner but is expected to
represent "the next evolution" of ocean liners.
Details of its size, passenger capacity and deployment have not
been determined.
Kvaerner Masa Yards in Helsinki, Finland, is involved in the
planning.
The largest liner ever built is the retired Queen Elizabeth I at
83,000 tons.