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Feature 1 | Cruise ship teChnology
Vista class shines on the queens
Cunard’s second ship to be delivered from a Fincantieri yard is due in
October this year, and the float out for the Queen Elizabeth took place on
5 January, writes Sandra Speares.
U
nlike the Queen Victoria,
delivered in 2007 from
Fincantieri’s Marghera yard
near Venice, the 90,000gt Queen
Elizabeth is under construction at the
Monfalcone yard near Trieste for an
estimated €500million.
Technically speaking, it closely
resembles the Queen Victoria, although
certain modifications have been made,
notably to the hull design aft, to create
a more vertical superstructure, in order
to increase the number of cabins.
On the passenger side, a number
of modifications have been made to
accommodate a single seating dining
area which is linked to pricing certain
accommodation.
Other changes compared to the Queen Elizabeth at the Monfalcone Shipyard in November 2009, the vessel was floated
Queen Victoria include a skylight for out in January 2010.
the garden lounge compared to a sliding
roof cover on the Queen Victoria which
has presented technical difficulties in That said, according to The Royal There are clearly certain advantages
terms of weight. Institution of Naval Architects in using a tried and tested platform,
Because the keel was laid well president and chief naval architect and although the Queen Elizabeth is
in advance of the new SOLAS for Cunard, Stephen Payne, the Vista not a Vista class vessel per se, she is a
requirements, the ship does not need class vessels, on which Queen Victoria “close cousin”, Mr Payne explains.
to comply with either the safe return and Queen Elizabeth are based, have The replication of the product is
to port requirements or probabilistic been run through procedures used the proof of the pudding. The Vista
design methods. to test compliance with probabilistic prototype has been used not only for
standards and would have complied, the Holland America ships but the
although Queen Victoria and Queen ex- Queen Victoria hull, transferred to
Elizabeth are slightly longer than the P&O and renamed Arcadia, as well as
original platform. two ships in the Costa fleet.
If from the environmental perspective Constantly refining the structural side
the two ships are perhaps more basic of the design process is an important
than some other cruise newbuildings aspect, according to Mr Payne.
on the environmental front, every effort Discussions with the yards have been
is being made to ensure zero discharge on-going in terms of improvements,
policies are followed. with increased scantlings in the Queen
If the normal building time for a Elizabeth to reduce flexing being one
cruise ship is between two and a half example.
and three years, Queen Elizabeth is now The 90,400tonne Queen Elizabeth
structurally complete and the team are will be 293.97m long, 32m across the
racing to complete the outfitting ahead beam, and will draw 9.11m. It will have
of the ship’s delivery in October this a lower berth capacity of 2014 with a
year. All has been going very smoothly crew of 1001. Passenger decks total 12
Britannia restaurant on the Queen Victoria
to date, Mr Payne says. out of 16. NA
38 The Naval Architect February 2010
NA Feb10 - p38.indd 38 02/02/2010 12:55:03
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