travel
Luxury living on the high seas got a much-needed jolt back in 2004 when
Set Sail
Cunard launched the Queen Mary 2, with much ado. Now with five years under
her extra-thick steel hull, The QM2 carries the lonely title of the world’s last
remaining luxury liner. Gone is the iconic QE2, decommissioned into the afterlife
on the
where she will serve as a seaside attraction and luxury hotel, in Dubai, or perhaps
South Africa. And what of the other Cunard ships, and other cruise line’s ships;
Queen Mary 2
are they not liners, too? Well… yes, maybe, a little. Then again… no! A true liner
is designed for trans-Atlantic sailings in whatever weather Mother Nature can
throw. With a bulbous bow, sleek lines and powerful engines, a liner safely cuts
by joseph schmitt
the rough seas while passengers imbibe fine champagne and dine on Beef Wel-
lington, without a care. And no other line has been doing just this longer than
Cunard, a whopping 170 years.
With a gross tonnage of approximately 151,400 and a passenger capacity of over 3,000, building the Queen
Mary 2 was a gamble for Cunard. Long gone are the glory days of trans-Atlantic travel, when sailing was one’s only
choice. Fortunately there are still some old guard and a surprising number of new Cunard aficionados, including
a vast network of gay loyalists, who understand that it’s not the speed at which you have traveled, it’s about how
well you arrive.
52 RAGE monthly | August 2009
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