October 10, 2010

Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth cruise ship prepares to hit the waves

The luxury £365m liner buzzes with activity as the final preparations are made ahead of her launch tomorrow

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — The Queen Elizabeth sits at the yard where it was built in Monfalcone, Italy. She is Cunard's third new ship in six years - built in response to a boom in cruise holidays: with 1.5 million Britons booking last year. The debut cruise on the new Queen Elizabeth to the Canary Islands sold out in 29 minutes Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — Electricians, decorators, painters and cleaners rush to finish the ship before she sets sail for Southampton for the launch Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — The Queen Elizabeth is the latest state-of-the art liner to be built for American company Cunard. It weighs 90,000 tonnes and took less than two years to complete Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — Crew members carry paintings onboad to decorate the cabins. One final touch is the installation of a new portrait of the Queen in the art deco-inspired entrance lobby Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — The vast lobby of the new Queen Elizabeth. The ship will be home to two orchestras, an 800-seat theatre and six baby grand pianos - that all need to be tuned before she sets sail Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — The ship's kitchen where 141 chefs will prepare food to feed more than 3,000 people a day Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship — Finishing off the onboard swimming pool. The best ocean view is from the Jacuzzi Photograph: Nick Cornish

Queen Elizabeth ship: The Queen Elizabeth at Southampton in 1946 — The Queen Elizabeth docked at Southampton in 1946 prior to being refitted as a luxury liner after service in the second world war. Her Majesty launched her first Cunard liner at age 12 when she accompanied her mother to the send-off of the first Queen Elizabeth in 1938. She launched the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967, which retired to Dubai in 2007 Photograph: C. Woods/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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