Iconic Ocean Liner Concludes Rotterdam Dry Dock

Queen Mary 2 recently completed an extensive dry dock period at the Damen Shiprepair yard in Rotterdam, preparing her for her upcoming 124-day world cruise sailing from New York City in January, 2024.

The dry dock period started three weeks ago, on October 23, and since then, extensive repair and upgrade works have been performed by some 3000 workers. This included exterior paint works, as well as upgrades to the ship’s interior spaces.

A Comprehensive Refit in Rotterdam for Queen Mary 2

Queen Mary 2, the flagship of the British cruise line Cunard, underwent comprehensive technical maintenance and renovation dry dock over the past three weeks. This operational refit included technical maintenance, replacing carpets, and renovating staterooms, rejuvenating the iconic vessel for its upcoming winter service.

The work was done at the Damen Shiprepair yard in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Product Manager at Damen Shiprepair, Rogier van der Laan, highlighted the significance of this project, for the company. 

“Executing the work on this iconic ocean liner and preparing for her return to winter service is not only an important boost for our company but also for the Rotterdam community as a whole,” according to Van Der Laan.

The refit of Queen Mary 2 required meticulous planning. The docking process alone took months of preparation due to the vessel’s unusually deep 10.5-meter draught.

“Our Rotterdam Botlek repair yard recently welcomed the Queen Mary 2. The 345-metre-long flagship of the Cunard cruise fleet arrived for a scope of maintenance and refurbishment. The work required in-depth planning, beginning over a year before her arrival. The docking alone took four months of preparation,” Damen Shiprepair stated. 

The limited two-hour tidal window for docking posed a challenge, but the team at Damen Shiprepair managed to dock the liner within one of Europe’s largest drydocks, measuring 405 x 90 meters.

Once docked, an extensive setup of 100,000 m3 of scaffolding was required to facilitate the refurbishment. The work encompassed various tasks, including cleaning the hull, removing old paint, repainting, and maintenance of the propeller, stabilizers, and bow thrusters. 

These efforts are crucial to ensure the 151,400 gross tons Queen Mary 2 can maintain her speed and efficiency during the crossings of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Future Voyages Include a 124-day World Cruise

Following its departure from Rotterdam on Sunday, November 12, Queen Mary 2 underwent further tests in the North Sea before heading to Southampton. The liner’s winter schedule started Thursday, November 16, with a 4-day cruise to Zeebrugge, Belgium, from Southampton, followed by a transatlantic crossing to New York.

After a number of Caribbean cruises, visiting St. Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, Tortola, St. Maarten, and more, Queen Mary 2 will be departing on an ambitious 124-day world cruise, sailing from New York City on January 3, 2024. 

The vessel will cross the Atlantic Ocean to Tenerife, followed by calls to Namibia, South Africa, Reunion, and Mauritius, before heading to Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and concluding the 124-day cruise on May 5, 2024, in New York City. 

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France, in 2004, Queen Mary 2 was the largest cruise ship in the world at the time. Although that title has long been taken by several other cruise ships, Queen Mary 2, designed for long voyages across open seas, remains the largest ocean liner in the world.