Laura and I went to our usual viewing place below Chebucto Head Light. A winter coat would have been appropriate as the south-west wind was brutal but thankfully the Queen Mary 2 left on time at 6PM and we photographed it at 7 PM.

This elegant ship is the only ocean liner in the world. It is capable of year round trans ocean crossings at 26 knots. It's faster and stronger than the cruise ships that commonly visit Halifax.

The photographic conditions were not favourable due to haze. A bright sunset shining through the ship as it departs is preferred.

Courtesy Wikipedia

RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since April 2004,^[9] and as of 2025, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service.^[10][11] Queen Mary 2 sails regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York City, in addition to short cruises and an annual world voyage.^[12][13]

She was designed by a team of British naval architects led by Stephen Payne, and was constructed in Brittany by Chantiers de l'Atlantique. At the time of her construction, Queen Mary 2 was the longest, at 1,131.99 ft (345.03 m), and largest, with a gross tonnage of 148,528 GT, passenger ship ever built. She no longer holds these records after the construction of Royal Caribbean International's 154,407 GT Freedom of the Seas (a cruise ship) in April 2006, but remains the largest ocean liner ever built.

Queen Mary 2 was intended for some crossings of the Atlantic Ocean; the final construction cost was approximately $300,000 per berth. The cost was increased by the high quality of materials; having been designed as an ocean liner, 40% more steel was required for a cruise liner than for a standard cruise ship.^[14] Queen Mary 2 has a maximum speed of just over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and a cruising speed of 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), which is faster than a contemporary cruise ship. Instead of the common diesel-electric configuration, Queen Mary 2 uses integrated electric propulsion to achieve her top speed. Diesel engines, augmented by gas turbines, are used to generate electricity for electric motors for propulsion and for on-board use.

Queen Mary 2's facilities include fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea.

Queen Mary 2

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