Red Arrows add finishing touch to extraordinary
spectacle
LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom,
May 25, 2015 /CNW/ -- For the
first time, Cunard's fleet gathered together in spectacular
fashion in Liverpool, its
spiritual home, as the company marked its
175th anniversary. The event culminated with the
three ships - flagship Queen Mary
2, Queen
Elizabeth and Queen
Victoria - the largest passenger ships ever to
muster together on the River Mersey, lined up across the river just
426 feet apart as the Red Arrows performed a fly-past overhead to
the delight of the hundreds of thousands of spectators.
To view a time lapse video of the Three Queens on the Mersey,
click here: http://we.tl/ExXzcmEGWR.
Queen Mary 2 sailed from the Liverpool berth up to the mouth of the Mersey
this morning at 10:45 a.m. to meet
her sisters, Queen
Elizabeth and Queen
Victoria. The three ships then sailed in close single
file down the river to Liverpool's
Pier Head with its iconic Three Graces: The Royal Liver Building,
The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building.
Queen Mary 2 slowed
in the river opposite the Cunard Building – Cunard's headquarters
for nearly 50 years until 1967 – with her sister ships stopping
ahead of her to create a three ship line-up watched by spectators
on both sides of the river.
Just 1,312 feet apart, the three ships then performed a graceful
180 degree synchronised turn to starboard. At the mid-point of the
turn, all three ships lay across the river, creating the spectacle
of the fleet's three bows dramatically set against the backdrop of
Liverpool's famous Three
Graces. Queen Mary 2 then sounded '175' on her
ship's whistle (foghorn) – first one, then seven short blasts, then
five more.
With the full turn completed and the 150,000 ton Queen
Mary 2 now in the leading position, her two 90,000 ton
sister ships then glided slowly towards either side of her to
create an arrowhead formation, with the flagship just ahead of her
two consort ships.
Finally, the entire fleet lined up three abreast across the
river just 426 feet apart, as a salute to the Cunard Building
and the City of Liverpool.
With the Three Queens in this tight formation, the Red Arrows
flew in formation low over the Three Queens as they lined up on the
river, a coup de grace which created a once-in-a-lifetime moment
that thrilled hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Commodore of the Cunard fleet Christopher Rynd said, "It's been
a privilege to bring the Cunard fleet together on the Mersey for
the first time ever to mark Cunard's 175th anniversary year and our
historic and ongoing partnership with Liverpool, our spiritual home."
"All of us at Cunard are moved by the incredible reception
the Three Queens have received from the people of Liverpool and beyond today," remarked
Richard Meadows, Cunard, President,
North America. "This moment has
brought the relationship between Cunard and the Mersey alive, and
that together, Liverpool and
Cunard have paid tribute to the people who have created our 175
years of shared history."
Media Assets:
VIDEO: A 90 minute programme of helicopter footage
of the Three Queens sailing in formation, interviews and crowd
reaction from the day can be seen at http://live.cunard.com or
on www.cunard.co.uk
This programme is freely available for hosting on your
website:
- URL: http://youtu.be/r0-5fF38D40
- To embed the code please use: <iframe width="560"
height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r0-5fF38D40";
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
PHOTOS: High resolution photographs including aerial
stills of the Three Queens 'river dance' and of the Red Arrows
flypast will be freely available to download from Cunard's official
image gallery. www.cunard3queens.com.
To book a Cunard voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, call
(800) 728-6273 or visit www.cunard.com.
About Queen Mary 2
Christened by Her Majesty The Queen
in 2004, Cunard Line's flagship Queen Mary 2 defines luxury
travel for the 21st Century and continues an almost 175-year legacy
of transatlantic travel. Queen Mary 2 achieved her 200th
Transatlantic Crossing in July 2013.
Famous names who have experienced this iconic voyage since 2004
include President George H.W. Bush,
Desmond Tutu, James Taylor,
Wes Anderson, Tilda Swinton, George
Takei, Kim Novak, Uma
Thurman, Richard Dreyfuss,
John Cleese and Angela Bassett.
About Cunard
Cunard, operator of the luxury ocean
liners Queen Mary 2, Queen
Victoria and Queen
Elizabeth, has long been synonymous with the quest for
new discoveries and the epitome of British refinement since the
company's first paddle-wheeled steamer, Britannia, crossed the Atlantic in 1840.
Cunard voyages bring together like-minded travellers who seek a
civilised adventure and relish the Cunard hallmarks of impeccable
White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment.
Today, Cunard offers the only regularly scheduled Transatlantic
liner service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it
began in 1922.
World's Leading Cruise Lines
Cunard is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our
exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland
America Line, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing
a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and
value, World's Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover
their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of
exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most
desirable destinations. Visit us at
www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com.
Cunard is also here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cunard
YouTube: www.youtube.com/wearecunard
Blog: www.WeAreCunard.com
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/cunard
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cunardline
Cunard photography is available online at
www.cunardimages.com
Login ID: press
Password: guyonda
For additional information about Cunard, contact:
Jackie Chase, Cunard Line,
661-753-1035, jchase@cunard.com
Maria Andriano, MGA Media Group,
212-251-1015, maria@mgamediagroup.com
Cindy Adams, MGA Media Group,
917-282-2464, cindy@mgamediagroup.com
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150525/218276
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cunards-three-queens-perform-river-dance-on-the-mersey-in-salute-to-liverpool-where-the-company-began-175-years-ago-300088349.html
SOURCE Cunard