The keel laying involves the placement in the dry dock of the first section of the ship's hull. This section is made up of six pre-manufactured blocks, weighs 364 tons and is fitted with 104 tons of pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment.
The ceremony followed an intensive period of design and development. Fifty-three sections will be used in the construction of Queen Elizabeth and she will take to the water for the first time at her float out in December.
"We are delighted to be back here among our friends at Fincantieri so soon after we took delivery of Queen Victoria in 2007-the first Cunarder to be built in Italy-and I am sure that Queen Elizabeth will be just as popular and successful as her two sister ships," said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. "We at Cunard are always impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone at Fincantieri, and we look forward to the next year-and-a half of working closely with them on this ship, which will be nurtured by their skill and vision and built into a vessel equal in stature to the other great Cunard liners," she added.
Paolo Capobianco, director of Fincantieri Shipyard, said, "Our company is the heir to the Italian shipbuilding industry and the world leader in cruise ship construction and believes, as Cunard does, in the possibility and the need of actively matching tradition and innovation. Building a new liner for Cunard is a special achievement for Fincantieri and takes us right to our roots, fostering both our determination to build once again a passenger ship of high technological content and unmistakable style, reflecting the best of the industry and tailored to the needs and requirements of the ship owner."
Source: Cunard Line
