History will be made when Southampton's spectacular 150,000-ton megaliner, Queen Mary 2, the biggest passenger ship the world has seen, arrives in port next year.

Cunard's new QM2 will be the first true passenger liner for more than three decades, since the present Queen Elizabeth 2 first entered service in 1969.

This week, Cunard launched a search for people in and around Southampton who would like to eventually be part of this project and go to sea on what has been described as one of the major industrial undertakings of the century.

Cunard, a name that lies at the very heart of the nation's, and Southampton's, sea-going tradition, wants to maintain its British heritage by recruiting local crew for not only the present ships in its fleet but also future vessels.

In recent years, shipping lines have reduced wage bills by signing on more and more ocean-going crew from eastern European countries and the Far East as numbers of British seafarers dwindled.

Now Cunard is determined to strengthen the British presence among those serving on its ships by establishing a new training and recruitment programme in conjunction with further education colleges in the south.

A company spokesman said: "As Cunard is a brand of British essence, it is our aim to underpin this brand with a larger proportion of hospitality crew from this country.''

Under the scheme, potential recruits aged 20 and over, will attend a shore-based course and then have the rare opportunity of going to sea on the 70,327-ton QE2 for a further period of training in the dining rooms and galleys on the five-star vessel.

Hailed as the largest, longest, widest, tallest and most expensive liner ever built, the new QM2 is beginning to take shape in the French shipyard of Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St Nazaire.

The countdown to QM2's dramatic arrival in Southampton Water in December 2003 was highlighted by Stephen Payne, director of project management at Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding, in a major maritime lecture in Southampton.

"Since 1969 what we have seen built are cruise ships with a compromise made for speed and the service the ships are engaged in,'' said Mr Payne.

"Today there is still no ship I would rather be aboard in a North Atlantic storm than QE2.'' Entitled "Queen Mary 2 - the Genesis of the Queen'', Mr Payne was speaking at the annual Wakeford Lecture which has held at the Eastern Docks.

Design demands mean it costs 40 per cent more to build a liner in comparison to a conventional cruise ship but QM2's requirements to sail across the Atlantic resulted in her owners, Cunard, part of the Carnival Corporation empire, having no choice if the ship was to fulfil this role. At 1,131ft long and with capacity for 2,800 passengers, she will cost $780m and has been designed with enhanced speed, endurance and sea-keeping characteristics, along with greater structural strength and high quality passenger services.

Powered by a combination of diesel and gas turbine engines, QM2 will operate on the traditional route between Southampton and New York, creating a historic moment early in 2004.

"It will be a moment of great personal gratification when two Queens pass each other in mid-Atlantic for the first time since September 25, 1967,'' said Mr Payne.

When this maritime milestone happens there is a good chance that serving on the two Cunarders will be crew members from the region who will have come through the shipping line's new recruitment procedures.

Cunard is looking for people who already have basic knowledge of food together with experience in the restaurant or hotel industry.

The shipping line has established a partnership with South Downs College at Waterlooville and if this pilot scheme proves a success it could be expanded in Southampton.

"This allows us to customise a hospitality, food and beverage foundation programme which, on successful completion, will lead to direct employment on our ships,'' said the Cunard spokesman.

"Candidates will initially attend a selected college for an eight-week course and study an introduction to the cruise industry. On completion students will transfer to the College at Sea on board QE2, a transition programme lasting three or four weeks.''

This programme comes at a time when QE2 is enjoying huge success on the traditional transatlantic route from Southampton to New York and the 24,492-ton Caronia is being based solely in Southampton to meet growing passenger demand from the UK.

Cunard is also looking ahead by also investing in the QM2 and a further 85,000-ton vessel, also based in Southampton, which is expected to begin operating in early 2005.

Published 9th Mar 2002