SOUTHAMPTON'S next generation of passenger liner, Cunard's £300m Queen Victoria, marks a major milestone in her construction with the laying of the ship's keel tomorrow.
Queen Victoria, due to enter service in December 2007, will be the third in Cunard's fleet of Queens when she joins Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 in Southampton.
The keel-laying at Italy's Marghera shipyard near Venice, will involve the ceremonial placement, in the dry dock, of one hull section made of six pre-fabricated blocks weighing 325 tons.
At 90,000 tons - equivalent to more than 200 fully-loaded jumbo jets - Queen Victoria is the second largest liner ever built for Cunard after the 151,000 ton QM2.
Her specially strengthened hull has been designed to cope with long ocean voyages and any sea condition.
Queen Victoria's maiden voyage on Tuesday, December 11, 2007, has already sold out.
Passengers on the ten-night voyage to the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Germany have paid anything between £999 per person for a standard inside cabin right up to £8,679 each for the most luxurious stateroom on the ship.
Queen Victoria is expected to take to the water for the first time in January next year before a period of fitting out her public rooms and cabins. The ship will then undergo a series of exhaustive sea trials before officially being handed over to Cunard in December.
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