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[December 2003]
Wedgwood Marks Inaugural Sailings of Queen Mary 2
The first passengers to board what has been described as the world's greatest ever liner will take home a little bit of history. Wedgwood has been commissioned by Cunard to make thousands of unique commemorative gifts to mark the inaugural sailings of Queen Mary 2.
As a lasting souvenir of the historic voyage, special bone china trays, each gilded with the Cunard crest and words to detail the first four sailings of the luxury vessel will be gift boxed and placed in the staterooms of the ship's first passengers.
Wedgwood European Director Mark Mellor said: "These are unique gifts. They will only be presented to guests on the first four voyages of this fantastic ship and as such, with the heritage of Cunard and Wedgwood behind them and the historic nature of these sailings, are bound to become highly collectable and a treasured souvenir in the future".
The Queen Mary 2, the longest, tallest and most luxurious passenger ship ever constructed, will be christened by the Queen at Southampton on 8 January 2004, just days before her first sailing.
Wedgwood has already partnered Cunard during the planning of the vessel to ensure that its five luxurious restaurants exude traditional English style. Wedgwood has manufactured three bespoke tableware patterns for the ship and has supplied thousands of other fine bone china and porcelain items to ensure a fine dining experience for guests sampling the ship's gourmet menus.
Wedgwood has a history of supplying Cunard that goes back to the early 1900s; it most recently supplied the company's other liners Queen Elizabeth 2 and Caronia. The new tableware patterns designed for the QM2 are now set to become standards for the rest of the Cunard fleet in years to come, with orders for Cunard's second new liner - the Queen Victoria which is due for launch in 2005 - expected in the near future.
ENDS