World?s biggest liner arrives

The Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest ocean liner, arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Monday after a maiden voyage from its homeport, Southampton, England.

A flotilla of small boats escorted the liner into Port Everglades,

At a cost of $800 million, the ship weighs 151 400 tons, measures 346m long. It is 41m wide, 74m tall. The height of its funnel was limited to pass beneath New York’s Verezzano Narrows Bridge.

Its four engines produce 157 000 horsepower to produce 30 knots.

Artwork onboard has been valued at $5m.

The QM2 was built at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard in western France and sailed to Southampton on January 12 with 2 620 passengers and 1 400 crew members aboard.

The vessel has four royal suites, 14 bars and restaurants, four swimming pools, a movie house and a 1 000-seat theatre.