Sara-Jayne Makwala King1 February 2024 | 11:00

Ahoy there your Majesty! Queen Mary 2 docks in Cape Town

QM2's current itinerary began in England on 11 January, will be at sea for 108 nights, with passengers able to visit a total of 34 ports of call in 22 different countries and territories.

Ahoy there your Majesty! Queen Mary 2 docks in Cape Town

Queen Mary 2 ship port

She left the UK port of Southhampton three weeks ago for the start of Cunard’s “Sailing to the Antipodes” World Cruise and the imposing Queen Mary 2 arrived in the Mother City this week.

Built in 2004 the Queen Mary 2 is the second largest passenger ship in the world and is the largest and most expensive ship ever to dock in Cape Town harbour.

At 347 metres long, the Queen Mary 2 is the length of more than three rugby fields end to end, and she measures a whopping 72 metres high. 

Inside, the impressive vessel boasts 10 restaurants, ballrooms, a cinema, gym, casino, theatre, spa, swimming pools, the largest library and the only planetarium at sea.

Having arrived from Gqeberha on Wednesday, she will now sail on to Durban. From there she heads to the Indian Ocean, Australia and Southeast Asia.

This particular cruise offers opportunities for passengers to visit 34 UNESCO Heritage Sites.

This year marks the QM2 completing its second decade at sea.

The 'Queen Mary Project' was announced by shipping firm Cunard Line in 1998, with the project calling for the construction of the “the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner ever.”

After being built in France, she was christened by the late Queen Elizabeth II of England in Southampton on Jan 8 2004.