Her Majesty Graces Our Shores

“Cruise ships bring more than 18,000 visitors to Newcastle each year, delivering international and domestic visitors to our pristine beaches and cultural attractions and generating around $11 million for the local economy.” – Newcastle Lord Mayor, Cr Nuatali Nelmes.

The youngest of Cunard Line’s three magnificent Queens, ‘Queen Elizabeth’, made her maiden visit to the City of Newcastle on 22nd February 2016, to be greeted by a booming three-gun salute from the cannons of Fort Scratchley as she slipped through the heads to berth at the Channel berth at Dyke Point.

Recognised as the world’s most majestic cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth was on a 120-day voyage around the world with 2,000 passengers including more than 1100 Australians and New Zealanders, and a ship’s company of 1005 staff.

The Queen Elizabeth boasts twelve passenger decks, which tower about 56 metres above the waterline, almost equal to a 21-storey building. She is 292 metres long and weighs 91,900 tonnes, and is the first Cunard ship to visit Newcastle for more than a century. According to shipping records, the last Cunard passenger liner to visit Newcastle was the “Caronia”, in 1907.

Read more in Edition 79 of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine.

Story and Photos Marilyn Collins.