Queen Mary 2 will be the largest passenger ship ever built, and she plans to possess an art collection worthy of her status. Cunard Line has always been a patron of the arts, and Cunard liners have always been repositories of fine art. QM2 will continue this tradition in grand style.

The firm expects to award commissions for well over 300 original works, which will be created especially for QM2 by renowned international artists. Works will range from free-standing bronze and glass sculptures to expansive murals, oil paintings, watercolors, mosaics, reliefs, models, and many other works. Major elements of the liner's art collection will include a sculptural relief of some 450 square feet, a 300-square-foot tapestry, a number of oil paintings in the range of 250- to 300-square-feet each, several groupings of oversized bronze sculptures and a trompe d'oeuil painted ceiling of 1,200 square feet. In addition, the company will supply some 4,000 limited edition prints for use in cabins and companionways on board.

There will be time for the paint to dry, however. The massive ship is scheduled to enter service in January 2004. She is being built by the Alstom Chantiers de L'Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France.

Cunard Line, one of the world's most recognized brand names with a classic British heritage, has been in the business of providing luxury ocean travel for more than 160 years. The Cunard fleet includes famed Queen Elizabeth 2 and Caronia (formerly the Vistafjord).

Cunard Line is a unit of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) and a member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Seabourn Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Together, these member lines share a commitment to quality and value, offering cruise vacations that appeal to the widest range of lifestyles and budgets and sail to some of the world's most exciting destinations.