Three Queens on the Mersey

For the first time ever the three Queens of the Cunard fleet sailed together in Liverpool, performing a water-dance on the Mersey.

The historic first marked the lines 175th anniversary and saw the Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria perform a ‘water-dance’ on the River Mersey. They are the largest passenger ships ever to muster together on the Mersey.

Cunard’s flagship, Queen Mary 2, had earlier sailed from the Liverpool berth up the mouth of the Mersey to meet her sisters, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Queen Mary 2 slowed in the river opposite the old Cunard Building (the lines headquarters for nearly 50 years until 1967) with her sister ships stopping ahead of her to create a spectacular three ship line-up.

Three Queens on the Mersey then performed their water-dance, making a graceful 180 degree synchronised turn to starboard. The Queen Mary 2 then sounded ‘175’ on her ship’s whistle – first one, then seven short blasts, then five more.

The event culminated in a fly-past by the Red Arrows to the delight of the hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered on the river banks.

Commodore of the Cunard fleet Christopher Rynd said, “It’s been a privilege to bring the Cunard fleet together on the Mersey for the first time ever to mark Cunard’s 175th anniversary year and our historic and ongoing partnership with Liverpool, our spiritual home.”