Archived Stories

10 February, 2014. Queen Elizabeth is the newest luxury liner will visit Nuku'alofa on Friday 21 February, 2014.

Queen Elizabeth named in 2010 by Her Majesty the Queen. Recalling the rich heritage of the first Cunarder to bear the name, her elegance and modern features have won her many accolades and made her a firm favourite with her passengers.

MS Queen Elizabeth is a Signature class cruise ship operated by the Cunard Line. She is the second largest ship to be constructed for Cunard, exceeded only by the Queen Mary 2, and is capable of carrying up to 2,092 passengers. The ship is running mate to the Queen Victoria and the Queen Mary 2.

The Elizabeth is a modified design from earlier Vista class vessels; she is slightly larger than Queen Victoria, at 92,000 GT, largely due to a more vertical stern.

The ship's name was announced by Cunard on 10 October 2007. The company now operates three vessels once more (since the retirement of QE2 in 2008). The naming of the ship as Queen Elizabeth brings about a situation similar to that between 1940 and 1948, when Cunard's original Queen Elizabeth was in service at the same time as the Royal Navy battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Navy plans to introduce the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth into service in 2016, six years after this ship joined the fleet.

At the end of October 2011 Queen Elizabeth and her fleet mates changed their registries to Hamilton, Bermuda
 in order to host weddings aboard.

In 2014, the ship is under the command of Captain Alistair Clark while they are on their way to the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific.

Ports Authority Tonga Chairman Stephen Edwards presented a gift to Capt. Alistair Clark. Also the General Manager; Mr. Mosese Lavemai and Human Resources Manager; Mrs. Mele Havea Lavemaau

General characteristics:

Tonnage: 90,901 GT[1]
Length: 294 m (965 ft)[1]
Beam: 32.3 m (106 ft)[1]
Draught: 8 m (26 ft)[1]
Decks: 16 total
          12 accessible to passengers[1]
Installed power:  4 × MaK 12VM43C
                           2 × MaK 8M43C
                           64,000 kW (combined)[1]
Propulsion: Diesel-electric
                   Two ABB Azipods (2 × 17.6 MW)
                   Three ABB bow thrusters (3 × 2,200 kW)[1]
Speed: 23.7 knots (43.9 km/h; 27.3 mph)
Capacity: 2,092 passengers lower beds, 2,547 maximum passengers.

Port: Nuku'alofa
Arrival Time - 0800hrs
Departure Time - 1700hrs
Shipping Agent - Pacific Forum
Tour Agent - Rising Sun

Queen Victoria  also scheduled to arrive NUku'alofa on Monday 17 March2014
Port: Nuku'alofa
Arrival Time - 0800hrs
Departure Time - 1700hrs
Shipping Agent - Pacific Forum
Tour Agent - Rising Sun.

Issued by the: Ports Authority Tonga, 2014.