Featured News22 February 2011 - Sydney Ports welcomes the arrival of the two Queens.
The highlight event of Sydney’s record 2010/11 cruise season.
The Royal Rendezvous on 22-23 February 2011 will mark Queen Elizabeth’s first visit to Australia on her inaugural world voyage. This is also the first time she and her larger sister, Queen Mary 2, have met outside QM2’s homeports of Southampton and New York.
The meeting of the two Queens on Sydney Harbour is also the flagship event for Sydney’s record 2010/11 cruise season which sees 150 ship visits and approximately 300,000 passengers into Sydney Harbour.
Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 will meet off Sydney Heads shortly before 5.30am on February 22, before Queen Mary 2 leads her younger sister into the Harbour – the first time two Cunard liners have ever arrived in Sydney in tandem.
Three Sydney Ports Corporation vessels will escort the Queens up Sydney Harbour, led by the Fire Tug Ted Noffs, the fast response vessel Millers Point and a Sydney Ports pilot cutter vessel.
On her way to Garden Island – at approximately 6.30am - Queen Mary 2 will round Fort Denison, sounding her whistle as she passes Queen Elizabeth, which will be sailing towards her Circular Quay berth at the Overseas Passenger Terminal (OPT).
The Queen Mary 2 will berth at Garden Island and the Queen Elizabeth at the Overseas Passenger Terminal by 7am.
Sydney is the first of Queen Elizabeth’s three Australian calls on her 103-night world voyage and the final Australian port on QM2’s 103-night world cruise.
Both ships will spend the night in Sydney Harbour with Queen Elizabeth set to farewell her magnificent larger sister with a whistle salute at midday on February 23 as she sails past her bound for Melbourne.
The Queen Mary 2 will then depart Sydney Harbour at 5.00pm on Wednesday 23 February.
Further information:
Sydney Ports Cruise Schedule: http://www.sydneyports.com.au/port_operations/cruise_schedule
RTA website - changed traffic conditions: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/newsevents/royal_rendevous_qe_qm2.html?hhid=2ships
NSW Maritime - Marine Notice: http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/marine_notices/queens.html