Many impressive cruise ships have docked in Liverpool over the years, with thousands of people heading to the waterfront desperate to catch a glimpse of them.
Among the vessels that have visited the Pier Head are Cunard’s iconic Three Queens who not only visited separately, but alongside one another in May 2015 for the 175th anniversary of the famous cruise line.
Each cruise ship was a spectacle to behold as they sailed along the Mersey before docking in Liverpool. We’ve taken a look back at some of the most stunning and impressive cruise ships to have docked in Liverpool since 2008.
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Queen Elizabeth 2
The Queen Elizabeth II cruise ship was originally built for the Cunard Line and operated as a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was designed for the transatlantic service from her home port of Southampton to New York and served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until she was succeeded by the Queen Mary II in 2004.
The Queen Elizabeth II last visited Liverpool in 2008 on her farewell voyage. She was later converted into a floating hotel and has been operating in Dubai since April 2018.
Queen Mary 2
The Queen Mary 2 is a British transatlantic ocean liner and has served as the flagship of Cunard Line since her launch in 2004. The ship made her maiden voyage to Liverpool on October 20, 2009. Her facilities include fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea.
Queen Elizabeth
The Queen Elizabeth is a cruise ship of the Vista class operated by the Cunard Line and launched in 2010. She visited Liverpool for the first time on September 8, 2011.
Queen Elizabeth is almost identical in design to the Queen Victoria cruise, although because of the steeper stern, her passenger capacity was slightly higher when first introduced. Queen Elizabeth can carry up to 2,058 passengers compared to Queen Victoria's 2,014.
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria is a Vista-class cruise ship operated by the Cunard Line which came to Liverpool in May 2015 alongside the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2. Queen Victoria is the smallest of Cunard's ships in operation, with her facilities including seven restaurants, thirteen bars, three swimming pools, a ballroom, and a theatre.
Caribbean Princess
The Caribbean Princess cruise ship is a modified Grand-class owned and operated by Princess Cruises. It has a capacity of over 3,600 passengers which was the largest in the Princess fleet until June 2013 when the new Royal Princess superseded its record.
Caribbean Princess has 900 balcony staterooms and a deck of mini-suites, and is slightly larger than the other ships in her class due to an additional deck of cabins called the 'Riviera Deck'. She visited Liverpool in June 2017.
Scarlet Lady
The Scarlet Lady is the inaugural ship for the Virgin Voyages cruise line and operates exclusively as an "adults-only" ship for guests aged 18 and over. She visited Liverpool in February 2020 during her debut year. The ship has approximately 20 different dining and drinking establishments, a multi-function theatre and an onboard tattoo and body piercing parlour.
MSC Virtuosa
MSC Virtuosa is a Meraviglia - Plus class cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises. She made her maiden voyage in 2021 after her original 2020 debut was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cruise ship has a bar with a humanoid robotic bartender and an indoor promenade with Main and Speciality Restaurants along with numerous shops. Virtuosa visited Liverpool in June 2021.
Disney Magic
Disney Magic is the first cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. She has 11 public decks and can accommodate 2,700 passengers in 875 staterooms.
The four other Disney cruise ships are the Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish. Disney Magic, which has an Art Deco style interior, visited Liverpool in July 2021.
Anthem of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas is a Quantum-class cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean International. She is the second ship of her class and had her maiden voyage in 2015. The ship visited Liverpool on October 22, 2021.
Anthem of the Seas has six passenger-accessible decks and 2,090 passenger cabins. Facilities include swimming pools, a Wave Loch Flowrider surf simulator, a rock-climbing wall, a skydiving simulator,a solarium, a Spa and Fitness Centre, a theatre and a casino.
Did you go to see any of the above cruise ships in Liverpool? Let us know in the comments section below.
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