Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

Cunard Line has been a gracious host throughout the years to kings, queens, celebrities, sports figures and heroes, but now the distinguished line has hosted a new wrinkle in the travel world. One of its most luxurious ocean liners in the world, Queen Mary 2, hosted over 200 guests at her home port in Brooklyn for a presentation and luncheon to celebrate the European Travel Commission’s Giants of Culture and Travel. This gathering represents a series of cardboard and mixed media sculptures designed by French artist Dan Mestanza to represent the 20 ETC participating countries and showcase the ETC’s 2008 culture and tourism campaign.

This year’s presentation featured the 2008 European Cultural Capitals, Liverpool, UK and Stavanger, Norway, along with a “giant” sculpture created specifically for Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Those giants were joined by “sculptures” representing 18 other European countries. The Giants of Culture and Travel are now on display at New York’s JFK International Airport (Terminal 4) through this spring following their premier onboard Queen Mary 2.

“It was indeed our pleasure to welcome the ETC Giants of Culture and Travel onboard Queen Mary 2 and we were honoured to have our flagship also be included in sculpture along with the visually creative and entertaining Giants for the 2008 celebration,” said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line.

This is the first-time in Cunard’s 168-year history that one of its iconic liners has hosted the European Travel Commission.

Onboard Queen Mary 2, guests relive the Golden Age of Travel with contemporary elegance as they dance the night away in the Queens Room, the largest ballroom at sea, enjoy the vast selection of 8,000 books in the largest library at sea, explore the Cosmos in the only planetarium at sea, engage in stimulating activities and fascinating lectures, savor superb gourmet dining prepared by world-class chefs and revel in extravagant musical productions in a spacious state-of-the-art theatre.