| With just over eight weeks remaining before Cunard's Queen Victoria makes her December 10 debut in Southampton, England, the ship's distinctive public spaces continue to evolve, showcasing the elegant design and signature features for which the 168-year old ocean liner company is known. Without exception will be the new Cunarder's two-storey library, distinguished by a spiral staircase and rich wood paneling, providing a tranquil and stimulating respite for the line's literary-minded guests. Situated on Deck Two and Three, the multi-language library will feature more than 6,000 volumes, a broad selection of newspapers, periodicals and reference materials. Yet to be completed is the wooden coffered backlit ceiling highlighted by dramatic leaded glass with elegant geometrical and classical patterns, creating a rich contrast between the room's golden, green, and cream tones and the mahogany wooden cabinetry below. The inclusion of a shipboard library is a longtime Cunard tradition, as the company was the first to install such a venue on the Bothnia in 1874. Queen Victoria's library will be the second-largest at sea, next to the library aboard her sister ship, Queen Mary 2. |
