Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 in Liverpool to celebrate 400th Atlantic crossing

Cunard's flagship cruise liner Queen Mary 2 is returning to Liverpool for a very special occasion - the company's 400th Atlantic crossing.

The vessel is expected to attract large crowds when she arrives in the city from her home port of Southampton, having started her historic voyage from New York on 23 August.

Liverpool is where Cunard launched its first passenger service from Europe to North America in 1840, when the paddle steamer Britannia left the Mersey bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Boston.

Company ships have crossed the Atlantic every year since then.Queen Mary 2 will arrive on the Mersey at 2.30pm on Friday 6 September and depart on Saturday 7 September evening bound for Cobh, Ireland, as part of a British Isles cruise.

The call will also be the first by a Cunard ship in Liverpool since the spectacular Naming Ceremony of the line’s newest ship Queen Anne which took place in front of 50,000 spectators at the Pier Head in June.Cunard President Katie McAlister said: "Cunard's 184-year connection with Liverpool is something truly special, woven into the history of both our company and the city.

"It feels right to celebrate this milestone in the port where our transatlantic journey began in 1840, and where our newest ship, Queen Anne, was named by the city of Liverpool in June. I’m excited to be back in the city and by the waterfront."