By Sarah Gordon
With just two months to go until Cunard's new liner, Queen Elizabeth is unveiled, the art deco-inspired ship is quickly taking shape.
While she is not quite ready to greet the 2,092 passengers booked on her maiden voyage yet, all the structural work is now done and it's possible to see what she will look like when she is completed.
The lucky cruisers booked on her first trip - around Spain and out to the Canary Islands - are certainly in for a treat.
The 90 400-ton cruise ship is the latest offering from the historic Cunard cruise company and her launch has been anticipated among loyal Cunard cruisers since the luxurious Queen Victoria set sail three years ago.
During a preview tour of the liner, www.cruisecritic.co.uk, took pictures showing how Cunard is upping the ante with Queen Elizabeth, adding in new areas while keeping the old favourites in too.
While the Queen Victoria features very classic decor, the Queen Elizabeth will be a little more racy, transporting passengers back to the glamorous art deco days of the 1930s and 40s.
The sweeping grandeur of the Britannia dining room's staircase is already discernible, with its beautiful columns and varnished wood.
It will certainly make a dramatic backdrop for that obligatory photo with the captain.
The Britannia restaurant itself is also shaping up well, a spacious, two-floored area lit from above by a ceiling of skylights.
The garden area of the ship, usually an open-air space, will be different on the Queen Elizabeth. Designers have created a large conservatory, based on the famous glass houses of Kew Gardens.
But passengers will still be able to enjoy the outdoors. The spacious games deck includes space for the traditional pastimes of croquet, bowls and even paddle tennis.
A selection of cabins will be available on Queen Elizabeth, from suites to balcony rooms and, lower down the scale, ocean view and inside cabins.
While the ocean view cabin pictured shows there is a long way to go until the room is completed, Cunard has always insisted that it is the little touches that make its cabins so special, from sparkling wine on arrival to daily newspaper deliveries and fresh fruit.
One of the most popular places on board each Cunard ship is the Golden Lion pub, a traditional English alehouse offering typical pub fare. Although in many ways Queen Elizabeth will differ form her sister ships, the pub will remain, much to the delight of Cunard aficionados.
Such is the anticipation surrounding Queen Elizabeth's launch, the 13-night maiden voyage in October sold out within just half an hour of becoming available.
Emerging from Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard in Italy in October, her first world trip will start from Southampton on January 5, 2011 - a 103-night sailing which includes 38 stops in 23 countries. - Daily Mail