Southampton-based marine outfitters Trimline have been placed at the heart of a two-week refit of the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 following an order to replace all the soft furnishings and carpets in the liner’s 1310 staterooms.

The programme marks a major repeat project for Trimline on the 150,000 ton liner, having originally been commissioned to supply all soft furnishings on the ship when she first entered service in 2004.

Trimline craftsmen have been regular visitors to the ship since her inaugural voyage, carrying out interior maintenance, and the latest project to manufacture over 6,000 separate items, will rank among the company’s biggest furnishings projects for established customer Cunard, part of Carnival UK.

Having worked alongside Swedish specialist Tillberg in the design phase, Trimline has procured some 25,000 linear metres of fabrics. Manufacture of curtains, cushions, valances and chair/sofa coverings is already underway, with the fabrics used determined by the type of stateroom, suite or penthouse.

Once complete, the furnishings are being shipped to Hamburg where the Queen Mary 2 will undergo a two-week refit at the Blohm and Voss yard later this month before returning to restart passenger operations from home port Southampton.

In addition, the Cunard flagship’s extensive makeover will entail Trimline laying some 17,000 square metres of new carpet throughout the passenger accommodation. Up to 70 Trimline personnel will work on the ship in Germany, completing the task as the ship returns to Southampton.

Trimline Sales and Marketing Director Mike Oliver explained: "In the same way that we supplied the original soft furnishings, this will match the biggest manufacture and fitting programme that we have undertaken and has already involved a major project management task involving our in-house specialists and suppliers. We have considerable experience working for Cunard, ranging from regular refurbishment work to large one-off projects, and this prestigious project will ensure that the highest standards are maintained on one of the world’s biggest liners."