Print PageThe luxury ship arrived in Brisbane arrived just before 5:00am (AEST), around three hours ahead of schedule.
Forty State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers will be rewarded with a cruise to Sydney as thanks for their efforts, including a number who worked on the flood recovery in Bundaberg.
A spokesman for the shipping company Cunard, David Jones, says it is a way to thank the dedicated volunteers.
"The original Queen Mary was a troop ship during World War II, so there's a strong connection with the community," he said.
"This is an effort really to give the community a chance to say thank you to the SES people and to the bushfire fighters.
"The volunteers who have been doing such a remarkable job during our very difficult summer.
"It's a way of the community being able to say thank you for a good job done."
The Queen Mary 2 will have around 2,500 passengers onboard, with its second visit to Brisbane expected to inject more than $500,000 into the local economy.
The ship is only in Brisbane for a day as part of its second trip around Australia.
The ship stretches 345 metres and rises 62 metres above the water, and boasts the only floating planetarium as well as the largest ballroom and library at sea.
Mr Jones says docking the 345-metre ship is a well-rehearsed procedure.
"They do it via computer first so they know exactly what they are going to be doing when they arrive," he said.
"Of course Queen Mary 2 like many ships has amazing bow thrusters ... which enable it to manoeuvre very readily."
