NEW YORK, June 14, 1995 -- Queen Elizabeth 2 will sail her 1,000th voyage this afternoon, a transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton.

When QE2 marks another milestone in maritime history, she will have carried more than 1.7 million passengers on 1,000 voyages, while traveling more than 3,800,000 nautical miles.

Passengers will receive special commemorative lapel pins, and QE2 will be saluted in New York Harbor by a New York Fire Department fireboat. A tugboat send-off will provide New York-based photographers with the opportunity to capture the legendary vessel as she departs. When she arrives in Southampton, all the ships in port will signal QE2 with a whistle salute. In addition, passengers will receive commemorative souvenir menus and will participate in onboard celebrations.

QE2 is the only remaining ocean liner sailing regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings. She recently underwent a $45-million refurbishment to upgrade and improve most public areas and cabins. During the refurbishment, a Heritage Trail was installed throughout the ship, celebrating the history of QE2 and other Cunard ships with displays of art and artifacts, ship models, paintings, charts and photographs.

The Cunard flagship was launched September 20, 1967, from the John Brown Shipyard into the Clyde River in Scotland. She was built with a beam just narrow enough (105 feet) to enable her crew to navigate the Panama Canal, thus allowing world cruising.

Since then, QE2 has circumnavigated the globe 12 times and called at more than 200 ports. In addition to her world cruises, QE2 has sailed hundreds of transatlantic crossings and cruises to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Norway's fjords, Bermuda, Canada and around Great Britain. She has played host to royalty and rock stars, business tycoons and some of the world's foremost scholars. Her theatre, ballroom and other public rooms have been the sites of some 40,000 lectures.

Known as the "city at sea," QE2 boasts a host of contemporary facilities, including an exclusive shopping promenade, a health spa that ranks among the top 10 in the world, the most comprehensive library at sea, a traditional English pub, three swimming pools, seven restaurants, an Epson computer center, a 21-car garage, a kennel, eight lounges, 13 elevators, 4,500 square yards of deck space and a nursery staffed by British nannies.

Attracting crowds of thousands of onlookers as she sails in and out of ports throughout the world, QE2 remains the fastest passenger liner in service, and is, undeniably, the most famous passenger ship afloat today.

Cunard, a Trafalgar House company, markets eight luxury cruise ships and five river vessels worldwide. For more information, contact a travel agent or Cunard at 800-221-4770.