Carnival Sues Rolls-Royce over Queen Mary 2 Propulsion System

Carnival Cruise Lines sued Rolls Royce Group Plc claiming the UK based company supplied a defective propulsion system for its Queen Mary 2.



The lawsuit was filed in Miami Federal Court on December 1, 2008. Carnival, and the ship’s operator, Cunard Line, contends Rolls-Royce’s Mermaid pod electric motors, which drive the propellers, were experimental and not ready for commercial use.



Rolls-Royce and affiliates “have known about this situation all along” and “have deliberately conspired to mislead, deceive and defraud Carnival,” the Miami-based cruise company said in its complaint. Carnival is requesting a jury trial and more than $100 million in damages.



The 1,132-foot ship, which cost about $800 million to build and carries more than 3,000 passengers and a crew of 1,200, the ship’s maiden voyage took place in 2004.



Rolls-Royce denies the claims and will defend the action.



Carnival said in its complaint that there are significant design problems with the pods’ motor bearings and asked that the failing units be replaced.



The case is Carnival Corp. v. Rolls-Royce Plc., 08CV23318, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (Miami).