Welcome to a special guest Blog featuring our President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks, who told me that he is keen to play an active role in this Blog, by posting regular stories and update readers on a wide range of topics. Today sees the first of those with Peter sharing a day he spent last week looking at the latest and exciting design plans for Queen Elizabeth. I hope you enjoy his first Blog and as always we would love have any comments or questions you may have which Peter will look forward to answering.

 

Guest Blog – Peter Shanks (President and Managing Director Of Cunard Line)

Queen Elizabeth – Our beautiful new liner is certainly going to turn heads

 

Earlier this week I spent a full day with our designers reviewing the designs for each of the public rooms on Queen Elizabeth. We had the designs and drawings all together in one room and the first impression I had as we started the day was that she is going to be a beautiful addition to the Cunard fleet.

 

At this stage we are very well advanced in all of the detailed designs, but to be able to spend the day immersed in the detail was very exciting. Over coming months we will be revealing a number of ‘innovations’ and ‘firsts’ to  further build the excitement and anticipation as we head towards her maiden voyage on 12 October 2010. And I was reminded this week that 12 October is a special day in North America – Columbus Day – the very day in 1492 that Columbus himself discovered that great nation for the very first time. A perfect day for the Queen Elizabeth maiden voyage.

 

But back to the review of the designs for Queen Elizabeth – here are some highlights of some of the public rooms to whet your appetite as to just how special the ship is going to be;

 

Grand Lobby – The reaction to the Queen Victoria Grand Lobby has been very warm and appreciative. – Queen Elizabeth will be just as special. We reviewed the colours of the marble floors, the intricate carpets, quite different railings on the sweeping stairs and of course the major piece of art that will dominate the Grand Lobby. More of that in weeks to come, but I can tell you that the artist we have chosen to produce that piece of art is famous indeed and a perfect fit with the Cunard Brand.

 

Britannia Club – This is new to Queen Elizabeth, a separate restaurant twinned with the premium balcony staterooms and offering dining at individual times to suit our guests. Britannia Club has proved to be very popular on Queen Mary 2 – but we take it to a new level on Queen Elizabeth with a totally separate and beautiful dining room. 

 

 

 

 

A grand entrance, engraved glass panels, evocative light fixtures, and beautiful carpets; I am convinced this is going to prove very popular. It will not be as special as the Princess or Queens Grill, but it will offer another option for those guests who like the flexibility of when they dine and a more intimate surroundings. The menu will be the same as the menu in the main Britannia Restaurant.

 

Carinthia Café – This bar and café has proved to be very popular on Queen Victoria throughout the day and evening. We have expanded the seating area, beautiful carpets and included some very interesting ‘art deco’ comfortable and striking furniture as well as wonderful and intricate glass panels on the ceiling, so it will be every bit as popular on Queen Elizabeth as it is today on Queen Victoria.

 

Royal Court Theatre – Well how could we possibly beat the theatre on Queen Victoria? The layout is the same and the private boxes just as special, but we have changed the colours in the room from Queen Victoria’s traditional theatre red and gold. This is a brave move but we researched and visited many famous and provincial theatres in the United Kingdom and we have come up with the colours blue and gold.

 

 

 

 

 

Queens Grill and Princess Grill – The feedback we have had for these two restaurants on Queen Victoria, and the Grill Lounge, has been tremendous. The location of the two restaurants at the top of the ship, with panoramic views and private outdoor terrace is simply unbeatable by any other cruise line. So you may ask why make any changes. We want to make sure the décor, the furniture and the art is simply stunning and it will be. Following feedback from our guests, one thing we are doing is having the ability to offer more tables for two in both of our Grill restaurants.

 

Midships Bar – A new room for Queen Elizabeth. We have taken the name from previous famous liners. The area will be steeped in reminders of famous Cunard liners of the past. 

 

 

 

 

 

The highlight will be a large piece of art taken from the original Queen Mary showing the two continents and the transatlantic routes, the moon and the stars and all set in beautiful gold brass and silver. Those who are familiar with the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth will be able to sit back in the surroundings of the Midships Bar, enjoying a martini or other preferred tipple, White Star Service and feel every bit as special as many Cunard guests would have felt years ago on the first Queen Elizabeth.

 

Garden Lounge – This too is a very different room on Queen Elizabeth. 

 

 

 

The glass roof is reminiscent of Kew Gardens in London, the tiled floors and carpets are beautiful in every detail. It is a room where relaxation will be the motto – but also a room where we plan some special events in the evening to recreate some of the special events and entertainments that took place on the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary.

 

The day was one of the most motivating and satisfying days at work we have had in a long time. The new ship is coming together very well indeed. I am going to leave news of other rooms to another time; too much to share with you all in one go. In particular I look forward to sharing our plans with the Yacht Club and the links to QE2 and of course our plans on Art, which are very special indeed. There is also a story to tell about the Queens Room; that too will have to wait till next time.

 

In the meantime – the shipyard is very busy and Queen Elizabeth is taking shape. If you haven’t already done so, do have a look at Alastair’s recent video blogs. I hope you have found this update useful and informative – I have enjoyed sharing it with you. The anticipation for Queen Elizabeth is building fast – right around the world – and justifiably so. I can’t wait!

 

Best Regards – Peter

 

Thank you very much Peter for this Guest Blog; I know everyone is keen to hear more so please do keep that news coming in. I’ll be back again soon with lots more news from the Cunard world. Cheers Alastair

 

It’s always great to profile our crew members who win the prestigious “Star of the Month Award”, which is part of Cunard’s White Star Programme. As many of you will know, the “Star of the Month” title is awarded to just one crew member per ship each month as a result of guest and crew feedback and then consideration by our on board White Star Committee. A framed photograph acknowledging their achievement is displayed in the Grand Lobby of each ship, and here is this month’s star on Queen Victoria; Able Seaman Antonio Solomon

 

 

As an AB Seaman Antonio’s work on board is to carry out maintenance of the ship which includes de-rusting, painting, washing, mooring and anchoring of the ship. During tender operations he acts as Bowman on the tenders, and this includes tying up the tender and helping guests to move safely on and off. He is also currently studying the work of the Quartermaster, so he is prepared when the opportunity arises for further promotion.

 

Antonio was born and brought up in Bataan which is north of Philippines capital Manila and is the fifth of six children. Bataan is known for the island of Corregidor and the Mount Samat dead march, which took place after the fall of Bataan, and is mentioned in numerous history books as the place where the allied forces claimed victory which freed the Philippines from Japanese occupation. 

 

Antonio told me he knew from a very young age that he wanted to travel the world, and as he says “ideally for free!” He considered a career in the aeronautics industry, but eventually decided to study Marine Transportation at the university in his home city, where he graduated with a Bsc.

 

Antonio says his career so far has exceeded his expectations. He began his career at sea on cargo ships in 1998, and then spent a brief period at home working in the family business. During this time he also met his wife Mary Jane and they married in 2002.

 

 

He joined Cunard as an OS, (Ordinary Seaman), in the summer of 2008, and after a couple of months was promoted to AB, (Able Seaman). He is very proud to have become Queen Victoria’s Star of the Month and here he is accepting his award from Captain Ian McNaught, with Staff Captain Hamish Sunter and Hotel Manager Jacqui Hodgson.  

 

 

On receiving the award Antonio said “I would like to thank everyone who supported and trusted in me since I came to Cunard”.

 

Antonio has a very early start each day when he gets up at 4am. After a shower and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, he likes to say a little prayer and then prepare himself for the day’s jobs. His morning routines begin at 5am, which involves cleaning and drying the open decks after the night wash down, so the ship will be ready for guests as they wake up in the morning. Then after breakfast and if the ship is arriving in port, he assists with mooring the ship. Otherwise he reports to the Marine Supervisor who will give him a morning job order.

 

At over six foot tall, Antonio told me “People often ask me why I am so big as they think my size is unusual for someone from the Philippines. I tell them that I have a bloodline from my mother’s side which has a Spanish lineage”. He went on to tell me that “People are often surprised seeing me up a ladder and squeezing my prominent figure through a 1 foot by 1 foot hatch, cleaning the oil from the galley uptake vents which we do once a month”.

 

In his spare time on a sea day he likes to relax and spend time with his co-workers as well as watching movies, TV and listening to music. On port days he enjoys seeing what he calls “The wonders of the world” for free. When he is at home and not travelling the world he particularly enjoys driving different vehicles.

 

 

In addition to becoming “Star of the Month”, Antonio has also just received some wonderful news from home. On his birthday, August the 22^nd, he found out that his wife Mary Jane had given birth to their first child, a healthy baby girl.

 

 

Along with the “Star of the Month” award comes a cash prize which Antonio says will go straight towards his daughters’ future

 

At the moment Antonio and his wife and daughter share a house with other members of his family so it is his dream to eventually build his own house for his wife and new family to live in. And his other dream………well, one day be Captain of a vessel. That’s a great dream and I’d like to thank Antonio for taking the time to talk to me and of course, wish him and his family all the best for the future.

 

That’s it for this Blog but I look forward to being back with you on Thursday for the regular update on the week, including more news around the fleet. Next Monday I’ll have pictures from Queen Victoria’s maiden calls to Boston, Quebec and the home of Cunard Line’s founder, Samuel Cunard. Cheers for now – Alastair

 

Thank you again for all the comments about my last post featuring the video from the Fincantieri yard in Monefalcone, and here as promised is part 2. I know you have many questions which I will answer when I can, but at the moment I’m afraid I have no more news for you about the various announcements you are waiting for such as,  the ships senior officers, the alternative restaurant or the exact date when Queen Elizabeth will leave the dry dock. However I’ll let you know on this Blog as soon as I do. In the meantime I am hoping we will return with the cameraman again in the next few months so keep logging on.

 

As you read this, Queen Victoria has been having a wonderful Atlantic crossing. She is now just a day away from her 3^rd visit to New York, as the first port of call on her Autumn Colours Voyage. Meanwhile Queen Mary 2 returns to Southampton after her fantastic Mediterranean Voyage, before heading for New York.

 

Before we take you back to see more pictures and video of Queen Elizabeth, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History”, for the week, 25^th of September to the 1^st Of October, which celebrates the anniversary of the first Queen Elizabeth being launched.

 

September 25 2003

 

Queen Mary 2 undertakes her first sea trials.

 

September 26 1934

 

The 80,744-ton Queen Mary launched at Clydebank and becomes the first merchant vessel to be launched by a member of the Royal family (Her Majesty Queen Mary).

 

September 27 1938

 

Queen Mary sails in to New York for the last time completing her final Transatlantic Crossing, with 1,400 passengers on board including the designer John Brown incognito. Shortly afterwards she set sail for Long Beach, California.

 

October 1 1979

 

QE2 makes her maiden call to Boston, Massachusetts.

 

So yes they did manage to get me up one of those incredible cranes which tower 200 feet above the ship yard, but at least we didn’t have to walk up. Believe it or not there was a lift inside the crane’s leg, making the task somewhat easier. And just in case you think I sent someone else up there to take the pictures for me this first photo gives you some idea of how high up we were!

 

 

 

 

From the top we were greeted by an incredible view which immediately made you realize what an impressive operation a shipyard is. Everywhere you looked you could see parts of our new ship. Each carefully numbered block will eventually become part of this massive jigsaw, but in the meantime it waits its turn to either become part of a larger block or be lifted on to the emerging superstructure. Here you can get an idea of the enormity of the project with ship blocks everywhere, and the town of Monefalcone in the distance.

 

 

While Andrew, our cameraman, was filming I was able to take in the views and begin to try and work out which block was which. As I somewhat hesitantly walked across the gantry I got an amazing view directly above the ship in the dry dock.

 

 

 

Looking directly down in the middle I could see on to ‘B’ deck. This area which is just above the waterline is mainly crew accommodation and machinery spaces. As I mentioned in the film on the previous Blog, the large boxes covered in white plastic are crew cabins and bathrooms which arrive as units ready to slot in to their final places. Then moving forward (or up the picture), you can see the ‘B’ staircase which will be right in the middle of the completed ship. Directly forward of that area are the crew lifts and staircase. The very top is the decking of deck 6 with the crew staircase and ventilation shaft in the middle. It may seem like I am sure about all this but have to admit it did take a while to work this all out!

 

In a shed on the other side of the yard, I could just about make out what I think is going to be the aft mooring deck of Queen Elizabeth, and believe it or not these sheds move on tram tracks so the cranes can lift the blocks in and out.

 

 

 

The next block I saw took a bit of working out, and then I realized this is the midships section with the left of the picture being towards the aft.

 

 

 

 

You can make out deck 3 deck of the grand lobby with the guest lifts to the right and the void ready for the elegant library staircase in the top right of the block. It’s incredible to think that this massive section will be lifted on to the main ship in just a couple of weeks. I think this will be the section that will fit on top of the ‘B’ Deck section of the earlier picture.

 

And now, for some more video and this time some very impressive footage from the top of that crane!

 

 

 

 

Well that’s it for the moment but I hope to post some more pictures for you soon and of course another video from Monefalcone in November. Meanwhile I’ll be back on Monday with Queen Victoria’s latest “Star of the Month” who is from our deck department. Coming up I also have an interview with Queen Mary 2’s new Entertainment Director as well as lots more on the way. Cheers for now – Alastair

 

 

Thank you for all the great feedback about the pictures I took of Queen Elizabeth in the ship Yard at Monefalcone, Italy. I agree with all your comments that it really is amazing to see her coming together so quickly and to watch the precision of the work undertaken. I know many of you are eagerly waiting more news about the naming which will take place in October next year.  As I mentioned in a previous Blog, this is something that probably won’t be announced until much closer to the time and I’m afraid I don’t have any clues to give you at the moment. As with Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, we probably won’t have anything confirmed until about three months before the actual event. Of course along with any other Cunard news I can assure everyone, I’ll let you know as soon as I can on this Blog.

 

A few of you have also been asking about the comparisons between Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. They will be sister ships and will have similar configurations but Queen Elizabeth will possess her own individual style and personality, reflected in her unique design and features, and her on board activities. Queen Elizabeth will be the same length at 964.5 feet (294.0 metres) and have the same beam of 106 feet (32.25 metres), which means she too will be able to transit the Panama Canal. Due to a slightly different stateroom configuration at the aft of Queen Elizabeth, she will be very slightly larger than her sister, making her the second largest Cunarder ever built.

 

Cunard are inviting all budding artists to design a sculpture for Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Arcade. For full details on how to enter this competition visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-features/6189230/Create-art-for-a-Cunard-liner….html The winner will receive a voyage during Queen Elizabeth’s maiden season.

 

Just one more question to answer before the Video Blog regarding the number of Captain’s that will serve on a ship per year. This can vary according to each individual Captain’s contract length, but typically, there will tend to be one resident Captain on a ship, who will be on board for about six to eight months a year and a relief Captain who will cover the resident Captain’s leave period.

 

I’m glad you enjoyed the unique video footage of Queen Victoria’s in Venice, and particularly special for those guests who were on board that stunning day. So, as promised here’s the first of two Video Blogs from my visit to Queen Elizabeth:

 

 

As I mentioned in my previous Blog, it was a great day and I’d like to thank again Simona, Luca and Carlo at the Fincantieri yard who gave up their valuable time to show us around. I’d also like to thank our cameraman, Andrew, who got such great shots. Mind you it was his idea to ask permission to get us 200 feet in the air to take film and photos from the top of the crane, and you can see those pictures and video on Thursday’s Blog!

 

Meanwhile as Queen Mary 2 enjoys a voyage in the Mediterranean, Queen Victoria is currently crossing the Atlantic, on our maiden Canada and New England Voyage, so I look forward to bringing you plenty of pictures from there along with more news around the fleet very soon. Cheers for now – Alastair

Thanks for all the feedback from my visit to Monfalcone and the New Queen Elizabeth last week. I know from your comments and meeting Bloggers on board that you are enjoying seeing her progress. The good news is that I’ll be posting more pictures and some video next week and will keep you updated regularly. I’m looking forward to going back in November where I’m sure her progress will be equally impressive.  There have been a couple of questions asking who is where at the moment so here goes. I will be on Queen Victoria until December when Warren Smith returns from leave and I’ll then be back on for the World Cruise 2010. Meanwhile on Queen Mary 2 Paul O’Loughlin (I’ll be doing a special Blog on our new Entertainment Director over the coming weeks), will go on leave in mid October when Ray Rouse returns.

 

While I was taking pictures of our new Queen last week, our guests enjoyed a stunning day in Venice. This has to be one of the most impressive cities in the world and, despite the amount of times I’ve been here, I always love it and feel it’s one of those destinations that actually lives up to, and exceeds, your expectations. I’ll come to that and the pictures of that day after “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week, 18^th to the 24^th September:

 

September 20 1906

Mauretania is launched. (She was named after a Roman Province, but passengers were unfamiliar with the name, so many simply called her the Maury)

 

September 20 1967

Job number 736 – Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched and named at Clydebank by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

 

September 20 2008

QE2 celebrates her final Cunard birthday on her last Transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton

 

September 21 2008

Queen Mary 2 makes her 100th Transatlantic crossing from Southampton to New York during which time she had logged nearly three-quarters of a million miles. Over that time, more than 229,000 guests and 450 pets crossed the North Atlantic. Also over the 100 crossings 97,000 pounds of lobster was served along with 2,700 pounds of caviar and accompanied by 206,200 bottles of champagne and enough tea to fill nearly five Olympic-sized swimming pools

 

Our day in Venice began when we took on the pilot at about 7am, and I made my way up to the Bridge to give a commentary on our arrival, passing the Lido and Guidecca on our port side and the main part of the city on the other, including the very dramatic St. Marks Square and the entrance of the Grand Canal. Here are just a couple of photos taken by our on board team of photographers which show how fantastic our views were.

 

 

 

While our guests enjoyed the view, the residents and visitors of Venice were able to admire the beautiful sight of Queen Victoria returning to her birthplace for the first time this year, just 21 months after she left to begin her career. We were also very lucky to have a cameraman, Andrew, on the shore side capturing the moment in this stunning film footage:

 

 

Historic moments are something we all know about at Cunard and our visit to Venice that day marked another. Phrases like “It only seems yesterday……..” were abound as I had lunch in the officers mess the day before with Queen Victoria bound Venice for the first time since leaving the Marghera shipyard as Cunard’s newest liner. There are not many who, under two years old, can say that in their short life they have already been around the world twice (literally) having visited 6 continents and over 44 countries and so the list goes on. So it was a nostalgic moment to look ahead to the shipyard in the distance as we turned in to the Stazione Maritima (Venice’s ship terminal). In fact we could just make out the shape of another new ship in the outfitting dock where we had been.

 

Looking back at those last few days in the yard, there were so many mile stones I could talk about, from seeing the ship for the first time in Trieste after her sea trials, the press visit with the unveiling of the Dent Clock in the Royal Arcade, the crew coming on board and seeing the ship literally coming to life, not to mention the numerous trips to the Panini shop down the road and countless pizzas! However it took a lot to top hearing Captain Wright announce on the morning of the 30^th November 2007, that the final paperwork had been completed, and that the ship now belonged to Cunard, which was greeted by an immediate cheer from all the crew around the ship. We all knew we were part of the next stage of Cunard’s history, and there was tremendous pride as we moved away from our outfitting dock, with the shipyard workers taking a quick break to catch the results of their 3 years work, leaving for the last time on that sunny November afternoon.  Although we had a huge task ahead of us with the inaugural events just 7 days away followed by the first 2 voyages and the maiden world cruise, this was an opportunity to enjoy the moment and feel part of something very special.

 

Now we look forward and realise that Cunard will be celebrating again in just over a year’s time to welcome another Queen to the fleet.

 

Our visit last week was equally sunny, but much warmer, and this time the decks were now full of our guests enjoying what has to be the best place to savour the views of Venice. I know it can be expensive and crowded, but to sit in St. Marks square and soak up the atmosphere, over your 20 euro café latte and miniscule biscotti is worth every penny (for me anyway)! I wonder how many photos were taken by our guests enjoying this magnificent city and equally from tourists admiring the ship which was probably the biggest building in Venice that day!

 

The sail out was equally impressive as guests on balconies on the port side got to enjoy the views of the “Doges Palace” and the “Bridge Of Sighs” as we played music from Andrea Boccelli, including the classic “Time To Say Goodbye” on the open decks. I defy anyone not to have felt the emotion of the occasion especially as the sunshine that evening was a photographers dream. Our professional team of on board photographers managed to capture some stunning images that I thought we had to share with Bloggers.

 

 

So there it was – another great historic day – and I was part of it – again! I’ll be back again on Monday with some film footage of Queen Elizabeth’s progress and lots more along the way. Please keep those questions and comments coming. Cheers – Alastair

 

  

Two months after my last visit we have some more pictures of Queen Elizabeth under construction in the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. Last Thursday Queen Victoria made her first call to Venice this year and our guests enjoyed what I believe to be one of the most incredible cities in the world. I will do a full blog on our day there very soon and this will include some great pictures of the city, from the ship, as well as some stunning video footage of her arrival taken by our cameraman who watched Queen Victoria’s dramatic arrival from the shore side.

 

As we made our final approaches we could just see in the background, the Fincantieri ship yard in Marghera where just over 21 months ago Queen Victoria was completed.

 

As soon as we arrived, our guests set off to explore this beautiful city, while I started the ninety minute drive down the coast to the small town of Monefalcone to see how our new Queen was taking shape. So donned with a hard hat, I was taken around the yard and was amazed at the amount of ship sections and machinery, literally everywhere, all ready to be assembled and create our new liner. This is one of the boilers that will be in the technical spaces of Queen Elizabeth.

 

 

The numerous sections that will comprise the ship are made in to different blocks in various sheds around the yard and then put together to make bigger ones which become so large they are often worked on outside. It is sometimes a challenge to work out which piece is which, but I am fairly confident this block is the aft section of what will be deck 2 of the Britannia Restaurant.

 

 

Then as we turned the corner, it was the moment I had been waiting for, since seeing the keel being laid on the 2^nd of July. (If you haven’t seen those pictures or video you’ll find them on the 6^th, 9^th and 13^th of July postings.)

 

To be able to see into the dry dock, where in just a few months Queen Elizabeth will take to the water for the first time, was probably the most exciting part of the day. The progress was staggering as you can see from this photo which is looking aft with the ship’s bow in the foreground.

 

 

It gives you a great cross sectional view of her hull before the forward section, including the bulbous bow, is added. The height of the front section here is “A” deck which houses mainly crew areas including crew cabins which arrive in “Pods”, and you can see them covered in white plastic. If you look carefully you can also see the section of the hull which has been painted white, and where this starts is promenade deck 3. I think the open section that goes from “A” deck to deck 2 will eventually be the forward “A” staircase.

 

Moving along the port side of the ship you could see there are still many sections of the ship’s keel still waiting to be placed. The section on the right hand side of this photo is in its final position ready to be attached to more sections in the middle.

 

 

 

 

You can see the wire cables holding the last block in place (on the left of the picture), and these will remain there until the welding is complete. And if you look carefully you’ll see on this next photo the narrow gap of a few millimetres, waiting to be welded.

 

 

This next picture shows the aft section of the keel where the massive “Azipod” motors and propellers will be attached to underside of the missing section of hull. Also, as you can see, there is still one more small section to add to the very aft of the keel.

 

 

Then I was in for a real treat, yes I was actually going to be allowed to board the ship – well what there was of her anyway! I don’t know but my claim to fame may be that I was the first Cunard Employee to do so – who knows!

 

 

It was quite a strange feeling walking up the gangway knowing there was only a small part of here, yet realizing that crew will be boarding the ship for the first time in about a year’s time ready to take up their positions to prepare her for the maiden voyage. I entered on the “A” deck gangway and although it was very dark, with just a few lights powered by shore side generators, as I looked aft, I could just about make out to what I think will be the guest entrance to the Medical Centre. (The white doors on the left hand side)

 

 

It was an amazing day and I’d like to thank Simona Capraro who looked after us so well in the yard, along with Luca Fornasiero and Carlo Fucile from Fincantieri who were kind enough to give up their valuable time to show us around. The exciting news is that this is just part one of the pictures from this visit; I’ll post part two soon and these will be ones taken from a position I wasn’t sure was going to be possible. I was also accompanied by our cameraman, Andrew, who is currently preparing a video of the visit for this Blog which will also be posted soon.

 

So please keep logging on, as I have lots more to share with you and of course I’ll try and answer your questions too. I’ll be back on Thursday, if not before, with more news around the fleet. Cheers – Alastair

 

 

It’s been a busy first week back on Queen Victoria, settling back in to the job as well as catching up with all the news – and there’s always plenty of that. Thank you again for all the comments and to answer Christian’s question about Maureen Ryan writing a book about her fascinating career; I entirely agree and will keep trying to convince her! In the meantime she has another installment coming up in the next few weeks. While Queen Victoria is enjoying a fantastic Mediterranean voyage, Queen Mary 2 had a particularly musical Transatlantic Crossing, but before we get to that here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week, 11 to the 17 September:

 

September 13 2008

 

Queen Victoria makes her maiden call to the Greek Island of Samos.

 

September 15 2007

 

QE2 began her 40th Anniversary voyage around Britain, including Liverpool and Clydebank where she was launched 40 years before.

 

It’s great to be back on Queen Victoria, and I’m not just saying it! As seafarers, it sometimes feels like you lead a double life, between the contracts spent amoungst friends and colleagues on board and then leave periods spent with friends and family at home. Mind you, returning to Queen Victoria, did feel like coming home with so many familiar and friendly faces on board. I have also met many guests who have sailed with me before, and some who have been following this Blog, including Andy Fitzsimmons who comments regularly. It was great to put a face to the name and I think our Bloggers meeting this voyage is going to be a busy one!

 

Many of you will know the name Anthony Inglis, as the Grammy nominated artist who has featured more times at London’s Royal Albert Hall than anyone else in the building’s history, and has been described in the UK press as “one of Britain’s most popular conductors” (Manchester Evening News). He leads a busy international career, appearing with some of the greatest orchestras in concert halls from New Zealand to Scotland via Japan and The East. These orchestras include the four main London independent orchestras: London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Philharmonia orchestras, all the British independent and most BBC orchestras, the Melbourne, Syd­ney, Gothenburg, Singapore symphony orchestras and the Warsaw and Israel philharmonic orchestras. For 15 years he was well known as the conductor of Classical Spectacular and he is currently Music Director of The National Symphony Orchestra in London, the Welsh mezzo Katherine Jenkins and the Music Consultant for Phantom of The Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

 

 

At Cunard we were particularly proud when he was able to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the naming ceremony for Queen Mary 2 as well as the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Naming Ceremony of Queen Victoria.

 

Anthony Inglis was educated on a Music Scholarship at Marlborough College, and at the Royal College of Music where he won many conducting prizes. During his college years he supplemented his student grant conducting West End shows and being on the staff for two of Ken Russell’s composer films.

 

His studio, TV and concert recordings have been broadcast in the UK, Australia, Scandinavia, Europe and The Far East. Amoungst his recent DVD recordings is one with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and two with Katherine Jenkins and the National Symphony. He has recorded numerous CD’s with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras and in 2005 he conducted the Royal Philharmonicat the largest regular live TV show in Europe called Wetten Dass.

 

He lives by the banks of the River Thames in Kingston Surrey, with his wife and three children.  

 

So there was great excitement from guests when they boarded Queen Mary 2 recently in Southampton to find  Anthony Inglis and 26 members of the National Symphony Orchestra on board. What a fabulous picture this is in front of Queen Mary 2’s bridge.

 

 

Some of you may have met Cunard’s new Entertainment Director, Paul O’Loughlin who is currently on Queen Mary 2. I’ll be interviewing him over the next few weeks so you can get to know him, but in the meantime he was kind enough to tell me about the exciting events that unfolded during the crossing.

 

On the first day invited guests were invited to sign up to be in the chorus for the concert on the final night of the crossing. Anthony Inglis and Paul were in the Royal Court Theatre at 2.15pm waiting and wondering if anyone would turn up. Well turn up they did; in fact 150 Guests signed up, and were then divided into 2 choirs, one for each dinner sitting. Amoungst the talented guests was a wealth of choral experience, and a good balance of Baritones, Tenors, Altos and Sopranos. There were two chorus rehearsals and then a full rehearsal with the orchestra prior to the evening performance on the last night.

 

One evening the orchestra presented “The First Night of the Cunard Proms” featuring an evening of American composers. Paul told me that guests thoroughly enjoyed the programme, which included pieces from Gershwin, Sousa, McDowell, Irving Berlin as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein. Rehearsals then continued, leading up to the “Last Night of the Cunard Proms”. Anthony Inglis worked the choir hard, and their performance even included a four part harmony piece, Handel’s Largo.

 

On the evening before New York, Queen Mary 2’s Royal Court Theatre was transformed into the Royal Albert Hall. The Theatre was full for both concerts as the audience, with programmes and flags in their hands, waited in anticipation for a magical night.  Paul told me that Anthony Inglis was masterful and with all his experience, as the most featured Conductor in the Royal Albert Hall, he led a programme of traditional pieces including the “Yeoman of the Guard Overture”, Elgar’s “Nimrod”, as Henry Wood’s “Sea Songs”. Then the orchestra, chorus and audience then raised the roof with Rule Britannia, Jerusalem and of course Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. As you can see from these photos the atmosphere was outstanding.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

And here Paul O’Loughlin thanks Anthony Inglis on behalf of all the guests for such a memorable night.

 

 

 

Anthony Inglis is planning to return to Queen Mary 2 on the round Britain voyage in October 2009 with a concert featuring the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra while the ship is alongside in Liverpool, which will be a great evening celebrating the history of Cunard Line. In the meantime if you would like further information on his work and future plans you can look at his website; http://www.anthonyinglis.com/

 

I’d like to thank Paul for telling us about this amazing event and as promised I’ll post an interview with him soon. Thursday the 10^th of September is a special one for us on Queen Victoria as we return to Venice for the first time this year. As well as being one of the most impressive ports of call in the world, it is also next to the ship yard where Queen Victoria was constructed, and sailed from the first time on the 30^th of November 2007. Yes doesn’t time fly!

 

During our visit this time I’ll be taking the hour long journey to Monfalcone to see the progress of Queen Elizabeth so look forward to sharing news of our return to Venice as well as our new Queen over the next week or so. Cheers for now Alastair.

 

As promised I’m delighted to share some breaking news regarding Queen Elizabeth. It has just been announced that Captain Chris Wells is to assume command of Cunard’s newest Queen, which will enter service in just over a year’s time. I look forward to interviewing Captain Wells in the coming months but in the meantime for those of you who haven’t yet met him here’s a brief insight in to his career so far.

 

 

53-year-old Captain Wells, was born and brought up in Bournemouth, and educated at Poole Grammar School. He met his wife Hedda on board QE2 and they were married in 1997, in her home town of Husum in the North of Germany, and now live in Barnham, near Chichester, in West Sussex. They have three children, Henry, Emily, and William.

 

His love of the sea developed when he learned to sail in Poole Harbour, and resulted in his commencing a four-year cadetship with Shell Tankers at the Warsash School of Navigation at the University of Southampton. His early days at sea were mostly spent in the Far East, trading out of Singapore on a variety of tankers. He continued his career with Shell, qualifying as a second officer in 1978 and progressing to Chief Officer, serving on a variety of ship types. He obtained his Master’s certificate in 1985.

Captain Wells also found time in 1986 to join the Royal Naval Reserve. He still serves two weeks annually with Maritime Forces in the Amphibious Warfare specialisation and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in 1994.

After joining Cunard, as second officer on Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1992, Captain Wells was promoted through the ranks, serving as Chief Officer on QE2, as well as Cunard Countess and Royal Viking Sun, before being promoted to Staff Captain on board QE2 in 1999.

 

He later was seconded to the Queen Mary 2 New Build Team and spent 18 months at the shipyard of Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint Nazaire, France. He was the first Staff Captain of the new ship when she was handed over to Cunard on 22^nd December 2003, remaining with her until May 2005.Having seen the ship develop from the beginning and bringing her into service as Staff Captain, Captain Wells was extremely proud when appointed to the command of Queen Mary 2 last year.

Peter Shanks, our President and Managing Director said “It is a well deserved honour for Captain Wells to be appointed Master of Queen Elizabeth. He will be a fine leader for all of our colleagues working with him on Queen Elizabeth. His experience on both QE2 and Queen Mary 2 will ensure he continues the famous traditions of Cunard Line”.

Commenting on his appointment, Captain Wells said: “Bringing Queen Elizabeth up Southampton Water to her home port will be one of the proudest moments of my life, and I very much hope that the people of Southampton and beyond will take the ship to their hearts as they have all the Cunard Queens since Queen Mary was launched in 1934; Queen Elizabeth certainly follows in that great tradition’.

 

I’ll be back on Thursday with some news of some special guests who recently sailed on Queen Mary 2. Also on Thursday, while Queen Victoria makes her first visit to Venice this year, I’ll be visiting the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone to see the progress of Queen Elizabeth. I’ll be taking pictures and video which I’ll post next week. Cheers for now Alastair.

 

Welcome to a very special Blog as we mark our one year anniversary of the “We Are Cunard” Blog with this, the 85^th posting. What a busy year it’s been but I would like to thank the support team in Southampton for all their help, but most of all you for logging on each week. You’ve also given me lots of ideas on how to develop the Blog further, so I look forward to introducing new features over the coming months. This will include more video and of course lots of news of what’s going on board our ships and on the shore side. I know you are all awaiting more news of Queen Elizabeth, so I’m delighted to confirm I’ll be visiting shipyard next week when Queen Victoria visits Venice, so I look forward to sharing that with you very soon.

 

As I return to Queen Victoria and it’s a great pleasure to profile someone who taught me a huge amount on my first contract with Cunard. But before that special guest Blog, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week, 4^th to the 10^th September:

 

September 4 2005

QE2 becomes longest serving Cunarder surpassing Scythia 36 Years 4 months 2 days (1921 – 1957)

 

September 9 2008

Queen Victoria makes maiden call at Santorini

 

September 10 2007

Cunard announces that the Duchess of Cornwall will name Queen Victoria three months later on December 10

 

Many of you will remember Maureen Ryan as a Social Hostess on numerous Cunard Ships, who too many, was the epitome of Cunard. Whenever I had the opportunity to chat with her I loved hearing the stories of her life on the old Cunarders. She seemed such an ideal person to ask to write something for this Blog, so during my leave I met up with Maureen at her flat in London for what turned out to be a full day as we had chatted and looked through her fascinating scrapbooks and photo albums.

 

 

Maureen was born in London and spent her childhood living near Dublin and in Hove, Sussex, where she attended a convent school. After school she spent a restless few years with a variety of jobs, reception, teaching English in France, and secretarial work, besides being an enthusiastic member of amateur dramatic societies.  A fascination with ships took her to P&O Line, on board SS Chusan as one of the four telephone operators, en route to India and the Far East. She then joined Cunard Line in 1963 as a Lady Assistant Purser on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, Franconia, Carmania, Carinthia and joined QE2 on the Clyde in 1968 as one of the Social Directresses. Maureen attempted to ‘swallow the anchor’ (leave the sea!) and in 1970 joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as a Personal Assistant in London, and had postings to the British Embassy in Addis Ababa and Paris. She then worked in a Minister of State’s Private Office back in London. The sea beckoned again and she rejoined Cunard Line working on Cunard Princess, Cunard Countess and QE2.  In 1980 she went to work in Cunard’s New York office on 5^th Avenue to help with a special project, spending a great few months living and working in the heart of Manhattan. In 2003, Maureen joined Queen Mary 2 in St Nazaire. She also took part in a series of White Star Academy training videos, which were shown to Officers, Staff and Crew on board Queen Mary 2 and QE2.

 

In between contracts at sea, Maureen worked as a tour manager, escorting groups in London, the UK and overseas, and a conference hostess, besides appearing as background staff in several movies and TV productions.  In 1994 Maureen was nominated to become a Freeman of the City of London.

 

Finally, in 2007, she decided that the time had come, to finally ‘swallow the anchor’ and left Cunard Line.  However, she returned to QE2 as a guest lecturer during her farewell season, and was honoured to be the ‘Madrina’ (Godmother at the Float-Out ceremony in Venice) in January 2007, to Queen Victoria. This involved welding a Gold Sovereign and a Euro Life on a bulk head by the Sports Court.

 

 

Maureen is still very busy helping to escort visitors in London, and also working on films and TV shows, besides helping at her local church in various capacities. Her interests include the theatre, cinema, visiting historical sites reading and walking, particularly in the open spaces in London, where she has almost completed a 78 mile series of walks called The Capital Ring, for which she is looking forward to receiving her certificate on completion.

 

Guest Blog – Maureen Ryan

Recently, as I opened the envelope from Cunard and drew out the shining brochure ‘Queen Elizabeth – Maiden Voyages 2010’ … I reminisced about the 1960’s, when the two great Queens, “Mary” and “Elizabeth” crossed the North Atlantic every week, a regular service in Cunard tradition.  Ships built in the 30’s, colours and shapes of pure art deco. Here I am as a Lady Assistant Purser, dressed in Wren Officer Uniform, working on Queen Elizabeth.

 

 

Memories of long carriage, manual typewriters for completing the immigration manifests,  typing up  the crew list (1350 names) on onion skin paper (12 carbon copies)…..one  error and you retyped the page ……. computers and photocopiers a future dream. The Stenography Service advertised in the Financial Times in 1966, offered passengers the opportunity to ‘get all your paperwork done during the voyage’. This is the publicity photograph they published with the advert.

 

 

The girls with me are (from left to right, back row first), Maureen Patrick, Jane Leat, Jill Williams, Lynn Waring, Joyce Mole & I’m the one on the bottom right. The advert had a slogan; “You can work harder on board a Cunarder”… I agreed with that …. it was a daunting duty, taking dictation, often  speedy, from some entrepreneur and hoping, hoping, that I’d be able to read it back! The Pursers Office was closed during lunchtime and  closed for the day at 6.00pm, apart from Safety Deposit watch in First Class, to enable the ladies to retrieve their jewellery for the evening…..

 

There were three classes, First, Cabin and Tourist. Only Senior Officers had public room privileges, so we were only in passenger areas when helping at various events such as the Captain’s Reception in First Class, (names were like something from Who’s Who). Here I’m at a party with some guests and a senior officer in the Purser’s Staff called Brent Jenkins.

 

 

There was also Ladies Night as well as the Fancy Head Dress evenings in Cabin and Tourist. I’m not sure what this gentleman’s outfit meant but it was all part of the job!

 

 

We also escorted the shore excursions, though as you can see from this photo, taken on a tour to the Acropolis from Queen Elizabeth in 1965, the dress codes were somewhat different!

 

 

In our spare time we socialised in the Wardrooms, or squashed ourselves into staff cabins where someone hosted a get together.  We all had to be off-decks by about 11pm and the pantry staircases were literally worn down with the tread of the late nighters, anxious to avoid the Master-at-Arms who patrolled the ship.

 

We were overnight in New York, so once the passengers had disembarked, the ship was empty and silent and crew scattered themselves until the early hours on Broadway, 5^th Avenue or at the Village.

 

Sailing day from New York meant scores of visitors paying 50 cents to come on board with noise, excitement, passenger parties, and finally, gongs sounding throughout the ship and bell boys calling, “All Ashore” and it was time for a great Cunarder to depart and cross the vast North Atlantic once again…  A world and way of life gone forever.

 

Thanks Maureen for a fantastic Blog, and I’m happy to say Maureen will be back with more fascinating stories soon. Thank you again for logging on this special anniversary Blog; I’m looking forward to another year of Blogging and reading your comments and questions, so yes lots to come. Cheers Alastair.

 

It’s a real pleasure to formally introduce you to our new President and Managing Director. I have had the pleasure of knowing Peter Shanks for quite a while, but thought it was time you got to know a little bit more about the man at the helm of Cunard. I met up with Peter last week on Queen Victoria, and we spent some time together chatting about him, his life and his passion for his new position, which you’ll see in the video clip below.

 

 

As readers of this Blog will know Peter Shanks took up his new role at the start of August. He is already very well known by the staff on board as a leading advocate of “We are Cunard”.  

 

 

 

 

Peter lives in Surrey, England with his wife and two teenage daughters. He has a wide range of interests; many relating to sport. Having played a lot of Rugby on the past, Peter now plays Field Hockey in the London Veteran’s league. His position is goalkeeper and he told me this involves plenty of protective padding as he is the last line of defence. I found out that we both had skiing as a hobby so it was fun to spend some time comparing the quality of various resorts. Another passion for Peter is walking the dog, preferably along the river to the pub and the mountain bike is often brought in to action for some regular exercise.

 

Having always worked in the travel industry, one aspect of the business that has always been close to Peter’s heart is the people. He told me; “I believe that people are at the start and the heart of every business, no matter how big or small”, he added “At Cunard this is brought to life through White Star Service and the people we have working with Cunard are very special indeed. “

 

As you will hear in the interview, Peter joined Cunard Line in 2002 as Senior Vice President for Europe and was responsible for all the launch activities of Queen Mary 2 and the spectacular events that took place at the time. Peter went on to become Chief Commercial Officer for Carnival UK, the parent company for P&O Cruises, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises UK and Ocean Village.

 

Over the last year Peter has focused on moving the Cunard Head Office back from the United States to the new home of Southampton. With the introduction of Queen Elizabeth, Peter is determined to grow Cunard’s presence in all international markets, look after our most valued past guests and to introduce many new guests to the Cunard experience.

 

 

 

I’d like to thank Peter for finding time in his busy schedule for the interview, and I look forward to welcoming him as a regular contributor to the Blog in the future. I am returning to Queen Victoria on Wednesday the 2^nd September, so look forward to meeting some of you then. In the meantime I will be back as usual on Thursday with the long promised guest Blog from Maureen Ryan which I know you’ll love. Cheers Alastair