Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 193 days

 

With just over 6 months to go before Queen Elizabeth begins her maiden voyage, I would like to continue the series of introducing you to the Senior Officers who will be heading up the management team of our new liner. Today it’s time to meet the Staff Captain, Hamish Sunter.

 

 

Hamish, despite his name, is not a Scot but a Yorkshireman, from the hilltops above Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. His seafaring career began in 1979 when he joined the Bank Line, a ‘take anything anywhere any time’ tramping company as a Deck Apprentice. After time at sea and at Kingston upon Hull Nautical College, he achieved his Second Mates Certificate in 1983. Over the next seven years, he gained experience on Bulk Carriers, Stand by Vessels, Fishery Patrol Vessels (in the Falklands), and Ro-Ro’s carrying paper products from Finland, where he gained ice navigation experience. During this time he also attended South Shields Nautical College and gained his Mates Certificate 1987. He joined the Cunard Princess in 1990 where he gained his Masters Certificate.  After three years Hamish was transferred to QE2 as a Junior First Officer, rising to the rank of Chief Officer. In 1998, he took up a position as Barge Engineer with Santa Fe Drilling in the North Sea which gave him more time at home. In June 2000, he was offered a position as First Officer with P&O Cruises’ Oriana.  After serving as First Officer and Senior First Officer on various P&O ships, he was asked to join Queen Mary 2 as Chief Officer in October 2005, during which time he was also promoted to Staff Captain. He returned to QE2 in December 2006, finally departing what he calls ‘the grand auld dame’, for the last time when in November 2008, she arrived in Dubai. After a brief spell on Queen Mary 2, Hamish joined Queen Victoria in May 2009, and will soon be bound for Queen Elizabeth in Monfalcone, Italy. 

 

Hamish still lives on the hilltops above Halifax, with his wife Fiona and three sons James, Edward and Piers.  His main hobby is demolishing and rebuilding various bits of their home, a Pennine Long house, a connected farmhouse and barn.

 

 

Other interests are camping and caravanning, plus many outdoor pursuits.

 

 

Finally, although not a football fanatic, he supports any team who are playing Manchester United, a team his eldest son is passionate about.

 

 

Interview With Staff Captain, Hamish Sunter

 

Firstly, congratulations on being appointed Queen Elizabeth’s first Staff Captain. What are you most looking forward to as a member of the inaugural team?

Bringing into service another Cunarder with all of her traditional and family values for both crew and guests.

 

Most of our guests are familiar with the title of Staff Captain, but are less sure of exactly what the role entails.

Another way of describing my role is second in command. I am the Head of the Deck department which includes the Security team and their duties. Although I am involved in the safe navigation of the vessel, my main responsibilities are the stability, safety and general upkeep of the exterior of the vessel.

 

What is the most frequent question you get asked – and how do you answer it?

There are a couple vying for this one!  Number 1 is ‘If you are here, who is driving the ship?’  Answer….Microsoft….referring to the vast array of electronics that the watch keepers have to hand for navigating the vessel.  Number 2 is ‘Don’t you get fed up of all these parties?’ To which I answer…’No, it is always great to meet new people, but also to catch up with people you have sailed with previously’.

 

Please could you tell us something about your job that would surprise us?

Many guests will see me wandering around the vessel in my whites looking clean and smart. It really is a good job that they do not see the other side of me in overalls when I have to inspect the ballast tanks at the bottom of the ship.

 

What do you think will be the most challenging aspect of being involved with a new ship?

Getting her delivered on time and making sure that I haven’t forgotten anything which could impact the delivery of the ship, and then of course easing her into service.

 

I understand you’ll be going to the ship yard fairly soon, could you tell us what you’ll be doing there up until the delivery of Queen Elizabeth?

Basically setting up the deck department, its responsibilities and how the deck maintenance will be undertaken.  There is a huge task of inputting maintenance requirements into the computer system that we use to ensure that tasks are done at the appropriate time for each individual item we are responsible for.

 

What does “We Are Cunard” mean to you?

Tradition and elegance, but also a big family where it’s great to work

 

Where would you like to go in the world where you haven’t been yet?

On a vessel that sails the North West Passage. I have been to Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope, the Panama Canal and Suez Canal, so the North West Passage is the last one. I have been privileged to be able to go all around the world in my 30 years at sea, something I did not envisage as a young lad on the Pennine hill tops. Here I am with Fiona enjoying the sunset in Dubai.

 

 

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?

Having three strapping sons, I will never be able to walk my daughter up the aisle…particularly as Fiona has said no more children!

 

When you are on leave; what is your perfect night?

Having a slap up BBQ on a balmy summers evening with Fiona and the boys, as one great evening on the hill tops makes up for a week of bad weather in the winter. Here I am with the boys and the dogs on one of our many long family walks which we all love.

 

 

What is your favourite quote and who said it?

It’s not really a quote but a prayer as such and is known by most Yorkshire folk. I know it as the Yorkshire Beggar’s Prayer.  ‘From Hell, Hull and Halifax, pray God deliver me.’  Well as I have been brought up in Halifax, went to college in Hull, the only thing to avoid is Hell!  So it’s a good job I attend the Sunday at Sea service to make sure I don’t end up there!

 

Thank you Hamish for your time with this interview and enjoy your last bit of leave before heading out to Monfalcone; see you there.

 

I’ll be back tomorrow with some new pictures of Queen Elizabeth in Italy, and of course lots more next week from Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 on their World Voyages. Cheers for now Alastair.

 

 

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 195 days

 

Continuing on from Thursday’s Blog featuring Queen Victoria’s overnight visit to Hong Kong, it was just two days later when the ship visited China’s largest city, with over 20 million inhabitants, Shanghai. Not only is it a huge city, it’s also very busy as we found out on one of the main shopping streets.

 

 

 

Located on China’s central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai was originally a fishing and textiles town. It grew to importance in the 19th century due to its favourable port location and as one of the cities that opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. As a result of economic reforms in 1990, intense development and financing in the city has made it one of the world’s busiest cargo ports. The city is one of huge contrasts with many historical landmarks such as the Bund and other traditional buildings which are invariably surrounded by modern skyscrapers.

 

 

 

Then there are some really interesting buildings with a variety of architectural styles, such as this beautiful Art Deco Hotel in People’s Square.

 

 

 

Shanghai is roughly equidistant from Beijing and Hong Kong and is the largest centre of commerce and finance in mainland China. It has been described as the “showpiece” of the world’s fastest growing economy, and the city is clearly keen to show that off in newly developed areas such as People’s Square, which even in the fog is an impressive centre with the old and new living side by side.

 

 

The stunning modern building is the Shanghai Grand Theatre, which was designed by French architect Jean-Marie Chapentier and was opened in 1998. Just looking around there are so many modern exciting buildings, and with the trees starting to blossom, they made great photos.

 

 

The city is bisected by the Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze. The historic centre of the city, the Puxi area, is located on the western side of the Huangpu, while a new financial district, Pudong, has developed on the eastern bank and this is where some of the most impressive buildings are being built. I came here a few years ago and the difference is staggering with new buildings going up all the time.

 

 

 

If you love modern architecture this is definitely the city for you, although you may get a sore neck looking up so much, as city competes for the most unusual designs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mentioned in Thursday’s Blog that Shanghai is very much in the competition for the world’s tallest buildings. It held the accolade of having the second tallest for two years (from 2007 to 2009) with The Shanghai World Financial Centre or SWFC. On 14 September 2007 the skyscraper was topped out at 492metres (1,614.2 ft) and consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, and shopping malls on the ground floors. On 28 August 2008, the SWFC officially opened for business, and two days later, the Observation Deck opened with a view from 3 levels, with the highest at 474 m (1,555 ft) above ground level, which makes it the tallest observation deck in the world, surpassing even the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

 

 

 

Strangely the building next door was the tallest in Shanghai until the SWFC opened. That building is the 88 story Jin Mao Tower, which literally means “Golden Prosperity Building”.

 

For such a busy city it’s incredibly clean; I mean where else in the world do you see a team going around cleaning street signs?

 

 

 

But in addition to the architecture and culture of this city, shopping also attracts people from all over the world. They do have many of the familiar names and chic boutiques, but they also have massive shopping centres which have – what would be fair to say – labels that may not be entirely genuine! That believe me is an understatement as I actually saw one vendor offering to put a designer label of the customer’s choice on a pair of jeans. It was tempting but I managed to resist! The selection was huge; everything from designer watches, belts, luggage, shirts, ties, underwear and yes even golf clubs. Here are some of our happy crew showing off their purchases:

 

 

 

 

From left to right are Tim, Musical Director, Pascale, Chief Printer and Venjo, Food and Beverage Controller. Apparently they have already used the clubs and they are fine – well so far anyway. Of course haggling is all part of the sport at such places, and even as we got on the bus to go back to the ship, our crew were being offered genuine fake Mont Blanc pens!

 

 

 

I’ll have some more pictures from our ports of call soon but in the meantime I’ll be back on Wednesday with an interview with Queen Elizabeth’s Staff Captain, Hamish Sunter, and hopefully some new pictures of Queen Elizabeth in Italy soon. Cheers for now Alastair.

 

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 198 days

 

I know I was going to post my pictures about Queen Victoria’s call to Shanghai, but today I received some great pictures and Guest Blogs from Peter Shanks and Captain Nick Bates, sharing their amazing few days with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Archbishop joined Queen Mary 2 in Port Louis, Mauritius on 20 March and I’ll let Captain Bates take up the story:

 

Guest Blog – Captain Nick Bates

 

On 21 March Queen Mary 2 was at sea between Mauritius and Durban, and of course since it was Sunday, part of the Captain’s duties is to officiate at the Cunard Interdenominational Church service. This has been a tradition on Cunard ships for over 170 years. As usual as I stood on the stage of the Royal Court Theatre adjusting the microphone, making sure my order of service was properly arranged. I looked up to a packed house, only to spot Archbishop Desmond Tutu himself sitting just a few rows from the front of stage. Well I thought “no pressure here this morning”. Thankfully the service went very well with the Staff Captain Alan Nixon reading the first lesson and for the second reading, Bill Gibson one of our very talented musicians gave a beautiful rendering of Swing Low Sweet Chariot. After the service I invited the Archbishop and his wife up to the Bridge to blow the ships whistle.

 

 

 

What an absolute delight he and his wife were, their lively sense of humour had us all enjoying the moment on the Bridge and something we will all remember for a long time to come. To commemorate the occasion he was also kind enough to sign our Visitor’s Book.

 

 

 

Cunard’s President and Managing Director joined Queen Mary 2 in Durban and he continues the story:

 

Guest Blog – Peter Shanks – President and managing Director, Cunard Line

 

I thought I would share my experiences of South Africa this week where I joined Queen Mary 2 as she travelled from Durban to Cape Town for her maiden calls. We had Archbishop Desmond Tutu travelling with the ship and it has been very special indeed for all of our guests.

 

It is the first time I have been In South Africa since living here as a child many years ago. A country of enormous change, huge challenges but when you are here you sense an overriding sense of hope, not least with the Football World Cup fast approaching.

 

I joined the ship on day 79 of her 103 World Voyage, with New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney behind her and Cape Town, Rio and Barbados still to come. I realised even from my short visit that in going on a World Voyage you really do get an insight into so many cultures and experiences right around the world.

 

Archbishop Tutu had agreed to do a lecture onboard as part of our Insights programme. We have had some famous and influential people sail with us in the past, but here we had something very special indeed.

 

You could have heard a pin drop at the two of his events in a packed Royal Court Theatre. At the end of each session we witnessed a truly emotional standing ovation; he touched all of us just briefly but left his mark for ever. It is not often we are lucky enough to be in the presence of a world statesman. He really does not hold back. It’s not my place to express any political views, but I wanted to share with you some of what he shared with us.

 

Archbishop voted for the first time when he was 63; can you imagine how that must have felt after so many turbulent and difficult years. He told us of his visit to see Ronald Reagan in 1984 at the White House where he asked for sanctions but nothing happened. He told us of his visit to Margaret Thatcher in London in 1987. ‘We spoke for 50 minutes; me for 20 and she for 30. Nothing happened; the lady was not for turning’. He then spoke of February 1990 when the South African Government announced change and the release of Nelson Mandela after 27 years in captivity. ‘Wonder of wonders, we kept pinching ourselves to make sure we were not dreaming; don’t wake me up I love this dream’.

 

He went on to speak of the 27th April 1994 as ‘a magical day – a day like no other when all races of South Africa voted in the first democratic election and for President Nelson Mandela who was free at last’. At that moment in the theatre, we went from silence to an instant round of applause; it was quite a moment.

 

He had shared with us some of the stories from the bad old days. One of the lighter moments was when he described an early visit to London with his wife. They were lost and went up to ‘a London Bobby’ to ask for directions. ‘The policeman called me Sir and my wife Mam, so over the next few days we kept asking for directions even when we knew where we were going’

 

I am a big rugby fan and there cannot be many people who don’t remember Nelson Mandela wearing the springbok jersey as they won the world cup.

 

Now things are so much better and it was very moving to hear him talk of the future. ‘Young people are amazing, they will make poverty history, they will care about the environment’ And as for the rugby, well he proudly told us that South Africa have won the world cup twice , have a black coach and the recent best player in the world accolade went to a black South African player.

 

He finished the lecture by saying ‘You know things in South Africa could be a great deal better, BUT – things in South Africa could have been a lot worse’. And then he stopped. Everybody in the theatre sat stunned in silence, in awe of what they had heard in the last hour, in awe of a great man and reflecting on the privilege of being in the presence of such a decent, warm and generous human being. And then a standing ovation that took everybody by surprise.

 

Two days later, whilst at sea between Durban and Cape Town, he entertained us all during a face to face interview with Ray Rouse, our Entertainment Director.

 

 

 

Some of the fun moments from that included;

 

As he was introduced wearing one of those modern headphone microphones he said ‘I look like Madonna’

 

 

 

Asked about whether South Africa would win the Football World Cup he said ‘Patriotically Yes – Honestly No’

 

He spoke of the importance of laughter. He is famous for his wonderful laugh; ‘laughing keeps your head the right size’. He went on to tell how once he was in San Francisco and an excited couple rushed up to him and said, ‘Pleased to meet you Archbishop Mandela – that made me laugh – two for the price of one’

 

Each year on our World Voyage we take our full cruisers ashore for a thank you dinner in a spectacular location. This year it was in Cape Town in a beautiful vineyard for over 700 of us. Archbishop and his wife joined us for dinner and the setting was perfect. Imagine the moment, a beautiful setting for dinner, surrounded by beautiful scenery and mountains, beautiful young local dancers and Archbishop stood to give a moving grace. As he spoke my eyes fell not upon our many loyal guests, but on the many young local waiters and waitresses, mostly school children and students. It was when I was looking at them, bursting with pride and listening intently that I realised that this country has a great future and that we really were in the presence of a great man………

 

I walked Archbishop and his wife out to their car towards the end of the evening to say our goodbyes and thanks. When I got back to the table I discovered he had written in my menu card ‘God Bless You Peter’

 

There is no more to say.

 

Best Regards, Peter Shanks

 

Thank you Peter and Captain Bates for you Blogs, certainly a remarkably historic occasion to be a part of. Peter mentioned Queen Mary 2’s World Voyage Dinner and I hope to have some pictures from that wonderful event soon. Meanwhile I’ll be back on Monday with the promised pictures from Shanghai and then later in the week, an interview with Queen Elizabeth’s Staff Captain, Hamish Sunter. Hopefully we’ll also have some new pictures of Queen Elizabeth in Italy, very soon. Cheers for now Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 199 days

 

I hope you are enjoying the Blogs, following both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria on their 2010 World Voyages. Queen Victoria is now heading to Phuket in Thailand before making her way across the Indian Ocean to Cochin, in South West India. Meanwhile Queen Mary 2 has been making maiden calls to South Africa and the cities of Durban and Cape Town. We hope to get you some pictures from our flagship soon, but this week we go back to Queen Victoria’s overnight call to the city, whose literal translation is the Fragrant Harbour. Intrigued? I’ll tell you more after we look at this week in Cunard’s history for the week of 27 March to 1 April.

 

27 March 1989	QE2 is chartered for 72 days by a consortium of Japanese companies
28 March 2008	Queen Victoria makes her maiden call to Mumbai
29 March 1950	Caronia completes her first “Great African Cruise”, arriving back in Southampton
29 March 1998	Nelson Mandela sails on QE2 from Durban to Cape Town – the first time a Head of State has travelled on board since HM The Queen in 1990.
30 March 1923	After a 130 day voyage, the Laconia returned to New York as the first ever passenger ship to complete a World Voyage.
1 April 2009	Queen Elizabeth voyages go on sale to Cunard World Club Members at 1pm (UK Time)and the maiden voyage sells out in a record 29 minutes

 

Fragrant Harbour isn’t the first thought you have when talking about “Hong Kong”, but believe it or not, it is an approximate phonetic sound of the spoken Cantonese pronunciation. Before 1842, the name Hong Kong originally referred to a small inlet between the island of Ap Lei Chau and the south side of Hong Kong Island. The inlet was one of the first points of contact between British sailors and local fishermen. According to some, the reference to fragrance apparently refers to the incense factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour for export, before the development of Victoria Harbour.

 

Talking of Victoria Harbour, a real must do in Hong Kong is to take the ferry across the harbour from Kowloon Peninsula to Hong Kong Island, which is home to the famous Stanley Market and the funicular railway to Victoria Peak at the summit of the island. The journey up is in traditional carriages from where you see there is actually some greenery amongst this bustling city.

 

 

Despite it being quite a hazy day, the views from this ultra modern Peak Tower and Peak Terrace viewing area are, as you can imagine, absolutely spectacular. This view is looking across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon.

 

 

From here you can see the iconic Bank of China Tower in the middle of the picture with its criss-cross pattern. It was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992, and it was the first building outside the United States to break the 305m (1,000 ft) mark. At seventy floors it’s now the fourth-tallest building in the city measuring 367m (1,204 ft) high and was designed by the famed architect I.M. Pei. Mind you, this is a city of skyscrapers with 107 of them that stand over 180metres (591 ft)!

 

The building which was the tallest in Hong Kong, until a year ago, is the one on the left hand side of the picture. The 88 storey Two International Finance Centre, was built in 2003 and stands at 415metres (1,362 ft) high. It’s an impressive building that changes it’s colour in neon lights after dark, but close up during the day up, it’s also quite a sight:

 

 

I mentioned that it was the tallest building when we visited the city last year, but since then a new building has broken that record. That accolade goes to The International Commerce Centre or ICC Tower which is a staggering 118 floor, 484m (1,588 ft) skyscraper in West Kowloon; as part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station

 

 

The building has the third highest roof in the world, after Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai World Financial Centre, (I’ll have pictures of that for you tomorrow!), and when it opens  later this year there’ll be a 360 degree observation platform on the 100^th floor which alone will be costing nearly £10 million – that’s $14 million!

 

Hong Kong changes every time you go there and there are always new buildings but they are not always skyscrapers. One that has opened just over a month ago is the ultra exclusive Hermitage Spa.

 

 

Hong Kong is frequently described as a city where east meets west, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, education, legal system and street culture. That’s certainly true when it comes to shopping on Kowloon Peninsula’s Nathan Road, which has everything from electronics, haute couture fashion and plenty of restaurants to choose from. Although it’s an easy city to find your way around, you can get a little disoriented on the streets.

 

 

I’m not sure why I had the map, but pictured with me from left to right are members of the Entertainment Department, Chris Knowles, Production Manager, Nico Lansdell, Entertainment Staff, Ed Moffat, Assistant Entertainment Director, Lloyd Knill, Librarian and Helen Eatough, Entertainment Staff. We eventually found a Chinese restaurant; well that was until upon closer inspection of the menus, it was in fact a Japanese Restaurant. Mind you it was still great!

 

Some of the best photos of Hong Kong Harbour are taken as the sun sets, and just before we headed back to the ship, Nick Wilkes of the Entertainment Staff took this great picture looking across to Hong Kong Island.

 

 

As it was an overnight, some of the team stayed in the city and enjoyed the nightly laser show and the scenes as the nightlife in this incredible city begins and the neon lights the sky.

 

 

To finish the night you can hardly leave without one final picture looking across Victoria Harbour and all the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island.

 

 

Thanks to Nick, and our Spanish Host Inigo, for helping me with these great photos. I’ll have more memorable pictures from our World Voyage tomorrow; this time our call to Shanghai which is another incredible city. Cheers for now Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 200 days

 

As you can see it’s just 200 days to go before Queen Elizabeth enters service, so it’s getting very exciting. I’ll have some more news, from Monfalcone where she is under construction, soon, but in this post we are going to Queen Victoria on her third World Voyage. Although we left Australia some time ago there’s one more story about our visit there I’d like to share with you.  I was very fortunate one day to receive a phone call from Fabrice Cune, Queen Victoria’s Chief Sommelier, telling me he had arranged a visit to one of the Wineries that supplies Cunard, and would I like to go along?  You only have to ask me a question like that once; I just knew we were in for a treat but the visit exceeded all my expectations.

 

As I joined Fabrice and eleven of his Sommeliers, a minibus took us to the d’Arenberg winery in McLaren Vale, which is just over an hour outside the South Australia city of Adelaide. Fabrice told me d’Arenberg, is one of the most renowned wineries in Australia. This was a day of wine tasting, great food and photos! The first was of our group by the entrance of the winery.

 

 

It all started in 1912 when Joseph Osborn, a teetotaller and director of Thomas Hardy and Sons, purchased the well established Milton Vineyards of 25 hectares in the hills just north of the townships of Gloucester and Bellevue, now known as McLaren Vale.  In 1943 Joseph’s grandson Francis d’Arenberg Osborn, universally known as “d’Arry”, returned from school, age 16, to help his father, eventually assuming full management in 1957. In 1959 d’Arry launched his own label d’Arenberg, named in honour of his mother, Frances Helena d’Arenberg.

 

After humble beginnings the wines gained cult status amongst imbibers and judges, winning numerous awards and accolades over the years. D’Arry’s son Chester, took over the reins as Chief Winemaker in 1984, and with his father still very actively involved in the business, they focus on minimal inputs and no fertilisation, cultivation and irrigation wherever possible, therefore achieving natural soil flavours with very low yields.  The winery has also become an attraction in itself, with the award winning d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant not to mention their Cellar Door tasting room, both housed in the beautiful original house.

 

 

In June 2004 d’Arry was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours for his contributions to the wine industry and to the McLaren Vale region. After meeting Nick James-Martin, d’Arenberg’s Winemaker & Brand Ambassador and Luke Tyler who is in charge of Marketing and Communications, we met d’Arry busy at work.

 

 

We started the day by walking around the vineyards and got the chance to taste some grapes, since the harvest would be taking place a couple of weeks later. The vines themselves were amazingly varied due to the numerous different soil types in a relatively small area, so each section was clearly marked.

 

 

I was very impressed by some of the questions from the very knowledgeable group I was with. At times it was like they were speaking another language, but they were clearly soaking up all the fascinating information we were given, as we then headed up to the winery. This was a real treat as the regular wine tours rarely get to see this part of the operation, but we did and found out that traditional methods are still very much in use;

 

 

All grapes, red and white, are basket-pressed. The reds are still traditionally fermented with the grape skins submerged in open wax-lined concrete fermenters utilising the age-old technique of foot-treading.

 

 

Nick the winemaker explained that they wanted to preserve and respect what nature does in the vineyards as much as possible, therefore human intervention and technology is kept to a minimum. He likes to think the wines are a reflection of the land. Fabrice told me that the open-air fermentation tank was definitely a highlight for him as they are hardly ever used anywhere else around the world.

 

 

The wine is then stored in oak barrels, each selected for the age of the wood, which would give the finished wine its own distinctive flavour.

 

 

To see the operation to the end, we saw some wine being loaded on a lorry ready to deliver; perhaps to Queen Victoria!

 

 

Then it was time for lunch and an opportunity to taste some of the 43 different wines produced by d’Arenberg; as well as enjoying some excellent food in a specially prepared six course menu with, yes you’ve guessed it, a different wine with each course. Each wine was of course fabulous, but I never realised you could describe them in so many different ways;  but I could tell I was amongst professionals, as they savoured every drop, and chatted about the flavours, bouquets and body of each wine.

 

 

It was a fabulous lunch and I learned so much from my colleagues and managed not to drink the entire contents of every glass given to me, but to taste it and move on to the next! By the end of the meal we had tried nine stunning wines and here’s the evidence!

 

 

On the way back I chatted to Rajesh Swarnakar, otherwise known amongst the team as “The Professor”, who joined Cunard in 2003, part of Queen Mary 2’s inaugural team.  Having passed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Qualification (WSET) (level 3), he is now studying for his WSET Diploma which involves a lot of study at home and on board, as well visits to London for more classes and his exams. He was the only Sommelier to represent Cunard at the London International Wine and Spirit Fair in 2009 and told me:

“It was a fantastic experience, being able to visit a winery and see the whole process in person, and to meet the producers of the wine we sell on board. It was also great to spend time with my fellow sommeliers, to taste the wines which were so beautifully paired with locally grown food. Since I came back it has been great to be able to be more knowledgeable about the wines I am sharing with our guests, who seem to enjoy hearing about my experiences. It has also helped to build my confidence about the products we offer so I hope we’ll be able to go on similar trips in the future.”

 

A few days after our visit we received a great message from Luke Tyler :

 “It was fantastic to host Fabrice, Alastair and some of the Cunard Sommeliers at our winery and to provide a tour of our near 100 year old winery. We are in the middle of vintage at the moment so it was a perfect time to explain the unique viticulture and winemaking practices we use here. Nick James-Martin, our Winemaker & Brand Ambassador and I were both impressed with the level of knowledge among the team and were pleased to see a genuine willingness to learn more about d’Arenberg and the McLaren Vale region. With so many nationalities represented among the group it was a fascinating lunch and a real pleasure to discuss our passion for wine and to hear some stories of life on the ship. We are already looking forward to hosting the group again on their next trip to South Australia.”

 

Thank you so much Nick and Luke for looking after us so well on that day; it was brilliant, and thank you to Fabrice and his team for letting me tag along – I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. You can find out more about the d’Arenberg Winery at www.darenberg.com.au .

 

I’ll be back tomorrow with pictures from our recent call to Hong Kong and on Friday Shanghai. Cheers for now, Alastair

 

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 202 days

 

As many of you know, the Captain and four other senior officers for the set up for Queen Elizabeth have been named by Cunard. I promised I would interview each of them, so I am delighted to share an interview with Queen Elizabeth’s first Hotel Manager, Robert Howie

 

Robert studied in historical Edinburgh, Scotland, graduating with a degree in Hotel Management.  He began his career working in various positions in hotels, bars and restaurants throughout Edinburgh. In 1990 the desire to travel brought him to Princess Cruises. Starting as a Junior Bar Steward, Robert rose through the ranks to Bartender before joining the Princess New Build Team. Over the following eight years, as Senior Bartender, he brought five Princess ships in to service and through their inaugural seasons.  In 2000 he became Food & Beverage Manager within the New Build Team, and then Food & Beverage Director. In 2003 he was posted to Nagasaki, Japan with the responsibility to oversee the construction of the galleys, dining rooms and bars on the Diamond and Sapphire Princess.

 

In October 2004, Robert joined Cunard Line and Queen Mary 2 and was proud to have been “at the helm” during some of her most iconic voyages. Robert then took responsibility for much of the preparations in the build up to the launch of Queen Victoria in December 2007, bringing her successfully into service and through her Maiden World Voyage. In early 2009, he was asked to join the Queen Elizabeth Project, which involved project managing all aspects of the hotel for Queen Elizabeth, including recommending any operational improvements, coordinating with suppliers, interior designers and the builder, as well as developing new concepts alongside the Cunard Product Team in Southampton.

 

When not at sea, Robert returns to the peace and quiet of his home near St. Andrews in Scotland, working continually on renovating his 170 year old cottage, situated in a village where there are less inhabitants than the total amount of crew on board Queen Mary 2.

 

 

 

Interview With Hotel Manager, Robert Howie

 

Firstly, congratulations on being appointed Queen Elizabeth’s first Hotel Manager.  How do you feel about taking on such an important role?

Thank you. It is always a privilege to be asked to bring a new ship into service, and I am very excited about the challenge of taking Queen Elizabeth through her delivery and easing her into service.

 

You have been very much involved with Queen Elizabeth from quite an early stage in Southampton. Could you tell us some of the projects you have been involved with?

We have many ideas; some which we would like to keep as a surprise for when Queen Elizabeth enters service!  Working very closely with the Cunard Product Team we have looked at how we can enhance the crew and guest spaces and have reviewed what we currently have on board our other two ships. For example, we realised our Britannia Restaurant china was different on both ships so we have decided that from Queen Elizabeth all our ships will have the same. This is more than just deciding which looks best, you also have to take into consideration the durability, supply, the chip resistance as well as the weight of each plate as our Waiters have to carry up to 12 of these at any one time. I have worked closely with Jean-Marie Zimmermann, our Corporate Executive Chef and Edward Dieusaert, Food and Beverage Product Manager for Cunard, on the new evening dining concepts within the Lido Restaurant. I have also worked closely with Teresa Anderson and Giacomo Mortala, the Interior Designer and Architect for the ship, to look at many areas of the ship. I am now working on the ship’s manning and training requirements with our Fleet Personnel department, to ensure that Queen Elizabeth’s crew have the knowledge and expertise to bring the ship successfully into service. I am about to start placing orders for the ship’s first fit, so let’s hope we have thought of everything!

 

Have you been to see Queen Elizabeth in Monfalcone yet? When will you be going there full time?

I have visited the yard twice for meetings and took the opportunity to have a look around Queen Elizabeth. I was amazed to see the progress between my two visits. I will be in Italy this month to visit some of our furniture manufacturers to view samples of the furniture that has been selected. I will be returning to Monfalcone in the middle of May, and will then remain with the ship through to her delivery.

 

What are the biggest differences in the Hotel Department between Queen Elizabeth and her sister?

The biggest difference is that we will have a Britannia Club Restaurant, which will be in the space currently occupied by the Chart Room on Queen Victoria, and it’s going to be a beautiful area. There are 39 additional staterooms on board Queen Elizabeth compared to Queen Victoria, making Queen Elizabeth the second largest Cunarder ever built, behind Queen Mary 2. The interior décor will also be different, with blues and greens incorporated into many of the public spaces. Blue was the original colour theme of the first Queen Elizabeth in the 1930’s. The design theme is more art décor with more use of metals and woods throughout the ship.

 

You’ll have the biggest department on board, how will you be choosing your team?

This can be a daunting task! I have worked with many people during my time at Cunard and I will be drawing on that experience. There are so many people I would love to take, however it’s not fair on the other two ships so those with previous experience of introducing a new ship into service will obviously be given the option if they wish to join, and we will ask if others have a particular desire to join the ship.

 

What is the most frequent question you get asked – and how do you answer it?

“How do you stay so thin in your position?”  My response is; “At times with great difficulty!” But seriously my job involves gaining an overview of the whole operation both front and back of house, and the only way of getting that is by doing my daily rounds of the ship, and using the stairs helps. And besides if you have been in shipyards as often as I have with no lifts working, it’s easy to keep trim! Mind you I also like cycling when I get a chance. Here I am with Personnel and Training Manager, Brian Lynch on a cycle ride in Aruba.

 

 

What does “We Are Cunard” mean to you?

“We Are Cunard” has become a very powerful statement, especially amongst our crew. As you know Alastair, you and I were there when this was first introduced at the delivery of Queen Victoria in 2007. “We Are Cunard” instils a sense of pride within our crew, that they are part of what we as a company are delivering. I strongly believe our crew are the key to everything that we, as a brand, do. They are part of a family, and it is great to see people with such longevity with the company. We are now starting to see second and third generations joining that same company; tell me who else has that? It is what makes us Cunard.

 

Where would you like to go in the world where you haven’t been yet?

I have been extremely fortunate to have visited many countries. There are a few places on my list that I would like to return to spend more time such as China, Australia and Peru. This is a picture with Rie Sanda, my Personal Assistant on Queen Victoria’s maiden call to Sydney in 2008.

 

 

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?

I achieved my dream and career goal much more quickly than I ever expected when I was appointed Hotel Manager on Queen Mary 2. Personally, my dream was to travel the world and whilst I have almost achieved that, I would like to do it with a friend or two at my own pace and absorb the countries and cultures more.

 

When you are at home; what is your perfect night?

At home I live very quietly, in stark contrast to my position at sea, and by that I mean out of the limelight. I spend as much time with my family as I can and make sure I have dinner every evening with them when I am at home. I usually go on holiday with friends as well for a week or so; there is just so much fun and laughter amongst us as we rarely manage to catch up. Time with family is always valuable and it’s great when they are able to travel with me. Here I am with my brother in front of Queen Mary in Long beach.

 

What is your favourite quote and who said it?

I recently came across one anonymous quote whilst working on our new Commodore Club bar menu, which I particularly liked, and in fact we incorporated it in to the menu;

“Life is not measured in breaths that we take, but in places and moments that take our breath away.”

 

What a great interview; thank you Robbie. I’m looking forward to working with you again in Italy this summer; it’ll be a bit like déjà vu and certainly promises to be an amazing time. My next interview will be in a week or so, with the Staff Captain of Queen Elizabeth, Hamish Sunter. Meanwhile I’ll be back on Wednesday with a Blog about our fascinating visit to a winery in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago. Then on Thursday I’ll be back with some new pictures from Hong Kong. Cheers for now Alastair.

 

 

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 206 days

 

After another busy week of Blogging, this post focuses on the progress of our new Queen. Regular readers may remember that last year there was a competition to decide on the sculpture that will be specially commissioned for Queen Elizabeth. More of that after the regular feature, this week in Cunard’s history, for the week 19^th to the 25^th of March:

 

19 March 2008	Queen Victoria makes her maiden call at Port Kelang, Malaysia
20 March 1950	Caronia makes her maiden call to Algiers, Algeria – 1 of only 2 calls she ever made there
21 March 2003	Queen Mary 2 is floated out of the building dock.
22 March 1921	Ausonia is launched and enters service the next year
23 March 1921	Scythia is launched and enters service later the same year.
23 March 1950	Caronia makes her maiden call to Lisbon, Portugal
25 March 1975	QE2 makes her first transit of the Panama Canal, making her the largest ship to travel through the canal to date.

 

Cunard has long had a reputation for commissioning dramatic pieces of art for its ocean liners, and last September in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph, Cunard announced a competition to design an art-deco style sculpture to feature on Queen Elizabeth.

 

In keeping with the art deco theme on board Queen Elizabeth, competition entrants were asked to come up with their own unique designs, they could take inspiration from traditional art deco figurative pieces, famous art deco buildings or create something unique. Although traditionally the most common mediums for art deco sculptures are stone and bronze, weight considerations mean that the piece will have to be made of a lighter material such as plaster or fibreglass, with a faux bronze or stone finish.

 

By the competition closing date in December last year, 143 entries from all over the world had been submitted. They then had to be whittled down to just 20, by the judges who included Royal Academy Director, Charles Saumarez Smith, Telegraph Arts Editor, Sarah Crompton and Cunard’s President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks.

 

In the Telegraph Review in January, readers were then asked to vote for their favourite. A winner was recently announced as 20 year Peter Simpson, who is in his second year of a sculpture course at Edinburgh College of Art. Here he is with a model of his winning sculpture:

 

 

 

Peter heard about the competition through his college and started designing the sculpture last September before submitting the final design at the beginning of December, and was amazed when he received the phone call saying he had won.

 

Peter comes from an artistic family. He lives with his parents in Edinburgh, and has been surrounded by art for as long as he can remember. His father is a retired Interior Designer who now carves wood and restores furniture, while his mother and elder sister create fashion jewellery from blown glass.

 

So far Peter has created a dozen very different sculptural pieces including the following:

 

 

 

Peter likes themes around speed and movement with the futurists, especially Umberto Boccioni, a major influence. “I like traditional techniques or subject matter, but with a modern edge,” he explained in an interview with the Telegraph; “I want to connect with people. There are ideas at the root of my sculptures but the pieces aren’t conceptual: you can get to them through the image.”  

 

The way Peter came to design his work for Cunard, apparently intrigued the judges. He became interested in the new lighthouse lenses, introduced by Augustin-Jean Fresnel in the early 19th century, after watching a BBC Television documentary. He told judges that; “They vastly reduced the material needed to amplify light, but are also beautiful objects in their own right.”

 

He said that at first he wanted to work with a shell shape, so he spent days sketching whelks. Then he said “I realised that it was too figurative, didn’t say much, and I was finding it hard to get something beautiful out of it. So I took what I liked, the curved shape, the interior space and adapted it to the lens.” These are his sketches of the finished work.

 

 

 

Peter Shanks was delighted by the result; “We were overwhelmed by the creativity of Telegraph readers,” he said “We are delighted to be part of this young artist’s future and to have him, in turn, be part of Cunard’s history.”

 

The final full sized sculpture won’t be made by Peter, although he will follow its progress with Cunard’s design team who’ll bring his ideas to life. Naturally he will be there to reveal the final work of art and will be part of the celebrations when Queen Elizabeth arrives in Southampton for the first time at the beginning of October this year.

 

Our congratulations to Peter, I’m sure you’ll agree this piece of art will look stunning and will add another unique feature to our new Queen’s interior.

 

I’ll bring you more news about Queen Elizabeth’s progress soon, including an interview next week with Robert Howie, the Hotel Manager appointed to our new Queen. I’ve also got some more news from Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 on their World Voyages coming next week, so please keep logging on and sending me your questions and comments. Cheers for now, Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 208 days

 

Queen Mary 2 has now sailed from Australian shores, as she heads for the tropical island of Mauritius. She has left some fabulous and lasting memories for her guests and crew on board, as well as the thousands of people who came to see her in Sydney, Adelaide and Fremantle. If you didn’t catch the stunning pictures from Queen Mary 2’s arrival in Sydney they can be found on this link:

http://wearecunard.com/2010/03/09/

 

Once Queen Mary 2 docked at her berth at Sydney’s Garden Island, the bow of the liner was just a hundred metres away from the home of one of Sydney’s most famous residents. Looking out of the window is an essential part of the daily duties for the Quartermasters on the Bridge, but to be looking out over the home of one of the most famous film stars in the world must, surely be just a little out of the ordinary. The home in question belongs to the nautical hero; “Master and Commander” himself, Russell Crowe. This is the view of his home as Queen Mary 2 approached the dockside.

 

Russell Crowe, the ever popular New Zealand born Australian movie star, began his acting career in the early 1990’s with roles on Australian television. By the end of the decade he had been in films such as L.A. Confidential. He has been nominated for 3 Oscars, and in 2001 he won Best Actor for his starring role in the film Gladiator.

 

Feeling that perhaps Cunard’s flagship might have been intruding a little on his privacy, Captain Bates invited Russell Crowe and his family on board, so they could meet his new, if only temporary, neighbours.

 

Not only did the Crowe family have a full tour of Queen Mary 2, but he was also gracious enough to allow himself to be photographed with some of the Bridge Team. Here he is on the Bridge with the 4 – 8 Quarter Master Roel Cagoco:

 

Roel who is married with 3 children, lives with his wife Lucila and family in Zamboanga Philippines. Roel has worked on board Queen Mary 2 for almost 3 years, while his colleague Wilfredo Banguiran, known as Fred, lives in Cebu City with his wife Lilibeth and their 3 children. Fred has worked on board Queen Mary 2 September 2004.

 

What a great moment to treasure for these two crew members, making this quite an unforgettable World Voyage and I’d like to thank Queen Mary 2’s Hotel Manager, David Stephenson for sharing this wonderful story with us.

 

Six days later, after a maiden call to Adelaide, there were more celebrations as Queen Mary 2 arrived at the port of Fremantle for the first time. Fortunately for us Chris Frame was there to capture the excitement of the day. Chris recently lectured on Queen Victoria as part of the Cunard Insights programme. Chris’ passion for Cunard’s history started at the age of eleven when he first set eyes on QE2. He has published a number of books on QE2 and Queen Mary 2. Whilst on Queen Victoria, he was also working a new book, Queen Victoria: A Photographic Journey, which he is co-authoring with Rachelle Cross. I’ll let Chris take up the story of Queen Mary 2’s visit to Fremantle in this special Guest Blog:

 

Guest Blog – Chris Frame – Cunard Insights Lecturer and Author

Queen Mary 2’s maiden visit to Fremantle was a truly festive occasion. She is so large that the port had to be cleared of nearby shipping to allow her to fit into the passenger terminal. To facilitate this, the ship arrived very early, but despite this, hundreds of people lined the banks to watch the world’s largest ocean liner enter the port for her first time.

 

 

During the day, most of Perth (or so it seemed) ventured down to ‘Freo’ to see Queen Mary 2. Traffic was at a near stand-still as people flocked for every vantage point.

 

Aboard the ship, the atmosphere was one of excitement. Guests returning from shore tours (some coming back early to have their books signed by Rachelle and I), were all talking about how many people were in the port, waiting for the big event – Queen Mary 2’s departure from the city.

 

At 5pm the lines were let go and the ship set sail. She was escorted by the Fremantle Fire Boat spraying water skyward. Overhead, a small aircraft carried a banner “Fremantle Port Salutes Queen Mary 2!”

 

 

It was a fantastic sight as hundreds of boats, and tens of thousands of people crowded the port. The North Mole, where we were standing, had the biggest crowds I’ve seen since QE2’s farewell departure back in 2008.

 

 

As Queen Mary 2 sailed past, she sounded her magnificent “Queen Mary” horn and the crowd cheered – followed shortly after by an “Aussie Aussie Aussie” to which the Australian’s on board replied “Oi Oi Oi”.

 

 

As the ship slipped over the horizon, conversations were already on the 2011 World Voyage – we can’t wait!

 

Thank you, Chris, for a great post and superb pictures. You may be interested to know that Chris maintains a popular independent website (www.chriscunard.com), so you can catch up with him there. We’ll of course have lots more pictures from both Queens as they continue their World Voyages. Meanwhile I’ll be back tomorrow, with the results of the competition to design a sculpture to adorn Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Arcade Cheers for now, Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 210 days

 

As the World Voyages for 2010 continue, Queen Victoria is now heading for Vietnam and Queen Mary 2 is crossing the Indian Ocean for her maiden call to Mauritius. In addition to the many extra events and activities we do that mark the special nature of a World Voyage, we also maintain the very important elements of our White Star Service programme like celebrating our Star of the Month.

 

As many of you will know, the 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 Committees. On this Blog we alternate ships, for which “Star of the Month” we feature, and this month it’s the turn of Queen Victoria. Each star has their photo displayed prominently in the Grand Lobby for guests to see, so here’s the one currently on Queen Victoria; Laundry Master Tito Rosales.

 

 

As Laundry Master, Tito oversees the whole laundry operation on board Queen Victoria. He has the huge responsibility of maintaining the highest possible standard in an essential part of the ship’s operation. Reporting to the Executive Housekeeper, he manages nineteen members of staff and liaises with the ships engineers to ensure all the machines that wash, dry and iron clothes and linen, are able to keep working around the clock.  It’s quite a job when you look at the statistics. On linen change day Tito and his team wash, dry and iron over 2,800 sheets. Also on a daily basis the laundry washes and dries a staggering:

·         2,200 bath towels

·         700 bath mats

·         2,800 hand towels

·         5,000 face cloths

Here’s the main laundry on Queen Victoria with linen coming in and out throughout the day.

 

 

Tito and his team look after guests’ personal laundry as well as being responsible for the cleaning and tailoring of the uniforms for all 1,000 of Queen Victoria’s crew. For example to keep our chefs looking immaculate they clean over 360 pieces of uniform a day, and over 600 articles for the Bar and Restaurant Staff. Here you can see uniforms ready for our crew to put on fresh each day:

 

 

Tito was born in Cebu, Philippines, which he describes as a lovely island, surrounded with white sandy beaches, located in the northern part of Malapascua Island. Because of its natural beauty, it is one of the Philippines’ top tourist destinations. He met his wife, Rose in Manila and then he built their house in Caloocan City.

 

 

They now have three children Mariz 19, Louie 15, and Mae 10.

 

 

Tito started working as Laundry Man in Teves Dry cleaning and Steam laundry in Makati City in the Philippines in 1986, and then worked in Saudi Arabia for three different laundry establishments for almost five years during which time he gained his first supervisory position. But then the sea beckoned, as he decided to apply to an agency in the Philippines to work as Laundry Man on board passenger ships.

 

In 1998 Tito began his career at sea on one our sister company’s ships; P&O’s Oriana. He stayed there for ten years during which time he was promoted to Assistant Linen Keeper and consequently, Linen Keeper. In 2008, he joined Cunard as Laundry Man and after just one year was promoted to Laundry Master.

 

Tito starts work at 7:30am and begins his day by checking all areas of his responsibility such as the machines and linen stocks as well as looking over the area to ensure everything is in order. After mustering his day staff, he assesses the work load and organises the day’s work, which is always very busy.

 

During his time off he enjoys relaxing in his cabin either watching TV or a movie and likes to call his family at home regularly. During port days, he likes to go ashore whenever possible to go sightseeing or to the beach or even better a good Chinese restaurant, when he can find one.

 

I asked him what “We are Cunard” meant to him and he told me; “It means that we are all part of legendary service in our industry with the White Star Service principles applied in every aspect of the job we perform on board whether we are directly or indirectly looking after our guests. As we work behind the scenes I think it’s important to support our colleagues who do look after our guests”.

 

Our White Star winners never know they have won until they arrive at a very special presentation, where the nominees are read out by the on board White Star Committee Chairman, Hotel Manager, Jacqui Hodgson. When Tito heard the runners up and he finally realised he must be the winner as he was the only person left to be announced. Here’s Tito receiving his award, with (from left to right), Captain Paul Wright, Tito, Hotel Manager, Jacqui Hodgson, and Executive Housekeeper, Thelma Rojas.

 

 

He also won a cash prize, and Tito told me he will be saving some of his winnings, but will also spend a small amount on something special that will become a valuable memory to him so that in the future he can be reminded of his achievement.

 

As for the future Tito told me; “I dream that one day all my three children will be able to finish their college degrees. That is one of my greatest wishes for them, and the reason why I have chosen to work so hard. Once I have fulfilled these dreams I will feel relieved and relaxed.”

 

When I was chatting to Tito he asked me to help him pass on his thanks: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who believed in my knowledge and ability to perform my duty: Jaime Masing, Rosa Christiner, Andrea Keiser, Thelma Rojas, Mornay the Shop Manager, my Laundry Staff, Linen Keeper and of course the White Star Committee headed by the Captain and Hotel Manager. My sincere thanks to everyone; after all, “WE ARE CUNARD”.

 

Thank you Tito for a great interview. What a great way to end the Blog for today. In fact Tito has just gone home on a well deserved leave, so he’ll be able to read this at home and celebrate with his family who I am sure will be very proud of his achievement. I’ll be back on Wednesday with some great pictures of Queen Mary 2 as well as news of a special visitor to our flagship recently in Sydney. Cheers for now, Alastair

 

 

 

 

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 214 days

 

Welcome to another Blog which marks yet more Cunard milestones. Firstly, this is our 80^th week of Blogging, and this is the 152^nd post, so thank you to everyone back in Southampton for all their help, but more importantly thank you for reading them, and for all your questions and comments. It’s been a busy week as both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria continue their World Voyages and we’ll of course keep you posted on their progress. Today Queen Mary 2 is on her way to Adelaide in South Australia and Queen Victoria will leave Hong Kong this afternoon after her overnight stay; I’ll post some pictures from there soon.

 

For this Blog, I’m pleased to post some new pictures of Queen Elizabeth in the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy where she is currently under construction in her outfitting dock. But before I share them with you, here’s this week in Cunard’s history, for the week 12 to 18 March:

 

12 March 1950	Caronia makes her maiden call to Naples, Italy
15 March 2007	Cunard announces Queen Victoria’s first summer voyages
16 March 2007	Queen Mary 2 makes her maiden transit of the Suez Canal
17 March 2009	A press release from Cunard reveals the first information about the new Queen Elizabeth due to be launched 18 months later
18 March 1839	Samuel Cunard agrees to a tentative contract with the British Admiralty to “Convey mail from a point in England to Halifax and back twice a month”
18 March 2008	Queen Victoria makes maiden call at Singapore

 

Tomorrow (12 March), will be exactly seven months before Queen Elizabeth begins her maiden voyage, so it’s perfect timing to show you some new pictures.  I asked Simona Capraro if she would take some pictures for us and she kindly sent these earlier this week. Firstly, this is how she looks at the moment in her outfitting dock. 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile inside our new Queen, one of the last sections of the ship’s infrastructure to be added was the Grills section, on deck 11 in the middle of our new liner. This is what I would describe as an enclave for guests who have booked the suites on board. As you may know there are two restaurants in this area; the Princess and Queen’s Grills. Although there is not much there at the moment here’s a picture of the Princess Grill, looking aft.

 

 

 

 

This, of course, is what the restaurant will look like when it is complete.

 

 

 

 

When I was at the float out ceremony in January, we filmed the Grills area, and to complete this Video Blog we have added an exclusive interview with Teresa Anderson, Cunard’s Vice President Interior Design, who has been responsible for the stunning Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth interior design.

 

 

Meanwhile around the rest of the ship, more areas are starting to become recognisable; well just. Here’s what the bar that will dispense delicious coffees throughout the day, looks like now, and a reminder of what it will look like in October; Café Carinthia.

 

 

 

 

 

Another recent addition to Queen Elizabeth was the elegant spiral staircase that will be the centre piece of her 6,000 book Art Deco styled library.

 

 

 

 

A favourite venue on board is Cunard’s signature bar, the Golden Lion Pub, which plays host to everything from Quizzes to Karaoke, Sing-along’s to Darts and much more including wonderful Pub Lunches! In these pictures you can see the progress the space is making along with what it will end up looking like.

 

 

 

 

That’s it for another week, but I’ll be back on Monday with a Blog featuring Queen Victoria’s latest “Star of the Month”, as well as a lot more posts to come. Please do keep those questions and comments coming, it’s always great to hear from readers. Cheers for now, Alastair