Hello All

Many of you will have seen the wonderful art on board each of our ships. We are fortunate to have a mix of fine artists covering a wide range of tastes – and of course we have some unique historic art of many of the most exciting times in our history. Where do we get it all from I hear you say, how on earth does an artist get a painting onto a famous ocean liner. Well we thought it would be interesting for one of our valued artists to tell his story – and it is quite a story of endurance, creativity, passion – well quite a lot of passion actually. The story below comes from Giancarlo Impiglia – his distinctive art hangs on all three of our ships. We are all very grateful for his passion and for the very distinctive art that he has created for us. So over to you Giancarlo…

I was first approached by Cunard in 1994 to produce some artwork for QE2, when the then President John Olsen had spotted my work in a restaurant on Broadway.  Over the years I have also been commissioned to create artwork for Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the new Queen Elizabeth.

It was important for me to be a part of the new ship. After all, in an online article on Cunard Line, I was referred to as “Giancarlo Impiglia, Artist to the Queens”

During the fall of 2009 I was invited to present sketches and studies to Cunard’s interior design team, who were selecting the artwork of many artists invited to create paintings for Queen Elizabeth. They needed to approve the initial sketches in order to coordinate colour and subject matter in harmony with the ship’s interior.

I was commissioned to create three paintings for the staircase B on deck 9 and 10.

I started to work on the project with my usual enthusiasm, for each canvas I sketched many different drawings from which to select the final image. I wanted to reach a sense of continuity with the paintings I previously created for the QE2 and Queen Mary 2.

My studio was crowded with sketches on paper hanging with scotch tape on the walls and on the windows: details of heads, of hands, of dresses and hats for the women, tuxedos for the men and   musical instruments.

By the end of the Spring, full-scale drawings for the new paintings were finally hanging on the white walls of my large studio.

Simultaneously I was working on a painting commissioned by FIFA to represent the Italian football team at the World Cup in South Africa which started in June 2010.

It was a very exciting summer.

In order to keep the three works in harmony with each other I placed the three canvases on the studio wall next to each other and worked on the paintings at the same time like if it was a single painting.

For the largest canvas (72”x 48”) I designed a formal night in the ship’s Restaurant, my own interpretation of the Britannia Restaurant where elegant guests are dining in an elegant environment. To re create the modern art deco interior I was inspired by the interior of the first Queen Mary: elegant and glamorous.

In one of the two smaller paintings I designed guests in formal attire descending the elegant staircase of the ship on the way to attend a show in the theatre. Women in colourful gowns with long gloves covering their arms and wearing precious jewellery are descending the stairs holding their companions arm.

I spent the entire summer of 2010 on the three paintings, committed to creating images not just for the decor of the ship interior but also for my own satisfaction and my pride.

During the month of August 2010 I completed the three paintings, they were shipped to Italy where they were installed on the ship, on deck 10 on Staircase B, as previously planned by the designers.

Now I had only to wait for my visit on the ship and see the paintings in their new and permanent home in the newest floating palace: Queen Elizabeth.

My wife and I were invited once again to the naming ceremony  that was going to take place, like the naming ceremony of Queen Victoria, on the docks of Southampton.

Her majesty the Queen officially named the new ocean liner; it was a fantastic and memorable event.

Arriving on board Queen Elizabeth was like coming home; a beautiful home in a floating palace. A familiar and elegant ambiance where friendships are born and camaraderie is part of life.

Now it was time to look for my three paintings….I had been waiting months for this moment.

I took the elevator to deck 10 and …there they were, nicely framed, 2 on the landing and the largest on the staircase between deck 9 and 10.

I saw a couple of guests stopping in front of the larger canvas and I heard them saying “These paintings are by the artist who painted the murals on the QE2 and on Queen Mary 2, I recognise the style…. his name is…” Looking at the tag under the painting…. “Giancarlo Impiglia”

I felt a sense of pride for what I have accomplished, my style is my signature. Being recognised among many art works on display it was for me the greatest reward I could get from my paintings.

I left the couple admiring my paintings. I walked away smiling.

The following morning after breakfast, we disembarked from the magnificent vessel.

But my story did not end there. A week later, October 24, 2010, I flew back to London to embark once again on Queen Elizabeth.

I had an invitation to return on board to present a lecture on art during Queen Elizabeth’s 2nd voyage, we were sailing to Barcelona, Montecarlo, Livorno and Civitavecchia.
It was only a one week voyage, during which I did a talk on Michelangelo and the making of the Sistine Chapel.

My lecture was attended by a full theatre and I was introduced to the audience as the artist whose works of art are featured on all the 4 Queens. The topic was important to all guests but even more important for the people going on excursion to Florence from Livorno and to Rome from Civitavecchia.

On 2 November Queen Elizabeth arrived in the port of Civitavecchia, about 3000 years of history were waiting for us.

Sadly I disembarked the ship. My sister was waiting for me with her car. She drove me home in the centre of the “Eternal City” were I grew up.The joy to be back in my beautiful city and see my Italian family and old friends put me in a good mood but…deep in my heart I was still in the middle of the ocean, on deck of the Queen Elizabeth looking out to the infinite horizon.

Thank you Giancarlo – if everybody had your passion for creativity and success then the world would be a better place. I liken Giancarlo to some of our most creative Chefs – creative , passionate,  talented and never takes ‘No’ for an answer.

That’s all for now.  Wherever you are reading this – I trust you are keeping well. An exciting week ahead for us in the UK – especially as this coming Sunday our own Andy Murray (a fellow Scot) is going to win Wimbledon for the first time ……..

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

Queen Mary 2 is here in her home port of Southampton today and she will be leaving later this afternoon, heading across the Atlantic to New York. Our guests embarking today will be joined by a rather special group of song writers as part of our Professional Insights series. They will be able to  take part in workshops with Chris Difford, Simon Hanson and John Bentley from Squeeze, Angie Pollock from Lightning Seeds and Geoff Martyn from Travis. They will also have the chance to record their song to CD at the end of the voyage! Our first songwriting voyage on board Queen Mary 2 was a real success and Chris Difford will be sailing on board our flagship several times this year. So, if you’d like to find out more about the songwriting voyages you can click here: www.cunard.com/songwriting

On other news from Queen Mary 2, I received a note from Deputy Captain Dariusz Gozdzik with a very interesting story from her previous Transatlantic Crossing. Darius met Mr Patrick Chisholm of the Isle of Wight, who brought with him a blue ensign from the original Queen Mary, which he bought at auction some time ago.  The flag measures 18 feet in the hoist and 36 feet in the fly, making it overall 72 square yards. He thought that this made it the largest maritime flag in the world.  He spoke of the privilege of wearing the Blue Ensign on Queen Mary stemming from her, and her consort  Queen Elizabeth, troop carrying duties during World War II.

He asked if we could fly it – which we were honoured to do one afternoon in the North Atlantic. It was a great privilege to celebrate its maritime historical credentials in that way. The flag is made of traditional bunting and so, unlike modern flags, flies silently.

So, what do our readers think? At 72 square yards, could this be the largest ensign in the world?

Last Friday on the Bridge of Queen Mary 2, we witnessed the retirement of Captain Paul Wright from Cunard Line.  Paul has had a magnificent career at sea and 31 years with Cunard Line.  During that time he worked on a number of our ships and I have personally known him for the last 9 years.  Paul was Master of QE2, Master of Queen Victoria and Master of our flagship Queen Mary 2.  Throughout his career Paul has developed a fine reputation with the crew of every ship on which he has worked.  He has always had a very special way with his people and has shown tremendous leadership style and compassion for all of our valued crew members. 

I got to know Paul well during the build and launch of Queen Victoria.  Bringing a ship through the shipyard and into service is a very daunting task.  It requires a great deal of leadership and importantly a great deal of teamwork, both on board the ship and with all the shipyard workers.  We often talk of “We Are Cunard” – in fact that is the name of this blog.  We Are Cunard was born under Paul’s leadership during the building phase of Queen Victoria.  It was a spontaneous phrase that came from some of the ships’ company and culminated in that famous first “We Are Cunard” video fronted by Captain Paul Wright.  You can find it on our YouTube channel and not only was it a very emotional video, but it led to the “We are Cunard” mantra that we all have great pride in sharing today.

Paul was always intending to retire when he reached a certain age.  And I was sorry that he reached that certain age and we are all sorry to see him leave Cunard Line.  However, I was able to thank him on the Bridge last Friday on behalf of all of us at Cunard and of course those of our valued guests who will know Captain Paul Wright very well.  As you can see in the picture below I was able to present him with a specially signed limited edition print by Gordon Bauwens showing three of the fine ships that he led.  In the words at the top of the picture where he describes “a proud career – Captain Paul Wright”.

So Paul – all the best for a long, healthy and happy retirement and we hope to see you on board our Cunarders in the future. 

Now on to some questions – we have had quite a few recently, so I thought I would give some answers to those of you who have kindly raised them:

Judith Sayers:
Will the Queen Mary2 be using Brooklyn terminal, or does it vary? Looking forward to sailing in and out of New York in September 2012

Judith – Queen Mary 2 now uses the Brooklyn Terminal on a regular basis. I was there just last week and had a good look around the facilities. There is no doubt that sailing right up the river to Manhattan is somewhat more ‘romantic’ and reminiscent of the old days. On the other hand , boarding Queen Mary 2 in Brooklyn on a sunny day, going up on deck and seeing Manhattan and The Statue of Liberty as part of your panoramic view is awesome. It is also true to say that feedback on the terminal experience comes in favour of Brooklyn. There were some challenges early on where some yellow cab drivers would ask ‘Where is that?’ – but a few years on that is not a problem – and it’s a faster route to and from the airport. When Queen Elizabeth makes her call into New York for a couple of days in September – that will be as a visit rather than an embarkation call and so she will be close to the action of Manhattan. I hope that answers your question. Kind Regards. Peter

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Bill Bradbury:
Peter most interesting. New York is on our “radar” after 2 brief calls last year on our QM2 Quebec trip. Now tell us what were the results of the “feedback” and what you should be doing better plus the “interesting ideas” that came up.

Bill – Some of the ideas I heard as follows. Could we increase the number of Transatlantics and offer more opportunities for our North American guests to travel to and from Europe. Could we increase the capacity of our kennels on Queen Mary 2 – they sell out quickly. One hot topic at the moment is the high cost of air fares to Europe from North America – and could we see if we could help with more ‘air-inclusive’ offers. Could we increase the number of Canada/New England Voyages in the Fall (to which I said we would if somebody could get the  beautiful Fall leaves to stay on the trees a bit longer).
Feedback on the whole was very positive – notably as to how well Queen Victoria is doing. There is still a ‘buzz’ in New York as to Queen Elizabeth – and most of the agents present at the meeting had watched the Royal Wedding. It was a very useful event – our guests give their feedback to their agents and it is good to find ways of our agents passing that feedback on to ourselves. They enjoyed the tea and scones we gave them as well. Best Regards. Peter.

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Roger Waterfall:
Does anyone know of any Cunard connections to Baltic history? we will visit on Queen Elizabeth in August.

Roger – I can find out and let you know – I am sure there will be some Baltic History for Cunard. Back with an answer shortly. Best Regards. Peter

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Tony Mac:
Can i get some copys of the photos and the story in NewYork of the Carpathia arriving with the 705 survivors that fateful day,i only use the info to show the public the events of 1912, i have a R.M.S. Titanic exhibition which will be at Carnforth Station 18July 30 Aug free entry to all.

Tony – The photos I showed on the blog I took with my Blackberry – we could email those to you and will find out if you are able to source the pictures elsewhere.. I hear that our good friend and maritime historian John Maxtone-Graham (whom I had the pleasure of meeting on the Queen Mary 2 Bridge last week) is about to publish a book on Titanic and that will be worth a read.  Best Regards. Peter

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So I started the blog with Paul – what about Ringo?  Well also last Friday I was fortunate to attend a wonderful concert at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey.  We go every year to see a range of different artists and it is a fantastic historic menu and a great setting for concerts.  We went to see Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band.  This is nothing to do with Cunard or our blog, but I just thought I would tell you how much I enjoyed it.  It is rather special to see a real live Beatle and he did not disappoint. He had a wonderful band of talented musicians.  He had a chap called Rick Derringer – he sang his hit “Hang on Snoopy”.  He also had a rather crazy rock and roll star called Edgar Winter from the famous Edgar Winter Band.  He was amazing and played the saxophone, drums, keyboards and a rather energetic synthesizer.  But the star of the All Starr band was Ringo himself.  He is still full of energy and sang as well as playing the drums in his inimitable style.  Yes, he performed “We All Live in a Yellow Submarine”, along with some of his other hits.  It was interesting that he did not mention “The Beatles” once – instead he would say “You might recognise this song, I used to play it in my other band”.  I have always thought it sad that The Beatles did not get a chance to reunite like many other famous bands have, but nevertheless it was really rather special to see Ringo Starr in such fine form after all these years – this is how it looked:

So that is how I managed to start the blog with Paul and finish with Ringo…..

Best regards,
Peter Shanks.

Hello All

I have just returned from a few days business in New York. It’s our second home really – with Queen Mary 2 there on a regular basis over the summer. The reason for my visit was to hold a series of meetings with our close travel agent partners, meet with travel media partners and to take part in a Cruise Symposium for many of the ports we visit in Canada and New England. It was a very useful if tiring visit – but every time I travel to New York I bump in to Cunard History and I can’t resist telling you about it – so here goes.

Our travel agent event was held at the very prestigious Harvard Club. It is a beautiful and traditional building – and as we say in England ‘it does exactly what it says on the tin’. The outside of the building says it all;

Inside it is beautiful, wooden panels, grand staircases, libraries, meeting rooms and on the upper floors they have some accommodation, a gym and some squash courts. So we – along with 100 of our close travel agent partners felt very privileged to be there and felt a sense of the wonderful tradition of Harvard. The meeting went very well, we served tea and scones, I presented how Cunard was doing – how we now have the youngest fleet in the world, go to more places than ever before but importantly are still holding firm to the traditional values that our guests rightly expect from us. At the end of the session we held a Q&A and that was most useful – a chance for me to get some feedback on how we are doing, what we could do better and some very useful ideas.

Later that afternoon I had a meeting down at Chelsea Piers. Now Chelsea Piers are where many of our ships docked many years ago. So after the meeting I went for a look round – and found something quite amazing. Between two of the piers there is a wall of large black and white photos. When I say large – each one is about 2 metres high by 2 metres wide. The subject of the photos was primarily about our ship Carpathia. Many of you will know that in 1912 it was the Carpathia that went to the rescue of the Titanic – well she brought the survivors to this very spot.

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 This is a picture of people standing on the dockside awaiting the Carpathia’s arrival with survivors. Fifteen hundred lives had been lost and many were waiting to see if the Carpathia had brought their relatives to safety. In the picture you can see the old ‘Cunard Store’. It must have been a very moving and daunting time for all those present.

 Here you can see Carpathia alongside with Titanic survivors on board waiting to disembark. It is hard to think what it could have been like for those who had experienced the terrible tragedy and to now find themselves arriving in New York – many would have come with dreams and  instead now find themselves in such a sad situation.

It was quite something to stand and look at these huge black and white photos and to think that it all happened for real so many years ago on this very spot in New York. One has to have so much respect for all that were involved in the tragic Titanic events and the part that Carpathia played.

So later that afternoon, we took a boat trip down the river to show those taking part in the Cruise Symposium our Brooklyn Terminal. It was quite a menacing evening – it was raining. First up we sailed past a marvelous British sight – Concorde;

I always wonder at the Empire State Building – here she is against the darkening rainy skies;

New York is a city with tremendous spirit – and for the first time I saw World Trade Center One. It is about half way up, and already the tallest building in the financial district. One can’t help being moved by this sign of defiance after 9/11 – here is shot of how it looks today;

So that was a couple of days in New York and I hope you don’t mind me sharing it with you. At Cunard we are so proud to still have so many links to this famous city. We estimate that Cunard have brought over 10 million people to New York over the years – many to start a new life in North America. And still today Queen Mary 2 arrives with guests up on the top decks full of excitement and intrigue as they sail into this fabulous city. If you have not done it yet – then please come and join us. I often say that whatever price you pay for a Transatlantic Crossing – just the two hours arriving into this famous city are worth every cent or every penny of your fare.

New York, New York – so good they named it twice…….

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

Guest Blog:

Freda Singleton, Social Hostess & Marc Wilkinson, Sports Director; Queen Elizabeth

Welcome to the latest news of Queen Elizabeth’s travels. From the warm shores of Italy we headed north for our maiden visit to the Norwegian fjords…. it was something of a shock to be surrounded by snow dusted mountains and near freezing waters!

Our first stop was Stavanger and as Norwegian ports go, one of the more populated.  A good chance to begin to acclimatise to the change in temperatures; as the locals walked around in shorts and t-shirts, crew and guests alike donned thermals and woolly hats!

Next call took us to the charming port of Flaam with a population of around 300, so Queen Elizabeth guests multiplied this almost 8 times over as they made their way to the steepest railway network in Europe for the morning tours – some of the more energetic taking bicycles with them for the magnificent ride down hill through the lush, verdant countryside.

Now – a little challenge for you – what do you think is the question most commonly asked of the Captain at cocktail parties?   Probably – ‘If you’re here, who is driving the ship…..?’

Amongst our Captains’ witty replies are often variations along the lines of:  ‘Some yoof….’ or alternatively ‘Microsoft’!  After our early morning meandering entrance between the waterfalls and the snow-capped mountains into the beautiful fjord of Geiranger, the ‘yoofs’ properly got to play with Microsoft!   Unusually for this area, the wind was too strong and gusty to drop anchor.  If there is a sudden gust, the process of retrieving the anchor and resetting position would be time consuming and risky in such a narrow bay, captured beautifully in this photograph.

‘Hmm, so how shall we handle this, boys?’ ….time to fire up the high tech ‘Dynamic Positioning’ system.  More often used for specialised operations such as offshore drilling or oceanographic research missions, the system works to enable the ship to maintain its position by using her thrusters and pods to counteract the effects of forces such as wind, current and wave action.  The computer programme contains a mathematical model of the vessel that includes information relating to the wind, current drag of the vessel and the location of the thrusters. Combining this with sensor information, allows the computer to calculate the required steering angle and thruster output for each thruster.  Dynamic positioning may either be absolute in that the position is locked to a fixed point over the bottom, or relative to a moving object like another ship or an underwater vehicle.  It can also position the ship at a favourable angle towards wind, waves and current, which is called weather-vaning.

Providing an ideal solution to the conditions, the Bridge team enjoyed a day monitoring the efficiency of the DP system and were delighted to report it held us beautifully within 17 metres of our initial position.  Meanwhile and blissfully unaware of the technology in play, our guests were ferried ashore on the tenders to experience this breath-taking scenery.

Moving on to the light-hearted side of crew life; here you can see our multi-talented senior officers swapping their stripes for aprons and getting hot in the galley, cooking for a thousand hungry crew.  Always up for a challenge, it was no surprise to find Captain Chris Wells in charge of flambéed strawberries under the watchful eye and careful pouring of Executive Chef, Nick Oldroyd, whilst Dr Dale Thorne undertakes the task of taster in the background:

Two other dodgy looking characters were spotted in charge of ice-cream……. Food and Beverage Manager, Stefan Engl and Hotel Manager, Robbie Howie.  Of course this is how all officers dress below decks – it helps other crew members pick them out when they are not wearing their stripes!  According to Robbie, it helps him relax at the end of a busy day, though we’re not sure what the squirty cream has to do with the outfit!

Finally, we are delighted to feature two of our guests following in their parents’ footsteps.  Back in November 2010, Miles and Lisa Wilshire featured in our blog as they joined us for their honeymoon, poignantly as Miles’ parents had done the same voyage on QE2 many years previously for their own honeymoon.  And now, 6 months later they were repeating the same pattern, Miles’ parents retuned to QE2 6 months after their honeymoon voyage, so Miles and Lisa followed in their footsteps this time back up our new Queen Elizabeth’s gangway. It was hardly a surprise then to hear we have a new generation of addicted Cunarders, now planning their next voyage, perhaps on Queen Mary 2.

Stay tuned for our next instalment.

Regards

Marc & Freda

Guest Blog

Lisa Page

New Media Executive

Cunard Line

I recently boarded our newest Cunarder, Queen Elizabeth, for her maiden Norwegian Fjords Voyage. This was no ordinary holiday or work trip…all of my activities, dining and entertainment choices were in the hands of the Cunard facebook fans (27, 000 of them!)

We left Southampton and headed for Stavanger, Flaam, Geiranger and Bergen; all of which were maiden ports of call for Queen Elizabeth.

Throughout the voyage, I uploaded menus and daily programmes, encouraging our fans to decide how I should spend my week on board; I was also there to answer any questions about cruising in the fjords and Queen Elizabeth.

The thing our facebook fans seemed to enjoy most was choosing my dining options; this was usually a real pleasure regardless of the choices…until they decided on Oxtail Soup one evening. I reluctantly placed my order and was very pleasantly surprised! Here’s my first ever experience of Oxtail Soup, followed by Salmon and a very chocolaty dessert:

Shore excursions play a big part in seeing what the Norwegian ports have to offer and we had plenty of suggestions from past guests of QE2 and Queen Victoria. During the Lysefjord excursion from Stavanger the tour guide told us we may see some seals basking along the rocks. I had my camera at the ready and stared at the shore for any signs of wildlife, it seemed that the seals were not coming out to play that day but I remained hopeful. As we continued cruising further into the fjord I noticed a herd of goats up high on the hill (and proceeded to hum the Sound of Music melody), much to my excitement they ran straight down towards our boat and we stopped to feed them:

My quest for wildlife spotting continued and I noticed some mussels alongside the rocks:

Which I went on to get a closer look at that evening at dinner:

As well as food, all of my on board activities were decided on facebook, I tried out a range of pursuits from an iPad seminar, to La Danza in the Royal Court Theatre and the Big Band night in the Queens Room:

I was happy to discover that afternoon tea was also a very popular choice:

In Flaam I was encouraged to try the famous railway, where I got to take in some beautiful scenery and came face to face with a rather charming troll:

The thing that surprised me most about Norway was how picturesque and breathtaking the ports are, and many of our facebook fans likened the scenery to Alaska. Here’s Queen Elizabeth in Geiranger:

And here are some of the beautiful views from my dinner table:

During the week on board I saw some amazing sights and shared them daily on the facebook page, here are a couple of  favourites:

It was certainly a week to remember, and I was delighted to share it with the thousands of Cunarders online! If you’d like to see any more of the photos you can view them on the Cunard page here: www.facebook.com/cunard

Hello All

You have heard me talking before about the special relationship we have with our German guests and with the special place Cunard has in German Maritime history. Having so many different nationalities sail with us is partly what makes Cunard such a special experience. We are always surprised and humbled by the welcome given to Queen Mary 2 in Hamburg.

Well – last weekend we had a very pleasant surprise on Queen Elizabeth as she visited Travemunde in northern Germany for the very first time. On board was one of our valued and loyal guests Richard Smith from Southampton, England. Having experienced the event from on board Queen Elizabeth he wrote to us with his blog of the day. So it gives us great pleasure in sharing Richard’s account of the day:

Guest Blog

Richard Smith

Cunard Guest On Board Queen Elizabeth

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I have a particular attachment to Queen Elizabeth because my father, the late Captain George Smith was one of only three men who were Captain of both the original Queen Elizabeth and the QE2. My wife and I were aboard Queen Elizabeth for her maiden voyage in October and are now enjoying the voyage to the Baltic capitals and St Petersburg.

I am reporting on our visit to Travemunde, it was not in the original itinerary but it was an inspired addition. It was a maiden call and at 7.00 am as we approached land the sun was shining and the sky was clear and blue. There were beaches to the left and to the right of the river and there were vast numbers of people on the beaches welcoming our arrival.

As we began to travel up the river to our berth there were thousands of people at every vantage point waving and shouting. Those aboard quickly realised that something very special was happening and it all became very emotional when ‘God save the Queen’ rang out from the shore on both sides of the river over and over again.

We reached our berth on time at 8.00 am and enjoyed a wonderful day in Travemunde and the surrounding area of Lubeck. Travemunde is immaculate – a resort town with boutiques, shops and bars and is clearly a popular holiday spot.

 Throughout the day, boats of all shapes and sizes sailed by Queen Elizabeth, which we were told later was the largest passenger ship to have visited the port.

Our departure proved to be more emotional than our arrival. Captain Christopher Wells told us that it had been estimated that 20,000 people had greeted our arrival and that in the early hours of the morning there had been major traffic jams in the town. In the evening there must have been 3 or 4 times that number watching our departure.

 As we proceeded down the river there were people crammed on to every vantage point. Jetties were packed and people were 10 or more deep along both river banks for miles. And it was a joyful occasion with those ashore and those on the ship waving and clapping. Again ‘God save the Queen’ rang out from both sides of the river.

Hundreds of boats formed a flotilla which followed us out to sea, gently kept under control by police boats.

It was clear that the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Travemunde was a stunning success. It brought great joy to the people of Travemunde and the surrounding area. It was a very emotional day for us and for those in that northern part of Germany.

Thank you Richard for sharing your thoughts on the day – you captured the experience perfectly. And a special thanks to the people of Travemunde for coming out to see Queen Elizabeth in such force – we hope to see you travelling with us in the future.

 That is all for now. Back soon with some more stories to share. By the way – we are seeing very strong interest in this Summer’s voyages at the moment and if you are as yet undecided as to whether to sail with us – now is the time to make your mind up. What could be better – old friends, three beautiful ships to choose from, fine wines, best dining at sea, plenty to do on board, fabulous destinations and all with our wonderful ship’s company waiting to offer you our legendary White Star Service….. We are Cunard and we look forward to seeing you….

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

Hello All

It’s Friday as I write this and I am approaching the end of a busy week at our offices in Southampton.  As ever, days are filled with meetings and reviews with colleagues, pouring over numbers and at this time of year we are already focused what needs to be done for the year ahead in 2012. Seems strange to think that in a couple of weeks it will be the longest day and then the days start getting shorter as we head towards another winter. Still the summer lies ahead of us all. Just in case anybody thought our ships were full for the summer – we do still have some space on many of our voyages and we have seen strong interest in all of our markets around the world from those guests still looking to get away on a voyage this summer.

Queen Mary 2 is in Southampton today – so I could not resist going down to see the ship and find out how the last voyage went. I am pleased to report the ship’s company were in good spirit. The ship has just returned from Hamburg where she completed a very nice 6 night voyage from Hamburg up to Oslo, Stavanger and Copenhagen. We had a really good mix of different nationalities on board and the feedback from our guests was terrific. Today she sets off for New York – you know you can sense that when you go on board. Queen Mary 2 was built for the Transatlantic run – and on those runs she is at her very best, our guests and crew know what to expect, and there is always a sense of setting off on a journey. Having walked the ship, spent some time with our Hotel Manager John Duffy, I left the ship to go back to the office. Of course it would have been a lot more fun to stay on board and travel to New York – but I left that pleasure the the 2,600 lucky guests embarking.

One piece of news from Queen Mary 2 is how well our new 3D Cinema productions are doing. In particular the full 3D production of Carmen is proving a hit. We also show some previews from more animated productions like Toy Story 3. It can have quite an impression on people – have a look at this picture and see if you recognise anybody;

Well did you spot them? Yes, on a rare moment of time off, you can see three of our most valued Cunarders. Hotel Manager John Duffy, Captain Paul Wright and Entertainment Director Paul O’Loughlin. I am sure Captain Wright remembered to take of his 3D glasses before going back up to The Bridge.

Changing track – we had another moment in history to celebrate. On 27 May it was the 75th Anniversary of the first Transatlantic Crossing of Queen Mary from Southampton to New York in 1936. Now we don’t let opportunities like that pass by without a fuss. To talk you through what we did I am delighted to welcome Jackie Chase as a guest blogger. Jackie works in our North America Sales and Marketing Team;

Guest blogger

Jackie Chase

Manager of Public Relations

Cunard Line, North America

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On Friday 27 May, I had the privilege of representing Cunard Line aboard Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, to pay tribute to the legendary ocean liner on the 75^th anniversary of her maiden Transatlantic Crossing from Southampton to New York in 1936.  Enthusiastic well-wishers from all over the world joined the festivities and included maritime devotees and historians, former crew members and past guests of the iconic ship.

Also in attendance was a group of WWII squadron members, reunited for the first time since Queen Mary carried them across the North Atlantic during her service days as the Grey Ghost. I was honoured to meet one of these guests, Stuart Babcock of Hartford, Connecticut, who was with the 34^th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron and sailed aboard a six-day Queen Mary Crossing on 21 March 1944 from New York’s Pier 90 to Glasgow, Scotland.  Many people may not be aware of the significant contribution that these squadrons made during the war, flying alone and armed only with cameras, they were the eyes of the allied armies over every battlefield and played a critical role in aerial surveillance. Accompanied by his daughter, Susan, for the anniversary celebrations, he was visibly moved to be back on board the vessel for the first time since his journey during the war.

Standing with Stuart Babcock, a member of the 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron which sailed aboard the Queen Mary in 1944 during World War II, and his daughter Susan.

Guests from the United Kingdom included a group from the R.M.S. Queen Mary Association, based near Southampton, England.  Retired Cunard Commodore Ronald Warwick, OBE FNI LLD is the president of the organisation whose mission it is to preserve the historical legacy of the beloved ship. During the reception, I met Mrs. Pat Adams, treasurer of the Association who was thrilled to spend the weekend aboard the ship for the festivities and sent along warm regards from Commodore Warwick.

To mark the occasion, I presented a commemorative print to John Thomas, Queen Mary’s historical consultant and master of ceremonies, that featured references to the ship’s dramatic impact on the 20^th century – including Winston Churchill’s famous accolade about Cunard’s role in ending WWII one year early, due to Queen Mary’s transport of thousands of American troops between the United States and Great Britain.

John Thomas (right), Queen Mary’s historical consultant, receives commemorative 75th anniversary print from Cunard Line spokeswoman Jackie Chase (centre), and is joined by Everette Hoard (left), retail manager of Stacks on Queen Mary

Among the excerpts that I shared with guests:

“Queen Mary is an icon of the 20^th century who shall forever remain one of the world’s most beloved ocean liners, and an enduring symbol of the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”

“Since 1967, when Queen Mary retired to her new home in Long Beach, California, she has continued to fascinate visitors from all over the globe. She lives to bear witness to the revival of Cunard’s ocean liner renaissance with the advent of her namesake Queen Mary 2, which proudly carries on the company’s traditions, heritage and hallmarks made famous by Queen Mary.”

Bruce Vancil is Western Regional vice president of the Steamship Historical Society of America and was very involved in Queen Mary's 75th anniversary events

The team at Cunard’s office in Valencia, California are very fortunate to have Queen Mary in our own “backyard.” In recent years we have had the pleasure of collaborating with the iconic ship’s staff on two Cunard Royal Rendezvous’: first in 2006 during Queen Mary 2’s maiden call to Los Angeles, and this past March during one of Queen Victoria’s Americas calls to the city.  It is thrilling to have the opportunity to walk the decks of Queen Mary where people from all walks of life have gone before, and to be a part of Cunard’s ongoing, living history.

Countless Cunard devotees agree and passionately carry on the company’s legacy as evidenced by the many guests who spent the weekend aboard Queen Mary for her anniversary events.

Well – these sort of events never fail to create special moments. In reading Jackie’s blog of the day I could not help being reminded of the special place Cunard Line has in history. To think that Stuart Babcock travelled on Queen Mary to support the war effort in 1944 and here he was 67 years later able to enjoy his special memories with his daughter Susan. Congratulations Mr Babcock Sir, and thank you so much for being part of the celebrations of such a very special ship.

That is all for now. Have a good weekend wherever you are reading this………

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

Guest Blog

Ed Moffat

Assistant Entertainment Director

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Those of you who are regular readers of the blog will know that we often have meetings on board for guests who have travelled on previous Cunarders through the years to share stories and memories of their voyages. On a recent crossing on board Queen Mary 2 we had a special reunion for past guests of the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. The most enjoyable part of attending these reunions is collecting the information. Gathering the smallest part of just one personal memory and sparking a conversation containing individual unique reflections.

I had the pleasure of meeting some of our previous guests, who brought some wonderful photos and memorabilia with them:

Patricia Rudkin (Nee Brown) and her best friend at the time were handed their green card and immediately immigrated to the US in 1963 sailing to their new home on board Queen Elizabeth. “It was the first time I sailed and was such a big adventure for me.” “I recall the salt water in the swimming pool and bath especially having to use the special soap with the salt water”.  Patricia also remembers her and her best friend being such a ‘big hit’ one of the bands took them to one of the First Class lounges on a few occasions.

Linda Davie sailed to Southampton, June 1964 and returned back to the US August 1964. The trip of a life time to and from the UK and 2 months in Europe was a graduation present.  Linda was 18 years of age when she sailed first class on the Transatlantic Crossing. Because the Queens where registered in UK the drinking age once out of US waters was no longer 21 as in the US but 18, the same as the UK. “I would often sneak into the disco in cabin class, where I had my first glass of sherry”.

Jeannie O’Brian sailed on board Queen Mary with her mother in 1966. They where visiting relatives in Hull, England where her mother originally came from.  Jeannie’s husband, Forest O’Brian remembers thinking to himself as he watched Jeannie sailing away into the distance on Queen Elizabeth” “I’m going to marry that girl one day”. And they have been together ever since.

Murray Edwards from Victoria, British Columbia sailed on Queen Mary in 1943 as a serviceman after his tour finished in England. Mr. Edwards served in the Royal Canadian Army, Princess Patricious Company, Light Infantry. He remembers sailing on an almost empty ship with only 500 other service personnel on board. He also recalls the first Cunard ship he sailed on, Berengaria. Mr. Edwards also met his wife on the Scythia.

Eunice Palmer’s Father, Henry Moore was on the maiden voyage of Queen Mary. “He worked for Moyse and Stevens of Berkley Square, London and delivered the wreaths for her first voyage“.

Anthony Greenwood travelled on board Queen Mary when at the age of nine in 1965. He was the eldest of three children when his family immigrated to a new life in Canada. ”I remember watching my first 18 rated movie which was Cincinnati Kid”. Also travelling on board was TV’s Arthur Haines

Sadie Berbelowitz was only 16 when she sailed on board Queen Elizabeth in 1948. “The ship looked so clean and so new”. She had only been in peacetime service a short while after being refitted from being a troop carrier. “The officers would always be in the ballroom waiting to dance”

On a final note to close this Blog take a look at the segment of a guest list from Queen Mary below. Can you spot the celebrity and his family who sailed? Incidentally I am uncertain of the date or year of this particular guest list, but what a great souvenir to have had for all those years. Thank you to Miss Maria DeLoure for donating this marvellous piece of Cunard History. We will ensure that it makes it to its intended recipient.