All of us at Cunard were saddened today when a good friend to Cunard – Sir Jimmy Savile – passed away. I wanted to share the message we sent out to the fleet this afternoon;
Dear Captains and Ship’s Company
I was very saddened to hear that Sir Jimmy passed away at his home in Leeds earlier today. Sir Jimmy was a very special person and a true friend to Cunard Line. We will all have fond memories of the time he spent on our ships. Always with a view, passionate about all things Cunard and always ready to ‘hold court’. There will be many of us who were so fortunate to have spent time with him over recent years, he was just recently with us on Queen Elizabeth.
He will have touched the lives of many and his generosity and time for so many worthwhile causes was admirable. I am sure that many of us, and many members of our Ship’s Company, will treasure special memories of time spent with him, stories told and the advice (often late at night) he gave us.
He was indeed a great man and we shall not forget him.
Best Regards
Peter Shanks President and Managing Director Cunard Line
In January 2012 Queen Mary 2 will celebrate her 8th birthday. She is recognised in the new 2012 Berlitz Cruise Guide as the top large resort ship in the world. I was looking through our guest questionnaires recently and when we ask our guests to rate ‘Appearance of Stateroom’ and ‘Condition and Cleanliness of Public Rooms’ they have been averaging around 95% which is a good score. We have through every year of her life continued to invest in her upkeep and I have always been especially impressed by how well the Deck Department have looked after the extensive teak decks and outside areas.
Well in late November Queen Mary 2 will be taken out of service, and out of the water, for a planned refit in Hamburg, Germany. She will be out of service for 14 days. I have had a number of questions on the blog as to what we plan to do during that time. We will release that news later this week – but I promised to reveal the news through our blog first so – here goes;
Staterooms – We will refurbish every stateroom on board Queen Mary 2 – all 1,310 of them. Each of the Queen’s Grill Grand Duplex, Master and Penthouse Suites will receive a fresh individual design. All of our Queen’s Grill Suites, Princess Grill and Britannia Staterooms will receive new carpets, curtains, bedcovers, linen and some will also see new soft furnishings. The designs will be very much in keeping with the current designs and with the overall ship – but with a fresh look. I am really pleased with how they will look and our returning loyal guests will I am sure be delighted. I have always recognised just how important it is to feel comfortable in your stateroom – a home from home. The designs on Queen Mary 2 are very enduring and when the ship returns to service in December her staterooms will be more appealing and comfortable than ever.
Golden Lion Pub – our guests have worn the Pub out. The Pub lunches are more popular than ever, the bar area is always busy and sport and musical events are increasingly popular. So we have completely redesigned this room. Below are a couple of shots of how the new Pub will look. It recreates the best of British Pubs as well as the comfortable American Country Club feel. We will achieve more comfortable seats and more of them. We will have new and improved screens for sporting events and we will still be able to have our famous Jazz evenings and daytime activities.
Canyon Ranch – goes from strength to strength on Queen Mary 2. One of the highlights of our Canyon Ranch is the wet area and Spa Pool. Well we are completely refurbishing the teak surrounds of the pool and doing a lot of work in other areas of the spa. We will have a range of new exercise machines in the gym area and some new and improved features in the salon. Canyon ranch are one of our most prized partnerships – when it comes to health, relaxation, exercise and wellness – they are the real thing and I am so pleased we are investing in further improving the facilities.
Commodore Club – one of the most iconic bar locations at sea up on deck 9 forward. No radical changes here – but as you can see form the design layout below we are investing in new carpets and refurbishing and adding to our beautiful white leather furniture.
Children’s Club – one of Cunard’s best keep secrets. We have excellent facilities – but although they were industry leading in 2004 it is time for us to invest further in the facilities. We will refurbish the area, including the very latest in electronic gaming and entertainment – I am looking forward to trying them out for myself.
Sir Samuel’s – Originally designed when the ship came into service as a venue to offer the very best in classic wines. The advent of Cappuccinos, Lattes and Espresso has changed our approach and the room is very busy day and night. So time for new carpets and some new chair covers which will give the room a real lift.
Grill Restaurants – We will lay down a new carpet design for both the Queen’s Grill and Princess Grill Restaurants. These will be very much in keeping with the overall design but I think will give a lighter feel to both restaurants – which remain amongst the best restaurants at sea or on land.
Carpets – We will be refreshing the carpets in many areas of decks 2 and 3 both in public rooms and through our wonderful central walkways and landings. In one or two areas – and our guests have mentioned this on the blog – we have some wear and tear of the flooring under the carpet. We refurbished much of this in the last refit and will complete the work this time round.
What are we not doing – One area that I have received questions on is Kings Court – the equivalent to The Lido area on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Given its location, and the fact that it covers such a large area with many sections – some of our guests have in the past found the area can be quite confusing – especially the first time you visit it. To make significant changes to the actual structure of this area would be very difficult and prohibitively expensive given its scale. So we have been tackling this in different ways. We have been looking carefully at customer flow, our food and beverage offering and in particular how we best manage the service in Kings Court. We have plans to increase the alternative dining opportunities and themed evenings, and removing possible confusion by not having too many different serving stations at breakfast. This has significantly improved the situation and we will continue to focus here and make sure we create the appropriate experience for our guests.
By the way and a small tip – when I travel on our ships I always choose to have breakfast in the Britannia Restaurant. It is a lovely place to eat, the service is impeccable, you have a wide choice, you don’t help yourself so the portions are smaller and better for you, you sit up straight, you can converse with our wonderful staff and the whole experience is a lot more relaxing. I normally have Grapefruit Juice, Bircher Muesli (nobody does it like Cunard), Scrambled Egg with American Bacon (yes some of us Brits do prefer the crispy American bacon) and a toasted English muffin (worth asking for it to go through the toaster twice) and fresh coffee. Marvelous.
Down Below – as ever we will take the opportunity to complete the regulatory and necessary checks and works below deck and that program is in place. Interestingly part of the technical work will be to add a Skycon to the ship. What is a Skycon I hear you say? You may have seen them on other ships but surprisingly Queen Mary 2 did not have this feature. It is a small rail that goes round the higher decks of the ship, to which you add a cage for the deck crew to clean and maintain many of the external railings and windows. When in port you will often see Cherry Pickers around Queen Mary 2 – tall extended cage like cranes to reach those parts that man simply cannot reach. With the addition of a Skycon we will be better able to maintain these areas of the ship and not have the expense of Cherry Pickers in port, so there you have it – some inside knowledge on what we have to do to make the ship look as she does.
To make this happen we will be adding enough carpet to cover 10 football pitches. We will be adding 18 miles of fabric – and we will have a team of thousands of workers to make it happen.
In these tough economic times it remains very important for us to continue to invest in both the technical and hotel areas of our ships. With Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth we are fortunate to have two very young ships that provide a fabulous experience for our guests. In Queen Mary 2 we have something very special, the most famous ocean liner in the world and a ship that still turns heads everywhere she goes – she is unquestionably the pride of our fleet. And that is why we will be investing in the ship and in our future guests experience through the upcoming refit.
I hope this exclusive sneak peak at some of the things we will be doing has been of interest. We will be announcing some new on board experiences nearer the time for when she comes back into service and during the refit we have plans to keep you up to speed with the refit through a series of videos and blogs.
Guest Blog – Anthony Inglis, Conductor, The National Symphony Orchestra
This is Anthony Inglis and it has been my privilege to conduct my orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra, on Queen Mary 2’s recent eastbound Transatlantic Crossing, which departed New York on 7 October.
More than half way across, we performed The First Night of the Cunard Proms for two delighted audiences at full capacity in the Royal Court Theatre. The performances celebrated American music that included “Rhapsody in Blue,” Sousa marches and some Broadway classics. The audiences particularly enjoyed fellow guests Toni and Roselyn, who came on stage and joined the orchestra by playing the bell in the “Liberty Bell March.” Thanks, ladies! The orchestra played well and, in my humble opinion, deserved the standing ovation they received from the audience.
Conductor Anthony Inglis (centre) poses with members of The National Symphony Orchestra and Choir of Queen Mary 2 during rehearsals for The Last Night of the Cunard Proms on the 7 October Transatlantic Crossing.
We also had a huge number of guests who volunteered to sing in the choir at The Last Night of the Cunard Proms, which highlights music by British composers and recreates the atmosphere of the Royal Albert Hall in Westminster, London, where the annual summer Proms concert has been held since 1941. Made up of nearly 200 guests, the Queen Mary 2 choir and I had three rehearsals, which were a lot of fun as we practiced singing the Proms favourites – “Rule Britannia,” “Jerusalem” and “Land of Hope and Glory” – plus my own arrangement of “Amazing Grace” sung in harmony. This anthem and arrangement is almost the signature tune of Cunard, as famed opera singer Lesley Garrett and I performed it at the Naming Ceremonies of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth in addition to most of the concerts in Liverpool, either on board or at the Liverpool Cathedral during one of the Cunard ships’ Round Britain voyage.
For this voyage, the guests and I laughed and bantered as we worked our way through our hour-long rehearsals. Some guests were singing in a choir for the first time, achieving a lifetime’s ambition; and others who regularly sing in a choir got a chance to perform on the stage of the Royal Court Theatre. Some were aboard last year, and some others deliberately booked this voyage in order to sing. But I think I held my own and we achieved an emotional and brilliant event for The Last Night of the Proms.
I will report back and let you know how we got on.
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Peter will be back next week with our next blog including an update on Queen Mary 2’s upcoming refit. Have a great weekend all!
Guest Blog: William Dundas, Guest On Board Queen Mary 2
Last year I treated my sisters to the Around the British Isles (ABI) cruise on Queen Victoria. That cruise, it became apparent, was the official cruise celebrating the 170th Anniversary of Cunard. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves dining at table for six and we especially enjoyed the spirited departure from Liverpool.
The weather for “going up and over the top of Scotland” was not grand. If there had been full sunshine it would have been glorious!
During a visit to the Cunard website I was thrilled to have the opportunity to buy the second half of the QM2 ABI 2011 cruise from Greenock to Southampton via South Queensferry. I had not sailed on QM2 since 2009 and this voyage offered me another chance to view the coast-lines of the Minch and the Pentland Firth: hopefully in full sunshine! I was very excited, especially as I would board QM2 in Greenock: a much shorter journey from my home in Fife than the journey to Southampton.
I was not lucky with the weather. It rained and it rained! While having lunch on board, the ship’s lifeboats were being inspected and tested in the Firth of Clyde.
My photos show moody light over Scotland and then brilliant sunshine and sunsets over Scarborough and the east coast of England!
The rain did stop for the grand firework display laid on by Clydeport for QM2’s departure from Greenock: a memorable start to my voyage! At dinner I was seated at an oval table for eight. Only myself and Mr and Mrs Hulme dined at this large table. We sat each evening with our backs to the wall enabling us to survey the entire starboard side of deck two of the Britannia Restaurant!
The Hulmes are a delightful couple from Cheshire. They are Cunard stalwarts having been on the maiden voyages of both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. The three of us had jolly times exchanging reminiscences of life at sea.
Half the fun of travelling on a ship is meeting members of the ship’s company and fellow passengers. I have established a tradition of presenting a gift of shortbread for the bridge team, and the luggage porters on the last night. Some lucky passengers and other crew have also been known to be given some shortbread.
I always acknowledge all members of crew in the passing, asking their name, where they come from and when they last had word from home. My experience tells me that they really appreciate this form of personal interest. I’m also keen to learn how they go about their jobs. This voyage I Iearned that stateroom stewards have a cunning technique, involving only a piece of paper that assists them in knowing when passengers have exited their staterooms.
I usually choose to share a table for lunch in the Britannia Restaurant. This is a good way for a single traveller to build up a large number of fellow passengers to nod to and say hello to in the passing during the voyage. This is also a really good means of learning about world culture, politics and current affairs. Only occasionally have I ended up on a difficult table and chosen to excuse myself on the pretext of attending a lecture. My tendency is to be as sociable as possible: it usually works a treat! This results in many joyous farewells, from members of the ship’s company and passengers, at the end of each cruise. Perhaps Cunard World Club members should have their own slogan. My suggestion is - We Are Cunard 2!
The three highlights of the cruise were becoming re-acquainted with Bridget and Bryan Wilson, crew member Andrew Adams, and seeing the Forth Bridge, almost fully restored from the Observation Deck of QM2.
I met the Wilsons on my first ever cruise: a twenty nighter on QE2. They were always so chatty and happy around the ship and especially at the midnight buffet. I really enjoyed meeting them again. Commodore Rynd graciously agreed to join us for a photograph. Thank you Freda for being our photographer. Thank you also for calming my anxieties: I’ve booked the Australian Circumnavigation and look forward to meeting you again on Valentines Day!
It was good to meet Andrew working as a QM2 Receptionist at the front desk in the Purser’s Office. When I first met Andrew in 2009 he was on block release from his training course and working as a bar steward in the Commodore Club. He is now a qualified full time member of the ship’s company with, I feel sure, a successful career ahead of him.
Seeing the Forth Bridge almost fully restored was a big thrill. Passengers from previous cruises will have taken photos of this national emblem of Scotland when it seemed to be sporting white tarpaulin bandages. It took 5,000 workers seven years to build the bridge. It was completed in 1890 and was well maintained by the original owners and subsequently by British Rail. Sadly after privatisation of the the rail companies and the track, routine maintenance was given a low priority and the fabric of the bridge suffered significant corrosion.
The restoration has taken roughly ten years and has involved the surface being stripped back to the bare metal, primed and then an epoxy resin top coat, similar to that used on oil rigs in the North Sea, has been applied. Some 240,000 litres have been used, including an individual “dab” for each of the many rivets. This treatment is expected to last for a good 30 years.
A word of thanks must go to the crew of our Forth Ports tug, Cramond, for holding a line from our stern for the duration of our stay thus holding us clear of the shipping lanes, and helping us to turn for our departure!
I’ve enjoyed the dramatic lighting created by the weather and the good company and service on board QV and QM2 in the past two years. So will it be third time lucky for me with the Scottish weather on the QE ABI in 2012? I think not. I live close to the shore of the Firth of Forth. I know how stunning the weather can be. As for the islands, yes I will visit them again in the future.
Surely next year’s passengers will enjoy the same if not better: my sights are set on Australia!
Guest Blog: Jackie Chase, PR Manager, Cunard Line, North America
Among my favourite aspects of being the Manager of Public Relations for Cunard Line in North America, is being afforded the opportunity to organise many special event functions aboard our ships in significant US ports of call. Last month, I had the pleasure of sailing aboard Queen Elizabeth for the first time as our newest Cunarder sailed up the Northeastern coast of New England and Canada for a series of maiden calls. Each port visit is special and distinctive in its own right, however, the ship’s historic first visit to Halifax was certainly an occasion to remember.
The birthplace of our company’s founder, Halifax is considered by many to be the most significant – and perhaps most emotional – port that Cunard calls on each year, and when a new Cunarder visits for the first time, it is always even more notable.
For Queen Elizabeth’s inaugural visit, not only did the officers and crew receive a warm welcome by local port officials and dignitaries at the traditional maiden call Plaque Reception, this visit was made even more celebratory by the re-dedication of the statue of Sir Samuel Cunard – originally installed and dedicated on the waterfront five years ago – which featured some very special guests.
The Honourable Alan R. Abraham of The Halifax Foundation and John Langley, Chairman of the Cunard Steamship Historical Society in Halifax were among the primary champions for the creation of the Cunard monument, along with the passionate support of Ret. Commodore Ronald Warwick. It was with great pride that the Samuel Cunard statue was originally dedicated and installed in October 2006, an occasion of which Ret. Commodore Warwick and Commodore Bernard Warner, master of Queen Mary 2 at that time, attended with several other senior officers and crew members.
Also, present was Hugh Paton, a fourth-generation, direct descendant of Samuel Cunard, along with his wife and sons.
In honour of the 25 September maiden visit of Queen Elizabeth and the recent revitalisation of the Halifax seaport and waterfront, the Halifax Foundation re-dedicated the majestic statue which had been re-located last year to a more prominent position, adjacent to the Cunard Centre, overlooking the harbor and Georges Island.
The Paton family was again in attendance, this time with an addition: Victoria, their enthusiastic, 3 year-old daughter, who enjoyed walking into photos, and even strolled onto the floor while Captain Christopher Wells, Master of Queen Elizabeth was making his remarks during the plaque reception.
Nearly 20 other members of the Paton family attended and they were clearly proud and passionate about their heritage and to represent Samuel Cunard at this special event. During the dedication, Hugh’s three sons, Geoffrey, age 7; Ben, age 11; and Sam, age 13, cut the commemorative ribbon as Queen Elizabeth simultaneously sounded her whistle, much to the delight of the large crowd who gathered to witness the re-dedication.
In his remarks, Captain Christopher Wells said, “The city of Halifax holds unique significance to Cunard Line, and we are proud to join Samuel Cunard’s descendants as we celebrate this special occasion. It is truly gratifying to see this majestic symbol of Samuel Cunard’s legacy take such a prominent position on the waterfront; it stands as a beacon to visitors from all over the globe, which is fitting since Samuel Cunard made far-reaching travel possible for untold millions.”
“Today marks another noteworthy moment for the city of Halifax and the Cunard legacy,” said Alan R. Abraham, vice chairman of The Halifax Foundation. “Five years ago, we celebrated one of Halifax’s finest with a bronze statue of his likeness. We recognise his contributions to the city of Halifax again today and honour him with the re-dedication of his statue.”
“Cunard history and heritage is widespread as one might expect after 171 years, and counting. It was here that founder Samuel Cunard was born, later establishing a company which has no equal in the annals of ocean liner history. Today in Halifax was a great day for celebrating the man and his legacy,” said John Langley, who is considered to be the foremost expert on the life of Samuel Cunard and who authored his biography, “Steam Lion.”
It was a truly memorable day, one that gave all of us associated with Cunard a moment to reflect on the significant, world-changing contributions of Sir Samuel, and how privileged we are as a company to continue his legacy, more than 171 years later, into the 21st century.
Cunard Guest Richard Smith was also in Halifax for the maiden call, here’s his account of the momentous day:
The 25 September 2011 was a beautiful day as the Queen Elizabeth sailed into Halifax, Nova Scotia on her Maiden call.
Alongside the bow on the portside was the magnificent statue of Cunard’s founder, Samuel Cunard, which had been moved recently to its new permanent position, alongside the Cruise Terminal on the immaculate Waterfront.
Later that morning the statue was surrounded by the great and the good of Halifax (Haligonians), a large number of passengers from the ship and the Queen Elizabeth’s Senior Officers for the rededication of the statue.
After an introduction John Langley QC, the avid Cunard collector and historian who wrote the definitive biography of Samuel Cunard, spoke about the man who created the great shipping company in his home town of Halifax. Captain Christopher Wells gave an eloquent response and then the direct descendants of Samuel Cunard were introduced to the crowd and one of the great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren, aptly named Samuel, cut the ribbon to dedicate the statue and bring the ceremony to an end.
Guest Blog: Eamonn Gearon – Insights Speaker – Author, Historian and Arabist
Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “The desert produces her own type of man exactly as the sea does.” And he should know, because not only did Kipling make a number of Trans-Atlantic journeys – the quintessential English author lived and wrote for some years in Vermont – but he also sailed down the River Nile, musing on the Sahara that marks the river’s edge.
There is no reason why lovers of the desert and lovers of the sea should not come together. In fact, who said the two were mutually exclusive? It may surprise some of Cunard’s guests to learn that one of their distinguished speakers is a man who has spent most of his adult life living in and travelling across some of the driest parts of our planet; he has also recently discovered a love of ocean voyages!
The Greater Middle East – that is everywhere from Kabul to Casablanca – has been my home for almost 20 years. For all sorts of reasons life in the region can be exasperating, but it is never dull.
In years gone by, I have lived in the Sahara with the Bedu, and spent long periods engaged in solo camel-powered expeditions in the Great Desert, hundreds of miles from another living soul. More recently, I spent the whole of the Egyptian revolution in Midan Tahrir, the epicentre of events.
This is why I get as much pleasure as I do from speaking with people about both the history of the Middle East and the contemporary situation: it is an ever-changing landscape. It is especially important, if one wants to try to understand the Middle East today, that one begins with at least some knowledge of its past.
In many ways the Arab World is no different to any other part of the world – being full of good people who want to provide for their families – but it has a global importance that means we cannot ignore it. This is obviously truer now that it has been at any other time in recent history.
It has been a revelation to me just how fun it is giving lectures at sea. My first voyage by sea took place only this March. (I am not including the annual ferry crossing of my boyhood, which journeys took me home to Ireland and marked the start of summer: they were, however, in another class altogether.)
That voyage was also on “Queen Mary 2”, when my wife and I sailed from Dubai to Southampton, via the Suez Canal. That name has always had a special resonance for me, since my father was there with the British Army in the 1950s.
And so it is that I look forward to setting sail from Southampton on 16 October, and introducing my fellow guests on “Queen Mary 2” to the Sahara and the wider Middle East, even as we sail west!
It is hard to believe that today we celebrate the first birthday of our new liner Queen Elizabeth – and celebrate it we will. This time last year there was enormous anticipation for the new ship amongst all of our valued Cunarders and she was generating very significant interest in many parts of the world.
At precisely 1530 a year ago today, I was standing at the forward gangway waiting for Her Majesty to arrive. To my right – Queen Elizabeth. To my left – 2,000 guests, a Symphony Orchestra and Marching Bands – and around us – the world’s media. Exactly to time the burgundy Rolls Royce turned the corner and I could see Her Majesty. From the moment she arrived she put everybody at ease and we were blessed with a marvellous event and launch. The sun shone, Her Majesty smiled, the bottle broke and we all felt proud to be British.
This was just the launch that Queen Elizabeth deserved and the start of a very eventful first year. I thought you might find it interesting to hear my own perspective on how her first year has gone. But first, take a look at this short video of highlights from that wonderful day a year ago and her first year in the fleet:
Let’s look at where she has been. After a series of inaugural voyages and her Maiden Christmas voyage, she set off on her Maiden Round the World voyage. That was a magnificent experience for those who came with us as she was given a marvellous welcome in many famous ports – big and small – around the world. Since returning to Southampton she has spent her first summer sailing from Southampton on a series of Northern and Mediterranean voyages. She had a terrific Maiden Round Britain voyage with a very special event in Liverpool, followed by a crossing to North America and Maiden visits to Boston and Halifax. She has carried over 50,000 guests and travelled over 125,000 nautical miles.
Quite rightly, all of our guests had very high expectations prior to joining Queen Elizabeth. That has meant that our primary focus at Cunard has been in ensuring we work closely with the ship’s company to meet or exceed those expectations and to ensure that the ship ends her first year with a fine reputation.
Queen Elizabeth introduced a number of new features to Cunard Line – some have been successful right from the start and others we have had to tweak and further develop to make sure our guests enjoy their experience. Here is a flavour of how she is doing:
Britannia Restaurant
The main Britannia dining room has been a great hit. The design, look and feel of this awesome room recreates the golden days of ocean liner travel. It creates a wonderful ambience for dinner. With quite a few new members to the ship’s company, there has been a real team effort to make sure we get the consistency of our service right in the main dining room. We used our White Star Academy and White Star Training programme to make sure all those new to the team were given as much support as possible. We also supported those who had been promoted into supervisory and management positions to help them develop their leadership skills. The team performed right from the very first voyage and today we are receiving very positive feedback from our guests. The menus and quality of food have been very well appreciated by our guests and up to the expected high standard. Whether guests are having breakfast, lunch or dinner we are now getting excellent feedback and can safely say that the main dining room experience in the Britannia is really up to scratch.
Britannia Club
Well, let me bring you into a little secret – Britannia Club is fast becoming one of the most popular features of Cunard Line. The ability to have your own private dining room and eat whenever you wish, whilst staying in one of the Premium Balcony staterooms in the current tough economy is proving to be the best value for money that Cunard offer. We have a very successful Britannia Club on Queen Mary 2 – but on Queen Elizabeth we took the extra step of creating a distinctly separate and beautiful dining room. Yes – Britannia Club is an absolute success and is selling extremely well.
Verandah
Well, if I am honest this was seen by some commentators as quite a risk for Cunard Line. Many other lines in the cruise industry feature external well known chefs to front their alternative dining venues. In fact we too, through Todd English have such a relationship on both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. However, our plan was to deliver something very special, unique and very Cunard through the Verandah. It has turned out to be one of the most successful features of Queen Elizabeth. Having dinner in the Verandah is, in fact, an event all in itself. Through our wonderful Maitre D’, the beautiful French “farm to plate” dishes designed by our culinary ambassador Jean-Marie Zimmerman, have proved to be a real hit. It is interesting for Cunard in looking at our alternative dining venues. One of the challenges we have is that we pride ourselves on a very high level of cuisine in every restaurant on board our ships. Therefore, it can sometimes be difficult for us to tempt our guests to try something different. For example, if you are lucky enough to have 7 nights dining in the Queens Grill – why would you forsake a night of absolute excellence to go to a different dining venue? Well of course our guests have the choice and they really do see Verandah as a ‘night out’
The Lido
We have managed to give a softer tone to the Lido on Queen Elizabeth, such that in the evening when we turn it into various alternative dining venues it becomes a very comfortable and relaxing venue. The alternative dining options in the evening are proving to be very popular. When we introduced the $10 charge for the alternative restaurants in the Lido we came under a little bit of scrutiny and criticism from our guests and industry commentators. We were in fact accused of being a bit sharp in terms of asking people to pay extra. However our experience on both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria had shown that these venues were becoming so popular that it was proving very difficult for guests to get a reservation. Those guests that discovered the venues were going time and time again and we needed to introduce a level of democracy to the situation. We therefore decided to put a nominal $10 charge for eating at our alternative venues on all three ships. This has been well accepted by our guests – not least when they consider the quality of the experience that $10 buys them – and as people do not go time and time again, it has meant that the venues have been more available to more people. In these days of formality – which remains a real Cunard strength – it has also proved a venue which can be more relaxing for guests who, particularly on longer voyages, want to try a more relaxed evening than our main dining rooms.
We continue to learn and adapt to the changing nature of Lido dining on board our ships. You know as people become more conscious of health and wellbeing, the amount of food being consumed in the Lido is declining and I personally think will decline further in years to come. I often think it strange that on some cruise lines people tend to “eat for England” a number of times during the day. In many other fine hotel venues around the world you simply do not have the ability to have a substantial meal partway through the afternoon, in advance of a beautiful dinner. And therefore whilst we do and will continue to offer the full breakfast, lunch and evening service in the Lido, we are working hard to adapt to our changing guests’ needs during the day. One little secret which is going really well on board Queen Elizabeth is the pizza and pasta station within the Lido. Do try it if you have not already. You can pop up to the counter and choose your own fresh pasta as well as your own sauce and they will make it there fresh for you. If you like a pizza – and I have to admit I have a liking for a pizza whilst travelling on board our ships – then you can order your own pizza, leave your name and our wonderful staff will ask you to come back in 7 minutes. Yes – it’s the 7 minute pizza and if you go up in 6 minutes it won’t be ready and if you leave it more than 7 minutes they will come and find you. But the pizzas are excellent on board Queen Elizabeth.
Queens Grill and Princess Grill
Well this on Queen Elizabeth, like Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2, is simply cuisine at its best. On both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria the position of the two Grill restaurants at the top of the ship is in fact a real wow. Not only do our guests enjoy the very best in cuisine at sea, but the views from these restaurants are quite stunning. There is also a tremendous sense of privacy as the two restaurants have both an outdoor grill terrace and of course are adjacent to the Queens Grill Lounge, which is a wonderfully quiet and relaxing venue, both during the day and for pre and post dinner drinks. On Queen Elizabeth both Princess Grill and Queens Grill, from a cuisine and service perspective, are receiving great accolades from our guests.
Generally around the ship the reaction to the main public rooms has been terrific. I was recently in Santa Clarita in California where our designer Teresa Anderson is based. I was able to congratulate her almost a year on as to the reaction our guests have given us over the overall designs of Queen Elizabeth. I have a sneaking suspicion that of all the many ships Teresa has so ably designed in her long and illustrious career– Queen Elizabeth is her favourite. I was really pleased to be able to introduce her personally to Her Majesty the Queen at the time of the ship’s naming and Teresa I know is very proud of her achievements. Credit too must go to Giacomo Mortola, who partnered Teresa on the design of Queen Elizabeth. Some of the areas that have been well received include:
Royal Court Theatre – it is difficult for your jaw not to drop when you see this room on Queen Elizabeth for the first time. It is quite a magnificent room and the private boxes are proving to be very, very popular. As you may know we have introduced something quite different on Queen Elizabeth with the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Company. The approach here was to be able to offer a far more varied entertainment programme to our guests. As well as offering traditional production shows we introduced a range of different entertainments, including some Shakespeare plays and some Neil Simon plays.
Commodore Club – this signature Cunard room has a wonderful location right at the top and front of Queen Elizabeth. What makes the Commodore Club on Queen Elizabeth special are the beautiful murals of our ships. Guests love to just sit and relax in the Commodore Club either during the day or during the evening.
Queens Room – this has proved to be just as successful as it is on our other two ships. We did change the design slightly over Queen Victoria in moving the main entrance once you are in the Queens Room to the centre of the room. On Queen Victoria the entrance was at the beginning of the room and that led to some congestion particularly on the formal nights where so many guests would like to meet with the Captain. By moving it to the centre of the room, it has opened the room up and the guest flow is much more comfortable. Listening to the wonderful band and watching so many of our guests enjoying their dancing, is a sight to behold in the Queens Room. And of course this is the venue for the Afternoon Tea which continues to be a real hit (and yes it is fine to have Cunard jam and cream with your scones every now and then – why not).
Cafe Carinthia – those of you who know our ship designs well will know that in creating the Britannia Club on Queen Elizabeth, it meant we had to forsake the popular Chart Room Bar that we have in the same area on Queen Victoria. We were a little bit worried at the time as to whether this would create a lack of available bar space, particularly for pre-dinner drinks. So in order to alleviate that, we created more space in Cafe Carinthia. Cafe Carinthia on Queen Elizabeth is a beautiful room. We also introduced a new way of serving our coffee. Coffee has become much more popular now for all of us in our everyday lives. The difference on Queen Elizabeth is that when you order a coffee – be it a cappuccino, a latte or a macchiato – it arrives on a small silver tray with a glass of chilled water and a little biscotti. This has created an experience out of having a cup of coffee and with the beautifully comfortable sofas and chairs the Cafe Carinthia has become a place where guests simply love to dwell. And in the evenings, either before or after dinner, Cafe Carinthia continues to be a lovely meeting place for our guests.
Midships Bar – the fascination of this little bar is that it is surrounded with wonderful memorabilia. If you do travel with us then make sure you look at the detail of the memorabilia we have in this area. My favourite – and I have seen many guests stop and look with interest – is we have an invoice from John Brown Shipyard for the construction of the first Queen Elizabeth. If only the charges for building this Queen Elizabeth were the same as they were in those days. Guests are also fascinated by the first class white telephone that we have that originally sat in one of the staterooms on the first Queen Elizabeth.
Royal Spa – We have had very favourable feedback for the Royal Spa. All modern ships have such extensive space these days for guests, either for those people who are really into their fitness or those who are just looking to relax with a massage or indeed use the facilities of the salon. The Royal Spa on Queen Elizabeth has proved to be very popular – especially the Spa pool.
Garden Lounge – This room is working very nicely. In the afternoon we serve our new ‘Champagne Tea Service’. We are also using the room for Jazz evenings and other events. The bar here is also proving to be a popular meeting place both during the day and in the evenings. The Garden Lounge is becoming a room where we are able to introduce more variety of entertainment.
Outdoor areas – we have a hit on our hands with our games court. You may know that up there we have Short Mat Garden Bowls, Croquet and of course our famous Paddle Tennis court. It was always going to be fun watching our British guests teach our American guests how to play English garden bowls. And fun it has turned out to be. It is quirky and it is something different and very British. I was also a little concerned as to how you keep a Garden Bowl level on the 12th deck of a ship at sea. But overall this area has proved to be tremendously popular and very relaxing for our guests either if they want to partake in the quirky English sports or simply sit, relax and watch others perform. The deck space on board Queen Elizabeth is more than sufficient for our guests.
There was a lot of chatter about whether you could promenade right the way around the ship. Well, to those who have been on board Queen Elizabeth – you certainly can on this ship – you can go right the way around 360 degrees and it is proving to be a very popular pastime. One of the things that Cunard do best is to provide a wonderful ambience for guests who like to promenade around the ship – particularly first thing in the morning – and you simply cannot beat the experience – it is very Cunard. The Queens Grill and Princess Grill private deck space has proved to be popular and there is ample space and chairs for all. The aft deck is considerably bigger on Queen Elizabeth than on Queen Victoria as we extended more cabins aft on Queen Elizabeth. As we approached the final stages of the building of Queen Elizabeth, I did think that we had missed a trick in not building a substantial canopy on the main aft deck. I think these days more and more people are keen to find shaded areas – particularly as we have such an extensive deck. Hands up – I personally think I made a mistake here and we will look at whether we can install a canopy when Queen Elizabeth comes in for her first refit. I think this would also further enhance the ability for people to relax and have lunch or even dinner outside under that canopy area.
I have been on the ship many times and often to listen to guests as they walk around for the first time. I can honestly say that in Queen Elizabeth we have a beautiful ship that is being very well received by our guests. She is very homely and has a lot of memories of QE2 and of our special links to the Royal Family. It is more than anything a beautiful ship and one where our guests feel right at home from the minute they arrive. She has also become a wonderful younger sister to Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.
So proud of our Ship’s Company - I can’t speak highly enough of the people who work on board Queen Elizabeth. In particular there are many who joined the ship at the early stage of the ship’s construction. I can assure you that building a ship is not easy and does not come without challenges. Our Senior Officers, led by Captain Chris Wells, showed enormous leadership to every member of the ship’s company right through the build process, whilst the ship came into service, and every single day over the last ten months. It is their passion and the passion of every member of the ship’s company that has really been the success of Queen Elizabeth. Right from the moment when you walk on board and see our wonderful staff in their crisp Cunard uniforms, you can sense White Star Service and you can sense that each and every one of them knows the passion of “We Are Cunard”. In the early days it was quite challenging for many of our staff. Challenging for those who were with Cunard for the first time and challenging for those of our loyal and more senior staff who had to support and nurture those newcomers into the Cunard White Star Service. And they have done magnificently well.
On a recent 14 day voyage – through the customer service questionnaires – our guests scored the overall voyage above 93%. They scored the dining room service at 97%. They scored the service they received in their staterooms at 95%. When asked “Would you recommend Cunard Line to a friend?” 98.5% said “Yes”. When asked if they would sail with Cunard and Queen Elizabeth again – over 97% said “Yes”. These are some of the highest scores we have seen on a Cunard ship for some time. And those scores simply reflect the pride and passion of every member of the ship’s company. Importantly, they also reflect the feelings of our guests.
So on the first birthday of Queen Elizabeth we have real a sense of achievement, but at the same time a realism that we have to continue to work our socks off to deliver to the expectations of our guests.
We have ourselves a wonderful ship, a fine sister to Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria and one that we are proud to have in the Cunard fleet.
I hope you have enjoyed my own personal reflections of Queen Elizabeth – and I hope you are able to sail on her soon. In particular – if it was down to me – I would be choosing to sail on her during her Maiden Mediterranean season in 2012. There won’t be a finer ship in the Mediterranean.
Former journalist and MP Martin Bell recently sailed on board Queen Mary 2 and penned a poem during the crossing. We thought we’d share it with you here on the blog…
Guest Blogger: Keith Maynard: Entertainment Director, Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth arrives in Southampton tomorrow after her maiden voyage along the coast of North America and Canada. Following in the footsteps of SS Britannia 171 years ago we enjoyed a very warm welcome in Portland, Maine. Fresh from guiding our new Queen safely through the foggy night, Captain Wells pulled us up safely alongside the new pier; it was completed just days before for our arrival even though it was all but invisible to the naked eye until the last 20 metres!!! As the morning wore on the fog began to lift and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, a small delegation of local dignities were guided on board by Social Hostess Marianne Corlett and were welcomed in the midships bar by Captain Wells, Hotel Manager David Hamilton and myself. In typical Cunard style the champagne flowed along with the conversation and as some tasty aperitifs appeared so did the official plaque of Portland Harbour – a beautiful hand painted relief which will join the growing family outside the Commodore Club on deck 10 forward. But our friendly guests had a little surprise up their sleeve when out of a rather inconspicuous looking box they pulled out a live lobster and presented it to Captain Wells! We were later to learn that there were 11 more of his friends still lurking in the box! Of course by the time you read this blog you can rest assured the the Captain and his Executive Committee re-homed the Lobsters courtesy of executive chef Nicholas Oldroyd!
Guest Blog – Jackie Chase, Manager, Cunard Public Relations, California
On 7 September, Los Angeles British Consul-General Dame Barbara Hay and Michael Rosenfeld, vice consul, UK Trade & Investment, visited our offices in Valencia for a close-up look into the line’s North American shoreside operations. Escorted by Brian O’Connor, Director of Marketing & Public relations, Dame Barbara and Vice Consul Rosenfeld met key members of Cunard’s Marketing, Public Relations and Customer Service teams.
Dame Barbara’s schedule is always quite full so the team was thrilled at the opportunity of her visit. Among her vast duties and responsibilities as British Consul-General, Dame Barbara hosted Prince William and Catherine Middleton at her residence in Hancock Park during their widely covered Los Angeles visit in July.
Upon their arrival, Dame Barbara and Vice Consul Rosenfeld were first met by the Marketing and Public Relations team in the lobby of Building 6, who greeted them in front of the impressive, 14-foot long Queen Mary 2 ship model. Brian provided an overview of the team’s functions, facilitated individual introductions to each staff member, and shared key details on the company’s recently launched marketing campaign, “FEEL FAMOUS. SAIL CUNARD.”
Next, the group headed upstairs where Dame Barbara and Vice Consul Rosenfeld were met by Nina Kass and Lynn DeRose, vice president and manager, respectively, of Cunard Customer Service. Several Customer Service staff were also on hand to share details on how the Call Centre works, typical daily issues that arise, etc.
Dame Barbara later commented, “It was really fascinating to hear so much more about Cunard. What an impressive story you have to tell!”
The visit follows Dame Barbara’s attendance at a luncheon on board Queen Elizabeth in Los Angeles this past winter during the ship’s maiden call. Over the years, Cunard has sponsored several events with which the British Consul-General has been involved, notably the annual BritWeek Gala Dinner and BAFTA LA’s annual award dinner.
To commemorate the visit, the Marketing and Customer Service teams presented Dame Barbara with a limited edition, wood-carved model of Queen Victoria, and presented Vice Consul Rosenfeld a copy of “Queen Mary 2: The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time” by best-selling maritime author John Maxtone-Graham.
Their visit was concluded by a meeting with Jan Swartz, Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Customer Service, in which they discussed the commercial aspects of the business, and the enduring legacy and importance of Cunard’s ties with Great Britain.
After the visit, Dame Barbara immediately sent a note of thanks to the teams, saying in part, “I’m so pleased that we escaped Los Angeles and the press of the inbox to meet your teams. I was very struck by the company’s warm and business-like atmosphere and everyone’s real commitment to your important business. What super people!”
