Hello All

We were delighted to welcome two very special guests to Queen Mary 2 recently. A good friend and colleague of mine – Carol Marlow. Many of you will remember Carol from her time as president of Cunard Line, and she is now Managing Director of one of our sister cruise lines – P&O Cruises. Carol has written a splendid blog about the voyage she enjoyed with her mum.

Guest Blog

Carol Marlow

Managing Director of P&O Cruises

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Good afternoon!

Well, at the moment I’m delighted to be on holiday on Queen Mary 2 with my mother. I enjoy taking a break on both P&O Cruises and Cunard, so this time picked a lovely fjords itinerary so we can both enjoy the scenery!

We are currently anchored in Geirangerfjord, and just this morning had an excellent trip up Mount Dalsnibba. Plenty of fabulous views and hairpin bends – over 40 apparently, and I was intending to count them as we went up, but our guide was great fun, and so I was distracted almost immediately – only getting to 4 – but I can assure you there are many more than that! We also saw reindeer grazing up on the high slopes, picturesque little log cabins and plenty of little rock flowers, but no trolls to report, I’m pleased to say…..

This is day 5 of our week on board, and it has been a wonderful break. We started off by popping along to Illuminations after dinner on the first evening to watch ‘The King’s Speech’. A great film made all the more relevant by the fact that Edward (David) and Wallis Simpson were passengers on the old Cunard liners on their transatlantic voyages to and from New York, and just to prove it, there’s a picture of them up in the starboard forward gallery showing them when they were travelling over with their dog!

Our first day at sea started with some heavy wind coming over the North Sea, but of course, as ever, this great ship handled it so well that we hardly felt anything. This is the first time that Mum has travelled on Queen Mary 2, so we spent our day acquainting her with the ship, and for me it was great to still see so many familiar faces, even 2 years on from having moved over to P&O Cruises.

In the evening we were delighted to be invited to dine with Commodore Rynd and his wife Julie on his Commodore’s Table – and of course I duly congratulated him, as he has been moved up into the important role of Commodore since we last met.

Our day in Stavanger was sunny and warm, and we went over to Flor & Fjoere Gardens which was beautiful under the clear blue sky. Such a magnificent place having been carefully created from a pretty barren island.  In the afternoon we had a wander through the little wooden houses in the old part of town.

The weather was perfect in Alesund too, and the attractive little town had a boat festival on – so lots to see and do, with a street market, and the curious looking sport of youngsters riding down what looked like a ski jump on a skateboard and doing acrobatic jumps into the water – rather them than me! We then went on a boat trip down another fjord, and also headed up to the restaurant overlooking the town from one of the highest points, for some magnificent views – but I have to confess to taking a coach up there, whilst others from the ship – including the Commodore and his family – actually walked up the 400+ steps…and then walked down again.

So, if you are starting to be concerned that I’m not getting enough exercise to go with all this wonderful food on board, I can reassure you that this afternoon I am planning to go to the gym while Mum has her hair done. And I’ll certainly need it!

A day in Bergen to look forward to tomorrow, and then a final day at sea to relax, before arriving back in Southampton and back to work on Wednesday!

It’s always fun to take a Cunard voyage, and this one was no exception. I wish all you Cunarders out there smooth sailing and many more adventures aboard ‘The most famous ocean liners in the world’.

Kind regards

Carol

Many thanks Carol – I know that many of the ship’s company enjoyed seeing you on board again. I was a busy Tuesday in Southampton yesterday – and I spent a couple of hours on board Queen Elizabeth where Captain Chris Wells has just returned from leave. I was able to have a quick catch up both with Chris and our Hotel Manager to see how things are going. In a day full of meetings in the office, it was a pleasure to be able to pop down and see the ship and see how she was doing. I have to admit I was somewhat envious of all those embarking as I set off back to the office. She has just returned from quite a challenging Northern Voyage where the weather was not on our side.

That is all for now – back soon to explain how I plan to ride 50 miles on your behalf to raise money for The Prince’s Trust. I am hoping that all of our bloggers will have a role to play – I will offer to do the ride and invite you to partake by pledging a small amount of support that could make a huge difference to some deserving you people. More to come on that shortly.

Best Regards

Peter

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 425 days

As Queen Mary 2 sails across the Atlantic back to Southampton on her 12^th crossing this year and Queen Victoria heads north for her maiden call to Iceland, the topic of the Blog this week is the second half of my report from Queen Elizabeth’s keel laying ceremony. Thank you for all the comments from part one and now that there’ll be more and more to see, I’ll do my best to keep you fully updated with her progress including lot’s more pictures. But as usual before we get to that second installment, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week, 10^th to the 16^th July:

July 11 2005

Queen Mary 2 carries the first U.S. signed copy of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”, from Southampton to New York.

July 13 1904

Caronia (sister ship to the Carmania) is launched and together they are known as “The Pretty sisters” The funnel colours are changed from 1/5th black to 1/4 black. She was the only ship to be named after an American – Caro Brown whose grandfather was Cunard’s New York agent at the turn of the century

July 14 1997

QE2 makes her maiden call at Dun Loaghaire, Ireland

July 15 1951

Caronia II makes her maiden call to Trondheim

So back to events in Monfalcone and after part one on Monday, we are now at the point where the actual ceremony began. The keel laying itself involves the placement in the dry dock of the first section of the ship’s hull. This section is made up of six pre-manufactured blocks and weighs a staggering 364 tons. This is a view looking forward from what will be the amidships section of the new liner’s hull, with the block suspended from a massive crane, ready to be lowered on to the supports below.

And this is a view looking aft where you can see the block from a different angle with the huge workshops in the background, which are busy building the next sections of the ship’s superstructure.

At 3.00pm, with everything in place and the media ready to record the event, Fincantieri’s Shipyard Director Paolo Capobianco, welcomed everyone and said “Building a new liner for Cunard is a special achievement for Fincantieri and takes us right to our roots, fostering both our determination to build once again a passenger ship of high technological content and unmistakable style, reflecting the best of the industry and tailored to the needs and requirements of the ship owner”.

Cunard’s President and Managing Director, Carol Marlow replied by saying; “We are delighted to be back here among our friends at Fincantieri so soon after we took delivery of Queen Victoria in 2007, the first Cunarder to be built in Italy. I am sure that Queen Elizabeth will be just as popular and successful as her two sisters. We at Cunard are always impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone at Fincantieri, and we look forward to the next year-and-a half of working closely with them on this ship, which will be nurtured by their skill and vision and built into a vessel equal in stature to the other great Cunard liners”.

In fact Carol impressed everyone, by delivering part of her speech in excellent Italian, much to the delight of our hosts. Before the block was lowered the shipyard’s chaplain Padre Gildo was invited to say a prayer to bless the successful construction of our new Queen.

Then it was time for Carol Marlow to push the big red button and start the lowering of the first block.

With that, the block lowered quite quickly in to place under the careful guidance of the crane operator and ship yard engineers in the dry dock itself, and you could just hear the sound as the block came to rest on the supports below which would hold it in place until the other sections are added and she finally meets water in less than 6 months time.

Although at first glances it looks like a snug fit, you may notice that there is actually quite a bit of space either side of the block, and that’s because the dry dock is designed to be able to accommodate wider ships. Despite Queen Elizabeth being Cunard’s second biggest liner ever built at 90,400 tons, (just a little larger than Queen Victoria), she will be able to fit in to the massive locks of the Panama Canal, unlike some of the ships that have been constructed in this dock.

With the ceremony complete, work could begin in the dry dock, marked with a toast, and here Paolo Capobianco celebrates with Carol Marlow with a glass of Prosecco.

You’ll have no doubt noticed that there appears to be some equipment already in the block. This is a normal part of the building process where the ship is literally built around some of the more substantial pieces of machinery. In fact within this first block there are an amazing 104 tons of pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment, some of which can be seen with this closer look at the inside of the block.

The next stage is to release the cables and then cut off the hooks that were welded to the metal to hold the cables carefully in place. And then it’ll be time to bring lighting and other equipment in to the block to continue work and prepare for the next block which will be lowered in just a few days. This view is looking forward with the block in place and a great view of more equipment in place.

I hope to go back again soon, where I know the progress will be very impressive. Over the coming months I’m also going to interview some of the people involved in the new build process such, engineers and interior designers. Many of you have also being asking about who the senior officers will be on Queen Elizabeth and I’m afraid we will have to wait a little longer for that news, but rest assured you’ll be the first to know!

I was hoping to bring you some video of the keel laying ceremony in this Blog, but that will now be posted on Monday along with the transcript of the blessing from Padre Gildo. In the meantime thanks again for logging on and please do keep those questions and comments coming in. Cheers Alastair

Well what a week; it’s certainly been busy on the Blog and of course the big news this week was the unveiling of our new Cunarder on Tuesday – Queen Elizabeth. In fact you can see a video of the press launch in London, with Carol Marlow (President and Managing Director of Cunard Line), by clicking on this link: -

http://www.cunard.co.uk/qelaunch/

Thanks for all your comments regarding this breaking news and it’s great to hear that you are as excited as we are on board. Mind you I do have an apology to make to some of our Cunard World Club members, who have alerted me that they had not received communications about Queen Elizabeth’s “on sale” date. Sorry about that but in my excitement I made a mistake. These communications are in place and I can confirm that these details are currently being distributed globally and you can rest assured the “on sale” date is the same for all past guests no matter where they live in the world!

Meanwhile we will be welcoming Carol Marlow to Queen Victoria today, for our World Cruise Dinner tonight (more on that next week), and she’ll be sailing with us for a couple of days so I’ll keep you posted if I get any more news. Meanwhile we are about to start our final leg of our 2009 World Cruise – was it really 74 days ago that we started this adventure? Wow time does fly when you are at sea enjoying yourself! We have had a great week on board with visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as finding “Stars” amoungst our crew in a special show – so lots to tell. Firstly though, as usual, here’s “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week of the 19^th to the 25^th of March.

March 22 1921

Scythia II is launched and enters service later the same year

March 20 1950

Caronia II makes her maiden call to Algiers, Algeria – 1 of only 2 calls she ever made there

March 19 1975

QE2 makes her maiden call at Los Angeles, USA

March 25 1975

QE2 makes her first transit of the Panama Canal, making her the largest ship to travel through the canal

March 21 2003

Queen Mary 2 is floated out of the building dock

Hong Kong is frequently described as a city where east meets west, and it has always been a highlight of the World Cruise for guests and crew alike and if you have ever been there you’ll know why. Whether it’s shopping on Nathan Road, taking a ferry across to Hong Kong Island or enjoying a stunning meal at the renowned Peninsular Hotel, it’s still one of the most exciting cities in the world. This is the former British dependency that boasts the largest double-decker tram fleet and more Rolls Royces than anywhere else in the World. It was a great day, with a perfect ending, when Captain Wright announced that the ship had been granted permission to sail through Hong Kong harbour on way to our next port in Vietnam. It was a real treat to see the night skyline from the best vantage point in the harbour! We all had ample opportunity to take some great pictures but there are times when it’s best left to the professionals; so I’d like to thank our on board photographic team for this superb picture of Hong Kong Island

Vietnam was our next stop and the beautiful scenery of Nha Trang which gave our guests a relaxing time on a stunning sun drenched beach before the excitement of Ho Chi Minh City the following day. It was a bit of a drive to get there (and this turned out to be an adventure in itself) from the port town of Phu My. It is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta with a population of more than nine million people – most of whom it seems own a motorbike. I have never seen so many bikes and many of them seem to be competing on how much it’s possible to fit on one bike. We saw livestock, fridges and even a washing machine balancing precariously on the back of what were questionably roadworthy vehicles. Perhaps one of the winners of this competition could be this chap managing to balance all sorts of building materials on his bike – complete with scaffolding!

Of course this was another opportunity to shop, and where better? Here you could buy anything with a designer label and even a painting of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” which we weren’t allowed to touch as the paint was still wet – and you think I’m kidding! Wood work was also very popular here and I went with our Senior Doctor, Peter Hawthorne, to help him buy a fully rigged model sailing ship he had promised himself the last time he was here. Mind you we were surprised by this model which had clearly lost a little in translation being called “Mery II”. Does it look familiar? Well I suppose we can’t all be perfect!

That night our guests were treated by another World Cruise favourite, a deck BBQ. As usual this was a huge success and I just had to take this photo of the food & beverage team who got in to the spirit of the day in their Vietnamese headwear already to begin service!

By the way talking of the food and beverage team, huge congratulations must go to them as I heard today, that according to Cruise Critic voters, Cunard was voted fine food flagship, in a recent survey amoungst British Cruise travellers. Cunard beat the nearest competition by 6% which particularly impressive as sixty percent of those taking part in the survey, said that a cruise line’s overall reputation for quality cuisine would affect their choice of line.

Meanwhile they were also celebrating success in another way, as the winner of a crew competition was announced as one of their bar staff. In a tradition started last year on Queen Victoria, we held auditions amoungst our crew to look for great singers who could perform as someone famous. Some of you may remember the TV Show “Stars in Their Eyes”; well this was an opportunity for budding singers to show off their talents and I have to say there was stiff competition. Many departments were represented including Engineers, Shop Staff, Waiters and even a member of the Medical Team, as nine singers battled it out in a special show. Not only did our guests get to see this one off very professionally presented performance, but they decided on the winner when they were asked to vote for their favourite performer. The result was so close that we had a recount and found our Champion for 2009.

Playing the part of Jamie Jones, Ryan Latumbo did a fantastic rendition of “I Swear” and he won his audience over with his great voice and charm. He was a star for at least a day any way, with an interview on the ship’s morning TV show and now there are even rumours of him releasing an album! Meanwhile Ryan, from the Philippines, said he loved every minute and is ready to defend his title again next year.

Well that’s about it for another week – unless there is any breaking news in the meantime so please keep logging on and posting your comments. Cheers – Alastair

We started our final lap of the British Isles with QE2 full to capacity and a feeling of sadness and excitement all at the same time… Captain Ian McNaught at the helm and everyone poised for a Legendary, Elegant and Memorable Voyage… Our first stop Cherbourg, France…

This was not to be, the weather was against us and the Captain made the decision to press on to Cobh, Ireland for an overnight… an overnight to be enjoyed by both guests and crew alike…As usual there was plenty happening onboard during the first couple of days such as seminars in the Yacht Club and dance classes in the Queens Room. Maritime Historian William Miller’s Lecture captivated a packed house in the theatre and as always Carol Marlow’s talk on ‘Queen Victoria and a Year in the Life of Our Cunard Queens’ was fascinating.

QE2 in Cobh

We arrived into Cobh at around 3pm with crowds of people welcoming us as we came alongside… The gangways were jam packed as guests proceeded ashore to enjoy the sights and sounds of Ireland… What a sail out! Everywhere you looked, people lined the shoreline and every vantage point to say a final farewell to QE2…

Departure from Cobh

The next day we arrived in Liverpool, England and everyone was anticipating a spectacular day there… and it was… the Celebratory QE2 Concert at Liverpool’s magnificent Anglican Cathedral was unbelievable. What a venue… the cathedral is one of the largest in the world and just an absolute splendour, and yes it takes your breath away…Nearly two thousand in attendance and there was not a dry eye in the house, the service was deeply touching, with performances by The Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra combined with the Liverpool Cathedral Choir, Natasha Marsh and Jon Christos who where absolutely impressive to say the least… Time to Say Goodbye left a lump in everyone’s throat… and what a sight when the Band of the Welsh Guards marched up the isle and Natasha broke into Jerusalem…

QE2 In Liverpool

A 39 foot ‘Paying Off’ Pennant, the largest in Cunard history, 1 foot for every year the QE2 has been in service was presented to the Lord Mayor of Liverpool…The tributes paid to QE2 included one by Dame Beryl Bainbridge in which she talked about the progress of time and how things we love change and move on. Amongst others, QE2’s former Captain Robin Woodall, Carol Marlow and Captain Ian McNaught each delivered wonderfully moving tributes to QE2 and a resounding rendition of Rule Britannia with plenty of passion and flag waving perfectly rounded off a truly unforgettable event…Take a look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7651948.stm  to see for yourself some clips from this wonderful occasion.

When QE2 started to untie from the berth for her sail-away there were spectacular fireworks which lit up the Liverpool sky and soon after the Beatles Tribute Band kicked off at the Funnel Bar… It was not so much a final farewell but, a celebration of what Liverpool means to Cunard and to QE2…As we moved away from the berth QE2 sounded her whistle to let everyone know who has the best baritone in the industry, prickling the hairs on your arms… What a finish to a very special day!

Belfast was yet another fabulous sail in with a flotilla of boats escorting us in, we came along side at around 2pm… Once again the locals where out to welcome QE2 despite the poor weather…On the crossing to Belfast HMS Ark Royal paid a surprise visit and came alongside to pay her respects and just before arriving the Red Arrows gave us an amazing display with their death defying stunts to an excited and captivated crowd from the QE2’s aft decks.

HMS Ark Royal

That morning Commodore Ronald Warwick’s lecture in the theatre ‘The QE2 Story’ was standing room only… He is a well loved Captain with crew and guests alike…In the evening the Local Show ‘Gaels Afloat’ dazzled the guests in the Grand Lounge with audience participation, Irish dance, music and lots of good ole’ Irish humour… The old favorite ‘Danny Boy’ was definitely a crowd pleaser…The Beatle’s Tribute Band performed after the Local Show, and oh my goodness I have never seen the Queens Room so alive with the rhythms and sounds of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Hello Goodbye…’ and all those Beatles favorites… very reminiscent of a bygone era…

Richard Curtis, Cunard’s Head of Marketing was on QE2 for her call into Greenock and was kind enough to give me a few words on the arrival:

As we made our way to Greenock on Saturday morning we were treated with one of those perfect (and very rare) autumn days – chilly and fresh but not a cloud in the sky! Sailing towards the approach of the Clyde we were first greeted by type 42 frigate HMS Manchester who made a graceful sweep around us and the followed closely behind, occasionally speeding up and drawing level.

HMS Manchester

Over the next hour she was joined by more and more boats, every one packed full with admirers of QE2’s beauty and grace and to cheer and wave their best wishes.

As we got closer to Greenock the flotilla swelled further to several hundreds and included craft of every shape and size including speed boats, pleasure cruisers, yachts, jet skis and several Scottish Isles ferries specially chartered for the day.

Greenock

On the banks of the Clyde every conceivable space was taken by rapturous admirers franticly waving and cheering. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7651286.stm for a video of her arriving in Greenock.

Finally at 12 noon as we approached her berth QE2 sounded her whistle and was answered by a cacophony of every conceivable pitch.

Such a special moment that sent many thousand shivers down the spines of all fortunate enough to be there, and which will always be remembered as one of those very special and unique Cunard moments.

After a resounding send off from Greenock with many thousands of QE2’s fans and admirers enjoying yet another spectacular firework we headed on our way towards Edinburgh and Newcastle which I will tell you more about in a few days time.  Also, thank you to Richard Curtis for supplying these pictures of QE2 on this wonderful voyage!

Warren