Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 222 days

Thank you again for all your feedback, it’s always great to hear from you. I know from reading your comments you have been enjoying watching Queen Victoria going around the world, well I’m delighted to introduce a guest Blogger to share Queen Mary 2’s World Voyage with you; and what a great Blog it is, so over to Freda who takes up the story.

 

Guest Blog – Freda Singleton – Queen Mary 2 – Social Hostess

 

Queen Mary 2’s 2010 World Voyage is well under way with some fabulous new ports of call as well as some much loved familiar places, a whirl of parties, celebrations, themed balls, charity events, superb speakers and very variable weather!

 

Our first stop in beautiful Lisbon marked a very wet start.  Grey clouds and torrential rain deterred many from venturing ashore, so it was with some relief to move quite quickly from Civitavecchia (for Rome) through the Suez Canal and on to the desert lands. No pause by the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings would be complete without an Egyptian Ball. The Queens Room was inspirationally decorated to remind us of the magnificence and history of the land we had just visited and guests were delighted by the surprise appearance of Freddie Fahrouk, Achamanda and Hot Chick Soup performing the hilarious Sand Dance, much to the amazement of the guest who earlier in the evening had commented that no-one would remember that far back! And here they are supported by Antony and Cleopatra.

 

 

 

 

With a proudly Scottish Chief Engineer on board, celebrating Burns night in style was not negotiable!  Thanks to Ronnie Keir’s enthusiastic dissection of the haggis and Carol Summers’ (Royal Cunard Dance Captain) stunning sword dance, the famous Baird was toasted in style with a packed dance floor of energetic Gay Gordons, Dashing White Sergeants and an officers’ display of Strip the Willow! Here’s Carol dancing above the carefully crafted swords, the handiwork of Ronnie’s team of engineers, as he watches on.

 

 

 

 

As we moved on to India, the Queens Room hosted the Night of the Raj Ball, with guests displaying their newly honed skills of sari tying with their newly purchased jewel coloured saris. They then enjoyed watching the Royal Cunard Dancers perform their sensual, exotic interpretation of the dance of the Gods, depicting the God of destruction and the God of creation.

 

 

 

 

Bringing us to the end of the 3^rd leg of our World Voyage, all the sensations of the east were brought together at the Oriental Ball with the Sun and the Moon duet sung by our fabulous singers Kris Harding and Hannah Bloch and dramatically illustrated by the beautiful Vasilica Lungu as the love nymph in ‘The Sun and the Moon’.

        

 

 

  

 

 

Despite some very chilly weather as we approached Shanghai, the temperature rose in the Queens Room. Cupid paid us a timely visit as we celebrated Valentine’s Day with love, romance and some steamy passion with the jaw-dropping tango, seen here with Carol and Nazarly.

 

 

 

 

Amongst the fifteen or so maiden ports of call for Queen Mary 2 in this year’s World Voyage, one that will certainly stay in guests’ minds for a very long time is Nagasaki. As is customary, the ship exchanged plaques with the local officials, but this time the ceremony was extra special. The Mayor of Nagasaki came with his prefecture governors and made individual presentations to Captain Nick Bates, Staff Captain, Robert Camby, Chief Engineer, Ronnie Keir , Hotel Manager, David Stephenson and Entertainment Director, Paul O’Loughlin. The officers, dignitaries and audience were entirely humbled by the tear-jerking graciousness of the exquisite Japanese children who seared their place into everyone’s hearts. The 3 to 6 year olds of Oura Nursery School presented such enormous bouquets of flowers that they could hardly see or be seen; Captain Bates had to brush a tear from his eye. We heard later that they had rehearsed for over a month for their word perfect performance in English of ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’, followed by 2 traditional Japanese dances. No-one could think of more deserving recipients of our Cunard fluffy lions.

 

Of course, Cunard and Queen Mary 2 have excelled with an array of Insight speakers.  Amongst the celebrity speakers so far, we have been educated by John Humphries who hosted a special Queen Mary 2 version of ‘Masterbrain’, as well as a very thought provoking ‘Time for Questions’ with our panel of resident experts comprising Commodore Warner, Hotel Manager, David Stephenson and pianist, Campbell Simpson.  We were enlightened by Michael Nicholson and enthralled by Dr George McGavin.

 

Throughout all of the partying and celebrations the crew have been busy raising money for the four nominated World Voyage Charities: The Royal National Lifeboat Institute, The Haiti Emergency relief Fund, The Prostheses Foundation in Thailand and the Seaman’s Church Institute of New York.

 

The first event was the Tug of War, with competing teams from the Medical, Deck and Technical departments, the Spa, the Purser’s Office, the Engineers and Entertainment. The medical department under the appropriate title of ‘The Walking Dead’ won the best dressed team:

 

 

 

 

However, the Entertainment department wiped the floor with the remaining awards winning the ladies, the men and the mixed competitions. No wonder Paul O’Loughlin and Amanda Reid, (Entertainment Director and Assistant Entertainment Director), have such big smiles on their faces! 

 

 

 

 

By way of a complete contrast, the second charity event moved away from raw crew strength to musical expertise and seven superb examples of hidden talent put on two magnificent shows of ‘Stars in the Crew’ to allow fellow crew members and guests alike to judge their skills. The show featured:

 

·   Renier – Purser’s Staff as Gareth Gates with ‘Spirit in the Sky’

·   Marion Woolley – Zone Manager as Charlotte Church with ‘To dream a dream’

·   Jeffrey Canono –  Bedroom Steward  as Michael Ball from Miss Saigon with ‘Why God’

·   Alex Laxton – Stage Crew as Frank Sinatra with ‘Come fly with me’

·   Napoleon Mana – Laundry Man as Bill Medley with ‘Unchained Melody’

·   Big Dave Griffiss – Bar Steward as Paul McCartney with ‘I saw her standing there’ (eat your heart out Karl Lornie of the Beatles Celebration, who were also performing with us at that time and were, of course, completely brilliant!)

·   Cela Wasserman – Sound Engineer as Linda Perry with ‘What’s up?’

 

The voting was very close with outstanding performances from all seven stars and many congratulations due to final winner, Jeffery Canono who won himself dinner for 2 in Todd English.

 

And finally, we say a special thank you to the Masons on board who have done a wonderful job of raising money for our charities through cocktail events and raffles, with a magnificent total of $1745.57.

 

How do we top all that in the second half??

 

Thank you so much Freda for such a great Blog, it has given us a wonderful overview of your World Voyage so far. It was also really good to see and hear about our colleagues over on our big sister as well. We look forward to hearing about your next segment.

 

Meanwhile I’ll be back on Thursday with the regular weekly Blog and some new pictures of Queen Elizabeth under construction in Italy.

 

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 261 days

 

As Queen Mary 2 reached Dubai for the next leg of her World Voyage, Queen Victoria arrived in San Francisco for her maiden call – and what a welcome she received. I’ll post a special Blog covering that day very soon. Before we introduce you to Queen Mary 2’s latest Star of The Month, here’s Cunard’s history, for the week 29 January to 4 February:

 

 

31 January 1951	Caronia  makes her first west bound crossing of the International Dateline
1 February 1971	QE2 makes her maiden call at Freeport, Bahamas
2 February 1870	The keel is laid for the new Parthia which was to be Cunard’s finest ship to date. She was the first Cunarder to have baths – one on the Port Side and one on the Starboard side
4 February 1945	The beginning of the Yalta Conference, where Churchill used Cunard’s Franconia as his base. The conference, which lasted one week, was held with Roosevelt and Stalin.
4 February 2007	Queen Mary 2 makes her maiden call to San Francisco

 

 As many of you will know, each month we feature a “Star of the Month” from either Queen Mary 2 or Queen Victoria. The title is awarded to just one crew member per ship each month, as a result of guest and crew feedback, and then consideration by our on board White Star Committees. The “Star of the Month”, also has their photo displayed prominently in the Grand Lobby for guests to see, and it’s now a great pleasure to talk to Queen Mary 2’s latest star; Noel Lomandas who is a Buffet Steward.

 

 

On 5 January 1995, Noel joined his first ship, the Vistafjord, which was renamed Caronia in 1999. He started his career as a member of the utility team and two years later, on his third contract with Cunard, he was promoted to Assistant Waiter and then Waiter. He remained on Caronia until she went out of service in 2004 when he joined Queen Mary 2 as a Buffet Steward

 

At home he is married to Olivia, and with their children, seven year old Camilla Jasmine and three year old Earl Grey, they live in San Fabian in the Philippines.

 

 

At the moment Noel is assigned to the Room Service department, and his day starts early at 6.00am when the ship is in port or 6.45am if the ship is at sea. Having reported to his supervisor, Noel spends most of his morning preparing coffee or making toast for the room service trays and reckons he makes over 500 slices of toast each morning!

 

In the afternoon he sets up the trolleys in preparation for the following morning and then helps the Room Service team deliver orders to guest staterooms. His true dedication to “White Star Service”, lead to his nomination for “Star of The Month”. He received numerous recommendations from the guests he served, who consistently said they appreciated his excellent service and tremendous positive attitude.

 

He is often asked how long he has worked for the company and he told me that he is very proud to tell guests “since 1995”, and he considers the best part of his job to be able to meet our guests.

 

When he gets a break on board, he likes to play chess, watch movies in his cabin and sometimes he goes to the crew gym. He also likes to call home regularly and when the ship is in port he enjoys going out with friends to have some Filipino food which he can find in many ports Queen Mary 2 visits.

 

Becoming the “Star of The Month” also brings a prize which Noel said he would use towards his children’s future. Here he is receiving his award with (from left to right), David Stephenson, Hotel Manager, Osman Pinaolglu, Senior Maitre D’Hotel, Commodore Bernard Warner and Jeff Morgan, Food and Beverage Manager

 

 

At home on leave Noel loves spending valuable time with his family and also enjoys singing and playing the guitar. As for the future Noel told me that he hopes he will be promoted, which would also help him support his family even more as he would like his children to attend a good school where they can study. Noel certainly seems to be a true Cunarder and when I asked what “We Are Cunard” meant to him he replied simply that, “We are a big family”. I couldn’t put it any better.

 

Thank you Noel for taking the time to chat to me and also a huge thank you to Jeanne Pohling, who is the Hotel Manager’s Personal Assistant, who helped put this Blog together. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s another great story where our fellow crew members have been recognised for their hard work and White Star Service.

 

I’ll be back soon with more news from around the Cunard World, including some recent celebrations on Queen Victoria. As always, keep those questions and comments coming in, Alastair

Amongst all the excitement of looking forward to our new Queen joining the fleet in October, our two other Queens had a busy and exciting festive season, before preparing for their 2010 World Voyages. So in this Blog I’d like to take you back a few weeks as celebrating the festive season on a Cunard ship is always very special for guests and crew alike. While I was at home, I was very grateful to Queen Mary 2 for sending me a special Blog, capturing the festive atmosphere of the season.

 

Guest Blog, Freda Singleton – Queen Mary 2

20 December saw an interesting start to Queen Mary 2’s festive celebrations with Cunard’s flagship docking in New York shortly after 6.30am. Commodore Bernard Warner arrived shortly afterwards to take the helm and to his surprise, found the pride of Cunard’s fleet, the greatest ocean liner of our time, coated in white as her decks were covered in several inches of snow!  Had the newly installed snow-making machine gone into over-drive?!  No!  New York was fully into its Christmas cheer with a snow storm worthy of the North Pole! 

 

 

Some hours after the Commodore’s arrival, the snow was still piled up alongside the ship, so it was no surprise that our 2,400 guests were anxious to escape to the warmth of the Caribbean!  We were all very grateful to the Commodore as he headed south towards our first port of call, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, to thaw out.  Meanwhile, the glamour and elegance of Cunard travel began on the first formal evening of the voyage with our fabulous, traditional, Black and White Ball. The Ball opened with the extra sparkle of the Royal Cunard Dancers in all their brilliant white finery, setting the scene for a glittering voyage.

 

It wasn’t long before we could all enjoy the sunshine of the Caribbean. The islands of Tortola and St Maarten are known for their beauty, friendliness and typical Caribbean hospitality, not to mention the odd rum punch or two which had everyone in the mood to party.  Christmas Eve saw a transformation from the wonderful rhythm of the steel drums to the gentle and festive sounds of Christmas carols as guest, officers and crew gathered in Queen Mary 2’s elegant Grand Lobby for the traditional start of the festivities.

 

 

Children and adults alike went to sleep that night anticipating the fun that was to follow on Christmas Day.  We were awoken of course, to the sound of sleigh bells…….coming down the chimney?  Well, the funnel is certainly big enough – and there indeed was Santa himself making his way through the ship from the Grand Lobby to the Queens Room!

 

 

Father Christmas was delighted to have caught up with Queen Mary 2 and to have been able to give so many presents to the fantastic young travellers on board. So much so, he even found time to reward the Commodore for being such a marvellous host, master of the ship, leader of such a tremendous team and fine example of White Star Service! Here he is being congratulated by Santa with Entertainment Director, Paul O’Loughlin.

 

 

Merriness continued throughout the day with sumptuous food and a specially written Christmas Show performed in the Royal Court Theatre that night and here’s a photo capturing Edwina Currie and her husband John Jones relating the story of ‘The Night Before Christmas’,

 

 

Of course the whole evening would not be complete without a spectacular Grand Lobby buffet prepared by our incredibly talented Chefs.

 

 

Enormous credit has to be given to the team who created this beautiful gingerbread display .

 

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The special voyage gave our guests to enjoy visits to the stunning islands of Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica and St Kitts before the countdown to 2010. After a tremendous amount of preparation from the ships staff the countdown for the big night was soon underway in all parts of the ship.  From Campbell Simpson at the Piano in the Commodore Club, to our resident DJ Freddie in the G32 nightclub, through the Grand Lobby with our international band Vibz, the Chart Room with the Mark Hodgson Jazz Trio and not forgetting the Golden Lion pub with Gun of the Entertainment Staff where a rousing refrain of the British National Anthem and the ever emotional Pomp and Circumstance had seen in the British New Year at 8pm, and so on to the Queens Room and the elegance of the Queens Room Orchestra.  Here there was a very Scottish flavour to the Hogmanay styled celebration with many guests in kilts enjoying the traditional dances such as the Gay Gordons. Meanwhile the clock was ticking on the big screen behind the orchestra.

 

 

The ballroom was packed, the excitement was tangible as Evgeny Gnezdilov, tenor sax player from the Royal Court Theatre Orchestra, crouched down to ring 8 bells to mark the passing of 2009, under the watchful eye of vocalist Michel Chartier, poised to begin his rendition of Auld Lang Syne. This was swiftly followed by Alex Laxton, Queen Mary 2’s youngest crew member at just 19 years old, ringing in 2010.

 

 

And the beautiful gold and silver balloons fell, hooters squealed, streamers filled the air, everyone cheered, hugged and kissed.

 

 

As always Queen Mary 2 celebrated in style that night, with all her fabulous guests joining the ship’s company to mark the beginning of a new decade!

 

I’d like to thank the Queen Mary 2 for their help in this Blog and to Freda Singleton for sending it to me as it really shows yet again that Cunard certainly knows how to put on an unforgettable party.

 

Also thank you again for logging on and for all your questions and comments. I’ll be back on Thursday with a Video Blog featuring some interior shots of Queen Elizabeth as well as an interview with Cunard’s President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks. Cheers for now, Alastair

 

Among the many celebrations on Queen Mary 2’s Around The British Isles Voyage, was the naming of the latest Star of the month. This is always a prestigious occasion where crew members are recognized for their outstanding White Star Service. This month Queen Mary 2’s winner was a member of the housekeeping department, who do such an amazing job looking after guest staterooms and the public areas of the ship. Before we get to that I’d like to thank you again for all the comments that we keep getting. We have been receiving more than ever, so please do keep them coming. Queen Mary 2 is on her way across to New York while Queen Victoria heads back to the sunshine of the Mediterranean and Queen Elizabeth – well she’s growing fast in Italy! I’ll be heading back there in a couple of weeks and can’t wait to see her progress and share that with you along with new pictures and video.

 

Now it’s time for this week in Cunard’s history for the week 30 October to 5 November

 

1 November 1921

Andania II is launched

 

2 November 2003

Queen Mary 2 undertakes her second set of sea trials and achieves a speed of 30 knots.

 

3 November 1970

QE2 makes her maiden call at Luanda, Angola

 

5 November 2004

QE2 becomes longest serving Cunard Express Liner surpassing RMS’s Aquitania’s 35 Years 6 months 1 day (1914 – 1949) by 2 days

 

 

As regular readers will know, we like to feature a “Star of the Month” from either Queen Mary 2 or Queen Victoria, each month. The title is awarded to just one crew member per ship each month as a result of guest and crew feedback and then consideration by our on board White Star Committee. The “Star of the Month”, also has their photo displayed prominently in the Grand Lobby for guests to see and it’s now a great pleasure to talk to Queen Mary 2’s latest star; Raul Dematera who leads the crew Housekeeping team.

 

 

 

 

 

His official title is Crew Housekeeping No.1, and he is responsible for a team of 16 staff, who between them ensure the highest standards of cleanliness in all the crew areas.

 

Raul is from the Philippines in the province of Sebu, in a city called Mandaue. He has a small knit family which consists of his wife Joseline, his son David as well as his mother in law.

 

 

 

 

 

He started his career at sea in 1992, with our sister company The Yachts of Seabourn. His first job on board was as a Picolo No.1 in the housekeeping department. Although the department is structured differently these days, they used to assist the bedroom stewards by cleaning and setting up the pantries, as well as collecting all the linen for the bedroom stewards. After fourteen years with The Yachts of Seabourn he decided to join Cunard, and joined the opening team of Queen Mary 2 in 2004. He began working as a utility in the crew housekeeping team and has worked his way up to Crew Housekeeping No.1.

 

He reports to Jose Afonso, the Crew Housekeeper, and he told me that they have been working together for the last twelve years. Here he is receiving his award with (from left to right) Hotel Manager, David Stephenson, Executive Housekeeper, Colin Watson, Jose Afonso and Commodore Warner.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can imagine Raul has a busy day which begins at 7.30am in the morning with a meeting with all the crew housekeeping team to discuss the work of the day, which he then allocates accordingly. Queen Mary 2 has very large crew areas so this keeps them occupied for most of the day and into the evening although they get a few hours break at lunchtime.

 

Raul and his team are particularly busy during embarkation and disembarkation as they are also involved with guests’ luggage. Raul has also been trained to use one of the ship’s forklift trucks (yes we do use them on board!), and helps move luggage cages and stores on embarkation days. He also helps out in the Crew Office (the equivalent of the Purser’s Office for the crew), helping new crew members to settle in.

 

During the voyage he and his team get involved in many of the crew events by decorating the venues. This doesn’t leave that much free time, but when he does get time off on sea days Raul likes to relax and watch movies and call home to speak to his family. On port days he likes to go out for a walk to get some fresh air; as he says “so I get to feel what it’s like to walk on land again!”

  

Raul is very proud to be working for Cunard and on Queen Mary 2 and says “We are Cunard means one big happy family to me. All 1240 crew members are like my brothers and sisters whom I love and look forward to seeing each and every day. I work in the back of the house but my mission is to support all those who work in the front of the house so they can give the best White Star Service to each and every Guest on board Queen Mary 2.”

 

When Raul is at home he loves to play basketball with his son and understandably likes to spend as much time as possible with his family. In fact he has already sent the winnings, from being awarded “Star of the Month”, to his wife to put towards his son David’s education.

 

As for the future Raul says “I am looking forward to seeing my son growing up and getting settled in life. Also I wish to work on the new Queen Elizabeth; that really would be a dream come true”. Raul also added “I would like to thank my team and all the crew members on board for all their help and support they have given and shared with me. Salamat – Thank you”

 

Thank you Raul for taking the time to talk to us and again our congratulations; the award sounds very well deserved. That’s it for another week but I’ll be back on Monday with a very special Guest Blog and of course more news from the fleet. Thanks again for logging on. Cheers for now – Alastair

 

Here as promised is the final instalment of Peter Shanks’ reports from Queen Mary 2 having just completed her historic round Britain voyage. So it’s back over to Peter:  

 

 

Thank you so much for the positive comments on my Queen Mary 2 Around The British Isles Blog. I last updated you as we left Liverpool on our way to Cobh in Southern Ireland – a famous port near Cork and a stop-off point for many famous liners over many years.

 

 

Our arrival into Cobh was beautiful – sailing past the lighthouse into the natural harbour entrance and coming nicely alongside despite a lively 25knot wind. After all the buzz and excitement of Liverpool our guests were looking forward to a restful day seeing all that Ireland has to offer. The welcome was indeed an Irish one – they are such a friendly bunch. There is a very impressive museum at the port which brings back all the history of the many liners that have called there, including The Titanic, they used to stop briefly in the bay whilst on their way to New York. The history and heritage of the Irish leaving their shores to find a new life in North America is fascinating and I always think of that when in New York which has such a wonderful link to Ireland even today.

 

But we had a different job to do in Cobh today – more of a time for reflection of the past and the part that The Lusitania played both for Cunard, for Ireland and literally for the free world, as her sinking played a major role in the course of the First World War. In 1915, 1198 lives were lost just off Cobh with the sinking of Lusitania by a German U-Bout submarine. We had decided it would be only fitting and appropriate if on behalf of Cunard, Commodore Warner and I were to lay wreaths at the Lusitania Memorial in the town.

 

As we walked down to the town, we were not sure what to expect. I had in mind a small gathering, a few onlookers and a small memorial. When we turned the corner into the town square I was stunned. In front of us were hundreds of local people, old soldiers lined up proudly wearing their service medals and bearing flags from their regiments. As we arrived, the crowd went silent and we stood before the magnificent and very moving memorial to those that perished on The Lusitania. We were each handed a beautiful floral wreath and then one by one called forward to lay our wreath at the base of the memorial. I was taken a back – I had not considered the heavy responsibility of the moment and both the Commodore and I found it very moving indeed. Once we had laid the wreaths it was time for the local Reverend Father to say a few words of prayer. As he opened his mouth the heavens literally opened and we stood there getting soaked – you know that made it all the more poignant. This was then followed by a warm round of applause. I was so pleased we were able to pay our respects and decided on the spot that we would repeat this in July next year when Queen Victoria makes her maiden call to Cobh.

 

 

 

Then we invited the local dignitaries back to Queen Mary 2 for a White Star Afternoon Tea and they certainly enjoyed the hospitality.

 

Each of the ports of call has been very special on this Around The British Isles Voyage – but you have to award the ‘friendly warm welcome’ prize to the Irish. I did say that the only way we could improve the call next year would be to stop for a pint of Irish Murphy’s at the pub on the way back to the ship.

 

I left the ship late that afternoon to fly back to the office. The ship continued with a marvellous call to see our good friends in Cherbourg before returning home to Southampton. As I sat waiting for my flight I could not help reflecting on the many special and incredible events all of us – guests and staff – had witnessed during the voyage. The feedback from our guests was some of the best we have had this year so I am pleased we were able to make the voyage so special. It also proved as a timely reminder for me that Queen Mary 2 really is very special indeed – she is of course now the most famous ocean liner in the world and deservedly so.

 

But the last line has to go to the 1,250 members of the ship’s company for this very special voyage. Over the five days I had spent on the ship, I was able to see the effort and the pride that each member of the ship’s company puts into looking after our guests. Fireworks , Opera Singers , Command Performances, Concerts, The Beatles , Special Welcomes , Historic Moments – yes they were pretty cool – but the staff on board Queen Mary 2 are my heroes every time.

 

Next year Queen Victoria will go on her Maiden Around The British Isles Voyage on the 22^nd July – not one to be missed and I look forward to seeing you on board.

 

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

President and Managing Director

Cunard Line

 

Thank you again to Peter for another great post and I know all of us on Queen Victoria are looking forward to what will be a truly remarkable voyage. Meanwhile I’ll be back tomorrow with the regular weekly Blog featuring one of those Queen Mary 2 Stars. Cheers Alastair

Firstly, thanks to Caroline Mathieson for her report on the Tandem Transatlantic Crossing on board Queen Mary 2. It’s always interesting to be able to see the voyage through another’s eyes. Thanks as well for the questions comments and links to your videos. Firstly regarding the successful installation of drawers on Queen Victoria, I have been in touch with the ship and thanks to our Executive Housekeeper Rosemarie Christiner and her team I can confirm the remaining space under the bed is 110 cm x 85 cm x 25 cm. (In inches it’s 43 x 33.5 x 9.5). Don’t forget that’s per bed! Rosemarie has also suggested that guests bring suitcases that fit inside each under and then she reckons you may be able to bring as many as twelve cases! I can also confirm that the rumour about Queen Victoria and the wrap around deck is indeed just a rumour! Regarding the other questions – I’ll get back to you soon. In the meantime as the countdown continues to QE2’s farewell voyage you may be interested in hearing about her final emotional Sailaway from Southampton. More details are available on this link:

www.southampton.gov.uk/leisure/events/QE2-final-departure.asp?Month=11&Year=2008

 

 I’ll be there in Mayflower Park and will hopefully meet some of you at what will no doubt be a very emotional event but I’m sure it will be an amazing send off.  Before we get in to meeting Cunard’s Commodore, here is “This week in Cunard’s History” for the week of the 1^st to the 6^th November:

 

 

November 1 1921

Andania II is launched.

 

November 2 2003

Queen Mary 2 undertakes her second set of sea trials and achieves a speed of 30 knots.

 

November 3 1970

QE2 makes her maiden call at Luanda, Angola.

 

November 5 2004

QE2 becomes longest serving Cunard Express Liner surpassing RMS’s Aquitania’s 35 Years 6 months 1 day (1914 – 1949) by 2 days.

 

November 6 2000

Cunard signs the final contract for Queen Mary 2 and unveils key design details of the largest, longest, widest and tallest passenger ship in history that will enter service in 2004.

 

Now it’s a great pleasure to share an interview with Commodore Bernard Warner.

 

I first had the pleasure to work with Commodore Warner some 11 years ago and it was great to see him again as the master of Queen Mary 2 when I joined Cunard. He is currently in Hamburg on Queen Mary 2 during her dry dock refit, so I was grateful that he found the time to answer some questions.

 

Could you please give us an idea of your career so far?

A lifetime friendship with the sea was cultivated at Sandsend near Whitby on the north east coast of England, where I spent the summer holidays sailing and fishing with my father.

 

At sixteen I entered the Warsash School of Navigation at the University of Southampton.  Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth would frequently sail past the college as they made their way up Southampton Water into the port and it was these ships which gave me the inspiration to one day command a Cunard transatlantic liner.

 

In 1965 Cunard Line would only consider employing navigating officers who had attained a Master’s Certificate. I would be twenty five years old by the time this had been achieved. The alternative was to join P&O, which was the other great passenger shipping company of the day. I signed indentures and commenced a four year cadetship with them on 1^st January 1966. P&O had a large passenger fleet but an even larger fleet of cargo ships. My first voyage was from King George V dock in London to the Far East aboard “Somali”, a 7000 gross ton freighter.

 

Nearing the end of my cadetship in 1969, I joined my first passenger ship “Oriana,” and by the early seventies I was sailing as a Junior Deck Officer aboard the P&O ship “Iberia”. I was later to be appointed to the legendary P&O liner “Canberra,” where I also sailed as Deputy Captain in 1988.

 

P&O took over the British India Company (BI) in 1972 and I became one of the first P&O officers to serve on board “Uganda”. This ship specialised in educational cruising and carried up to one thousand school children suitably partitioned from four hundred first class passengers!

 

In 1974 P&O bought Princess Cruises and I sailed as First Officer aboard “Pacific Princess”. A lucrative contract was signed by the Company to film the television show “Love Boat” aboard their ship. This series was so successful in the United States of America that it proved to be the catalyst for cruising as we know it today, but it failed to inspire the same amount of enthusiasm in the United Kingdom!

 

By 1984 I had been promoted to Chief Officer on “Royal Princess,” the new revolutionary cruise ship being built by P&O. This was the first large cruise ship ever constructed with all outside staterooms. About seventy percent of the cabins were designed with balconies and a whole new cruising trend had begun. Her Royal Highness Princess Diana was invited to name the ship. Her infectious personality made her the perfect Godmother for the ship and she kept in touch with the crew for the remainder of her life.

 

In 1994, I was appointed to my first command – the 20000 gross ton ship “Island Princess” – and since that time have commanded seven other passenger ships. I was designated the first Master of both “Golden Princess” and “Diamond Princess”, which at a 116 000 gross tons, are slightly smaller than “Queen Mary 2 (148,500 gross tons”).

 

I was appointed to Queen Mary 2 in the summer of 2005, and became Commodore of the Cunard Fleet in January 2007.

 

The role of Master has often been described as the mayor of a small town. Please could you describe how you see your role on board?

One of the most exciting and challenging aspects of my job is that every day is different and I have to be prepared to work at any time, be it day or night.

 

My primary responsibility is for the safe navigation of Queen Mary 2 and the well being of all the guests and crew on board. I chair an Executive Committee with all the department heads reporting to me and ultimately I have the final responsibility. My brief includes overseeing the health, environment, safety and security of Queen Mary 2.

 

The ship is magnificent but she is only successful because of the outstanding crew we have operating the ship. It is therefore most important that the ship’s company are well looked after and enjoy their duties on board. Very little gives me more pleasure than visiting and chatting with our crew and I try to get to most areas behind the scenes every day.

 

Dependent upon the ship’s itinerary I often have to spend long periods on the Bridge particularly when we are in close proximity to the land, reduced visibility or heavy traffic. Handling the controls of Queen Mary 2 and taking the ship in and out of each port allows me to put into practice the ship handling aspects of my position, something which I enjoy and find very rewarding.

 

It is impossible to be Commodore without enjoying the many social functions. If they wish, every guest has the opportunity to meet me at the Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party. Whenever navigational duties allow, the Captain’s table is an enjoyable end to the day. Different guests are invited on formal evenings and many lasting friendships have been made.

 

Could you tell us how it felt taking command of Queen Mary 2 for the first time?

My appointment to Queen Mary 2 was very special for me because it brought to fruition all the goals I had set for myself from the moment I first came to sea in 1966.

 

 I am well aware of the tremendous responsibility placed upon me to be in command of such a fantastic ship. However, we have an exceptionally fine management team on board and a very dedicated Ships’ Company who are all proud to be working for Cunard Line and to be a part of this great ocean liner.

 

Happy guests at the beginning and end of each voyage ensure that we all remain proud to be aboard Queen Mary 2.

 

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

When walking around the ship or at a cocktail party I am often asked “If you’re here, whose driving?” I usually reply “I’ve no idea!”

 

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

When giving the command to alter course this is done in much the same way as on a conventional ship, but the difference here is that there are no rudders to steer the ship!

 

Queen Mary 2 has four propellers at the stern of the ship, each one attached to a pod containing the electric propulsion motor. The forward two are fixed in the forward and aft direction but the after ones act as rudders to steer the ship while at sea and rotate through 360 degrees to assist in docking. The propellers pull rather than push, giving greater efficiency and less cavitation around the propellers. They enable the ship to be driven at very low speeds and with much greater efficiency at high speeds (29.5 knots when at full speed).

 

I succeeded Commodore Warwick on 8^th January 2007 and became the 31^st Commodore of the Cunard Line. The first was Charles Henry Evans Judkins who was appointed in 1872.

 

What do you think it is about Queen Mary 2 that makes her so special?

She is special because she offers so much more to her guests compared to an ordinary cruise ship. From a comfortable ride in all states of sea to providing so many activities for her guests to enjoy. Queen Mary 2 is an elegant Ocean Liner with fine lines, a very streamlined hull, a deep draft, and a long bow to handle every type of weather imaginable. Having said that, I always try to find the smoothest route across the ocean and avoid the major areas of rough sea! Even in bad weather she is amazingly stable and the roll is dampened by 90% using two pairs of Rolls Royce fin stabilisers.

 

Her interior features are like no other ship. Because it was decided she would not use the Panama Canal, she is a very wide and long ship which allows exciting spaces for our guests. Wide and high alleyways run along decks two and three. Most public spaces are 15 feet high instead of 12 and two deck public rooms are 36 feet high.

 

In Illuminations we boast the first planetarium at sea which can also double as a lecture theatre and cinema. A Transatlantic Crossing is more than just elegant transportation. We want our guests’ day to be such that they can choose between reading in our elegant 8000 book library or alternatively it can be packed with interesting choices of activities and experiences.

 

 The recently introduced Cunard Insights programme offers something for everyone. We tend to offer guests more than just lectures and they are able to interact with the experts, many of the famous, in fields such as show business, exploration, oceanography, finance, history and sport.

 

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art presents workshops, lectures and performances, enabling the guests not only to watch the stars of tomorrow in person, but actually study the skills of acting with them.

 

The Cunard ConneXions conference centre features abundant space for conducting business at sea with more meeting facilities than any other ship.

 

The West End Stage is bought to full effect in the two-tier Royal Court Theatre with dynamic musicals and celebrity entertainers.

 

The ship is filled with memorabilia depicting past great liners and the famous that have traveled with us. Our guests can follow the Maritime Quest which relates in audio the history of the Company from Samuel Cunard’s first transatlantic with Britannia in 1840, through to the present day.

 

One of the amazing features of our ship is the Queens Ballroom. It is the largest ballroom at sea and provides big band dancing throughout the voyage. It’s very popular and very different from the show lounges you would expect to see on cruise ships.

 

Over 70% of staterooms have balconies and range from the Grand Duplex of 2294 sq ft to a deluxe balcony stateroom of 284 sq ft

 

There is a feeling of space and luxury everywhere you walk!

 

 

Where is your favourite place on board Queen Mary 2?

As you can see, we have so many outstanding features for our guests to enjoy. The modern technology afforded by our Bridge means that my workplace is an enclosed and air conditioned environment, which is an essential feature to protect the state of the art navigational equipment. A viewing gallery allows our guests to see the bridge team in action while the ship is at sea.

 

I enjoy going outside to walk in the open air on the wide and long promenade on deck 7. The deck encircles the ship and three times around makes one mile.

 

If you could pick any shore excursion to go on what would it be?

Machu Picchu – The Lost City of the Incas. This is a four day tour which will be operated overland from Valparaiso (Chile) to Lima (Peru) on Queen Mary 2’s 2009 World Cruise.

As I will be driving the ship between Valparaiso and Callao (Lima) I will have to find another opportunity to take this amazing tour!

 

What does “We Are Cunard” mean to you?

It means that the Ship’s Company work together to provide the finest possible experience for our guests, in every area of the ship, during every moment of their day.

 

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

Petra, the ancient lost city carved in to the walls of a desert canyon in Jordan.

Queen Victoria calls at Aqaba on her 2009 World Cruise and tours will be run to Petra. An opportunity not to be missed…I wish I was there!

 

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?

To give my children the best start in life and enjoy as much time with them and my wife, Tina, as I possibly can. I am fortunate that we have all been able to travel together on board if I’m at work during the school holidays. This has made a tremendous difference to our lives

 

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

I have spent 42 years at sea and a lot of time away from my family. The perfect night would be spent at home in Warwickshire with Tina and my two sons – Tom and Charlie. Not forgetting our two dogs Tilly and Rio, yellow and black Labradors respectively!

 

Could you tell us a little bit about the Queen Mary 2 dry dock in Hamburg – and how’s it going?

We have dry docked at the Bloem and Voss shipyard in Hamburg for routine maintenance to our podded propulsion system. We are also taking the opportunity to replace many carpets and curtains throughout the ship and retain that wonderfully sophisticated Art Deco appearance.

 

What is your favourite quote and who said it?

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied, “Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way”.

 

This was written by M.L.Harkins and used by His Majesty King George V1 for his Christmas Day Broadcast in 1939 at the commencement of World War 11. He concluded “May that almighty Hand guide and uphold us all.”