Guest Blog – Richard Smith, Guest on board Queen Elizabeth’s World Cruise 2012
<BR>
<BR>
At 7.30 on the morning of 26 January 2012 there was a buzz of anticipation on board Queen Elizabeth as we approached the Panama Canal. The decks were packed with guests, the majority of whom had not transited the canal before.
A million ships have passed through the canal since it was opened in 1914 and this was only the second time that the majestic Queen Elizabeth had transited the canal.
Queen Elizabeth had left Southampton on her 2012 World Voyage on 10 January and after calls at New York, Fort Lauderdale and Grand Cayman she made a maiden call at Cartagena in Colombia before heading to Panama.
Queen Elizabeth under the command of Captain Christopher Wells, approached the first set of locks – the Gatun Locks – and it then became clear to those of us who had not transited the canal before how narrow the locks were and how little space there would be between the ship and the lock walls.
The three sets of locks making up the Panama Canal lift each ship 26 metres from sea level to the level of the Gatun Lake and then lower the ship on the other side to sea level again.
At each of the three set of locks eight locomotives (known as ‘mules’) pull the ship through the lock keeping the ship precisely in the centre of the lock. In the case of Queen Elizabeth the clearance on each side was only two feet.
After passing through the Gatun Locks, we then had the wonderful spectacle of the Gatun Lake and its beautiful forests and wildlife. The lake then narrowed and we sailed through the Culebra Cut before arriving at the Pedro Miguel Locks which were swiftly followed by the final set of locks – the Miraflores Locks – which brought the ship down to sea level and the Pacific Ocean.
The transit had taken us the best part of ten hours but it was a magical day. The precision of the pilots and locomotive drivers and the efficiency with which the whole operation was carried out by the Panama Canal authorities and the ships officers and crew made it a breathtaking experience. And it was exciting to hear the cheers from the crowds that had assembled at the Miraflores Locks to watch Queen Elizabeth pass through.
Queen Elizabeth is now sailing north to San Francisco for her maiden call tomorrow before continuing her World Voyage across the Pacific.
We thought we’d share with you some of the wonderful things our Cunarders have sent us over the last few weeks. We often receive emails and letters in the post from people who have cruised with us or are fans of Cunard and our ships.
Susie Wiseman from Sydney, Australia sent us some great photos from her friend Keith Moore, who is from Liverpool. Keith’s grandfather Joseph Francis Moore and his father Joseph Paul Moore both worked for Cunard Line in on board Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary carrying US troops to the UK.
The photos below show Joseph Francis Moore and his wife before he went off to war.
Here is Joseph Francis Moore’s ship ID, as you can see from the date, it expired almost 64 years ago!
Below you can see Joseph Paul Moore’s crew medical card from Queen Mary
Camilla Heinig and Thomas Reise from Germany sent us some photos of a very special birthday gift. Inspired by the puzzle below, Camilla ordered a handcrafted aluminium and copper Queen Mary door sign for her husband’s birthday:
The sign was made by Sylvia Burgold, you can see some of her other creations here: http://shop.burgold.de/
And here is Thomas looking very pleased with his gift:
The fantastic detailed drawings below were posted to us from one of our younger fans in Holland, who sketched Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth. We think you’ll agree we have a budding Naval Architect in the pipeline?
We hope you’ve enjoyed looking through these photos and drawings as much as we did, if you have anything you’d like to share with us on the blog please send it through to wearecunard@cunard.co.uk
As we’re heading towards the weekend I wanted to share a couple of photos and a short video from earlier on in the week here in Southampton. Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth departed on Tuesday evening for their world voyages with a wonderful fireworks display on the Southampton Water. Hundreds of guests were out on their balconies and the open deck areas, cameras were flashing by the second and both ships were blowing their whistles as they sailed into the distance.
Photo credit - Martin Knight, FTF Worldwide
Photo credit - Martin Knight, FTF Worldwide
It was brilliant to watch our flagship and our newest Cunarder sail off together, and will be the last time we see any of the Cunard fleet in Southampton until the end of March when Queen Victoria returns to the UK. We’re very much looking forward to 5 June when all 3 of our Queens will be together in Southampton for the first time, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it’s sure to be a day to remember!
Queen Mary 2 is now in Madeira as she heads down to Cape Town and Queen Elizabeth is crossing the Atlantic heading to New York. Queen Victoria continues her Americas season as she sails around Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal until March this year. We were very pleased to hear this week that she was awarded Best Ship and Best Food in the cruise.co.uk Passenger Ratings 2011 – thank you to those of you who voted!
On a separate note – have you seen our new look homepage on the Cunard website? Have a look and let us know what you think: www.cunard.com
We’ll be updating you with photos and news from the fleet as they sail around the world over the next few months, with some maiden ports of call along the way – please keep logging on!
Hello all, I spent the day last Sunday in Hamburg on board Queen Elizabeth. We were hosting a press conference on board for the Hamburg Cruise Centre and it was pleasing to hear of the substantial growth of cruising in the German market and appropriate that Queen Elizabeth was hosting the event given our own growth in the number of German guests we now have sailing with Cunard Line.
It struck me that as both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth leave Southampton today on their World Voyages, just how international Cunard Line is these days and how interesting it must be for our guests to be able to spend time with so many different people from different parts of the world.
Queen Elizabeth was on a short five day voyage from Southampton calling at Le Havre in France and Hamburg, Germany. We partly designed this voyage so that we could offer our French and German guests the opportunity to sail right around the world from one of their home ports. So we picked up a group of French guests in Le Havre on Saturday and on Sunday I was able to help welcome over 175 German guests who were joining in Hamburg to set off around the world. At the end of the World Voyage, Queen Elizabeth will return to Hamburg and therefore what a great experience for those guests to be able to see the world from their own doorstep.
When Queen Elizabeth sets off today her first port of call will be New York. And of course there she will pick up many of our valued North American guests.
Queen Mary 2 is off the other way around the world and will be heading down towards Cape Town. And of course when Queen Mary 2 gets to Australia this time, she is undertaking her maiden Royal Circumnavigation of Australia with many of our valued Australian guests on board.
The World Voyages are always a wonderful mix of those who are travelling right around the world and those who are joining the ship for either long or short sectors. We also look forward to welcoming many of our Japanese guests on board.
This is what leads to one of the most interesting differences for Cunard Line. Having so many people from different parts of the world just adds to the flavour and interest for everybody. Often when sitting at dinner our guests can discuss world events, politics, and sport, and to have a table where British, American, Australian and Japanese guests can sit together and apply their different experiences and interests just makes it so much more interesting.
Of course, when you add in our marvellous ship’s company to the mix then the international nature really comes to the fore. We pride ourselves on working with our wonderful staff who come from many different parts of the world including the Philippines for example and Eastern Europe and they, along with our British Officers and other nationalities, gel on so well together to give the White Star experience for our guests. So whilst we remain proudly British and offer that wonderful British experience, we are actually providing people with a very cosmopolitan and varied experience. This is the case on many of our voyages, but it is mostly the case on our World Voyages.
I bumped into one of our German guests on board Queen Elizabeth. In fact he is a keen reader of our blog and therefore well versed in everything Cunard Line. He was returning for his second Round the World Voyage on Queen Elizabeth. I thought what a marvellous feeling it must be to arrive on board one of our ships, be welcomed in White Star style, settle into your stateroom and then be invited up for a glass of champagne to meet the Senior Officers, prior to setting sail for three months or more right around the world.
The ship, of course, was busy preparing itself for the World Voyage. Many, many meetings have taken place over recent months to make sure everything is in place on both of our ships. You can imagine all the logistic planning that needs to take place from a storing perspective and to make sure we are able to pick up fresh produce, often in parts of the world that we only visit infrequently. I had a brief chat with our Spa Director in the Royal Spa and she has been busy preparing the different packages that we offer for our World Voyage guests. We pull together many opportunities for them to purchase a package that gives them an extended ability to use the Spa facilities. I remember last year meeting a lady who congratulated me on the World Voyage as she had become a “New Woman”. She had actually gone on a World Voyage to change her life from a health perspective. By working with our chefs to make sure she ate carefully and by spending a lot of time with our fitness instructors on a programme over three months she was both successful and very emotional at the way in which she had managed to make such a change to her own personal health by being on a world voyage. So there you go – that puts an end to the myth that cruising can lead to putting on weight and being unhealthy and what a great way to set about making a life change by spending three months surrounded by everything you could possibly want to make you feel good and stay healthy.
When our guests join today there will be speculation as to where we will hold our World Voyage Dinners. These have become famous events over the years, where we take all of our full World Voyage guests off the ship one evening to a spectacular location for a Gala Dinner and this is our way of thanking them for choosing to sail around the world with Cunard Line. Of course I know exactly where and when the dinners are going to be – but I am not going to tell you. It is always a surprise and we always work hard to make sure the first to find out are those on board our ships.
No doubt we will have fun in Australia, where our ships are always welcomed so well by our Australian friends. We will see the maiden call of Queen Elizabeth into San Francisco sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. One can never tire of arriving into Cape Town on Queen Mary 2 – it is quite an awesome sight to see Table Mountain coming out of the clouds in the early morning sunrise as you approach the city. Cunard will again visit Japan – another special welcome as we have enjoyed a very close relationship with our Japanese guests over many years. The Far East, India, New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands and of course European ports on the way back – it all makes for a great experience and we look forward to treating our full World Voyagers in the way that they have quite rightly been accustomed to.
In early 2013 we have all three ships on World or Exotic voyages. Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are doing full World Voyages. Queen Elizabeth, as you may have seen, is doing something different. We offer our UK guests the opportunity for a 91 day voyage from Southampton going right down to the Pacific, round New Zealand and back to Southampton. That also allows our North American guests to take a 37 night voyage from Los Angeles through the best of the Pacific and round New Zealand back to Los Angeles. So if for any reason you have not been able to join us on the World Voyages in 2012, or indeed if you’ve yet to sail with us at all on a World Voyage, then we are up and running and have some cracking offers available for the 2013 World Voyage options. Do come and join us.
To those guests who will be joined us today to set off around the World, or indeed joining us at any point during the World Voyages, then thank you so much for choosing to sail with us and I am sure you will be well looked after and do enjoy that international, cosmopolitan experience.
Lastly, I should wish all of our ship’s company the very best as they set off around the World. They, too will be away from their friends and families and working extremely hard to look after our guests. I have seen many of them over the last few days on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 and nothing gives me more pleasure than to be able to chat with those incredible people who work so hard to make Cunard Line the success that it is.
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas – now it’s time to look forward to 2012. We have an exciting year ahead at Cunard Line and I thought I would share with you some of the highlights coming up next year. Of course we all hope that you will be sailing with us in 2012 and if you have not yet made up your mind – then perhaps this will trigger some ideas for you.
10 January – Off Around the World – Both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 will set off from Southampton and we will make sure it is a spectacular send off. Queen Elizabeth will be on her way across the Atlantic to New York and Queen Mary 2 on her way to South Africa.
4 February – Queen Elizabeth in San Francisco – Well I for one am not going to miss this one. When Queen Mary 2 first sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge it was a wonderful moment. We are hoping that this maiden arrival will be just as good – there is just something special about seeing the famous Cunard ships arriving in spectacular cities.
Let’s go around Australia – We worked out that all the best parts of Australia are on the outside. So for 2012 we decided to send Queen Mary 2 on a 23 night Royal Circumnavigation of Australia. There is some limited availability if you would like to join us. For me Sydney will be a highlight, I am hoping to be there when one of our ships is in town – and for the third year running I hope to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Honestly – if you have not done it yet it is a must whatever your age – on my first climb we had a gentleman from California who was 85 with us and he said ‘It was on my bucket list – so here I am’ (In 2013 – Queen Mary 2 will be going around New Zealand)
Three Queens for the Diamond Jubilee – it is quite remarkable that Her Majesty will have been on the throne for 60 years. On the very day that the country will celebrate this – 5 June – we will have our three Queens in Southampton for an event to pay our own tribute to Her Majesty. There are many ways for you to join us. If you book to travel on one of the voyages that end in Southampton that day (Queen Mary 2 New York-Southampton 29 May, Queen Elizabeth 13nts Mediterranean 23 May, Queen Victoria 14nts Fjords 22 May) – then you will enjoy a wonderful early morning three Queens arrival. If you book to travel on one of the voyages departing that day – then it will be a special day in Southampton. In the evening – after dinner – we will light up the sky over our three ships with our own tribute to Her Majesty. You can choose to sail that day on Queen Mary 2 5nts Getaway Break, Queen Elizabeth 14nts Baltic or Queen Victoria 17nts Adriatic Explorer. Please don’t miss being with us on the 5 June – a great day for Queen, country and Cunard Line.
The London Olympics – a great celebration of sport. Happily – as I play field hockey – my wife has managed to secure 4 tickets for the Mens Hockey final. And the Cycling Road Race (which I can assure you will be won by our own Mark Cavendish) goes past the end of the road where we live. So the Shanks Family are looking forward to the Olympics. For our friends in North America – why not spend a few weeks in the UK – you could travel over on Queen Mary 2 from New York on the 6-13 July, take in the Olympics and then travel back on Queen Mary 2 on the 21 August – perfect. Of course there may be those who say they just don’t want to be around for the Olympics – well what better way to escape than on a Cunard Voyage.
Queen Elizabeth Maiden Fly Mediterranean Season – Now if I was looking for something special then this is what I would choose. She will be sailing on 7 twelve night voyages in the Mediterranean from September to November– you can choose to join her in Rome, Athens or Venice. Last year I took an Eastern Med voyage on one of our sister lines and it was fabulous. The best way to do it is to fly out a couple of days before the voyage and explore Rome, Venice or Athens. That way, when you board Queen Elizabeth you will be completely relaxed and ready to enjoy the voyage. The itineraries are very rich – and the prices are very keen. I was in North America recently – and read of and heard a lot of concern about travelling to Europe. Well – it’s OK over here you know – we are all still here. I am hopeful that the ‘Arab Spring’ disruption will have calmed down – in fact much of it already has. And in terms of value for money – well the European resorts thrive on tourism and there has probably never been a better time to come. And if you do come over – then joining Queen Elizabeth on her maiden season down in the Mediterranean would be a great way to see all the best places in style.
So there is much to look forward to – and here are a few things that I recommend you think about – either if you are already planning to join us and can look forward to this year or your mind is not yet made up;
Relaxing – so important on holiday – reading a book in our libraries, chilling out in Canyon Ranch or our Royal Spas, dozing on a steamer chair in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – or sleeping on our most wonderful beds.
Eating – dining in Princess Grill or Queens Grill in my book is as good as any top restaurant in any top city in the world. The atmosphere in the main Britannia Dining Room on a formal night is a sight to behold and will make you feel very special indeed. A night out in our award winning Verandah Restaurant on Queen Elizabeth is stunning. And for lunch on all three ships you can now have one of our famous 7 minute fresh pizzas – always one of my favourites. Or if you want to be really British then join us for a pub lunch in The Golden Lion.
Exercise – as hard or as soft as you like. Our famous promenading (three times round deck 7 on Queen Mary 2 is a mile), our many pools and Jacuzzis – our excellent state of the art gyms with personal trainers – with Cunard you can relax as hard as you like.
Unique Experiences – the arrival into New York as the sun glints off the Statue of Liberty beats them all. But whichever port you arrive into – it’s not like being on any other white ship – the fact that you are on a Cunard Liner will make you feel rightly special.
Things to do – Julliard School of Music, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art plays and workshops, 3D cinema, Planetarium, fencing lessons, dancing, internet and iPad master classes, fascinating Insight lectures, art classes, awesome theatres (with private boxes) – there is so much to do and so little time.
And everything you do and experience with us in the year ahead will be supported and made possible by our wonderful ship’s company. You will hear us talking more of our famed White Star Service – it is what sets us apart and we are fortunate to have such wonderful people working with us to look after your every need.
So there is a lot to look forward to in the year ahead. And recognising that the economic outlook remains challenging – we have made sure that we offer the best possible value for our guests.
I do hope you are able to sail with us in the year ahead. If you have already booked – thank you so much and we look forward to taking great care of you. If you have yet to book – then I hope my outlook for the year ahead has nudged you in the right direction.
All of us at Cunard Line wish you and your friends and families a very Happy New Year!
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.
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.
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!
Today we have the second part of our video blog from Queen Elizabeth’s maiden call to Liverpool, broadcasting rights mean that we are unable to share the wonderful music that was provided by the orchestra and by Lesley Garrett – but the video will give you a sense of just how special the occasion was for those of our guests from Queen Elizabeth who attended:
Thank you to so many for making such positive comments on my report of our visit to Liverpool last week. Often people ask me ‘What is a blog – what does it do?’ Well I think those that read our blog on the visit and those that made such warm remarks about their own experiences in return demonstrate just what blogs are for – a way of us conversing with our loyal and future guests and bringing to life some of the many experiences of Cunard.
Well – as promised – we have two videos to help share the remarkable day in Liverpool. The first one paints a picture of the day and why Liverpool is our spiritual home – and I do hope you enjoy it. The second will follow later in the week – and that will share with you just what we got up to in the Cathedral – not one to miss.
I am also pleased that in both videos you will meet our new Entertainment Director on Queen Elizabeth – Keith Maynard. Here we go……
Back soon with the second half of the story. That’s all for now.
Guest Blog – Richard Smith, Guest on board Queen Elizabeth’s World Cruise 2012
