Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 102 days

Today our Queens are on the opposite sides of the Atlantic, with Queen Mary 2 in New York ready to begin her New England voyage while her sister is in Southampton, preparing to travel north for a week in Norway. Meanwhile progress in Italy on Queen Elizabeth is going very well and I look forward to posting more pictures of her again next week.

As many of you know I’ll be on the maiden voyage with many of you, and I’m really looking forward to all the announcements coming up about the ship, and of course what is sure to be a truly amazing maiden season.

Thank you again for posting so many comments and questions and I’m glad you liked the pictures of Queen Victoria in Venice; it was an incredible day. As for the birdlife Barrie, They were there but you are right, in far less numbers than before; I think the Venetian authorities are discouraging them.

Now to this week’s post and a special day on Queen Mary 2, but that’s after this week in Cunard’s history from the 2^nd to the 8^th of July. 

Last Friday, the 25^th of June, Queen Mary 2 hosted a function in Southampton to celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of the Mission to Seafarers, where the Guest of Honour was her Royal Highness the Princess Royal. Queen Mary 2’s Hotel Manager, takes up the story;                                                                                            

Guest Blog

David Stephenson

Hotel Manager, Queen Mary 2

Peter Shanks, the President and Managing Director of Cunard, welcomed the Princess aboard Queen Mary 2 while she was berthed at the City Terminal in Southampton. Princess Anne, who is a patron and staunch supporter of the works of the Mission, was introduced to Commodore Bernard Warner and the ship’s senior officers along with prominent members of the Mission to Seafarers.

Commodore Warner then took the Princess Royal on a tour of Cunard’s flagship, before inviting her to unveil a plaque to commemorate the visit. While on board Princess Anne showed a keen interest in the workings of Queen Mary 2 comparing them to her own experiences with her association with the Royal Navy.

Following the unveiling, Her Royal Highness and guests watched a presentation in the Royal Court Theatre, where Commodore Warner made a speech welcoming everyone to Queen Mary 2. He also praised the work of the Mission to Seafarers and talked of the close association over the years between the Mission and Cunard.

Gun Sukwanna, Queen Mary’s Social Hostess, deserves a special mention for her role as Lady in Waiting throughout the event, and here she is guiding Her Royal Highness to the Queens Room.

On reaching the Queen’s Room, Her Royal Highness was introduced to guests at a champagne reception, before departing for further engagements.  At the reception guests enjoyed an extravagant Buffet prepared by Queen Mary 2’s Executive Chef, Abhilash James and his team.

Thank you David for sharing this memorable day with us, another great day to celebrate in Cunard’s history.

I’ll be back on Monday with a very special Guest Blog, marking the 170^th anniversary celebrations of Britannia’s maiden voyage. On the 4^th of July 1840, Cunard’s first ship left Liverpool, beginning an amazing history which will be captured by author, Chris Frame, who was featured in a post at the beginning of June. Then on Thursday I’ll have some more news and pictures from Queen Elizabeth. In the meantime, thanks again for all your great comments.

Cheers, Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 110 days

Welcome to another weekly update from the Cunard world. Firstly thank you for your kind messages of congratulations for the We Are Cunard Blog’s first award; and of course thank you for keeping logging on.

As Queen Mary 2 completes her Norwegian voyage and gets ready to make one of her westbound transatlantic crossings, Queen Victoria is enjoying the second half of her wonderful Mediterranean voyage.

The response to recent posts has been incredible so thank you for all your comments and questions. Understandably many of them are about Queen Elizabeth and who will be there. Some of you have mentioned certain crew and entertainers, for example, the Golden Lion Pub Entertainer, but I’m afraid I haven’t any news yet as those positions haven’t been finalized, however I’ll keep you informed; it’s great to hear about your personal favourites.

Thanks to CJ’s suggestion a couple of weeks ago, I wrote to Jo Beardsley, the Youth Director on Queen Mary 2 and asked if she could prepare a special Guest Blog giving readers an idea of what’s available for youngsters on board our ships, and in particular for a Teenager on Queen Mary 2. She was kind enough to write a special Blog which is coming up after this week in Cunard’s History from the 25^th of June to the 1^st of July.

Each of our Cunard Queens has a dedicated area especially for our younger guests, who along with some adults never seem to want to leave The Play Zone and The Zone which are located on deck 6 aft of Queen Mary 2, and deck 10 amidships on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth). They are filled with lots of toys, games and activities. 

The younger children have fun in the soft play area and ball pool where parents can be certain they are in the best of care, with our fully trained nursery nurses.

For all youngsters a range of engaging activities are prepared by our youth staff each voyage, including sports, arts and crafts and a disco, as well as themed days including Pirate Day! Adjoining The Play Zone is the outside pool area where the whole family can enjoy themselves.

The Zone for Teens with its computers and relaxed layout provides an ideal setting for older children to meet and make new friends and that’s where Jo takes up the story:

Guest Blog

Jo Beardsley

Youth Director, Queen Mary 2 

With the school holidays fast approaching, I have put together a blog about a day in the life of a teenager on board Queen Mary 2.

During the peak season, we can become a pretty busy place with lots and lots of teenagers on board, so to ensure they all have a great time and get the most out of their time on board, we give them their very own programme of events and activities.

The Zone is crammed full of cool stuff including the latest video games, air-hockey, table football, and even our very own DJ Booth! It’s a great place for teens to hang-out and do as little or as much as they want!

 As for the programme itself, we let the teens decide what they’d like to do, after all they’re not kids anymore, and as such, we don’t treat them like kids. As far as possible we’ll let them (as a group), decide on the activities and events they’d like to see in the programme. For some, that might be lots of sports and energetic games played around the ship, while others might like to be more chilled out, and hang-out around the pool or get creative with some arts activities.

The following is an example of what a typical day may be like on a transatlantic crossing during the summer months. The first session in the morning may start with a table tennis tournament up at the Pavilion Pool. These tournaments are exclusively for the teens and are a great way to get to know the other kids of the same age in a relaxed, fun environment.

The morning sports tournaments aren’t taken too seriously, so everyone is able to join in, regardless of ability. For the more competitive we also arrange more serious competitions! Following table tennis, we’d probably stop off at Kings Court for some refreshments and grab a quick drink or an ice-cream, sounds like a plan!

We’d then head back to The Zone to chill-out and once again, it’s up to the teens what they do; it may mean getting to grips with some of the latest video games we have to offer.

Some may prefer to play one of the many board games we have; Taboo, and Scattergories are two of the favourites at the moment. Others might want to make use of all the arts and crafts supplies, or just sit back and chill-out on the bean-bags and chat with your new friends.

After lunch, we’d meet up at G32 (the onboard nightclub), where our resident DJ may offer some tips to any young budding DJ’s, giving them, an insight into all the equipment he uses.

Other activities we have done there include exclusive RADA workshops (a lot of fun), dance classes and even music jams with our resident international band.

It’s mid-afternoon now and so time for team activity! This could be anything from building a bridge made from newspaper, building a parachute for an egg to one of our crazy hunts played all around the ship!

Let’s keep the energy level up and head up to the sports deck for a game a kwik-cricket or dodgeball. The Queen Mary 2 is great for sports as it has so much space! Other sports we play include football, hockey, basketball and paddle tennis.

After all that activity we’d better probably head back to The Zone for a well earned rest! There, teens may want to watch a movie, play some card games, or just sit back and chat – it’s up to them!

Our evening sessions are extremely varied and could include anything from going to the Royal Court Theatre as a group, to a round of golf in one of the state of the art golf simulators. We also have parties by the pool, sports nights, and differently themed games nights. The night normally ends with a late night movie, which is usually chosen by the teens themselves and could be either in The Zone or Queen Mary 2’s Illuminations.

 The Teen Programme has always been recognised as an excellent way for its participants to explore the ship and enjoy all it has to offer. Whether teens join us every session or just for a few activities, it is certain they will be entertained throughout the whole duration of their voyage. Youngsters often create many friendships through the Teen Programme meeting people they often keep in touch with for years to come!

I hope that this Blog has given parents and teens an insight into what we have to offer on board, and we would love for you to come and experience it for yourself in the not too distant future.

Thank you Jo so much for giving us such a great idea of life on board Queen Mary 2 as a Teenager. Also thank you again CJ; I hope you found it useful. Of course if you have an idea for a Blog you would like us to write about please do let me know. I’ll either write one myself or ask one of my expert colleagues.

I’ll be back on Monday with a special post with some amazing pictures of Queen Victoria’s recent visit to Venice. She was fortunate enough to have a fantastic berth and you’ll see what I mean on Monday. I’ve also got some more news and pictures from Queen Elizabeth next week. I also look forward to reading more of your comments and answering your questions.

Cheers, Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 124 days

I know I said I would be posting a Blog about Queen Victoria’s latest Star Of The Month, but that’ll now be later in the week because I have a special President’s Blog featuring our President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks, which speaks for itself, so I’ll hand over to Peter.

President’s Blog

Peter Shanks

President and Managing Director, Cunard Line

Sounds terribly grand – but once a year we have a ‘Presidential Voyage’ – I travel on the voyage and take the opportunity to spend as much time as I can with our guests and the ship’s company. It’s an opportunity for our valued guests to let me know how things are going and just as importantly an opportunity for me to meet with as many of our people as I can. It was a remarkable voyage in many ways and I thought I would share it with you as a blog. It was a seven day voyage – but don’t worry, you will get through this in less than seven minutes.

New York, New York – never ceases to amaze me with its hustle and bustle. Having flown in the day before the voyage, I had a few hours in Manhattan. Of course I stayed at The Waldorf – well why not, it is the perfect warm up act to Cunard with oodles of heritage and grandeur. I went for a brief walk around the city. As I was standing waiting to cross Madison Avenue (en-route to the finest shop in the world – Brooks Brothers – for my regular supply of blue button-down shirts) I observed New York at its best. A chap in a suit hailed a cab; the cab driver saw him and slowed. Then, another chap in an even sharper suit hailed the same cab. The driver stayed loyal to his first hailer and he climbed in to the cab. The second chap shouted ‘Are you serious’, walked up and opened the door. ‘I was first already’ he yelled. There followed a fantastic argument and then the cab drove off. It was a cross between the film ‘Taxi Driver’ and John McEnroe screaming at an umpire at Wimbledon. So – that was New York at its best – and I retired looking forward to boarding Queen Mary 2 the next morning.

Sailing out of New York – is simply awesome. I often talk of the value for money of a transatlantic crossing – well I also think that whatever you pay you get your value in the sail away from this famous city. It is simply the only way to see New York. The Manhattan Skyline seen from deck 14 of Queen Mary 2 just can’t be bettered.

Ellis Island – where many millions stepped ashore from Cunard Liners in the past to start their new life in America. The sun glinting off the Statue of Liberty and then we headed towards the Verrazano Bridge.  I was hosting a group of some of our travel agent partners in the Commodore Club and I politely said that I had to leave them to go up and make sure we got under the bridge – most of them came up with me. It is an awesome experience – you stand with your back to the bridge and watch the funnel. As we go under the bridge you hear screams of ‘we are not going to make it’ – and then right at the last second the perspective changes and the funnel glides silently under the bridge – to cheers and laughter.

We have left New York; ahead of us is seven days at sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a unique feeling, with the ocean ahead of us for seven days, how are we going to spend our days, what lies ahead of us, what are we going to do. There was a sense of intrigue and excitement around the ship – we were on a crossing and we were in for something very special indeed.

White Star Academy – my first task on day one was to spend the morning with 40 new recruits to Cunard. As we prepare for Queen Elizabeth we are recruiting new staff. Onboard Queen Mary 2 we have our White Star Training Academy and the new recruits had a full week of induction to White Star Service before joining their colleagues upstairs and looking after our guests. So I spent the morning with them on induction. Commodore Warner and other senior officers came down to the academy to introduce themselves to the new recruits and I was able to say a few words as well. They were certainly made to feel special, to feel welcome and already there was a sense of being part of the team; more later in the blog when I describe their graduation.

There was one amusing moment – for me at least – as we went through a typical ship’s daily programme a hand shot up and asked ‘Could you explain what does ‘Friends of Dorothy’ and ‘Friends of Bill W’ mean – I left it to one of my colleagues to explain……………….

Hosting our valued Guests – Ahead of me lay 6 nights of hosting our valued guests on the Captain’s Table. It was a bit of a daunting thought – but do you know it was a real pleasure. It was a privilege to meet so many interesting and delightful people. Many of them have special memories of having travelled with Cunard Line in the past and I always find it so interesting that we attract such lovely people from different corners of the globe. I have to say they were all great company and most nights we were so busy in conversation we were last to leave the restaurant. Many gave me some tips as to where we can improve further; many spoke highly of the staff that were looking after them. On the last but one night – a Cunard tradition – we bring all the Chefs out into the dining room to parade in front of our guests. There is something very special in seeing 165 Chefs on the glorious staircase in the Britannia Restaurant with rousing applause from our guests. As the Head Chef was introduced, Ray Rouse (Our Entertainment Director and the James Bond of Cruising) finished off the parade by saying ‘and that is because……’ and all 165 Chefs shouted ‘We are Cunard’. It was rather a special moment for me as ‘We are Cunard’ is the glue that holds us all together and our guests reacted with a very warm round of applause. Marvelous.

So how about some Exercise – well on a Crossing you can relax as hard as you like. But it was interesting to see just how many people were active. Early each morning I walked right around our promenade deck – Deck 7. Now Queen Mary 2 is a rather large ship – and it’s three times round the deck to 1.1 miles. It is an excellent start to the day – and very popular. On this crossing we were blessed with good weather and the ship was as steady as a rock. After about three miles I must have said ‘Good Morning’ to at least a hundred people and importantly had burned off many of the calories from the night before. Our Canyon Ranch Spa is really very special. I did not have time for treatments or for the salon – but 30 minutes in the spa pool, sauna, steam room and power showers before dinner just has to be done. It is a fabulous experience. As you step out of the shower, one of the staff has already taken your trunks, rinsed and spun them and placed them in a bag for you. As you approach your locker, one of the staff places a mat on the floor for you. Canyon Ranch – trust me it does not come any better – anywhere.

Is there enough to do on a crossing?  Blimey. It is non-stop for our guests. The 8,000 book Library was very popular. The Bridge Club up in the Atlantic Room was suitably competitive. I was really pleasantly surprised by RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), they were doing a matinee of ‘Taming of the Shrew’ on a few afternoons and there were over 700 guests at each session. Computer Classes were busy as was the ConneXions Internet Centre (Well sending your friends and family an email from the middle of the Atlantic on Queen Mary 2 is one of those things you just have to do). There was plenty more as well including – Feature Movies – Planetarium (Yes a full size one in our Illuminations Theatre showing four different galactic presentations – my favourite is the one narrated by Tom Hanks) – Lectures on really fascinating subjects – Watercolour Painting Lessons – Line Dancing – Whisky Tasting (Gave that one a miss as I was working) – Chef Demonstrations – Trivia Tournaments – Paddle Tennis – Golf Simulators – Book Club Discussions – Needlework Lessons – Fitness Lectures – Casino Lessons and Tournaments – Shopping – Cooking Demonstrations and a whole lot more. I must admit, as I left New York I thought that seven days was a long time. But something quite remarkable happens and the next thing you know its Southampton already.

He is 101 years old – We have a Cunard World Club Cocktail Party in the Queens Room. Imagine the scene. The finest ballroom at sea, a full jazz band in full flow, 1,000 guests resplendent in Black Tie and beautiful dresses. The Atlantic Ocean rushing past the windows at 23 knots, but not an inch of movement of the ship. Commodore greets the guests and introduces the senior officers. (He also tells his joke – it’s a very good one and works every time). We then recognize and thank our valued and most loyal guests. This evening’s honour was a lovely couple who have been travelling with us for many years – it was touching to recognize them. But not as touching as what came next. Ray had discovered that we had a gentleman travelling with us who was in his 101^st year. George Lewis has travelled on many Cunard Liners including Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QE2, and today is as fit as a fiddle and a marvel to behold – we all wanted to know what his secret was. We asked him up to the stage and presented him with a book on Cunard and OK – maybe when I said ‘We hope you will sail with us for many years to come’ I was pushing it a bit far. But you know, I bet he will.

Queen Mary Reunion – A very special 60 minutes – On each crossing we hold a reunion for those who travelled on the original Queen Mary. So I thought I should go along and listen.

Now if it was not for the fact that I played rugby for many years – I would admit that I was close to tears when listening to this remarkable event. Seated in our Board Room were 15 people – including George. I wrote down some of what I heard as each person told their story. Here we go, it was very moving;

‘I travelled on Queen Mary in 1946 when I was two years old. My mother was a war bride and we were travelling to Halifax where my father met me for the first time’

 ‘I first worked on Queen Mary as a telephonist in 1955. Whist I was on the ship I met and fell in love with the Chief Electrical Engineer. We were married, sadly my husband recently passed away. I am 88 years old now, but I have with me here today our daughter and we have been looking forward to this very special trip with so many memories’

 ‘I travelled on Queen Mary in 1936 when I was aged five. I have always wanted to come back and today I have. I remember running off during supper one evening an getting totally lost – a member of staff found me and reunited me with my parents .I remember being told off by mother, she had made me a lovely floral dress to where on formal nights and she caught me sliding down the wooden slide in the children’s den before supper’

An evening on the ocean – there is such a wide range of ways to enjoy the ship and the experience. People tend to find their own space, their own favourite spot. One option would be a pre-dinner drink in the Chart Room to the music of our Jazz Trio followed by dinner in the Britannia Restaurant and then on to a show in the Royal Court Theatre or dancing at Royal Ascot Ball in the Queens Room. Or – a more informal evening starting with a couple of drinks in the Golden Lion Pub, followed by an Asian meal at The Lotus up in Kings Court followed by a fling in the Casino. It is fascinating to stroll the ship during the evening and see so many activities and experiences – it’s like being in the coolest parts of a happening City – with many Bars, Restaurants and Shows to choose from.

Juilliard Jazz Masterclass – now that was something special. We have just started our relationship with Juilliard School in New York – one of the top music schools in the world. On this voyage we had Rodney Jones performing. He plays jazz guitar and in his time has played with Peggy Lee, Petula Clark, Stevie Wonder, James Brown. He was described by George Benson as ‘a legend among musicians, especially guitarists’.

He played to a packed theatre for an hour and it was spellbinding and just the sort of unique experience our guests expect. More than that – before his final piece – he held a Q+A session for the audience which was fascinating. When a guest asked; ‘Who do you think is the best rock guitarist? – he paused. I thought to myself – well there is only one person for that honour and that is Eric Clapton. After a few seconds he said – ‘Eric Clapton and Jimmy Hendrix’ – well I was half right. Off to bed with a real sense of our guests having had a special experience. There was also Jazz Trombonist, James Burton III, and here he is in his master class with the Chart Room Jazz Trio, Bass, Steve Riddle, Piano, Simon Galfe and on Drums, Andrew Hugget

A special thank you – One morning I was having breakfast when an American guest came up to speak to me. He said he had always wanted to meet somebody senior from Cunard to thank them. He explained that his father had travelled to the 2^nd World War in Europe on Queen Mary in 1941. More importantly, after the war, Queen Elizabeth took him safely home back across the Atlantic. He was on this voyage for that reason and to experience the crossing on Queen Mary 2 as his father had on Queen Mary. It is very humbling to hear such stories but at the same time very uplifting. At Cunard we often talk about our heritage and how special it is – well now I was really starting to understand just how special a crossing really is.

Graduation Time – On the last afternoon, along with Commodore and his Senior Officers we attended the graduation ceremony for the 40 new joiners who had been at the White Star Academy all week. They were each handed their certificate. It is very important that our Senior Officers do this, and I was really pleased to be able to wish them well in their careers with Cunard. Also shaking their hand was our Hotel Manager John Duffy. John has been with Cunard for over 40 years – it was indeed apt that he should be welcoming our new White Star Members into the fold – and no better example for them than what John has achieved.

Last night of the Cunard Proms – We had Conductor Anthony Inglis and his 26 strong National Symphony on this voyage. Earlier in the voyage they played an American Evening – the highlight of which was Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. But on the last night it was the good old British Proms. He had pulled together a 60 strong choir from the guests. 

I joined the choir – we had three rehearsals and were ready to go (Well- sort of).

Commodore Warner also took the baton to conduct under the guidance of course of Anthony Inglis who had also exchanged jackets!.

The Royal Court Theatre was packed for the two shows. The Orchestra played some wonderful pieces including ‘The Dambuster March’ and Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’. As a choir we sang quite a tricky Handel piece and just about got away with it. Then for the fun – Rule Britannia, Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory. The audience loved it – flags everywhere – and three encores.

This was very special – this was a crossing – this was Cunard. (Not sure if I have forgiven the Conductor for asking Commodore and I to have a go at conducting the orchestra – but it was jolly good fun.)

And so it was to be Southampton the following morning – time had flown by and it had been a truly interesting and enjoyable crossing for all. As I left the stage after the concert, one of my fellow singers approached me to say ‘A magnificent concert to end a perfect day and a perfect week – thank you so much’. Works for me – and as I left the ship the next morning I was so proud of each and every one of the 1,250 strong ship’s company and hopeful that our guests had enjoyed their crossing experience as much as I had.

We do more than 20  crossings a year – come and join us on one – you will be most welcome and we would love you to experience all that is special about Cunard and Queen Mary 2 – the most famous liner in the world…………………

Best Regards

Peter Shanks

President and Managing Director

Thanks Peter for a great Guest Blog; it sounds like yet another wonderful Crossing on our flagship. I’ll be back on Thursday with some fantastic new pictures of Queen Elizabeth in Italy. Cheers, Alastair.

Guest Blogger – Peter Shanks, President and Managing Director

Back in March I shared my experiences of being on board Queen Mary 2 in Cape Town with Archbishop Tutu – it was indeed a special time. I was on board Queen Mary 2 over the weekend travelling to Hamburg and I noticed that the plaque we presented to Archbishop Tutu has taken pride of place in the Grand Lobby. It brought back memories of what a marvellous man he is,. Now we stand accused from time to time of telling our loyal and potential guests just how good the Cunard experience is. In fact just this lunchtime we were were awarded ‘Best Cruise Line’ at the Daily Telegraph Ultras in London (see picture below). But it means so much more if we leave it to our guests to do the talking. The attached short video clip does that – please take a few minutes to watch it – I promise it will bring a smile to your face ……………

Head of Cunard Marketing, Richard Curtis receiving Ultra Travel Award for 'Best Cruise Line'

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 208 days

Queen Mary 2 has now sailed from Australian shores, as she heads for the tropical island of Mauritius. She has left some fabulous and lasting memories for her guests and crew on board, as well as the thousands of people who came to see her in Sydney, Adelaide and Fremantle. If you didn’t catch the stunning pictures from Queen Mary 2’s arrival in Sydney they can be found on this link:

http://wearecunard.com/2010/03/09/

Once Queen Mary 2 docked at her berth at Sydney’s Garden Island, the bow of the liner was just a hundred metres away from the home of one of Sydney’s most famous residents. Looking out of the window is an essential part of the daily duties for the Quartermasters on the Bridge, but to be looking out over the home of one of the most famous film stars in the world must, surely be just a little out of the ordinary. The home in question belongs to the nautical hero; “Master and Commander” himself, Russell Crowe. This is the view of his home as Queen Mary 2 approached the dockside.

Russell Crowe, the ever popular New Zealand born Australian movie star, began his acting career in the early 1990’s with roles on Australian television. By the end of the decade he had been in films such as L.A. Confidential. He has been nominated for 3 Oscars, and in 2001 he won Best Actor for his starring role in the film Gladiator.

Feeling that perhaps Cunard’s flagship might have been intruding a little on his privacy, Captain Bates invited Russell Crowe and his family on board, so they could meet his new, if only temporary, neighbours.

Not only did the Crowe family have a full tour of Queen Mary 2, but he was also gracious enough to allow himself to be photographed with some of the Bridge Team. Here he is on the Bridge with the 4 – 8 Quarter Master Roel Cagoco:

Roel who is married with 3 children, lives with his wife Lucila and family in Zamboanga Philippines. Roel has worked on board Queen Mary 2 for almost 3 years, while his colleague Wilfredo Banguiran, known as Fred, lives in Cebu City with his wife Lilibeth and their 3 children. Fred has worked on board Queen Mary 2 September 2004.

What a great moment to treasure for these two crew members, making this quite an unforgettable World Voyage and I’d like to thank Queen Mary 2’s Hotel Manager, David Stephenson for sharing this wonderful story with us.

Six days later, after a maiden call to Adelaide, there were more celebrations as Queen Mary 2 arrived at the port of Fremantle for the first time. Fortunately for us Chris Frame was there to capture the excitement of the day. Chris recently lectured on Queen Victoria as part of the Cunard Insights programme. Chris’ passion for Cunard’s history started at the age of eleven when he first set eyes on QE2. He has published a number of books on QE2 and Queen Mary 2. Whilst on Queen Victoria, he was also working a new book, Queen Victoria: A Photographic Journey, which he is co-authoring with Rachelle Cross. I’ll let Chris take up the story of Queen Mary 2’s visit to Fremantle in this special Guest Blog:

Guest Blog – Chris Frame – Cunard Insights Lecturer and Author

Queen Mary 2’s maiden visit to Fremantle was a truly festive occasion. She is so large that the port had to be cleared of nearby shipping to allow her to fit into the passenger terminal. To facilitate this, the ship arrived very early, but despite this, hundreds of people lined the banks to watch the world’s largest ocean liner enter the port for her first time.

During the day, most of Perth (or so it seemed) ventured down to ‘Freo’ to see Queen Mary 2. Traffic was at a near stand-still as people flocked for every vantage point.

Aboard the ship, the atmosphere was one of excitement. Guests returning from shore tours (some coming back early to have their books signed by Rachelle and I), were all talking about how many people were in the port, waiting for the big event – Queen Mary 2’s departure from the city.

At 5pm the lines were let go and the ship set sail. She was escorted by the Fremantle Fire Boat spraying water skyward. Overhead, a small aircraft carried a banner “Fremantle Port Salutes Queen Mary 2!”

It was a fantastic sight as hundreds of boats, and tens of thousands of people crowded the port. The North Mole, where we were standing, had the biggest crowds I’ve seen since QE2’s farewell departure back in 2008.

As Queen Mary 2 sailed past, she sounded her magnificent “Queen Mary” horn and the crowd cheered – followed shortly after by an “Aussie Aussie Aussie” to which the Australian’s on board replied “Oi Oi Oi”.

As the ship slipped over the horizon, conversations were already on the 2011 World Voyage – we can’t wait!

Thank you, Chris, for a great post and superb pictures. You may be interested to know that Chris maintains a popular independent website (www.chriscunard.com), so you can catch up with him there. We’ll of course have lots more pictures from both Queens as they continue their World Voyages. Meanwhile I’ll be back tomorrow, with the results of the competition to design a sculpture to adorn Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Arcade Cheers for now, Alastair.

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 248 days

Both World Voyages on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are progressing well and it’s exciting to hear that so many readers are following us on the ships’ Webcams. As I write this, Queen Victoria is in the southern hemisphere heading towards New Zealand and Queen Mary 2 is enjoying the stunning city of Hong Kong. We will of course keep you posted on both voyages, and thanks again for all your feedback and comments on what you’ve seen so far. In this Blog we decided to feature something a little different; Cunard’s “Pets At Sea” programme, but that’s after Cunard’s history, for the week 12 to 18 February:

There are many traditions that Cunard likes to maintain and some things are unique to Cunard like offering a regular transatlantic service. However did you know that you can even travel with your cat or dog when you take a Transatlantic Crossing on Queen Mary 2? It’s a unique service that has been enjoyed by numerous guests for many years on QE2 and now Queen Mary 2. In fact by the time Queen Mary 2 had completed her 100th Transatlantic Crossing in 2008, over 450 pets had crossed the North Atlantic on the liner.

Queen Mary 2’s Kennel Programme is available on all crossings between New York and Southampton in either direction, and is overseen by a full-time Kennel Master, whose responsibilities include feeding and walking guests’ pets as well as cleaning the 12 kennels. Travelling dogs and cats also receive a complimentary gift pack and other animal amenities. The kennels and adjacent indoor and outdoor walking areas are open throughout the day, enabling guests to spend significant time with their pet. Reservations for the kennels may be made at the time of booking, and are based on space availability. Food is provided for all of the animals, but if a guest has a special request for a particular brand, or would prefer to bring their own, they only have to ask.

The Kennel Master currently on Queen Mary 2 is 32 year old Dayle Mercado. From Pampanga in the Philippines, Dayle is married with one son, Kenneth. I recently chatted to him and asked him about his special role on board. He told me; “Since I love pets, my supervisor asked me if I wanted to be a Kennel Master. I was really excited to be given the opportunity so I accepted and spent two months training in kennels, where I learned about how to care for the animals and how to understand their behaviours.”  Here he is at work:

I asked him what the job was like. “Taking care of the animals is not easy, especially during the first and second day of the crossing”, he said. “During this time the animals are still adjusting to being at sea, much in the same way that guests do.  However the animals become settled very quickly and are happy for the remainder of their crossing”.

Dayle said that every day for him is fun but nothing beats the moment when he opens the kennel door first thing in the morning, and all the animals are excited to go out and play. During his time as Kennel Master, Dayle has looked after a wide range of different breeds of dog including, Chihuahuas, Westies, Poodles, German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, Terriers and many more. 

After a recent crossing, a guest enjoyed the whole experience so much she wrote a Blog about it. Nikki Moustaki, MA, MFA, is a well-known dog trainer, TV and radio personality, and animal expert who splits her time between New York City and Miami Beach with her two rescued Schnauzers, Pepper and Ozzie, her rescued Schnoodle, Pearl, and three parrots. She is the author of 9 books on dogs and 24 books on birds as well as books on topics other than pets. She writes for Dog Fancy Magazine as well as for many national pet websites. Nikki has also been featured on national television and radio shows including the BBC.

Nikki said taking the Transatlantic Crossing on Queen Mary 2 was the voyage of a lifetime especially as neither she nor Pepper were keen to fly. After her initial enquiry, Cunard sent her all the paperwork she needed including details of the international rules of pet travel, as every dog and cat on board must have all of the paperwork for the Pet Passport Travel Scheme.

When Nikki and Pepper arrived at the terminal building at Brooklyn, New York, Chantal Mooiman, Queen Mary 2’s Chief Purser, met them and checked Pepper’s paperwork, and Nikki said they felt like VIP’s as they were escorted onto the ship. As this is the only time the pets are in the guest areas, apart from the Kennels, it was the perfect time for a photo opportunity.

At the kennel on Deck 12 they met Dayle for the first time. “Dayle, was the sweetest guy. He clearly loved the dogs and cats on board and I immediately trusted him. And I don’t trust a lot of people with Pepper”, said Nikki.

She was intrigued to find out that each pet has a life jacket and a staff member assigned to him or her in case of an emergency

Nikki added that; “One night on each of my voyages, Cunard put a “Dog Lovers Meeting” in the Daily Programme. All of the dog lovers on board got together to talk about their dogs on board and their dogs at home. It was very nice.”

Nikki said that she and Pepper enjoyed the photo session for people with their pets. One of the ship’s photographers takes photos of guests with their pets wearing the complimentary Queen Mary 2 coat which she said looked “very cute”.

She offered some advice to guests thinking of travelling with their pets; “The kennel is a great place to spend part of the day if your pet is on board. The view is spectacular. We saw whales one day! Only people who have pets are allowed inside the deck run or the kennel, so your pet is safe, and the kennel is locked tight when the kennel master isn’t there. The kennel is quite a curiosity on board, so be prepared to answer some questions from people stopping by to say hello to the dogs.”

In wrapping up Nikki said; “All in all, we had a spectacular time and I would take this voyage again in a heartbeat. Pepper thinks so too”

If you would like to read Nikki’s full story with more pictures you can use this link to get to her account of the voyage:  http://betterwords.typepad.com/pepperinparis/taking-a-dog-on-the-queen-mary-2.html. She also made a great video which you can see by clicking on this link: –

Thank you Nikki for sharing your story with us and thanks to Harald Franzen for the wonderful pictures of Pepper enjoying his Transatlantic Crossing. I would also like to thank Dayle for taking the time to chat to us.

That’s it for this post but I’ll be back again on Monday with more news from around the Cunard World! Thank you as always for logging on and please do keep those comments and questions coming. Cheers for now, Alastair

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 254 days

As Queen Mary 2 made her maiden call to Cochin in India and headed to Phuket in Thailand, her sister, Queen Victoria had crossed the Pacific to make her maiden call to the port of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It was the ship’s first visit to the island and what a welcome we received, and certainly beyond our expectations. On the same day a couple from Toronto, Canada had decided to make this an extra special day as well. More of that after our regular feature, Cunard’s history, for the week 5 to 11 February:

Queen Victoria anchored off the island of Maui at about 8am last Monday, and everyone soon flocked to the open decks to see the most incredible welcome from the marine life of the bay. There were North Pacific Humpback Whales everywhere around the ship with approximately twenty of them on view comprising families with their calves.

We found out that this was no coincidence, as the Whales choose the Maui area and specifically the bay around Lahaina as it is a perfect area for them to spend their winters. Hawaiian water temperatures average around 75 degrees, which is an ideal environment for the newborn calves. The islands shelter and protect the waters and form a shallow basin, as compared to the deep surrounding Pacific Ocean waters with depths of up to three miles. The average depth in the area off Lahaina is only about 300 feet which is perfect for the Humpback Whale. Another reason they come to Maui is that Hawaiian waters are virtually predator free for the Humpback Whales. Their only other predators, besides humans, are Orcas, the Killer Whale, but they are rarely seen in Hawaii as they prefer colder waters. The Humpbacks encounter Orcas on a regular basis when they migrate to the feeding grounds of Alaska in the summer, and as such, about a fifth of Humpback Whales bear scars from Orca attacks. The marine life remained visible throughout the day; it was almost like some of the calves wanted Queen Victoria to join in the fun! Our guests and crew were able to take some fantastic photos from the ship and the tenders which took them ashore; mind you it takes a professional like our Chief Photographer, Marius Botha to get a shot like this.

The name La haina means “cruel sun” in the Hawaiian language, describing the sunny dry climate enjoyed most of the year. It’s a small town compared with the very busy and cosmopolitan Honolulu, with the focus of activity along Front Street, which dates back to the 1820s and today is lined with stores and restaurants. Banyan Tree Square features an exceptionally large Banyan tree planted in 1873 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the missionaries. It has grown by dropping roots from its branches that then become additional trunks, allowing it to cover two-thirds of an acre.

It’s amazing to think that this is just one tree! It now has twelve major trunks and the symmetry of the tree is apparently maintained by volunteers.

While most of our guests were enjoying island tours, two guests from Toronto, Canada were preparing for a day they would never forget, because this was the day they had chosen for their Hawaiian wedding. Corey who recently retired from the Canadian Military, and Amy, who works in finance, met in a nightclub in Toronto just over a year ago. As Amy was already booked on part of Queen Victoria’s World Voyage, the idea of a Hawaiian wedding seemed perfect. Amy’s parents are staying on for the whole World Voyage so they also attended the ceremony on an exclusive beach within a short walk of Lahaina. Amy’s sister and her partner flew to the island for a week’s holiday, so they could also be part of the special day. The setting was idyllic with their honeymoon destination, (Queen Victoria) in the background.

They said that once they had decided on a Hawaiian wedding, the process was actually quite simple and not too complicated. They managed to arrange everything over the internet and all they had to do on the day was arrive at Amy’s sister’s hotel to change, and then walk down to the beach to meet the minister who had arranged their traditional Hawaiian wedding, which they told me involved lots of kissing throughout the ceremony along with exchanges of leis and vows.

After the ceremony they wanted to do something quite different so they hired a paddleboard before returning to the ship later that afternoon. They had a lot of fun on the tender back as they heard guests saying, “Did you see the wedding on the beach – how lovely”. “Little did they know, that it was us” said Amy. Back on board their room steward Rosie had made a special decoration of kissing swans made out of towels, so I am guessing the word was out!

While Amy’s parents continue with their World Voyage after Sydney, the now Amy and Corey McKee-Beglin, will be making plans to move in to their new condominium in September when it is finished. This was Corey’s first voyage and they hope their anniversaries will be back on board; what a great idea! Thanks Corey and Amy for sharing your story with us and we wish you every happiness in your married life.

The following day we were back in Honolulu and now Queen Victoria is heading towards the Southern Hemisphere. I’ll be back on Monday and I have a great Blog for you with video from our day in San Francisco. Cheers for now, 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

 Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 267 days

As Queen Mary 2 prepares to make her maiden southbound transit of the Suez Canal, Queen Victoria has also found the warmth of the Caribbean having made her maiden call to Grand Cayman yesterday. We anchored just off Georgetown, very close to a new pier:

We were lucky to be the only ship in, so we had the island to ourselves, where we could enjoy the delights of snorkeling, seven mile beach, Tortuga Rum Cake and an opportunity to go to Hell. No I am not being rude, there really is a place called Hell and it’s a group of short, black, limestone formations in the northwest of the island roughly the size of a football pitch. There are numerous explanations of how Hell received its name, but they are generally variations on what locals perceive Hell would look like. Whatever the origins of the name, many of our guests and crew go there, just so they have this claim to fame and post their cards from this spot with a special stamp.

Thank you again for all the comments about the previous Queen Elizabeth “Float Out Ceremony” Blogs. We will of course keep you updated with all the news as it happens. In this Blog and third video, we have a special interview with Queen Elizabeth’s Madrina, Dennie Farmer and also the ship yard director Paolo Capobianco.

Once the ceremony had been completed by the dry dock, which was now filling with water, we were treated to a wonderful reception and lunch in the Fincantieri offices at the Monfalcone ship yard. We were first given a very special souvenir programme of the day:

Inside the programme was a fitting tribute to our new Queen and Cunard’s proud and rich history, which included this great picture comparing Cunard’s latest liner with the very first ship, Britannia, which began Samuel Cunard’s company in 1840

There was some fantastic memorabilia around the room from the private collection of Maurizio Eliseo and Paolo Piccione, which celebrated many of the Cunard Liners of the past, including the previous ships bearing the name Elizabeth:

In this next Video Blog you’ll see that while we were at the reception I managed to have a chat with both Dennie Farmer and Paolo Capobianco, before heading back to Queen Elizabeth to have a look at the progress of the inside of the ship.

You’ll be able to see the next Video Blog in the series on Thursday, when I’ll be guiding you through the interior of Queen Elizabeth and there’ll also be an exclusive interview with Cunard’s President and Managing Director Peter Shanks. Thank you to both Dennie Farmer and Paolo Capobianco for their time and again to our cameraman Andrew, as well as everyone else at the Fincantieri ship yard for all their help on that day.

Meanwhile I’ll be back tomorrow with a special Blog from Queen Mary 2. Although the festive celebrations of Christmas and New Year may see a long time ago, we thought you’d still like to see how our flagship celebrated the season with a Guest Blog from Freda Singleton, Queen Mary 2’s Social Hostess.

Thank you again for logging on and please keep those comments and questions coming in. Cheers for now, Alastair

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 280 days

Monday 4 January is a special day, as both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria begin their 2010 World Voyages, but this year there is a difference. Queen Victoria heads west to New York while her sister will, for the first time, begin her World Voyage heading east from New York to Southampton. I’ll make sure we get pictures from both ships as they progress around the world.

Meanwhile our third Queen is nearing the next milestone in her construction; the float out ceremony. That will be happening tomorrow and over the last few weeks the final additions have been made to her superstructure ready for her big day on 5 January.

These photos were taken just before Christmas and Queen Elizabeth entered in to the festive spirit with a special addition to her iconic funnel for the town of Monfalcone to admire.

Another very important addition was the forward main mast, which will carry many vital elements of the ship’s navigation equipment and is also where some of the ships flags are flown from.

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The final touches are also being added to the bow as the familiar livery of the white and federal grey paint are added.

One of the last jobs was to add the propellers to the Azipod motors at the stern of the vessel. It’s only when you see someone working on them that you realise how massive they are.

Work is progressing fast inside as well, and this is the first view of the magnificent staircase in the Royal Arcade.

I’m really looking forward to seeing her for myself again tomorrow as I return to Monfalcone for the float out ceremony. This will be a very exciting moment as Queen Elizabeth’s hull touches water for the first time and moves to her outfitting dock. I’ll post the first pictures of that ceremony on Thursday with some videos including an interview with President and Managing Director Peter Shanks. Cheers Alastair