Countdown to Queen Elizabeth - 261 days

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth - 298 days

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

34 year old Emiliano is from Camp Phillips, Manolo, Fortich Bukidnon in the Philippines, where he was also educated. After school he headed to Nautical College for three years where he studied for his Associate in Marine Transportation. Emiliano has been married to Maryjane for four years and they live in his home town of Camp Philips. They don’t have any children yet, but they are hoping they may be able to start a family next year.

Emiliano’s career at sea began on QE2 in November 2004, when he joined the Housekeeping Department. However during his spare time he completed deck training and two years later changed department and became an O.S. (ordinary seaman). He worked as an O.S. for one and a half years before being promoted to the A.B. (able seaman) position. He told me that he always tries his best to learn everything about his job and is still enjoying learning today on Queen Victoria, his second ship with Cunard.

As Deck Storekeeper, he looks after the deck store inventory, doing weekly and monthly checks. He told me “If we need something I advise the Marine Supervisor and he orders it for us”. The external fabric of the ship is maintained by the Deck Department, so there is constant cleaning, painting and varnishing taking place around the ship to ensure she is not only protected from the elements, but also looks immaculate, as a Queen should. Part of Emiliano’s job is to issue the paint, cleaning chemicals and tools to the deck crew as well as the personal protective equipment they need for the job they are doing. An important aspect of his job is to make sure the Deck Department abides by all the very strict environmental regulations for using, storing and discarding of chemicals, paints and refuse that the department uses every day. Here he is at work:

Emiliano has an early start with his alarm going off at 4am. After his prayers, he showers and heads to work. His morning routine involves being part of the team that cleans, washes and dries all the open decks of the ship before our guests get up in the morning. The team then gets breakfast, and if the ship is at sea he will go to the deck stores and check everything is ready and prepared for the day. He will then get the materials the deck crew need for the jobs they are given that day by the Marine Supervisor.

During the day he will look after the stores and maintain inventories, keeping everything in order. Before his lunch he will take back the supplies from the morning’s work from the deck crew and then prepare everything for the afternoon tasks. In the afternoon he enjoys time to relax, he will often try and call his wife to catch up on things from home. Returning to the stores later in the afternoon he puts everything away again from the afternoon team’s work and gets the materials and supplies ready for the night crew.

The port days are very busy for Emiliano because whenever the ship arrives or leaves, Emiliano will go to the mooring deck and drive the winches for the mooring lines. If the ship is at anchor he will also be involved in that operation.

His dinner time will depend on the ships maneuvering schedules and his duties on the mooring deck, but after he has finished that, the evening gives him time to relax with friends or enjoy a movie in his cabin.

Although Emiliano says Queen Victoria is a great place to work, he does look forward to his holiday times at home where he is a keen sportsman, playing basketball every day and watching sports on television

I asked Emiliano how he felt about winning the “Star of the Month Award”; he said, “I would like to thank my Supervisor and everyone who was a part of my nomination and to Cunard for giving employees a chance to win such a prize.” Here he is accepting his award in the special presentation in Queen Victoria’s Hemisphere’s Lounge, with (from left to right) Captain Paul Wright, Emiliano Sajol Jr, Staff Captain Andrew Hall, Marine Supervisor Gerry Crant and Hotel Manager David Hamilton.

That evening he celebrated by buying his friends some drinks and is also looking for a special gift for his wife.

As for the future, Emiliano hopes to save up enough money so that he can invest in a business in the Philippines and spend more time at home with his wife.

Our Congratulations to Emiliano again for his well deserved award, and next month we’ll be learning about Queen Mary 2’s new star. I’ll be back on Tuesday with those stunning pictures of Queen Elizabeth’s progress in Italy that I have being promising you. There’ll also be a special festive post for next Thursday – Christmas Eve. Cheers Alastair

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

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

1 November 1921

Andania II is launched

2 November 2003

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

3 November 1970

QE2 makes her maiden call at Luanda, Angola

5 November 2004

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s always great to profile our crew members who win the prestigious “Star of the Month Award”, which is part of Cunard’s White Star Programme. As many of you will know, the “Star of the Month” title is awarded to just one crew member per ship each month as a result of guest and crew feedback and then consideration by our on board White Star Committee. A framed photograph acknowledging their achievement is displayed in the Grand Lobby of each ship, and here is this month’s star on Queen Victoria; Able Seaman Antonio Solomon

As an AB Seaman Antonio’s work on board is to carry out maintenance of the ship which includes de-rusting, painting, washing, mooring and anchoring of the ship. During tender operations he acts as Bowman on the tenders, and this includes tying up the tender and helping guests to move safely on and off. He is also currently studying the work of the Quartermaster, so he is prepared when the opportunity arises for further promotion.

Antonio was born and brought up in Bataan which is north of Philippines capital Manila and is the fifth of six children. Bataan is known for the island of Corregidor and the Mount Samat dead march, which took place after the fall of Bataan, and is mentioned in numerous history books as the place where the allied forces claimed victory which freed the Philippines from Japanese occupation. 

Antonio told me he knew from a very young age that he wanted to travel the world, and as he says “ideally for free!” He considered a career in the aeronautics industry, but eventually decided to study Marine Transportation at the university in his home city, where he graduated with a Bsc.

Antonio says his career so far has exceeded his expectations. He began his career at sea on cargo ships in 1998, and then spent a brief period at home working in the family business. During this time he also met his wife Mary Jane and they married in 2002.

He joined Cunard as an OS, (Ordinary Seaman), in the summer of 2008, and after a couple of months was promoted to AB, (Able Seaman). He is very proud to have become Queen Victoria’s Star of the Month and here he is accepting his award from Captain Ian McNaught, with Staff Captain Hamish Sunter and Hotel Manager Jacqui Hodgson.  

On receiving the award Antonio said “I would like to thank everyone who supported and trusted in me since I came to Cunard”.

Antonio has a very early start each day when he gets up at 4am. After a shower and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, he likes to say a little prayer and then prepare himself for the day’s jobs. His morning routines begin at 5am, which involves cleaning and drying the open decks after the night wash down, so the ship will be ready for guests as they wake up in the morning. Then after breakfast and if the ship is arriving in port, he assists with mooring the ship. Otherwise he reports to the Marine Supervisor who will give him a morning job order.

At over six foot tall, Antonio told me “People often ask me why I am so big as they think my size is unusual for someone from the Philippines. I tell them that I have a bloodline from my mother’s side which has a Spanish lineage”. He went on to tell me that “People are often surprised seeing me up a ladder and squeezing my prominent figure through a 1 foot by 1 foot hatch, cleaning the oil from the galley uptake vents which we do once a month”.

In his spare time on a sea day he likes to relax and spend time with his co-workers as well as watching movies, TV and listening to music. On port days he enjoys seeing what he calls “The wonders of the world” for free. When he is at home and not travelling the world he particularly enjoys driving different vehicles.

In addition to becoming “Star of the Month”, Antonio has also just received some wonderful news from home. On his birthday, August the 22^nd, he found out that his wife Mary Jane had given birth to their first child, a healthy baby girl.

Along with the “Star of the Month” award comes a cash prize which Antonio says will go straight towards his daughters’ future

At the moment Antonio and his wife and daughter share a house with other members of his family so it is his dream to eventually build his own house for his wife and new family to live in. And his other dream………well, one day be Captain of a vessel. That’s a great dream and I’d like to thank Antonio for taking the time to talk to me and of course, wish him and his family all the best for the future.

That’s it for this Blog but I look forward to being back with you on Thursday for the regular update on the week, including more news around the fleet. Next Monday I’ll have pictures from Queen Victoria’s maiden calls to Boston, Quebec and the home of Cunard Line’s founder, Samuel Cunard. Cheers for now - Alastair