Today is a big day as Queen Victoria is our first Queen to return to her homeport of Southampton after spending the last few months in United States waters.  Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 met up in Civitavecchia, Italy, yesterday and will meet up again in Southampton next Tuesday. It will mark the completion of Queen Elizabeth’s Maiden World Voyage, and where some of our American guests will join Queen Mary 2 to cross the Atlantic to complete her fourth World Voyage.

I always enjoy writing blogs about Cunard’s latest Stars of the Month. This is where every month on each of our three Queens, one crew member per ship is awarded the title. Nominations for the Star on each ship, is a result of guest and crew feedback, and then consideration by our on board White Star Committees. I’ll be introducing you to our latest stars after this week in Cunard’s History for the for 14 to 20 April

<BR>

Now it’s a great pleasure to introduce Cunard’s three new Stars, and this month they come from the Technical and Housekeeping departments.

Queen Mary 2

Ronald Pascual, Crew Housekeeper

Ronald Pascual is from the Philippines and is one of the Crew Housekeepers on Queen Mary 2.  Ronald is part of the team that ensures the crew areas of Queen Mary 2 are kept immaculate at all times. There is a lot to do and this keeps the team very busy, but Ronald still finds time to help his colleagues in other departments.

He was nominated by Provision Master Ryan Wardhaugh, because Ronald always volunteers to drive the big fork-lifts to move provisions on the big storing days. He does so all day, sacrificing his valuable time off and he was recognised by the Provisions Team for doing such a superb job.

Part of the White Star Credo that all of us at Cunard learn in the White Star Academy, is that we should always support and assist our colleagues, and it’s great to see Ronald being recognised for this.

Here is Ronald accepting his award from Commodore Bernard Warner, with Executive Housekeeper Colin Watson and Provision Master Ryan Wardhaugh.

<BR>

<BR>

Queen Victoria

Dennes Sy, Housekeeping Utility

Dennes comes from Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines and is the second oldest in his family. Although he has only been with Cunard since last year this is already the second time he has been nominated for Star of the Month, when he was the 2^nd runner up last August.

Dennes works in the Housekeeping Department as a General Utility which means he is part of a big team keeping the guest areas spotlessly clean on Queen Victoria.

He told us that he really enjoys his work as well as meeting and greeting guests when he is cleaning around the ship. He added that for him We Are Cunard means serving guests with pride, and he says he is very proud to be part of the Cunard family.

As for the future, Dennes hopes that he will be able to become a bar waiter or a waiter in the Britannia Restaurant. In this photo he is receiving his well deserved award from Captain Christopher Rynd, with Andrea Kaiser, Executive Housekeeper and Jacqueline Hodgson, Hotel Manager.

After the ceremony he said that he wanted to say thank you to the people who had faith in him, his colleagues in the Housekeeping Team and the Pursers Team for nominating him.

<BR>

<BR>

Queen Elizabeth

Fermin Dela Luna Jr, Plumber

Fermin Dela Luna JR was part of the opening team of Queen Elizabeth, working as a night Plumber.  Fermin is from Rosario Cavite, Philippines and is married to Imelda R. Ela Luna. They have one daughter Franchesca Ira Dela Luna

He began his career at sea as a wiper, motorman, plumber with Cunard’s sister brand P&O, before joining Cunard in September last year. Fermin has recently moved to the day shift, and he was nominated for Star of the Month because he consistently goes above and beyond what is expected of him in his duties.

Being a plumber is a very busy job and often means he is called out at a moment’s notice to fix something. His supervisor told us that if Fermin has finished work or is just about to finish, he will still go and fix something however big or small the task. This sometimes means he works beyond his time and he does it with a smile and guests and colleagues have said how friendly and helpful he is.

His department felt his amazingly positive White Star attitude should be rewarded and they were delighted when he became Queen Elizabeth’s Star of the Month.

Fermin told me he was very grateful to be part of the Cunard Family, saying proudly We are Cunard! Here he is receiving his award from Captain Chris Wells with Colin Black, Chief Engineer. Robert Howie, Hotel Manager and Michael Robertshaw, Ships Services Engineer.

Congratulations to all the winners for last month and we look forward to revealing this month’s winners in a few weeks time. I’ll be back soon with a special Blog with the latest news from all three Cunard Queens, as well as some great pictures of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth in Civitavecchia yesterday. Cheers for now, Alastair

Welcome to another busy week of blogging and more news from around the Cunard World. As Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 enjoy Asian ports on their World Voyages, Queen Victoria has returned to the Caribbean as she concludes her very successful Americas Season.

It’s been such a busy time blogging that I realised we haven’t told you about Cunard’s most recent Stars for a while. As a regular feature, we like to let you know about our Cunard’s Stars, where every month on each of our three Queens, one crew member per ship is awarded the title of Star of the Month. The award is a result of guest and crew feedback, and then consideration by our on board White Star Committees.

Following from last month, I’m delighted to introduce Cunard’s latest stars.

Queen Victoria

Attila Verdo – Lido Maitre D’hôtel

Being the Maitre D’hôtel of the Lido is a demanding job which involves looking after a very busy dining area that operates around the clock, so it was great to see that Attila was nominated for all his hard work and commitment to White Star Service. 

Attila was born in north east Hungary, where the famous Tokaji Aszu dessert wine comes from.  He is married and Attila and his wife are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first baby, which he hopes will be a boy!

Attila started working at sea in 1996 on the original Love Boat.  He joined Cunard in 2007 as part of the opening team for Queen Victoria, as a Senior Waiter.  Attila has since worked in the Princess and Queens Grills and as for the future; his dream is to become the Senior Maitre D’hôtel some day.

According to his colleagues, nothing is ever too much trouble for Attila and he always finds a positive way to overcome any challenges. They added that he has an excellent attitude towards our guests as well as his colleagues and is a true team player.

Attila  told me that his favorite part of his job is taking pride in delivering White Star Service to our guests, and he is also known for making the best crepes suzette on Queen Victoria!

Here he is accepting his award from Captain Inger Olsen, with Senior Maitre D’hôtel, Osman Pinaolglu, Hotel Manager, Jacqui Hodgson and Food & Beverage Manager, Stefan Engl.

Attila’s favorite hobby is football, but when he is at home on leave he spends as much of his time as possible with his wife and friends, particularly now as they prepare for their baby’s arrival.

Queen Mary 2

Jeffrey Calija – Spa Attendant

Jeffrey has been working as a Spa Attendant for seven years and is from Las Pinas City in the Philippines, which is known for its Bamboo Organ Festival. He has been married to Remy Matimtim for nine years and they now have two children, seven year old Christian and Christine, who is five.

Before joining Cunard he worked for Globe Telecom as a Sales Associate and Supervisor and started to work for Cunard in December 2001. His first position was on Caronia as a Galley Utility, before moving to the housekeeping department.

He told me that he really likes his current job because he is able to meet many interesting people, and he feels by just talking to our guests, he has learned a lot about his own personal life.

The Canyon Ranch Spa Manager Mandy Meth, told me; “The whole spa team felt that Jeffrey was very deserving of the Star of the Month award. The spa attendants are constantly busy throughout the day and the staff noticed that Jeffrey consistently goes above and beyond his usual duties. For example while collecting towels in the gym he always takes the time to show guests how to operate the equipment, which is not his responsibility. He also exceeds guests’ expectations by offering to take their swimwear to be dried” She added that Jeffrey is a very cheerful person and his excellent customer service is reflected in the amount of White Star comments he receives from our guests.

Here’s Jeffrey receiving his well deserved award from Captain Paul Wright, with Hotel Manager David Stephenson and Canyon Ranch Spa Manager Mandy Meth.

In his spare time on board Jeffrey likes to read magazines about history, national geography and computers. He also likes to play cards and he hopes that he may get promoted sometime to a higher position within the housekeeping department. He also wanted to add that he considers working with Cunard a privilege that he will cherish for the rest of his life. 

Queen Elizabeth

Jayadev Alapati (Jay) Assistant Printer.

As the Assistant Printer on board Jay works closely with the Chief printer and between them they are responsible for pretty much everything that gets printed on board, which includes the Daily Programme, Newspapers, Menus, etc.  Although he does most of the physical printing Jay sometimes gets the opportunity to design as well.

From a printing family in Hyderabad in India, Jay is still a student and he is currently on an Internship at Cunard. He told me that this is his first real job and Cunard is the first company he has ever worked for. He added that he has always loved travelling and when he found out about this job, where he could travel and do what he loves most, he couldn’t have been happier. Jay was part of the inaugural team on Queen Elizabeth, joining the ship in Monfalcone in September, and like most of us on board he loves that fact that he gets to wake up in a different city almost every day.

Jay was nominated for the award by his colleagues and guests, after he helped a lady to use her iPhone, so she could email and text her family while away. Jay has also been instrumental in simplifying some of the Print Shop processes and he constantly delivers high quality service by taking on any request and following it through ensuring guest satisfaction.  Here’s Jay receiving his award from Captain Julian Burgess with Hotel Manager, Robert Howie, Chief Purser, Tracy Riley and Chief Printer, Andrew Berghauser;

Afterwards Jay told me how excited he was at winning the award; “Every day when I went to work I walk by the board that has the picture of White Star of the Month on it along with all the nominees, and I always hoped that someday I would be up there too. When I found out that I had actually won, I was so surprised and happy”. He added; “This is my first real job and in my first five months I have won the Star of the Month, so I’m pretty excited.

Jay went on leave last week and returned to America to continue with his studies. But he told me that once he has graduated this summer, he’s looking forward to hopefully coming back and maybe even as Chief Printer. He said he would like to stay for a few years at sea, then go back to college and get an MBA, and eventually join his father’s printing business back home in India.

Congratulations to all of this month’s winners and of course I’ll bring you our next month’s winners in a few weeks time. Well that’s it for the moment but I’ll be back later in the week with some news from Queen Elizabeth as she continues her Maiden World Voyage in Asia.  Cheers for now, Alastair

Welcome to another week of Blogging and again thanks so much for all the comments, it’s turning out to be a record breaking month.

Many of you are commenting about Queen Elizabeth’s Web Cam, and again we are sorry there have been some issues with it. At the moment there are some teething problems and this is because it has a new higher quality picture, at the moment it doesn’t allow us to add the current location. The team are working hard to have this resolved in a few weeks and we will let you know when this is live, so thanks for bearing with us.

I’m glad you liked the picture of Queen Elizabeth’s inaugural crew on the back deck of the ship, but some of you were concerned about who was driving the ship if we were all having our photo taken. Well don’t worry the watch keepers remained on the Bridge and Engine room while the picture was taken, and then by a bit of photography magic by Petar,  they were added in later; well we couldn’t leave anyone out could we!

Now on to news from Queen Victoria and firstly a guest Blog from Anand Ramakrishnan, who is the White Star Trainer:

Guest Blog
Anand Ramakrishnan
White Star Trainer
Queen Victoria

<BR>

<BR>

On 25 September in the port of Civitavecchia fifty crew and officers were transferred from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth. There were mixed feelings by the terminal, with the emotion of leaving friends but also the excitement of joining the new Queen, and of course the prospect of seeing her Majesty The Queen. Our Hotel Manager, David Hamilton and Personnel Manager, Aubrey Lee wished them luck before they left the pier to the airport where they boarded a chartered flight to Trieste.

The day after, we docked in Naples on the same day as our flagship, Queen Mary 2. Aubrey came up with a bright idea to get a combined crew tour organised to Pompeii. 48 crewmembers between the two ships went on tour together and the atmosphere was just like going out for a picnic with a big happy family. Friends, who had worked together in the past met up, took tons of photos and of course caught up with the news. The two Queens looked wonderful together.

As we were just a short walk across the pier from Queen Mary 2, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the White Star Academy Trainees on Queen Victoria, to see the company’s flagship from inside. Carola is the Personnel and Training Manager on Queen Mary 2 and she very kindly organised things for us.

As we stepped on board I heard the Oooh’s, Aahhh’s and Wow’s from the trainees. I took them on a tour of the ship and yes, the trainees were very impressed and excited, saying it was a dream come true to be on board the most famous ocean liner in the world. Here we all are by Queen Mary 2’s iconic red funnel and by the artwork featuring our founder, Sir Samuel Cunard:

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

I am pleased to say the entire group successfully completed their White Star Academy training and are now working on board Queen Victoria. I was very proud to join them in their full uniform at their graduation ceremony with Captain Christopher Rynd and Hotel Manager, David Hamilton.

Thank you Anand for that great story, it’s always great to meet up when ships are together. Speaking of which on 8 November Queen Mary 2 will meet her new sister Queen Elizabeth for the first time in Southampton, so there’s a date for your diaries. Then Queen Elizabeth will meet Queen Victoria on 1 December in Southampton, but the big date for all three to be together for the very first time, is on 13 January 2011 in New York, so you can imagine how exciting that day will be.

Meanwhile on Queen Victoria it was great to hear about the White Star Service Programme and the latest Star of the Month. As regular readers will know is this is the title awarded to just one crew member per ship each month. The award is a result of guest and crew feedback, and then consideration by our on board White Star Committees. Each month we alternate ships, for which “Star” we feature on this Blog, and this month it’s the turn of Queen Victoria.

Sancho Sabolo is presently a Mechanic in the Technical Department, and as with every “Star” his photo is displayed prominently in the ship’s Grand Lobby:

Sancho joined QE2 in 1994 as a utility hand, working in Hotel stores and the galleys. After a few months he had an opportunity to join the Technical Department as an Engine Cleaner working on the Main Engines. He then worked in various positions, Wiper, Plumber, Motorman, Safety Control Room watch keeper, Mechanic, and was finally promoted to Waste Disposal Supervisor on QE2. He joined Queen Victoria in Jan 2009 as a Mechanic and steps up to Chief Mechanic when needed. He is now very experienced and very much involved with engine and auxiliary machinery maintenance, reporting to the Chief Mechanic and 1st Engineer.

Sancho comes from Bantayan, Cebu in the Phillippines. He met his wife Sheena, a Bedroom Steward, while he was working on QE2 and they now live in her home town of Zamboanga City. They have two children John aged 12 and six year old Therese.

Speaking to Sancho you can feel his sense of pride in his work, when he says that the best part of his job is engine overhauling.  He told me; “It’s amazing to hear the engine start after overhauling it. One minute you see the parts and then suddenly you hear the engine start and I say to myself ‘yes this is a success!!!”

He explained to me that there was a big difference between the nine QE2 engines, which were nine cylinder B and W “inline” type, and Queen Victoria’s six Wartsila V-type engines. Sancho had to be trained to work on the Wartsila engines and here he is training in the Philippines standing next to an engine liner which is smaller but very similar to the many he overhauls today.

Willy Robinson, Queen Victoria’s Chief Engineer, said Sancho has been very much a “leading light” in the recent complete overhaul of four of the ships Main Engines. The overhaul of each engine occurs every 12,000 hours, and takes between 24 to 26 days to complete. In this photo Sancho is assisting one of the Wartsila Engineers to remove a piston from the engine block.

Willy went on to tell me that Sancho has received glowing attributes and praise from the all travelling Wartsila Engineers, and when his colleagues voted for him as the Star of the Month, they mentioned how cheerful, friendly and hardworking he is. They also admired his strong leadership qualities, so when his name was put forward to the ship’s White Star Committee they also agreed, and here’s Sancho receiving his award.

From left to right are, Captain Christopher Rynd, Sancho, 1st Engineer Thomas Wilkinson, Chief Engineer Willy Robinson and Hotel Manager David Hamilton.

Sancho and his wife are now together on Queen Victoria while Sheena’s mother looks after the children at home, so time together with the family is very precious. 

Sancho’s day begins at about 7.00am, and after a cup of ginger tea, he has breakfast with his wife before heading to the engine room. When he gets time off on board, he tries to get off in the ports and maybe have a quick swim, but he and Sheena keep in regular contact with their children. Although he doesn’t claim to be a great player he enjoys practicing on his guitar as well as singing Karaoke and playing darts.

At home he likes riding his motorbike with his son, as well as playing basketball, billiards, going fishing and swimming. Sundays are always special and they begin first thing in the morning by going to Mass with his family.
I asked him what Cunard meant to him and he told me that; “To me it means one big happy family, full of happy memories.  I met my wife on QE2 and we have two wonderful children, so I am very grateful to Cunard”.

He told me he will be spending some of his winnings on a little get together for the Technical Team and buy a new karaoke player, while the rest will be saved. As for the future, his only dream is to provide for his children, so they can develop their own careers. His joy is seeing them grow up and having a happy life together.
 
Congratulations again Sancho; thanks for taking the time to share your story with us and all the best to you and your family for the future.

I’ll be back on Thursday with some great stories from Queen Elizabeth’s second voyage and then we’ll have a special series of Blogs from Queen Mary 2. More news on that later, so cheers for now, Alastair

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 35 days

Thank you for all your comments and questions along with your great feedback on the progress of Queen Elizabeth. I’ll try and give you as many answers as I can on this Blog, and of course update you with news as it comes my way.

Naturally there is a tremendous amount of excitement about the naming ceremony itself, and I have been told that although Cunard will not be streaming the ceremony live, they will be broadcasting a 10 minute video of the highlights shortly after. I’ll keep you posted with that.

The good news is we hope to have Queen Elizabeth’s BridgeCam ready for her departure from Monfalcone, so you can watch her sailing to Southampton. I’ll give you more details of the best viewing points in Southampton, closer to the time.

I will have another Blog about Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, when we will be looking at her second set of sea trials.

In the meantime, it’s always a pleasure to profile crewmembers that 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.

Queen Mary 2’s latest star is Genny Muega, who is an Assistant Buffet Stewardess, working in the Officer’s Mess, and here she is receiving her award from Captain Nick Bates.

 Also in the picture are Hotel Manager, David Stephenson, Food and Beverage Manager, Stefan Engl and Senior Maitre D’hôtel, Beniamino Acler.

As an Assistant Buffet Stewardess, Genny has a busy day beginning with setting up breakfast at 7am, but even earlier on embarkation days. Along with her colleagues she sets up the buffet lines and takes the Officer’s orders for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She says she enjoys her job because she gets to know the needs and wishes of many of the officers as well as gaining a lot of new friends.

She added that the best part of the job is that she can now easily identify the names of unusual food, which she hadn’t known or tasted before. She told me that, although her job was not an easy one, she has learned to be more patient and before she goes to work, she says she leaves her worries behind, and makes sure she comes to work with a big smile.

Genny, who celebrated her 28^th birthday on board last month, lives with her parents, two sisters and brother in a small city called Llloilo in the western part of the Philippines. Here she is with them at home:

After she graduated from college, she gained experience in the banking and hospitality industry before beginning work as an agent in a call centre at home in the Philippines. She said it was a memorable time and it taught her a lot of life lessons, which she feels have helped her in her current role on board.

She told me a bit about her upbringing, “I grew up in a Christian loving environment with a strong faith. Life at home was simple and short on material things, but big on love. My family used to call me a ‘black sheep’ as I didn’t really manage to be a model student, but later I promised myself to do things right and focussed on work, sports and art.”

In her time off, Genny likes to go ashore with friends and sometimes by herself to go shopping, and when the ship is at sea she tries to go to the gym. Part of the Star of the Month award involves a cash prize, which she said she would send home, as she feels her family would need it more than she does. Genny told me that being a ‘White Star of the Month’ is more than enough for her.

During her leave at home she likes to draw and sketch, as well as watching movie marathons with her family and friends. Here she is with her brother and sisters.

She also enjoys trying new things such as Ziplining in Tagaytay, Philippines, with her brother.

I asked Genny what “We Are Cunard” means to her and she told me; “It means we are famous. We are extraordinary and provide a splendid service. That’s what Cunard means to me.”

As for the future Genny told me “I’m just a simple girl with a simple dream … I just want to be happy and want to have a family in the future”. She added; “I would like to say thank you to everyone who nominated me as Star of the Month. I truly appreciate it and I’m glad I made this step to join the ship. I intend to continue to provide excellent service wherever I work in the future. Big thanks to all of you…” 

Congratulations again to Genny, for her fantastic achievement and for taking the time to chat to me. I’ll be back on Monday, with news of Queen Elizabeth’s second set of sea trials with some amazing pictures.

Cheers for now, Alastair

Countdown to Queen Elizabeth – 210 days

As the World Voyages for 2010 continue, Queen Victoria is now heading for Vietnam and Queen Mary 2 is crossing the Indian Ocean for her maiden call to Mauritius. In addition to the many extra events and activities we do that mark the special nature of a World Voyage, we also maintain the very important elements of our White Star Service programme like celebrating our Star of the Month.

As many of you will know, 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. On this Blog we alternate ships, for which “Star of the Month” we feature, and this month it’s the turn of Queen Victoria. Each star has their photo displayed prominently in the Grand Lobby for guests to see, so here’s the one currently on Queen Victoria; Laundry Master Tito Rosales.

As Laundry Master, Tito oversees the whole laundry operation on board Queen Victoria. He has the huge responsibility of maintaining the highest possible standard in an essential part of the ship’s operation. Reporting to the Executive Housekeeper, he manages nineteen members of staff and liaises with the ships engineers to ensure all the machines that wash, dry and iron clothes and linen, are able to keep working around the clock.  It’s quite a job when you look at the statistics. On linen change day Tito and his team wash, dry and iron over 2,800 sheets. Also on a daily basis the laundry washes and dries a staggering:

·         2,200 bath towels

·         700 bath mats

·         2,800 hand towels

·         5,000 face cloths

Here’s the main laundry on Queen Victoria with linen coming in and out throughout the day.

Tito and his team look after guests’ personal laundry as well as being responsible for the cleaning and tailoring of the uniforms for all 1,000 of Queen Victoria’s crew. For example to keep our chefs looking immaculate they clean over 360 pieces of uniform a day, and over 600 articles for the Bar and Restaurant Staff. Here you can see uniforms ready for our crew to put on fresh each day:

Tito was born in Cebu, Philippines, which he describes as a lovely island, surrounded with white sandy beaches, located in the northern part of Malapascua Island. Because of its natural beauty, it is one of the Philippines’ top tourist destinations. He met his wife, Rose in Manila and then he built their house in Caloocan City.

They now have three children Mariz 19, Louie 15, and Mae 10.

Tito started working as Laundry Man in Teves Dry cleaning and Steam laundry in Makati City in the Philippines in 1986, and then worked in Saudi Arabia for three different laundry establishments for almost five years during which time he gained his first supervisory position. But then the sea beckoned, as he decided to apply to an agency in the Philippines to work as Laundry Man on board passenger ships.

In 1998 Tito began his career at sea on one our sister company’s ships; P&O’s Oriana. He stayed there for ten years during which time he was promoted to Assistant Linen Keeper and consequently, Linen Keeper. In 2008, he joined Cunard as Laundry Man and after just one year was promoted to Laundry Master.

Tito starts work at 7:30am and begins his day by checking all areas of his responsibility such as the machines and linen stocks as well as looking over the area to ensure everything is in order. After mustering his day staff, he assesses the work load and organises the day’s work, which is always very busy.

During his time off he enjoys relaxing in his cabin either watching TV or a movie and likes to call his family at home regularly. During port days, he likes to go ashore whenever possible to go sightseeing or to the beach or even better a good Chinese restaurant, when he can find one.

I asked him what “We are Cunard” meant to him and he told me; “It means that we are all part of legendary service in our industry with the White Star Service principles applied in every aspect of the job we perform on board whether we are directly or indirectly looking after our guests. As we work behind the scenes I think it’s important to support our colleagues who do look after our guests”.

Our White Star winners never know they have won until they arrive at a very special presentation, where the nominees are read out by the on board White Star Committee Chairman, Hotel Manager, Jacqui Hodgson. When Tito heard the runners up and he finally realised he must be the winner as he was the only person left to be announced. Here’s Tito receiving his award, with (from left to right), Captain Paul Wright, Tito, Hotel Manager, Jacqui Hodgson, and Executive Housekeeper, Thelma Rojas.

He also won a cash prize, and Tito told me he will be saving some of his winnings, but will also spend a small amount on something special that will become a valuable memory to him so that in the future he can be reminded of his achievement.

As for the future Tito told me; “I dream that one day all my three children will be able to finish their college degrees. That is one of my greatest wishes for them, and the reason why I have chosen to work so hard. Once I have fulfilled these dreams I will feel relieved and relaxed.”

When I was chatting to Tito he asked me to help him pass on his thanks: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who believed in my knowledge and ability to perform my duty: Jaime Masing, Rosa Christiner, Andrea Keiser, Thelma Rojas, Mornay the Shop Manager, my Laundry Staff, Linen Keeper and of course the White Star Committee headed by the Captain and Hotel Manager. My sincere thanks to everyone; after all, “WE ARE CUNARD”.

Thank you Tito for a great interview. What a great way to end the Blog for today. In fact Tito has just gone home on a well deserved leave, so he’ll be able to read this at home and celebrate with his family who I am sure will be very proud of his achievement. I’ll be back on Wednesday with some great pictures of Queen Mary 2 as well as news of a special visitor to our flagship recently in Sydney. Cheers for now, Alastair

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