QE2 World: World Cruise 1985 Video Part 3

The Golden Route continues: Part 3 of the World Cruise 1985 video is now available on the website. Let’s go to Bali!

The Golden Route Part 3

To see previous post announcing Parts 1 and 2, click here.

‘We are Cunard’ on Queen Victoria – New Video

A new video has been added to the CUNARD QUEENS Website: The ‘We are Cunard’ video which was filmed on Queen Victoria for the official Cunard blog by Alistair Greener.

The video  portrays crew and staff on QV. Perhaps you or someone you know is in the film? We’d like to put same names to faces.  If you do, please leave a comment.

Iinterview with Commodore Bernard Warner, Master of Queen Mary 2

Shipping columnist Peter Elson interviews Commodore Bernard Warner, Master of the Queen Mary 2, as she visits Liverpool.Filmed and edited by Samantha Parker. Liverpool Echo TV, October 20, 2009
Shipping columnist Peter Elson interviews Commodore Bernard Warner, Master of the Queen Mary 2, as she visits Liverpool.Filmed and edited by Samantha Parker.

New Management for Queen Mary, Long Beach

I recently commented on the 75th Anniversary of RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, and I am currently working on a feature story about the liner. So this is a good excuse to pack my bag and travel across the big pond to pay a visit at her retirement home in Long Beach, California. Queen Mary was spared the final voyage to Alang, India, or some other fate that eventually would have ended on the scrap yard.

One cannot deny however the fact that she is an elderly Queen in need of  serious attention: At her age, repairs and maintenance work are inevitable.

In September 2009 it was announced that Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts have taken over the management of Queen Mary 2. I have to admit I am rather pleased about this needed change! DNC is running facilities at some of the most prestigious locations in the States. I particularly like their lodges in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

DNC has announced that over the next five years, they plan to continue restoring the ocean liner. According to reports from locals DNC are already is cleaning ship! New carpets for all public rooms are in storage waiting to be installed. Cabins are going to get also new carpets and drapes. They are installing a first class logo shop in the space where previously the she shop was. Originally, during service, this space was the Radio Telephone Room when the ship was at sea. 

Many improvements were made by the former management, Hostmark Hospitality, this past year such as new paint for the funnels, the waterline and boot topping were painted, the teak on the prom deck was refinished, new galley equipment such as stoves, fridges, etc, installation of new air conditioning in many areas, and a new I. T. system, new beds and flat screen TVs in all cabins. A new and updated fire alarm system is currently being installed for generations to come.

DNC has promised to continue with the improvements and do even more: They will focus on the ships wonderful history and are intent on making it more like an ocean voyage. I hope I will be able to talk to members of the Queen Mary management to find out a little more about those plans,  how they envision securing the future of this legendary ocean liner and how they want to preserve this outstanding testament to maritime achievements.

Delaware North Companies was founded almost 100 years ago and comprises of several operating divisions in the lodging, sporting, airport, gaming and entertainment industries. Delaware North Companies Parks & Resort which is now managing the Queen Mary was founded in 1992, when they won the largest contract in the U.S. National Park Service for Yosemite National Park. The company now operates at other venues including Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls State Park, Kennedy Space Center Vision Complex, Sequoia National Park, to mention just a few. The company prides itself on its sustainability program, GreenPath©. To find out more about DNC, click here.

Discovery Channel Documentary ‘Inside Queen Mary2′

Steady your sea legs and board the legendary ocean liner Queen Mary 2.  You can now watch the Discovery Channel documentary in 7 parts in CunardQueens video library.

Inside Queen Mary 2 is a one-hour documentary which was shot in High Definition. It takes you onboard and below deck to reveal just what it takes to make this ‘floating city’ work and will allow you to take a look from the bridge to the galley to the engine room and decks below the water line.

Inside QM2 Part 1

Inside QM2 Part 2

Inside QM2 Part 3

Inside QM2 Part 4

Inside QM2 Part 5

Inside QM2 Part 6

Inside QM2 Part 7

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 3 of 4

Continuing the story about Queen Mary 2 in Blohm + Voss dry-docks…

 4th Visit: Oct 23 to Nov 13, 2008
 

Dry-docking an ocean liner of the size of Queen Mary 2 is not an affair of a couple of hours. Despite careful planning and timing, things may not go according to plan. The last visit of Queen Mary 2 was announced by Blohm + Vossas follows:

During the night of October 23 to 24, 2008, at about 23.50h, the Queen Mary 2 will be at the entrance of dry dock Elbe 17 to be manoeuvred into the dock. At about 0:50h, October 24, when the tide has reached its highest level, the ocean liner will be floated into the dock.  

However, the low tide delayed the docking of the ocean liner by 12 hours. The ship was finally resting on the blocks by early afternoon on the 25th, and only by midnight of the 26th the dock was completely dry.

During the 3 weeks in the docks, extensive exterior and interior work was completed in order to make her fit for service once again for another five years.   

                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                       © Blohm + Voss

Below is a summary of the major works carried out during the 20 days in the dock: 

• Major overhaul of the four Mermaid propulsion pods in cooperation with the manufacturer Rolls-Royce 
• Routine maintenance of the three bow thrusters
• Routine maintenance and inspection of the four stabilizers
• Renewal of brake linings at the windlasses and inspection of electric motors
• Coating of the hull – about 35,000 l of paint have been applied
• Overhaul of 17 lifeboats and tender boats by the manufacturer Schat-Harding
• Cleaning and inspection of various tanks (fuel tanks, fresh water tanks, grey water tanks, black water tanks) by the classification society
• Completion of various classification work such as overhauling the sea valves
• Painting of 500 of the 1000 balconies
• Inspection and overhaul of life boats (which were removed from the ship for this task)
• Installation of an upgraded radar system on the bridge
• Refurbishment of the Chart Room
• Replacement of worn out carpets in corridors and public rooms
• Upholstery work in the Britannia Restaurant, Royal Court Theatre and Canyon Ranch Spa Club
• Installation of a new internet system by Maritime Telecommunications Network (this included the disconnection of the in-cabin email system)
• Addition of an awning at the forward end of Deck 8 terrace to allow the Todd English restaurant ‘Al Fresco’ dining
• Replacement of the teak decking on Deck 13
• Refurbishment of the Terrace Bar and Regatta Bar
   

If you are interested in a detailed report on the work I highly recommend the article ‘A look at the work done on QM2 during her 2008 re-fit by Richard H. Wagner’  which is published on the http://www.beyondships.com site . For your convenience I am including the PDF file . 

For passengers, the most noticeable change is the refurbishment of the Chart Room which was perceived by many guests as a long corridor draped with some chairs and tables. The room was originally decorated in various shades of brown and though exquisitely fitted it lacked atmosphere. On my first voyage in 2004 I felt this room was uninviting, more like a hall to cross quickly to get from point A to B. It certainly didn’t invite to sit down and relax for a while with a drink and something to nibble.An injection of new and more vibrant colours as well as new seating arrangements in the middle section of the room turned the Chart Room into a public area that deserves its name. On my June 2009 crossing, this room was well attended, full at times and there was not a single day I sat down to chat with other guests or just have a quick drink. I am including the 2 photos from the ‘beyondship’ article .  

QM2 Original Chart Room

 

QM2 New Chart Room

 

Another great read is the report from Jeremy Saltonstall, Second Officer, which was published in the We are Cunard’ blog. Below is an excerpt:

In addition to a freshen up of some public areas including the Chart Room we are also installing mobile technology to enable mobile phones to be used whilst at sea. A special coat of extremely high tech paint is also being applied to the ship’s hull – this is a state of the art low friction paint that will enable Queen Mary 2 to slide through the sea with a minimum of effort, thus helping to conserve fuel. Especially important during this time of unpredictable oil prices when there is a greater need than ever to operate efficiently!  

Queen Mary 2 has been in service now for five years, and what a life she has had so far. As we departed Southampton for Hamburg on 22nd October we bid farewell to the most famous ocean liner in the world, Queen Elizabeth 2. As we passed her at berth 38/9, there was an exchange of whistles and a lot of emotion. The privilege of sounding the whistles was given to Sheena, one of our housekeepers, who had served on QE2 for many years.  

On arrival in Hamburg we waited for the right tide before slowly edging the ship in to Elbe 17 dry dock at the Blohm and Voss repair yard. Once in position the dock gate was closed behind us and it wasn’t long before you could notice the water levels were starting to drop. At 14:00 on 25th October, Queen Mary 2 was confirmed that she was resting on the blocks, where she would stay for 3 weeks. Before all the water had been pumped out of the dry dock, there was a mad rush to get the lifeboats and tenders lowered to the water, sent to the aft end of the dock, lifted over the dock gate, and driven round to another part of the ship yard where they were lifted out again into a large car park to have maintenance carried out on them. By the time we had finished the operation, the water level was already down two thirds of the vessels hull. It was here where you could see the amount of wear and tear that the hull of the ship had experienced. A large coat of fine green seaweed coated the areas just below the water line. As the water level continued to drop, the smell of seaweed dominated the whole area around the ship, the kind of smell that you would normally get when the tide was out in a port. Gangways were connected in various shell doors around the ship and equipment, spare and new parts were already being lifted on board. 

It was midnight the next day before the dry dock was completely dry. Queen Mary 2 sat there, looking almost lost without any water around her, in a way like a stranded whale. The next day I went down into the dock bottom to see for myself the condition of the hull. All in all it was in a very good condition, ok it was very dirty, but the coatings were all intact and the amount of seaweed on the flat bottom of the hull was minimal.  

We are now well over half way through the dry dock here in Hamburg and I am on the night watch between Midnight and 8am. The weather is cold everyday but the heating has remained on at all times to keep us warm. At night the fog roles up the river and Queen Mary 2 sits quietly in her dock. It’s a spooky scene, especially after just celebrating Halloween, as the fog moves around the ship at night without the sound of the fog horn going, like it would be at sea. Fog is normally an annoying thing for us on the bridge when underway but here in dry dock it’s nice to just watch role on by each night. Each day I walk around I see new items in place, it does seem extremely weird where all the shelves in places like the spa and shops are empty. There are no bottles on the shelves in the bars. All the chairs and deck chairs have been removed, the pools are empty, carpets are covered with protection, most of the elevators are shut down, and half the crew are missing! It’s certainly not what you would call a normal operating ocean liner.  

The workers in the shipyard are very friendly and doing a great job in getting the vessel ready for sailing. All the maintenance is going to plan and we hope to be off the blocks and leaving the repair yard bound for Southampton on 13 November with the Cunard Queen looking, like she always does,……..Amazing! 

While doing some research on the internet, I came across an article that appeared in the Mirror, ‘Worker kills lover onboard Queen Mary 2 cruise’ which reported an alledged murder aboard QM2 during her stay in the docks. 2 German newspapers, the Hamburger Abendblatt and the Bild, also reported the incident as a fight, in which a filipino crewman attacked and choked his girlfriend in their cabin and that the victim’s injuries were not dangerious to life. Details remains somewhat sketchy.

As usual I will finish my post with a video. Today, I have five videos for you, documenting the docking into Elbe 17. Enjoy and watch out for the 4th and final part!

 

 Part 1 – Preparation

Part 2 – On the way to Elbe 17

Part 3 – Docking 1st attempt

Part 4 – Docking 2nd attempt

Part 5 – Docking successful

 

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 1 of 4

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 2 of 4 

 

 

 

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 2 of 4

Continuing the story about Queen Mary 2 in Blohm + Voss dry-docks…

In 2006 Queen Mary 2 made two trips to the Blohm + Voss Repair shipyard, but one was not scheduled at all!

2nd Visit: May 6 to 10, 2006

Pod woes forced Queen Mary 2 back into dry-docks after she suffered damage to one of her four propulsion pods. This happened when she hit ground leaving Ft. Lauderdale as she embarked on a circumnavigation of South America in January 2006. The pod struck a channel wall, forcing the ship to sail at a slower speed. As a result Commodore Warwick decided to skip several calls on her voyage to Rio de Janeiro. Many of her passengers threatened to stage a sit-in protest because of the missed calls, before Cunard offered to some sort of refund. The Queen Mary 2 continued to run on reduced speed and several itinerary changes were necessary, including the cancellation of a return trip to Ft. Lauderdale scheduled for April. Cunard offered passengers who planned to disembark in Ft. Lauderdale to disembark in St. Thomas or to continue on to New York and be flown back to Florida at Cunard expense.

The pod, a so-called Mermaid pod, was damaged to such extend that it had to be removed and repaired by Blohm and Voss Repair. The reinstallation of the repaired pod was planned for the November visit and until then, Queen Mary 2 operated on the remaining three pods. She was dry-docked for 6 days; two subsequent voyages had to be cancelled.

 

3rd Visit:  Nov 12 to 17, 2006 

Queen Mary 2 arrived in Hamburg without passengers on board on November 12, 2006 at dry-dock Elbe 17 at about 21.25h for the reinstallation of the repaired propulsion pod which weighs approx. 250 t. At the same time, drencher systems were installed in all of the vessel’s balconies to comply with new safety regulations which had come into effect since the MV Star Princess fire.

Additionally, both bridge wings were extended by 2 metres to improve visibility which was necessary after the ocean liner hit ground twice in the first two years of operation. The extension of the left bridge wing is clearly visible in the photo below.

Extension of Bridge Wings Nov 2006

 

Queen Mary 2  left on November 17, 2006, for Southampton from where she started a Transatlantic passage to Fort Lauderdale and, subsequently, a western Caribbean cruise.

 

 

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 1 of 4

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 3 of 4

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 1 of 4

Queen Mary 2 has been a regular and very popular guest in Hamburg since her maiden port call  on July 19, 2004 which witnessed by more than one hundred thousand onlookers. Five years later, her attraction to the local has not waned. Every visit is still drawing a large crowd, which recently prompted Cunard to call the Hanseatic city her ’secret home port’.  Her Transatlantic departures and cruises to Scandinavia have become very popular among the German speaking passengers. Apart from her scheduled stops she regularly goes into the famous Blohm & Voss dry-dock Elbe 17.

Empty Dry-Dock Elbe 17- ©Alexander Sölch

 

Four times the majestic line has been in Elbe 17 for  maintenance and repair:

• 1^st visit:     8  to 19 Nov.2005, scheduled maintenance
• 2^nd visit :  6 to 10 May 2006, unscheduled repair of damaged pod
• 3rd visit:  12 to 17 Nov 2006, scheduled maintenance and repair
• 4^th visit:  23 Oct to 13 Nov 2008 , scheduled maintenance and refit
   

1st visit Nov 8 to Nov 19, 2005 

Her first visit to Elbe 17 was scheduled for 8pm on November 8, but a lower than expected evening tide delayed arrival until early morning next day. 

Blohm and Voss received the order for maintenance and repair work for the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Repair Group amidst serious domestic and international competition. The order included classification work and extensive painting work, moreover, the propulsion units, the anchor winches as well as the four stabilisers were to be overhauled. 

Owing to the tight agenda and relatively short lay days in Hamburg, Blohm + Voss Repair employees were already on board the ocean liner in Southampton to carry out the necessary preparations for the work.

 

Fotographer Dirk Rotermund documented her stay in the dry-dock, click on the QM2 image to view the album with the excellent photos.

Go to royaloceanliner.com photo gallery

  

I also uploaded a 2 part video of QM2 going into the drydock.

 

   

  

  

 

 

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 2 of 4

QM2 in Blohm + Voss Dry-Dock Hamburg – Part 3 of 4 

QE2 World Cruise 2008 – WC1 & WC2

QE2 and QV meeting in Sydney, Cunard Press Release Photo

The year 2008 was going to be an exceptional year for Cunard’s grand tradition which started nearly 85 years ago: Cunard embarked on two historic World Cruises in 2008: 

Queen Victoria embarked on her inaugural 105-day World Cruise , a roundtrip from New York called the ‘Pathway to the Explorers’  voyage. Almost every port call was going to be a celebratory maiden call for QV.

Queen Elizabeth 2 embarked on her 26th and last world cruise, a 90-day ‘South America, Pacific & Far East Odyssey’ also dubbed Her Farewell World Cruise, which for the records, was not a complete cirumnavigation.

Both World Cruises offered individual segments for those  who wished to explore a specific part of the world or those whose busy schedules rule out an around-the-world journey. It was also possible to swap ships during the voyage.

Queen Victoria’s 2008 Maiden World Cruise featured a total of five Segment Voyages, ranging from 13 to 22 days.

1. Tale of Two Coasts – A 17-day voyage from New York to Los Angeles includes stops in Aruba, Costa Rica and Mexico, as well as a Panama Canal Transit.
2. Pacific Seas and Sunsets – A 24-day trip from Los Angeles to Sydney, with stops in Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.
3. Enchantment of the East – From Sydney to Singapore, this 23-day itinerary includes stops in Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand.
4. Empires of the Exotic – A 13-day journey from Singapore to Dubai, with stops including Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and Mumbai.
5. Cradles of Civilization – Queen Victoria’s final segment is a 22-day voyage from Dubai to Oman and Egypt, through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean with stops in Athens, Naples, Rome, Barcelona and Lisbon, concluding in Southampton.

Likewise, Queen Elizabeth 2’s World Cruise features five Segment Voyages. They range from six to 24 days and include:

1. Cape Horn Exploration – A 24-day voyage from New York to Valparaiso, Chile with stops in Barbados, Brazil, Uruguay and the Falkland Islands.
2. South Pacific Serenade – From Valparaiso to Sydney, an 18-day sail with stops in Chile, French Polynesia, Tonga and New Zealand.
3. Australian Adventure – A 14-day itinerary departing from Sydney with stops in five ports along Australia’s southern coast, continuing on to Singapore.
4. Pearls of the Pacific – From Singapore to Los Angeles, this 21-day journey calls in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Japan and Hawaii.
5. Panama Canal Discovery – Queen Elizabeth 2’s final segment is a 13-day journey from Los Angeles to New York, featuring stops in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Jamaica.

There were a couple of highlights on this World Cruise, notably

1. The joint departure of QE2 and Queen Victoria  from Southampton on January 6, 2008
2. The tandem Transatlantic crossing of the two Queens
3. The historic Three Queens Royal Rendezvous in New York on January 13, 2008. Royal Rendezvous of 3 Cunard Queens, Queen Mary 2, QE2 and Queen Victoria on her maiden call to New York. Thousands of people lined the shores to see Cunard’s newest liner meet her sisters for the first and only time. Their departing together under a huge fireworks celebration at Statue of Liberty was a magnificent moment for any ocean liner enthusiasts. The rendezvous is very well documented on the 3 Queens DVD .
4. The 2nd encounter of QE2 and Queen Victoria in Sydney on February 24, 2008  Sydney was the setting for a momentous meeting of two Queens as Queen Victoria made her first call into the city on 23rd February and was joined by her sister, QE2, on her last visit on 24th February. Thousands of ‘Sydneysiders’  turned out to view the historic meeting of two of the world’s most glamorous ocean liners in Sydney Harbour as QE2 sailed past Queen Victoria and they blew their whistles to mark the end of one era and the beginning of another.

I found a series of video clips documenting the entire QE2 World Cruise 2008 and I will be releasing them over the next couple of days in my video library. They were shot by Paul and Amy who started their World Cruise on the QE2 and transfered later to Queen Victoria. Here are the first 2 clips.

Watch video clip QE2 WC1 2008 - Departure SOU

Watch video clip QE2 WC1 2008 - Departure SOU

QE2 World Cruise 2008 – Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

The QE2 World Cruise 2008 takes her passengers and crew to some exotic places.

On February 10, 2008 the QE2 makes anchor at Easter Island known to the islanders as Rapa Nui. The island is best known for the mystery of the exotic large statues known locally as “Moai”.

Easter Island is a small, hilly island of volcanic origin. Located in the Pacific Ocean at 27 degrees south of the equator and some 2200 miles (3600 kilometers) off the coast of Chile, it is considered to be the world’s most remote inhabited island.

The Moai statues, the monolithic human figures were carved from rock between 1250 and 1500 CE.

Rapa Nui is one of the world’s most famous yet least visited archaeological sites, so QE2’s call at this remote spot is real treat for the World Cruisers.

I added a small video clip to my library, click on the button below or select from the VodPod Library. 

Watch video clip