New Queen Elizabeth (III?)

[dhermann1]

I was watching from Brooklyn Heights (more like Brrrrrrooklyn Heights that night, it was bloody freezing) when the old QE2 and the new QM2 rendezvoused in New York Harbor. I'd love the see all 3 new queens together.
I must say, tho, that I sort of feel sad about the old Cunard tradition of all their ships ending with "ia" (Mauretania, Aquitania, Lusitania, etc.) go by the boards. Modern ship names are so unimaginative.
When I was a guide on a NYC Harbor tour boat (Spirit Lines, a really fun summer in 1996) I used to make a joke as we left the 23rd St pier. I'd say that this was where such famous ships as the Mauretania, the Lusitania and the Beatlemania used to land. Corny, but it worked.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Am I alone in noting that most cruise ships today look like either a floating block of flats or a modern interpretation of 18th/early 19th century prison hulks?

 

[LordBest]

No, you are quite right. I do think this latest Elizabeth does look more like the old Cunard liners though. Not quite as elegant, but better than the Queen Victoria.

Am I alone in noting that most cruise ships today look like either a floating block of flats or a modern interpretation of 18th/early 19th century prison hulks?

 

[Tailor Tom]

Beatrice Muller

I wonder what Beatrice Muller would think of the QE III. She lived aboard the QE II for years as its only permanent resident, and when she heard of the QE II's retirement she looked at and disliked both the Queen Victoria and the Queen Mary ... sighting "no character, just a lump of tin. She called the QE II a proper Ocean Liner versus a "cruise ship" I believe she moved back ashore and was looking at a couple other lines. I agree with her distinction between a liner and a cruise ship, if the new ships aren't fit for Beatrice Muller, I don't have a great desire to be on it either.

 

[dhermann1]

The difference between a liner and a cruise ship is far more than aesthetic. An ocean liner is built to get you from here to there across an ocean. It is built with a deep draft and a sharp prow, to cut through the waves and maintain stability in huge ocean swells. A cruise ship is designed to go mainly to the calm waters of the Caribbean, so it has a big wide flat bottom, and only about two thirds the power of an ocean liner (if that). The wide flat bottom enables it to give everybody outside balconies, but if a big wave ever hit, there could be big trouble.
The Cunarders do plenty of cruising. Modern ships have so many amenities built in that they're perfectly fine for it, but not ideal.
Beatrice Muller sounds like 1900, the character in the movie who was born on a ship and never left it in his life.
There are new rules that will make almost all ships built before the 90's no longer legal to sail. The last of the old style ships, the Saga liners, will soon be retired and that will be it. Damned shame. Meanwhile the old SS Independence, (where Cary Grant met Deborah Kerr in "An Affair to remember"), was just towed to India to be broken up. Truly a shame.
Also, meanwhile, the QE II is floating around Dubai with an uncertain fate. She was supposed to be turned into a floating hotel, but the economy has punched a hole in that scheme. The new owners had promised to more or less keep the ship in its original condition, but it is believed the plans now call for drastically cutting up the internal spaces and making her an entirely new structure. If it happens at all. Life, and death, is not very dignified for old ships.

 

[Stearmen]

That doesn't sound like the "fun ship" cruises they advertise at all.

Most ships were converted to troop carriers during the war. I have been on several ships built in the US during 1950's and learned some of their particulars. Due to the downturn of shipping at that time, these ships relied on Government subsidies to be built, and had to meet certain guidelines for possible conversion. This included adding extra bunks in each cabin, hanging from ceiling hooks, extra wide staircases and halls to handle troops with packs, etc. So that a normal 2 passenger cabin now had 6 bunks, the suites even more. They also had provisions for full medical needs, with complete operating rooms versus just a small clinicians office of today's ships. Ships that were designed for round the world cruises with 750 passengers could then accept 5000 troops. My father was on several similar troop ships, I don't recall the word "glamorous" ever cropping up in those conversations.

At least my dad was lucky enough not to get one of the bunks in the swimming pool. They stacked them high enough to need cables to keep them from toppling over! When the Queen Mary came to Long Beach, we went to see her, we went places you cant go now, like the bow, anchor lockers and down in the prop shaft area. I did not know until after my dad passed away that the trip was one of his high points to be with his son on the Queen Mary! I would love to travel on the Queen Marry II at the same time of the year going to the UK, and drink a tost to my dad and all his buddies!

 

[dhermann1]

One reason it was so valuable as a troop ship was that it was faster than just about anything that could pursue it, not like tha slow old freighters. If a sub came by it could go about twice as fast and scoot away.

 

[Stearmen]

One reason it was so valuable as a troop ship was that it was faster than just about anything that could pursue it, not like tha slow old freighters. If a sub came by it could go about twice as fast and scoot away.

Very true! As usual, while my dad was on board the Germans announced they had sunk the Queen Mary! This apparently happened on most of her war time voyages.

 

[Nick D]

My wife and I wanted to take a liner back across the pond when I'm done with my studies, so we could take all our belongings with us rather than sending them seperately and flying over (plus, we wouldn't have to fly). Unfortunately we couldn't find anything from England to New York.

 

[Groupe G]

My wife and I wanted to take a liner back across the pond when I'm done with my studies, so we could take all our belongings with us rather than sending them seperately and flying over (plus, we wouldn't have to fly). Unfortunately we couldn't find anything from England to New York.

Odd, that. QM2 makes regular Transatlantic voyages from Southampton to New York.

See http://www.cunard.com/Destinations/default.asp?Region=7

There is a season, however; she's off the Transatlantic run until April, as she stops in January.

You'd have to call them to make shipping arrangements, or to see if such a thing can be done these days. Cunard used to offer such a service, when QE2 was making the run, I know that. But I don't know if QM2 offers the same.

Regards,

Bob
(loyal Cunard traveller)

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

BTW, several years ago there were a couple of consortiums who announced plans to build a full-size, oceangoing replica of the Titanic in time for the 100th anniversary of the tragedy. What became of it???

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"Perhaps they decided it was much Cheaper to reproduce it in 3D Movie format ? "

 

[dhermann1]

Transatlantic passage

Keep in mind that the price of a ticket on the QM II is about three times what you'd pay for air fare, and that's the very cheapest berth. But of course, what price can you put on a once in a lifetime experience?

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I was watching from Brooklyn Heights (more like Brrrrrrooklyn Heights that night, it was bloody freezing) when the old QE2 and the new QM2 rendezvoused in New York Harbor. I'd love the see all 3 new queens together.
I must say, tho, that I sort of feel sad about the old Cunard tradition of all their ships ending with "ia" (Mauretania, Aquitania, Lusitania, etc.) go by the boards. Modern ship names are so unimaginative.
When I was a guide on a NYC Harbor tour boat (Spirit Lines, a really fun summer in 1996) I used to make a joke as we left the 23rd St pier. I'd say that this was where such famous ships as the Mauretania, the Lusitania and the Beatlemania used to land. Corny, but it worked.

My house overlooks Southampton water and I was luck enough to see the Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth 2 all together. Quite a sight.

The new ship will be based here so it'll be nice to see it when it comes in, I expect the promenade will be teeming .

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"The Queen Victoria is due to visit the Swan River colony (Port of Fremantle) on Feb 28, security is so tight at the passenger terminal there is no way you can get aboard for a turn about the deck, not like in the 70s/80/s"

"The World" was in the other day, that's the one that looks like a floating apartment building (which it is really)"

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I saw a promotional video for the Oasis of the Seas the other day. A small floating city by a different kettle of fish to the Cunard liners.

From the few people I have spoken to who have been on both, small is better (perhaps that is why the QV and the new QE are smaller than the QM2).

 

[dhermann1]

Bad news for the old QE2

This is from the "Save the Classic Liners" website.
26th January 2010:

"Istithmar World / Nakheel / Dubai World have announced that their plan to move the QE2 to Cape Town for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa have been abandoned after permission for a berth for the duration they required was refused by the Transnet National Ports Authority. The request had been to stay in Cape Town much longer than the duration of the World Cup and the ship was to be booked into a general cargo terminal and that would have had severe implications for the day to day operation of the port. As a result berthing the QE2 anywhere in the operational port at Cape Town for such a long period of time was unacceptable. Now the owners have to reconsider things and continue to evaluate options for the ship that will maximise her value. The original plans for her refurbishment as a hotel in Dubai have been postponed or even cancelled due to the financial crisis that has hit Dubai in recent months and the severe problems this has caused for Dubai World. David Jackson, chief executive of Istithmar World at the time that the QE2 and Barney's New York were acquired has now been forced to resign. Sadly a decision on the future of the QE2 therefore is yet to be made and she remains laid up in Port Rashid. Her owners declined to comment when asked by the media whether a sale of the ship was one of the options still being considered."

The likelihood of the scrap yards at Alang looms larger.