Sunday, November 01, 2009
Cunard Queen Mary 2 QM2 Crossing: Passenger Talent Show
This is a compilation of the 7 passengers that took part in the "talent" show on board the Queen Mary 2 crossing we did in April. Quite a laugh, for the wrong reasons really. To watch on YouTube: click here
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
24/365: QM2 Fireworks
This was some day. Started with a helicopter flight over the city.
Ended with this view of QM2. Some day.
Pete Carr - Photographer
(Sent on location)
blog: www.vanilladays.com
web: www.petecarr.net
Queen Mary 2 in Liverpool
Uploaded on Flickr by petecarr who wrote:
Awesome morning so far. No rain, windy and oddly not that cold. Been flying around in a helicopter photographing the arrival of the Queen Mary 2 in Liverpool. The biggest cruise ship to ever grace the Liverpool skyline. Amazing sight from up there as I'm sure you can tell.
Uploaded by petecarr on 20 Oct 09, 2.06PM BST.
Monday, September 21, 2009
TWO GREAT CUNARD FAN SITES
I received an email with a link to 2 great Cunard sites by a fan:
This from Richard:
I'm very interested in ships including the QE2. I was lucky enough to travel aboard her so put together a website of my own which I thought you might be interested in.
http://maritime.elettra.co.uk/qe2/
If you think it might be of interest to you readers I'm happy for you to post a link
I can see from your site you've also been to Long Beach. If you are also interested you might like to visit:
http://maritime.elettra.co.uk/queenmary/
Kind regardsRichard
This from Richard:
I'm very interested in ships including the QE2. I was lucky enough to travel aboard her so put together a website of my own which I thought you might be interested in.
http://maritime.elettra.co.uk/qe2/
If you think it might be of interest to you readers I'm happy for you to post a link
I can see from your site you've also been to Long Beach. If you are also interested you might like to visit:
http://maritime.elettra.co.uk/queenmary/
Kind regardsRichard
Friday, September 18, 2009
Design a Sculpture for Queen Elizabeth's Royal Arcade
This from Cunard:
We are delighted to announce that this Saturday, 19 September, The Daily Telegraph launches an exciting new competition inviting readers to design a sculpture for ongoing display on board Our Gracious New Cunarder, Queen Elizabeth, joining the fleet next autumn. Saturday's Review section of the Telegraph will contain all the information you will need to enter.
Whether your are a professional or amateur sculptor, this is a fantastic opportunity to have your design showcased on one of the most elegant Ocean Liners in the world. The sculpture will have a prime location in the liner's Royal Arcade which features shops and chic designer boutiques over two decks.
The competition judges will include Charles Saumarez Smith, Chief Executive of London's Royal Academy of Arts. Full details of the competition can be found at www.telegraph.co.uk/culture from Saturday.
We are delighted to announce that this Saturday, 19 September, The Daily Telegraph launches an exciting new competition inviting readers to design a sculpture for ongoing display on board Our Gracious New Cunarder, Queen Elizabeth, joining the fleet next autumn. Saturday's Review section of the Telegraph will contain all the information you will need to enter.
Whether your are a professional or amateur sculptor, this is a fantastic opportunity to have your design showcased on one of the most elegant Ocean Liners in the world. The sculpture will have a prime location in the liner's Royal Arcade which features shops and chic designer boutiques over two decks.
The competition judges will include Charles Saumarez Smith, Chief Executive of London's Royal Academy of Arts. Full details of the competition can be found at www.telegraph.co.uk/culture from Saturday.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Southampton name removed from QE2
This article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8225638.stm
The QE2 will no longer bear the name of its former home port Southampton.
The city's name has been replaced with the liner's temporary home port of Port Vila by its new owners, United Arab Emirates real estate developer Nakheel.
Cunard sold the ship for £50m to Nakheel, which is now in talks to move it to Cape Town to become a hotel in time for the 2010 football World Cup.
The developer said international law required the removal of Southampton since it was now registered in Vanuatu.
The QE2 left the Drydocks World-Dubai, where it was transferred to in July for routine marine surveys in compliance with international standards, last Saturday in preparation for sea trials.
A spokesman for Nakheel said: "Although she will no longer be taking passengers or operating as a cruise ship, the registration documents will state her class as being 'a passenger/cruise ship'.
Floating hotel
"To conform to international law, the name 'Southampton' has been painted over on the stern, although the letters remain attached, and her temporary home port of Port Vila has now been painted underneath.
"To comply with the terms of the sale contract, the Cunard brand has also been removed from the side of the ship."
Nakheel had planned to refurbish the ship and open it as a floating hotel in Dubai but that has been put on hold.
The QE2 will now go to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, where there is a shortage of hotel rooms.
Nakheel, which has a financial interest in the South African port, said the ship would be staying in Cape Town for 18 months.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Dubai based QE2 may return to Southampton
This article appeared on Southampton newspaper daily Echo at
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/district/southampton/4453206.QE2_may_be_coming_back_to_Southampton/
MYSTERY surrounds an approach for legendary Southampton liner Queen Elizabeth 2 to make a stunning return to her home city.
The Daily Echo has learned from high-placed sources that port bosses have been contacted about the possibility of an astonishing comeback by the Grand Old Lady of the Sea towards the end of the year.
It comes less than eight months since she was sold off for £50m to become a luxury hotel in the desert of Dubai with thousands of well-wishers lining Southampton Water to bid her farewell.
It is likely that QE2 would have to sail to Southampton without passengers but it revives the tantalising prospect of the liner sailing with thousands of nostalgic travellers on her traditional transatlantic route to New York, where it is understood approaches have also been made by shipping agents.
Grand plans to convert the former Cunard liner into a luxury five star resort in Dubai have been torpedoed by the global recession, with QE2 now lying in a deserted container berth.
Owner Nakheel, part of the Dubai royal family’s development empire, has been forced to deny consistent rumours that the troubled project could be in jeopardy and ruled out a sale or sending her to the scrapyard.
A spokesman for Nakheel denied the company was behind any plan to send her to Southampton.
However, a senior cruise industry figure told the Daily Echo there were major doubts over Nakheel’s lavish plans and said it would not be insurmountable to return her to service. He added he had heard of plans to run cruises out of Dubai on QE2 and to take her to South Africa.
It would be relatively easy to restore the ship ready for cruising once again and would cost considerably less than Nakheel’s conversion scheme.
Currently she is home to only a skeleton crew of 36 under an eastern European captain and has just one engine running to provide power.
Port owners ABP declined to comment.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/district/southampton/4453206.QE2_may_be_coming_back_to_Southampton/
MYSTERY surrounds an approach for legendary Southampton liner Queen Elizabeth 2 to make a stunning return to her home city.
The Daily Echo has learned from high-placed sources that port bosses have been contacted about the possibility of an astonishing comeback by the Grand Old Lady of the Sea towards the end of the year.
It comes less than eight months since she was sold off for £50m to become a luxury hotel in the desert of Dubai with thousands of well-wishers lining Southampton Water to bid her farewell.
It is likely that QE2 would have to sail to Southampton without passengers but it revives the tantalising prospect of the liner sailing with thousands of nostalgic travellers on her traditional transatlantic route to New York, where it is understood approaches have also been made by shipping agents.
Grand plans to convert the former Cunard liner into a luxury five star resort in Dubai have been torpedoed by the global recession, with QE2 now lying in a deserted container berth.
Owner Nakheel, part of the Dubai royal family’s development empire, has been forced to deny consistent rumours that the troubled project could be in jeopardy and ruled out a sale or sending her to the scrapyard.
A spokesman for Nakheel denied the company was behind any plan to send her to Southampton.
However, a senior cruise industry figure told the Daily Echo there were major doubts over Nakheel’s lavish plans and said it would not be insurmountable to return her to service. He added he had heard of plans to run cruises out of Dubai on QE2 and to take her to South Africa.
It would be relatively easy to restore the ship ready for cruising once again and would cost considerably less than Nakheel’s conversion scheme.
Currently she is home to only a skeleton crew of 36 under an eastern European captain and has just one engine running to provide power.
Port owners ABP declined to comment.
Friday, June 05, 2009
QE2 owners dismiss sale rumours
This on: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8085096.stm
The owners of the QE2 have denied speculation that the cruise ship will be sold on instead of being turned into a floating hotel.
Cunard sold the Southampton-based liner for £50m to real estate developer Nakheel in the United Arab Emirates.
The company has told the BBC the ship will not be sold off, even though work on the refurbishment has not begun.
Nakheel has said it will make the QE2 the centrepiece of the Palm Jumeirah development on the Dubai waterfront.
BBC South Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton said the designers were "yet to finalise a concept for the refurbishment".
“ The company says the engines are used regularly, the propellers are turned ” BBC South Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton
Last year, Nakheel said the QE2's giant red funnel would be sliced off and placed on the waterfront.
It said a glass penthouse - the most exclusive hotel room in Dubai - would be built in its place.
Every cabin was to be replaced with new, larger bedrooms and the engine space filled with a theatre, ahead of a scheduled opening in 2010.
"Nothing has happened [since the ship was handed over in November] and critics suggest nothing will," said Mr Clifton.
"Other Nakheel projects have been delayed during the recession.
"But the company says the engines are used regularly, the propellers are turned and the teak decking protected.
"Nakheel states firmly that the ship will not be sold on."
Following four decades of service, the QE2 left its home port of Southampton for the last time in November 2008 on a valedictory two-week cruise.
Tens of thousands of people lined Southampton Water on 11 November to see the 70,000-tonne ship leave UK waters for the last time.
Nakheel has said the ship's anchor will be given back to the people of Southampton.
During its life, the QE2 has served as a troop ship in the Falklands Conflict in 1982, been around the world 25 times, crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times and carried more than 2.5 million passengers.
The owners of the QE2 have denied speculation that the cruise ship will be sold on instead of being turned into a floating hotel.
Cunard sold the Southampton-based liner for £50m to real estate developer Nakheel in the United Arab Emirates.
The company has told the BBC the ship will not be sold off, even though work on the refurbishment has not begun.
Nakheel has said it will make the QE2 the centrepiece of the Palm Jumeirah development on the Dubai waterfront.
BBC South Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton said the designers were "yet to finalise a concept for the refurbishment".
“ The company says the engines are used regularly, the propellers are turned ” BBC South Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton
Last year, Nakheel said the QE2's giant red funnel would be sliced off and placed on the waterfront.
It said a glass penthouse - the most exclusive hotel room in Dubai - would be built in its place.
Every cabin was to be replaced with new, larger bedrooms and the engine space filled with a theatre, ahead of a scheduled opening in 2010.
"Nothing has happened [since the ship was handed over in November] and critics suggest nothing will," said Mr Clifton.
"Other Nakheel projects have been delayed during the recession.
"But the company says the engines are used regularly, the propellers are turned and the teak decking protected.
"Nakheel states firmly that the ship will not be sold on."
Following four decades of service, the QE2 left its home port of Southampton for the last time in November 2008 on a valedictory two-week cruise.
Tens of thousands of people lined Southampton Water on 11 November to see the 70,000-tonne ship leave UK waters for the last time.
Nakheel has said the ship's anchor will be given back to the people of Southampton.
During its life, the QE2 has served as a troop ship in the Falklands Conflict in 1982, been around the world 25 times, crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times and carried more than 2.5 million passengers.
Friday, May 01, 2009
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