Cruising On Queen Elizabeth 2

I was welcomed on board the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Southampton on Monday 10th December 2001 as one of 1700 passengers embarking on the Party Cruise. My cabin on Three Deck was well furnished and comfortable, with two portholes, and a bathroom with shower and bath. It was hard to believe the ship had been launched in 1967.

I had afternoon tea in The Queens Room, which seemed a comfortably furnished public room, with beautiful curved shaped mirrors acting as dividing screens between seating areas on the outskirts of the room, and a dance floor in the middle. The lighting was good and the whole ambience welcoming - as was the service and the tea! At the forward end of The Queens Room was a huge bronze bust of HM The Queen.

On board I spoke to the Captain's Secretary on the telephone and she sent me a copy of a leaflet called "Queen Elizabeth 2, The Cunard Heritage Trail". I had a fascinating time trying to see as much as I could of all these historic items which included a commemorative leather panel, the Mauritania Collection, the Britannia Collection, the Peter Radmore collection, Samuel Cunard bust, silver cup and paintings, launch picture, tapestries, old passenger photographs, Royal portraits, ship models, the poster galleries, and of course wonderful paintings. I was not able to visit the Queens Grill Restaurant, but I went into the Queens Grill Lounge on Boat Deck.

I was delighted to be able to visit the Board Room and see original Stephen Card pictures of the Cunard ships. There were more paintings by Stephen Card, John Stobart and others, on the G section stairwell, including one by Neville Cumming, who is well known to any collector of Union-Castle Line ship postcards!

Before I travelled on QE2, I had been told of the Cunard Heritage Panels in the Midships Lobby, commissioned in 1994 and showing key eras in the history of Cunard Line. They are attractive curved panels and I was interested and pleased to see that the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York had not been painted out of the picture, as had been rumoured.

I enjoyed dinner and champagne in the beautiful surroundings of the Caronia Restaurant (which seats 538 people), had drinks in the Chart Room Bar and visited many other Bars and Entertainment areas, including the Lido Restaurant for Midnight Supper. I also enjoyed a quick and costly visit to the Ocean Book Shop. Unfortunately the Library closed just as I left the Book Shop.

After just a few hours sleep, I enjoyed breakfast in the Caronia Restaurant before going on the Sun Deck for some refreshing but cold air under a blue sunny sky. Then it was time to visit the Photo Gallery to see the Embarkation photographs.

I loved being on such a famous and wonderful ship, and felt I had made the most of the opportunity in such a limited time - I embarked on 10th December just after 4 p.m., with 1700 other passengers, and disembarked the next morning at 9.30 a.m., having travelled at approximately 12 knots to Guernsey and back, in delightfully calm seas. On the Cunard Queen Elizabeth 2 Party Cruise I had been part of a truly great British traditional liner for a few fascinating hours.

Ann Haynes 14th December 2001

For further information on QE2 click here: