Maiden Voyage Day 1
Even the cabbie was impressed as we approached the Queen Elizabeth II
Terminal and Queen Mary 2. That heavy-duty forklift is obscuring
this photograph's potential as instruction on the difference between
Roman numerals for sovereign and Arabic for ship.
Juan's and my bags amidst Bon Voyage hurdy-gurdy.
Cunard publicists' window dressing on a classic doorway.
Two passengers dig for a tip as the ship's side looms outside, stout
object of allure. So near now ...
Bon Voyage bouquets, timeless ...
... and Bellboy, decidedly of his time: here is one of the young actors
in Cunard livery of old, one of a dozen or so who formed a roaming cadre
adding old-time Sailing Day bustle to an already exciting scene. The
sight of these fellows with gloves in inspection position dashing about
on errands was of a piece with the artfully arranged vintage luggage
at the terminal entrance, and a bowl of Queen Mary 2 Roses. It was here
that I felt a fear that was almost sickening: what if the ship is no
more authentic?
Now we're getting somewhere.
The waiting room. Having breezed through credit card and photo ID clearance,
I have definitely had my hopes dashed at this point.
It took about 90 minutes for my number to be called to finally go aboard.
This is more like it ...
Closer now ... if the shot seems blurry, you try juggling ID card, newspaper,
camera bag and carryon while trying to open the shutter on the first
steps in the trip of a lifetime.
We're in. This is the point of every sea trip where I finally realize
with joy that I have actually made it, that no one is going to cast
me out with those words that shipspotters so utterly dread: "Excuse
me!"
Welcome Aboard in Queen Mary 2's Grand Lobby.
The first time down a very long Deck 4 corridor, with our cabin on the
"other end." On Norway a corridor's end can disappear
due to the sheer of the ship; here on QM2 it is a straighter
shot, the hallway's end devoured by pixel size limitations.
Here on the right side are visible the only real "touch of Vegas" I found on the ship outside of the Casino: bright-green emergency lighting strips, lining every corridor -- the latest safety requirement. I never quite could tune them out, especially in the darker-decorated public areas.
A rare shot of Stateroom 4217, empty. Charles and Alan have already
arrived, and prior agreement accords me the aft upper bunk, which I
wanted. The little sign on the bed says "Mind Your Head."
The other side of things. Four drawers, four men -- perfect match. In
truth storage space for this quad inside was adequate for four people,
but just barely enough; as the last unpacker I found space under bathroom
sink, desk drawer, anyplace I could.
Topside, weather breaking, deck chairs offering soggy promise of old-liner
satisfaction.
The rail, the great divide, on one side leisure, on the other the heavy
labor of getting stores and baggage aboard. QM2's late departure
would be attributed to difficulties with the luggage for a ship completely
sold out. The clock, like many outside, but none inside, is keeping
its own time.
The Red Duster in a fresh wind, before the great ship's home port: Southampton.
The drying teak was a happy sight, as was the blue sky. These are the
Deck 9 verandahs aft for the two-level Duplex Apartment suites. Having
seen only photographs of this side of the ship I thought it would be
much less graceful, but designer Stephen Payne has put in a gentle convex
curve which softens the effect of three decks' worth of superstructure
with only one small diversion from pure vertical.
An extraordinary stretch of stairs from Deck 8, not for the faint-hearted,
offers its own rewards: a great view aft, and Deck 11.
Observation deck on Deck 7, the protected forward portion of that deck's
360° promenade. Those sculptural objects on the open deck are spare
blades for the ship's propellers.
A bridge for the 21st century: the latest technology, higher than ever
before. QM2 lets passengers view bridge activity from up close
from a Deck 12 area which is not marked on current plans. Curtains (just
visible to right) can be closed at night or other times. Here a printed
sign on the console to the left of the Captain's chair warns not to
use propulsion machinery due to "diving operations" in progress.
The view forward from the Commodore Club. One of the WIghtLink ferries
is outbound; later the St. Clare would linger to watch QM2's
departure.
Therapy Pool in the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, where attendants were offering
tours. During the voyage use of steam room and sauna was restricted
to those who had paid for massages or other body work, so I took this
as my one chance to photograph the area, wiping condensation off my
lens as I went.
In a little corner near the saunas sits this bowl of crushed ice, for
those who favor the "Russian snow rub" technique.
Detail of glass screen in Canyon Ranch pool area.
Hardy souls in a small harbor tours boat. Vessels of all sizes were
swarming about QM2, kept at a distance by security regulations.
Back inside, out of chilly winds. Britannia Dining Room offers one of
those QM2 incongruities: a huge room that evokes old-liner
style, but which is brand-spanking new.
The approach to Britannia is this central corridor, laid out the same
on Decks 2 and 3, forming an axis between dining room and Grand Lobby.
Here on Deck 3, murals represent the four seasons; one deck down, four
continents.
Built under new methods, Queen Mary 2 has no sheer in the traditional
sense, but in a few places extra height of deckhead means a sloping
floor on decks above, a "pseudo-sheer" which feels like one
of those ocean liner touches so deftly deployed in the ship's design.
Here is the approach to the Deck 3 entrance to Illuminations, a good
spot to observe the ocean waves up close.
I admired Deco stylings and fine parquet dance floor in the Queen's
Room, when I ran into cabinmates Alan and Charles. Juan was still out
haggling with local tobacconists or possibly stuck in that infernal
eternal queue to get on, but A & C had come down from London and
gotten onto the ship about an hour before me.
They were making a systematic study from keelson (or as close as they
could get to it) to masthead (ditto). "Come on," they said.
"But first check out the disco."
Wild.
Alan and Charles back in Britannia. Alan had been on the QE2 cruise
to Bermuda in 1999 I took with Lisa, and Charles was a veteran of the
Norway Farewell Transatlantic 2 years later, so I knew they would be
great to travel with.
And our first exploration was a chance to trade impressions of the ship.
The tapestry had always been hard to decipher; first renderings suggested
a Norddeutscher Lloyd flyer missing her pier and coming to grief at
the George Washington Bridge. In the end I came to like the work's cubist
whimsy tangling of streamers and suspension cables, and I found the
actual colors both more muted and more variegated than the original
depictions.
And yep, it's the Queen Mary 2. That "is" a windscoop
isn't it?
More arrivals; the ship beginning to take on her livelihood: passengers.
More than one crew member expressed to me how glad they felt after two
months or more of preparations and training, finally to be "getting
the show on the road."
The builder's plate, and another photographer at work.
A rather handsome mural at the end of Blackjack Row in the Empire Casino.
The flashing neon "Cunard" brought to mind the view of Queen
Mary 2 as a spectacular gamble for Cunard and parent Carnival:
can they at once retire beloved veteran QE2 from the line run,
nearly double their previous transatlantic capacity with a single ship,
and still fill the berths?
QM2's first fare-paying passengers signing for their first
drinks in the Golden Lion Pub, another pleasant surprise that exceeded
expectations (admittedly low from earlier photos), and served a great
dish of fish and chips with mushy peas. And Boddington's on tap ...
There was to be no refreshment this day until we had gone further in
our explorations. Here we are taking an uncharacteristic elevator ride.
On a ship as large as Queen Mary 2, there were times when I
just could not face the stairs, appealing as they were.
On Deck 7 we made a quick trip in one of the ship's two outside elevators.
The dockside is dramatic enough: consider a rolling sea before you ...
Cunard house flag on the stem jack, shadows lengthening, sunset glow
stealing over the scene ...
Those spare propeller blades served three functions: the practical role
as on-hand replacements, an artistic role as sculptural forms, and a
cosmic role as decklight screening for stargazers. Amidships on the
lower Observation Deck, here viewed from the upper, offered superb dark
skies in clear weather.
Graceful contours of a memorable Observation Deck, with the same view
as the bridge just above it.
Alan and Charles.
Deck 10 entryway to the Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth suites, forward
on the starboard side. Close as I got.
A light crowd in the Bookshop, as yet found by just an intrepid few;
sometimes the line went out the door. And every time I went in, this
young lady was behind the counter.
These deck chairs were enticing, and as the lights on deck were coming
on we migrated like most people to the broad promenade on Deck 7.
By this time the St. Clare was standing nearby, its rails
crowded with onlookers.
QM2 and her gangplanks: thin communion with the shore, soon
to be withdrawn, though not as soon as some chilly onlookers had hoped!
A quick peek inside Todd English. Early on in the voyage our coterie
of 10 booked a table here for a feast with splendid service. The terrace
outside was an attractive spot for lunch if you could get a table. Most
often I skirted the one-cabin-one reservation rule and took pot luck
with Alan or Juan at the bar.
Newly-arrived Juan about to take pot luck in one of the nice alcove
tables in King's Court. These tables with their views of the Deck 7
promenade are a particularly nice place to get a quick bite, and the
twin salt and pepper grinders on every table are a nice touch.
The St. Clare and Solent Scene as dusk takes us over.
Below, ever so tiny but quite audible, is a fine brass band.
Jane Lyons, Third Officer Ben Lyons, a busy Charles Zuckerman, Jon Miller,
another ship's officer, and Ann Hunt in the festivities at the rail.
The Holyrood Suite aglow.
Quite a crowd of boats of all sizes standing by to watch the departure.
Excited passengers watch the fireworks: imagine this scene with recordings
of "Rule Britannia", "Hope and Glory", and even
"Anchors Aweigh", and you get the feel of it. The smoke just
visible in the second sky shot above eventually enveloped the ship to
the point where shoreside photos made it look like QM2 was
on fire. (very nice photos and video on this
site)
Home lights receding, small craft still following: we are underway.
And a lovely dinner ensued, with the most agreeable of table companions
...
A lovely dinner ensued: pate, bean/endive salad, lamb chops ...
- More lamb chops, please.
- "Could I just have ... some vegetables?"
Tuile Basket with Trio of Ice Cream and Nougat, coffee.
- Decaf? No, regular ... thanks.
- Another cup? Sure, why not?
A stroll around deck, an early turn-in ...
As we moved across the Channel and into the Bay of Biscay, Queen Mary 2 found her sea legs. And one passenger found himself wide-eyed at 1AM ...
So I set out down the long hallway to see the ship's quiet side, and
to begin Day 2 of the voyage.
Southampton | Sea
Days | Madeira | Tenerife
| Las Palmas | Sea
Days | Barbados | Sea
Day | St. Thomas | Sea
Day | Fort Lauderdale |
||
