GOT MY TICKETS: HEADING TO PIER 92

Cunard sent me yesterday my final tickets for the last transatlantic crossing of the QE2.

Confirmed:

The QE2 will arrive and leave to and from New York on October 16, 2008, docking at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, Pier 92 (55th Street and 12th Avenue)

And the QM2 will be at the new Brooklyn cruise terminal.

See here more pictures of Pier 92.

CUNARD MEMORABILIA: AN OLD DAILY BULLETIN

Look at this cool Cunard Daily Bulletin of 1905, printed daily on board the R.M.S. Ivernia

The was a daily publication for the westbound voyage that departed from Liverpool on 20 June 1905 with 998 Passengers and 255 Crew Members.

24 Pages Total.

The Cunard Daily Bulletin was printed on heavy calendered paper, and typographically compared favorably with many of the magazines printed here and abroad.

The daily journal was generally prepared by the Purser and his two printers (assistants) and a flat-bed press.

The paper went to press in the early morning hours, and the novelty of reading a newspaper at their breakfast tables was much enjoyed by the passengers.

Sorry, but oday's bulletins don't have this elegant design.

LOST FIRST CLASS LINERS ELEGANCE AND STYLE

Many people will say that no other liner has the elegance and old fashion style of the QE2, and they are right.

But if you see this old postcard from the White Star R.M.S. Olympic liner, you will agree with me that this First Class Smoking Room has very much of this lost elegance and style.

The Olympic holded a record for being one of the finest liners of all time. 

First class passengeers had access to a smoke room, decorated in fine mahogany; a lounge, which served as one of the main meeting rooms on board; a ladies reading room and two reception rooms.

She was also fitted with two informal cafes, the parisian cafe and the slightly more formal, palm court.

Thesewee popular with younger passsengers.

There ws lo the luuxury off n alternaiv dining oppton in the form off an a la carte resaurant, decorated in Louis XV1 pannelling.

The Olympic also had leasures facilities; a gymnasium, tennis/squash court; plunge bath and turkish baths.

First class passengers also had a hugh amount of deck space.

In order for the first class passengers to have a view of the sea, a hugh number of lifeboats were cleared from the deck.

This meant the could carry 3,600 people but only had lifeboat seats for 1,179 people.

Oh, my God!

OLD CUNARD MEMORABILIA

This is an old picture of a Cunard Steamship Ticket Agent's Office in Trondhjem, Norway circa 1906.

Look at the gigantic and fantastic painting in the wall.

THE LAST QE2 PORTS OF CALL: TODAY IN SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA

The QE2 is visiting for the last time some of the most beautiful harbors of the world.

Today is in gorgeous Saint John.

Painting: "View of St John City and Harbor", 1890, by the Toronto Lithographing Company.

A QE2 VIEWING CRUISE FROM GOUROCK ON THE LAST VISIT TO CLYDE

The QE2 will make her final trip up the Clyde next month.

If the weather is clear she should be visible from Arran as she sails past.

Caledonian MacBrayne has organised two special cruises to see the grand old lady of the sea when she berths at Greenock on Sunday October 5.

The first cruise will depart from Gourock at 10am on board MV Saturn which will join the flotilla escorting the world famous liner as she arrives in the upper Clyde.

The second cruise during the afternoon will depart from Gourock at 3pm to view the QE2 from the water when she is berthed at Greenock Container Terminal. Each cruise is expected to take up to two-and-a-half hours.

Lawrie Sinclair, managing director of CalMac said: ‘This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of a piece of history and I am sure it will be a memorable experience. There is no better place to view the QE2 than from the water so I am sure it will be a very popular excursion.’

The QE2 was built at John Brown’s shipyard on Clydebank and had her maiden voyage in 1969.

BELFAST FAREWELL TO THE QE2

The Belfast City Council announces:

Next October 4, from 12 noon - 4pm the QE2, will visit Belfast as part of her farewell tour - and there will be a rare chance to view the vessel from an ideal vantage point across the river at the Paint Hall, Queen’s Road, Belfast.

The viewing site, just across the river from the QE2, will hold up to 1,200 people and tickets will be allocated for hourly slots, from 12 noon until 4pm.

Tickets for the public viewing gallery will be allocated, free of charge, on a first come, first served basis from the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Belfast is one of a select few cities in the British Isles playing host to the QE2 during her year-long farewell tour.

This will be the last time that people will be able to see the liner in port before she retires permanently to Dubai, where she will become a floating hotel later this year.

QE2 AUCTIONS: A CREW JACKET

eBay offers this unique and rare QE2 CREW jacket

Size Large, with zip front with top and bottom pop button fasten and two side pockets, hideaway hood in the neck.

The British seller says that limited numbers of this jacket were produced in the late 80s

It's shell 65% polyester /35% cotton with body lining 100% cotton and sleeve lining 100% nylon.

The auctions ends on September 21, 2008 at 08 11:40:28 PDT or 1 day 22 hours from now.

Very cheap right now with no bids at GBP 9.99 (approximately US $18.17)

More details here.

CELEBRATES HER 90TH ANNIVERSARY ON THE QE2

The News of Portsmouth (UK) writes about Mrs. Doris Blight:

What better way to celebrate your 90th birthday than a trip on the QE2?

Doris Bligh did just that, taking time out on her favourite cruise ship shortly before it goes out of service.

For the past four years she has taken a holiday on the Cunard liner.

So Doris, of Hilsea, Portsmouth, wanted to see it one last time before it heads to Dubai in November as a hotel and a museum

During the cruise around Bilbao, Bordeaux and Guernsey the QE2 crew presented her with a birthday cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday.

Her granddaughter also decorated her cabin with balloons and she received a bouquet of flowers when she got on board.

'I hoped to spend my 90th birthday on it and my dream has come true,' she said.

'My family, the crew and the passengers treated me like royalty all day.'

Mrs Bligh, whose husband John used to deliver oil onto the QE2 in the 1960s, said she was very sad to see the QE2 go.

'She will be sadly missed,' she said.

'We did all feel very sad on disembarking and said our farewells.'

(Picture by Malcolm Wells)

WHERE IS THE QE2 TODAY?

Live images from the QE2 bridge camera, updated every 60 seconds here.

QE2 LAST VISIT TO BOSTON

The QE2 was making her final call on the port of Boston.

The 963-foot cruise ship sailed into Boston harbor this morning.

This was the city farewell after 50 visits over the last 30 years.

Docked at South Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal for the day before leaving for Bar Harbor, Maine, as part of its final Autumn Colors cruise.

The ship left Boston today at 5 p.m. in a ceremony with a fireboat water display and an 11-round howitzer salute by the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

The festivities were visible from Castle Island in South Boston.

Watch here a Boston Globe video of the last visit.

And here a slideshow of the QE2 in Boston.

(Picture by Boston Globe/George Rizer)

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH LAST VISIT TO THE QE2

Cunard announced that Queen Elizabeth 2 will be bid farewell by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in her homeport of Southampton on 11th November 2008.

The visit in November will see the last day that QE2 will be in the UK before departing on her final voyage to Dubai where she will begin her new life as a floating hotel.

The President and Managing Director of Cunard said:

“We are delighted and honoured that His Royal Highness has agreed to visit QE2 on her last day in the UK. The Duke of Edinburgh has taken a close interest in the ship over the last forty years, and I am certain this will be a memorable occasion for all involved”.

QE2 AUCTIONS

This is an original Waterline metal Mercator model of the QE2 from around 1987 (1/1240 scale).

It's on eBay and the auction ends on September 21, 12008 at 05:03:14 PDT.

Current bid is GBP 40.00 (around $71 USD).

More information here.

BEST PICTURES: THE QE2 LEAVING NEW YORK YESTERDAY

A fabulous picture taken on September 16, 2008.

The Gran Dame of the Seas leaves New York.

THE QE2 WAS IS IN MANHATTAN TODAY

The QE2 has made her 709th New York call today, at her Westside Manhattan

berth.

Now just over one month before her 710th and final call to New York.