Captain Paul Wright, a Cornishman, is a kind of latter day Henry VIII - a master and commander who moves from one queen to the next in quick succession.
His first appointment with Cunard was to Cunard Countess, since when he has served on Cunard Princess, Sagafjord and Cunard Dynasty. In 1999 Captain Wright was promoted to Captain of Cunard’s flagship Queen Elizabeth 2 where he served until construction of the largest liner ever built, Queen Mary 2. He oversaw construction of the ship in St. Nazaire prior to commission, and in 2004 was appointed Master of Queen Mary 2, alternating with the recently retired Commodore Ron Warwick.
Asked what his most memorable moments at sea have been, Captain Wright cites two: when he brought QE2 into New York for the first time after the 11 September attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, and bringing Queen Mary 2 into Hamburg on her maiden call when half a million people turned out to greet the ship.
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This post was written by Richard Rodriguez, Rescue Tug Captain, and US Coast Guard approved instructor for License Training. You can read more of his articles at the BitterEnd of the net.
Cunard’s one-time-only royal rendezvous of its three queens — the QE2, QM2 and recently christened Queen Victoria — will be celebrated at 7 p.m. on January 13 with a harbor fireworks show as the three grand cruise liners meet near the Statue of Liberty.
The QE2 and Queen Victoria will arrive in tandem (likely pre-sunrise) from Southampton, England. During the day, the QE2 will be docked at Manhattan’s Pier 92 and the Queen Victoria nearby at Pier 88. The Queen Mary 2 will arrive separately (also early morning,) and dock in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
The New York Times has reported on the festivities. They write:
In the annals of maritime history, the Queens’ sailing was momentous. It was the first time in the 168-year history of the Cunard Line, the owner of the liners, that it had three ships named after British queens in the same port at the same time. The company arranged the ships’ schedules so that they departed from New York City ports simultaneously.
The Queens’ meeting, witnessed by thousands on shore and on board, will also be their last, company officials said.
“They are not programmed to meet in any other port,” Cunard’s president, Carol Marlow, said during an afternoon news conference at Pier 88 in Manhattan, with the docked Queen Victoria visible in background. “This is a spine-tingling time.”
The Queen Elizabeth 2, Cunard’s longest-serving ship, left Manhattan for its 26th and final around-the-world journey — a farewell tour that will usher in its retirement in November, when the liner will become a floating hotel in Dubai. The Queen Victoria, which came into service last month, embarked on its maiden world cruise. And the Queen Mary 2, the largest trans-Atlantic liner ever built, weighing about 151,400 gross tons, sailed to the Caribbean from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
The Cincinnati Enquirer as us: “As new cruise ships continue to get larger, it begs the question: Is bigger better?”
I admittedly don’t know much about cruise ship operations but quoting a friend… “The only problem with working on cruise ships…. cargo that complains!” The larger the ship the more cargo you have to load.
They tell us a little about these mega-ships including the Freedom of the Seas, pictured above;
Boasting the two largest ships afloat, Royal Caribbean is a leader of mega-ships. Last year, the cruise line rolled out Freedom of the Seas, followed this May by its sister Liberty of the Seas. At 160,000 tons and 1,112 feet long, each ship houses 1,815 staterooms on 15 passenger decks and a crew of 1,360.
Double occupancy pushes capacity to 3,630 cruisers, but the ships are designed to spread people out. Miniature golf, karaoke, court sports, swimming, ice skating, spa services and FlowRider - the industry’s first surf simulator - are just a sampling of the onboard activities.
Norwegian Cruise Line features another industry first: a full-size, four-lane bowling alley onboard the new Pearl and the soon-to-launch Gem. These 93,530-ton ships also incorporate a new style of accommodations with much larger courtyard villas and garden villas, a dozen restaurants, 11 bars and lounges and rock climbing wall.
So what’s on the horizon for these mega ships?
Cunard rolls out the regal Queen Victoria this December with an elegant Todd English Restaurant.
MSC’s Poesia is poised for March, carrying 3,013 guests on 13 passenger decks. Amenities include a tennis court, teen club, cigar room, disco and miniature golf.
Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas makes waves in England in May with a spa and well-being center with thermal caves.
Next summer, Holland America debuts the 2,104-passenger Eurodam, the largest ever for the line. Innovations include a topside pan-Asian restaurant and a lounge that overlooks the ocean and pool.
Carnival’s Splendor makes its inaugural cruise next July. The 113,000-ton ship will have a sliding Sky Dome, a 21,000-square-foot health and fitness center and 68 special spa staterooms.
The 113,000-ton, 3,080-passenger Ruby Princess sparkles in November 2008 with a dramatic piazza-style atrium and performing street entertainers, in addition to its signature Movies Under the Stars.
The 122,000-ton Celebrity Solstice takes its maiden voyage in December 2008.
In fall of 2009, Royal Caribbean’s “Project Genesis” ship will set a record as the largest cruise ship on the sea. This whopping 220,000-ton, next-generation ship will carry 5,400 passengers.
If your interested in these new ships then head over to Holland America’s Eurodam Blog for a behind the scenes look at the building of a Mega-Ship.
Cunard Lines is to build a 92,000 tonne liner which will be called the Queen Elizabeth.
The ship, which will be based at Southampton, will carry 2,092 passengers and more than 1,000 crew.
Shipping firm Cunard also operates the QE2 liner, which will leave service next year, making this newer vessel the largest of a three-ship fleet.
The decision to build the vessel was prompted by the demand for cruises on Cunard’s new ship Queen Victoria. Read More…
Correction - The BBC has updated the details of the story. Many thanks to Phillip for pointing this out in the comments. Here is the new version of their article:
A shipping company is to build a 92,000 tonne liner which will be called the Queen Elizabeth.
The ship, which will be based at Southampton, will carry 2,092 passengers and more than 1,000 crew.
Shipping firm Cunard also operates the QE2 liner, which will leave service next year to become a floating hotel in Dubai from 2009.
The decision to build the vessel was prompted by the demand for cruises on Cunard’s new ship Queen Victoria.
The most elegant ship built in decades has caught the inspiration of artists, photographers and amateur ship spotters worldwide. She is elegant, record breaking and capable. She’s also a YouTube Star! Here are two videos of the Queen Mary II that have reached over 25,000 viewers and for good reason. Take a look:
The liner Queen Mary 2 slips under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Queen Mary 2 departing New York Harbor.
Like most celebrities she is also photogenic. The best series of photographs are by San Francisco Photo Blogger Todd Lapin and his team over at Telstar Logistics. Here is a slideshow of his photographs:
The QM2 is more precisely referred to as an ocean liner, rather than a cruise ship; with its sleeker hull and more powerful engines, it was designed to cross oceans. Cruise ships, which typically sail closer to shore, have a more squarish profile for larger passenger loads.
Like the QE2, the QM2 is named after a ship, not a monarch. Eric Flounders, a Cunard spokesman in London, said that the original Queen Mary was the first vessel built after Cunard and White Star created one company. Before that, Cunard’s ship names typically ended in ia (Caronia, for example), White Star’s in ic (Titanic). Middle ground was sought (sorry, Queen Victoria). The liner, named after George V’s wife, sailed from 1936 to 1967.
This post was written by Richard Rodriguez, Rescue Tug Captain, and US Coast Guard approved instructor for License Training. You can read more of his articles at the BitterEnd of the net.
