Carnival Dream

After much consideration, I think the best way to describe Carnival Dream is that it has gravitas.  The ship is confident, substantial and important.

 For nearly a decade Carnival Cruise Lines has been developing the design that first debuted with Carnival Destiny.  With each ship, new features were added and the size of the ships grew somewhat.

With Carnival Dream, the line took a substantial step up in size.  Its previous ship, Carnival Splendor, is 113,000 gross tons while Carnival Dream is 130,000 gross tons.

This difference in size gives the ship better proportions and makes her more substantial from her predecessors.  It is like everything that had gone before was leading up to this.

This is so not just with the ship’s physical size but also with what Carnival is doing onboard.  For example, the line has been moving steadily away from its origins as a party venue for young people towards being a family vacation experience.  With 19,000 square feet devoted to children – - not placed off in some out-of-the-way corner of the ship but right in the center – - Carnival line is making clear that it is a family vacation experience.

One can also see that the line is increasing the overall quality of its product.  Carnival has always been good value for money but it has been pushing upwards, offering items that with the Dream are the equivalent of those found on premium market cruises.  A clear example is the multi-deck spa.

Carnival has also taken a step upward with the new shows it is featuring in the ship’s theater.  These are not just musical revues but rather more akin to Broadway productions.  While they still rely primarily on popular tunes, they are packaged in a more thought-provoking production.

The Dream is not just a good development of some old ideas.  The Carnival experience is enhanced by the addition of several new features.  One of these is the transformation of the outdoor promenade into the Lanai.  In the past, the outdoor promenade was the gloomy area under the lifeboats where only a few souls went primarily to have a smoke.  The Lanai is a much wider area that is protected from the wind and which is sunlit due to the fact that the lifeboats have been placed underneath it.  There are also whirlpools, nice padded furniture and an area of tables where one can bring drinks and/or food.

The Lanai opens into the Ocean Plaza, which includes a bar, the specialty coffee bar, seating and a stage for live performances.  This area gives the public rooms a centerpiece that was lacking on prior Carnival ships.  It is a user-friendly place for the ship’s programmed activities as well as a crossroads.

Beyondships profile of Carnival Dream is at and the photo tour and commentary begins at  http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Tour-1.html

Turning to the news, Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard, Costa and several other lines, announced that it earned $193 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  This was better than what Wall Street analysts had been expecting and indicates that even in poor economic times, people are reluctant to sacrifice their vacation and that the public recognizes that cruising is a very economical way to vacation.

Winter has commenced early in the northeast and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 managed to arrive in New York on schedule during the first blizzard of the season.  The ship encountered 30 foot waves coming up the coast from the Caribbean and managed to maintain a speed of approximately 25 knots.  The ship is doing a series of Caribbean cruises from New York before beginning her world cruise.

Meanwhile, NCL’s Norwegian Gem returned to New York on December 12 for a season of winter cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.  The Gem is the only ship sailing from Manhattan this winter.  On the other side of the harbor, however, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas will be sailing again this winter from Bayonne, New Jersey.

While in Halifax, Nova Scotia during our voyage on the Queen Mary 2, we took an excursion to the Titanic Cemetary.  This was a bus tour, and it was quite comfortable on a misty day.  Our tour guide was quite informative and shared some information about some of the synagogues, churches and buildings along the way, which were of significance to this tour.  If you get a chance take this tour, it’s quite interesting.

Once we arrived, we were given the option to stay on board or to go to the cemetary (note that this excursion is immediately after the “Titanic Museum”, see my article here).  After a short walk to the burial site, you see a large sign and an area of numbered tombstones.  Some bodies which weren’t identified were simply numbered–this certainly left a somber feeling to me.  Those who knew the names of those buried applied their names at various times.  If they had the money to put the names to tombstones they did, otherwise a simple number was left on the stone.  The tomb of the unknown child is here and is remembered by many with gifts.  The unknown child has been recently examined–scientists have been trying to determine the exact child’s family, of which at the time of my trip is yet to still be found.  Additionally, the character in the 1997 movie Titanic, “Jack Dawson”, was a fictional person of a J. Dawson buried in this cemetary (but his first name is not “Jack”, it was Joseph and again, the movie character is entirely fictional).  I’ve read that it’s a coincidence that there was a J. Dawson on board the vessel. 

I would highly recommend taking this tour as you will find that there is a lot more to this tour than just who is buried here.  There is a lot of background and history revealed about the people and the city.  I’ve left out a lot and I do this tour no justice.  I’m sure you will enjoy this tour if you go, it will be an eye opener.

Titanic Cemetary Signage

J. Dawson Tombstone.  Notice how simple the design.

The Titanic Cemetary in Halifax, Canada

Tomb of the Unknown Child.  A more elaborate site.

(All photos: By me)

–Saundra

Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

De nuevo en el puerto tinerfeño la elegante estampa marinera del crucero británico Queen Victoria, que arribará esta mañana, a primera hora, procedente de Funchal en viaje a Las Palmas y Arrecife de Lanzarote, con una expedición de 1.919 pasajeros y 975 tripulantes al mando del capitán Paul Wright. La escala en el puerto de Santa Cruz de La Palma, prevista para ayer, viernes, fue suspendida por causas técnicas. Antes de que finalice el año, este buque tiene prevista otra escala en el puerto tinerfeño, el día 28 de diciembre, y en Santa Cruz de La Palma al día siguiente. De la consignación se ocupa Hamilton y Cía.

El crucero Queen Victoria es el segundo buque más grande de la flota de Cunard, precedido por el famoso Queen Mary 2, que estuvo en Santa Cruz de Tenerife en su crucero inaugural por el Atlántico. Supera en tonelaje, incluso, a los míticos Queen Mary y Queen Elizabeth y, por supuesto, también al aquí siempre bien recordado Queen Elizabeth 2, a quien relevó el buque que hoy nos visita, tras la venta de éste a la sociedad Dubai World para emplearlo como hotel flotante y museo en la famosa Palm Jameirah.

El proyecto del buque Queen Victoria pertenece a la clase Vista, modelo utilizado por otras compañías del grupo naviero al que también pertenece Cunard, con los que comparten muchas de las características exteriores e interiores. Holland American Line tiene dos buques de la serie llamados Zuiderdaam y Maasdam; Carnival Cruises otros dos llamados Carnival Miracle y Carnival Spirit; P & O Cruises opera el buque Arcadia, que en origen iba a ser el Queen Victoria; y Costa Cruises, otros dos: Costa Luminosa y Costa Deliziosa.

Ciertamente el aspecto exterior es agradable y bien proporcionado y, en el caso del Queen Victoria, todavía destaca más por los colores con los que está pintado: casco negro y superestructura blanca, coronada por su emblemática chimenea roja y negra, conocida en todos los puertos del mundo. La diferencia, obviamente, está en su interior: el lujo en los decorados de sus salones está muy por encima de la decoración de los cruceros de su misma clase y de otros contemporáneos; la calidad en el servicio, las comidas en los distintos restaurantes a la carta y en el “self service” en la cubierta Lido y, en resumen, la tradición y la herencia de Cunard, marcan una clara y notable diferencia.

La mayoría de los salones y áreas de uso público del Queen Victoria evocan el gusto de sus predecesores, caso del Queens Room, un magnífico salón con balcones para bailes y recepciones; el teatro Royal Court, distribuido en tres cubiertas y The Grills, una serie de restaurantes de lujo y alto nivel.  Las suites y las cabinas tienen un estilo único, espaciosas, muy cómodas y con un servicio de 24 horas de primera línea, con independencia del precio pagado. Dispone de 127 suites, 718 camarotes y suites con balcón, 864 camarotes exteriores y 143 camarotes interiores.

La biblioteca, en dos niveles, con escalera de caracol interior, alberga más de 6.000 volúmenes en diferentes lenguas. Un museo lleno de muchos recuerdos en el Hemispheres Club. Durante los días de mar, los pasajeros pueden disfrutar del Cunard Royal Spa Fitness Centre, sala de conferencias, centro de internet, el impresionante Grand Lobby, Britannia Restaurant, Golden Lion, Chart Room, Champagne Bar, la belleza del Queens Arcade, Todd English y Cafe Carinthia son sólo algunos ejemplos de la excelencia distribución y decoración interior de este buque con capacidad máxima para 2.014 pasajeros.

Construcción número 6.127 de los astilleros Fincantieri, en Porto Maguera (Italia), el contrato fue firmado en diciembre de 2004 y el 12 de mayo de 2006 se puso en grada el primer bloque de su quilla. Fue puesto a flote el 15 de enero de 2007, entregado a sus armadores el 24 de noviembre del citado año y bautizado, el 10 de diciembre siguiente, en el puerto de Southampton, por la duquesa de Cornwall, Camila Parker, en presencia de su esposo, el príncipe Carlos de Inglaterra. El buque rinde homenaje a la reina Victoria (1819-1901), personaje de grato recuerdo en la historia del Reino Unido y la Commonwealth.

De 90.049 toneladas de registro bruto (GT), son sus principales dimensiones 297 metros de eslora total, 32,20 de manga y 7,80 de calado. Está propulsado por seis motores Sulzer, acoplados a dos ejes que accionan hélices de paso variable, con una potencia de 63.360 kw y que le permite alcanzar una velocidad máxima de 23,7 nudos. Código IMO: 9320556.

Bonita imagen del crucero "Queen Victoria", en pruebas de mar

La elegancia del crucero "Queen Victoria", en el puerto tinerfeño

El crucero "Queen Victoria", visto de popa por la banda de babor

El gran lobby del buque, expresión del refinado gusto inglés

"Royal Arcade", uno de los centros neurálgicos del crucero

El teatro "Royal Court", situado a proa, se distribuye en tres cubiertas

Fotos: Cunard Cruises. Las del buque en el puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife han sido cedidas por Julio A. Rodríguez Hermosilla

Another successful Cruise Ship season came to a majestic end yesterday with the docking of the Queen Mary II.

Along with such milestones as 187,000 passengers and 73 visits by various cruise ship lines, the Saint John Port Authority finished third in voting for the Transit Port of the Year 2009 at the Seatrade Insider’s Cruise Awards. The award recognizes significant improvements to a port’s handling facilities and cruise-tourism infrastructure over the past year.

This season Saint John welcomed 187,000 passengers in port – only exceeded by Halifax which saw 220,000 visitors to its city.  Making Saint John the second top cruise ship destination in Atlantic Canada.

The city’s Mayor Ivan McCourt made the comment that “Out of a hurricane came a golden pot,” reference being made to the first cruise ship to visit the port, the Cunard Princess and her 500 passengers that came to Saint John in 1989 seeking safe haven from Hurricane Gabrielle.

With the popularity and increase every year of the cruise ship industry Naval Architects are designing larger more grandiose vessels every year and there are not many ports along the Eastern seaboard that can accommodate their impressive sizes.

With this in mind and the operation of the Marco Polo terminal, Saint John can expect to see more visits from these floating cities.

The Queen Mary II is the largest vessel to visit Saint John to date, however it is rumoured that the Oasis of the Seas, almost double the Queen’s size may dock here as early as the 2010 season. 

With most vessels bringing in approximately $350,000 in tourist revenue with each individual visit, cruise tourism is quite obviously one of Saint John’s largest industries.  If we keep this up, technically we should all only have to work for 5 months out of every year.  Well..maybe not.  Smile!

Copyright © 2009 Tina-Louise Ray. All rights reserved worldwide.

Shipping columnist Peter Elson interviews Commodore Bernard Warner, Master of the Queen Mary 2, as she visits Liverpool.Filmed and edited by Samantha Parker. Liverpool Echo TV, October 20, 2009
Shipping columnist Peter Elson interviews Commodore Bernard Warner, Master of the Queen Mary 2, as she visits Liverpool.Filmed and edited by Samantha Parker.

Dance Captain Carol Summers

This week we continue with our new series of behind-the-scenes looks at Queen Mary 2.

 The first is a conversation with Chief Engineer Brian Watling about how QM2 works from a technical perspective.  Brian has served on Cunard ships for 27 years including being Chief Engineer on Queen Elizabeth 2.  He also “stood-by” at the shipyard as QM2 was being built o he is uniquely qualified to talk about how the ship works.

 In our conversation we talked about everything from the propulsion plant to the azipods and about other areas of the Technical Department’s far-flung responsibilities.  The article appears at: http://beyondships.com/QM2-art-Watling.html

 To balance this technical discussion, this week I am also presenting an interview with Carol Summers who is the Dance Captain on QM2.  This is not the dance team that gives dance lessons in the Queens Room but rather the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers who perform the production shows in the ship’s theater.

 Carol is a professional dancer who performed during QM2’s maiden voyage and subsequently on Queen Victoria and QE2.  We talked about how the production shows on passenger ships are put together and what it is like for a team of professional singers and dancers to live aboard a passenger ship.  The interview appears at: http://beyondships.com/QM2-art-Summers.html

 Turning to the news – -

Royal Caribbean took delivery of Oasis of the Seas on October 30 in a ceremony in a conference room in the shipyard where she was built in Finland.  This does not mean that she will go into service yet.  Royal Caribbean is taking the approach of using the ship’s transatlantic crossing between Finland and Fort Lauderdale to hone her crew and get them used to operating this colossal vessel.   For example, each day during the crossing, a new dining or entertainment venue will be “officially” opened and brought on line.  This is an approach that works quite well and is frequently credited as a reason that Ruby Princess opened to such good reviews last year.  Oasis will reach Fort Lauderdale on November 11 after which there will be a naming ceremony with seven godmothers cutting the ribbon that will cause a bottle of wine to smash against the ship’s side.

 Meanwhile, on 31 October, in Venice Italy, Holland America’s latest ship, the Nieu Amsterdam was floated out of the dry dock in which she was created.  The float-out is an important step in a ship’s life equivalent to the traditional practice of sliding the ship down the ways into the water.  After the float-out, the ship goes to a fitting out dock where the remainder of the work needed to bring her into service will be done.  Nieu Amsterdam is the second Signature-class (Super-Vista) ship to be built and is scheduled to join the HAL fleet on 4 July 2010.

 Disney has announced that one f the features on its forthcoming Disney Dream will be a 725-foot long roller coaster.  While the new 128,000-ton ship is supposed to be done in keeping with Disney’s existing ships, this feature does not seem at this distance to harmonize with the tasteful (albeit somewhat whimsical) style of those ships.   However, Disney is not about to sacrifice its reputation for quality and so it will be interesting to see how they bring this off.

Chief Engineer Brian Watling

Today marks the end of the 2009 cruise ship season for Bar Harbor. When the Queen Mary 2 departs tonight there are no more cruise ships scheduled until next year. Over the past 10 years the cruise ship schedule has grown to make September and October, once considered the “off season”, quite busy for Bar Harbor.

Queen Mary 2 in Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor, Maine

visitors view the Queen Mary 2 from the shore path Bar Harbor, Maine

Autumn color and cruise ship in Bar Harbor

I’ve been thinking lately about how much larger the Oasis of the Seas is versus other ships.

The Oasis of the Seas is at least 60,000 gross tons larger than either the Freedom of the Seas or The Queen Mary 2. It’s also around 60-70 feet longer than either ship too.

Below are some graphics which compare the ship sizes. I like to look at these types of comparisons. I’m anxious to see the Oasis of the Seas next to other ships so that we can see a real-life comparison.

In any case – they’re all really big ships!

Dr Kruz Nutty

I was awoken by her chorus, as she glistened in the darkness of the morning. Unfortunately, I did not manage to see her over the course of the day but she again majestically passed me by on leaving for Liverpool that evening of the 19th October 2009.

A fantastic sight to see, and I believe the biggest ship ever to visit the River Clyde. The Greenock Telegraph reported that 5000 people lined the waterfront to see her. Passengers and sightseers were entertained by a  spectacular firework display before she departed for Liverpool.

I was intrigued to watch the Queen Mary 2 arrive in the Firth of Clyde this morning, and berth at Greenock. I may have been looking in the wrong place, as a quick look on the web didn’t return any news items about the arrival, but the BBC did eventually throw up a photo and story just before lunchtime, so I stopped thinking I was imagining things.

I should add that I can’t normally see the Clyde – the closest approach of the river takes about 20 minutes to reach on foot – but I had spotted the vessel arrive on AIS (Automatic Identification System), which basically allows suitably equipped craft to transmit their position for reception by suitable equipment. The data can then be used to plot and track their movements.

The Queen Mary 2 is one of the largest passengers ships ever built (he 1,132 foot (345 m) vessel cost £460 million and was constructed at the Saint-Nazaire yard in France), and is Cunard’s 150,000-tonne flagship, currently visiting Greenock as part of its fifth birthday UK tour. The ship arrived at 08:00 BST today (Monday) and will be berthed at Ocean Terminal until 18:00 BST. A public viewing area will be open until 16:00 BST and a firework display will be held before the ship sets sail.

Unfortunately, I can’t just nip along to Greenock to catch a live pic – and the weather is somewhat dull and wet anyway – but I’m lucky enough to be allowed to use Zak’s pic below, which is a particularly fine capture of both the Queen Mary 2 and the Paddle Steamer Waverley, as the latter makes her way along the Clyde on her final trip of the season for this year, complete with that weather I just mentioned.

See also  more Queen Mary 2 pics taken by Zak while she was at Greenock.

Queen Mary 2 and PS Waverley on the Clyde © Zak

Steady your sea legs and board the legendary ocean liner Queen Mary 2.  You can now watch the Discovery Channel documentary in 7 parts in CunardQueens video library.

Inside Queen Mary 2 is a one-hour documentary which was shot in High Definition. It takes you onboard and below deck to reveal just what it takes to make this ‘floating city’ work and will allow you to take a look from the bridge to the galley to the engine room and decks below the water line.

Inside QM2 Part 1

Inside QM2 Part 2

Inside QM2 Part 3

Inside QM2 Part 4

Inside QM2 Part 5

Inside QM2 Part 6

Inside QM2 Part 7

The Canyon Ranch Spa onboard Cunard’s magnificent Queen Mary 2 has been nominated for an award by the readers of SpaFinder. Congratulations Cunard – the Canyon Ranch Spa Club is well laid-out and a delight to visit. You can easily spend a day there!

Read full article on our website – Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Earns ‘Top 10 Spa’ Accolade

Download the SpaClub Menu of Services

More about Cunard’s Queen Mary 2

Canyon Ranch Spa on Queen Mary 2

Click on the photo to see full areal view of the docks.

Areal View of B+V Docks

  The docking capacities include 5 docks of which dry-dock Elbe 17 is the largest with a length of 351 m. for ships up to 320,000 dtw.
 

 

Empty Dry-Dock Elbe 17- ©Alexander Sölch

• 1^st visit:     8  to 19 Nov.2005, scheduled maintenance
• 2^nd visit :  6 to 10 May 2006, unscheduled repair of damaged pod
• 3rd visit:  12 to 17 Nov 2006, scheduled maintenance and repair
• 4^th visit:  23 Oct to 13 Nov 2008 , scheduled maintenance and refit
   

1st visit Nov 8 to Nov 19, 2005 

Her first visit to Elbe 17 was scheduled for 8pm on November 8, but a lower than expected evening tide delayed arrival until early morning next day. 

Blohm and Voss received the order for maintenance and repair work for the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Repair Group amidst serious domestic and international competition. The order included classification work and extensive painting work, moreover, the propulsion units, the anchor winches as well as the four stabilisers were to be overhauled. 

Owing to the tight agenda and relatively short lay days in Hamburg, Blohm + Voss Repair employees were already on board the ocean liner in Southampton to carry out the necessary preparations for the work.

Fotographer Dirk Rotermund documented her stay in the dry-dock, click on the QM2 image to view the album with the excellent photos.

Go to royaloceanliner.com photo gallery

Video Clip of Queen Mary 2 visiting. Additional photos posted by Concorde_QE2 in the Member Gallery.

The Queen Mary 2 arrived in the Port of Saint John and same as her 1^st visit in 2008, she again drew crowds out for a beautiful Sunday stroll down along Water Street.  She is truly one very impressive vessel and her size is overwhelming when seen in person.   I have a special place in my heart of the Queen Mary ships as my father travelled upon the QM1 when she was outfitted as a troop ship during WWII. 

What is sometimes forgotten because the Cunard ships fly the Union Jack is that the Cunard family roots are firmly planted in the Maritimes.

Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet was born in Nova Scotia on the 21^st of November 1787.  Son of a master carpenter and timber merchant who had fled the American Revolution and settled in Halifax. 

Cunard was a highly successful entrepreneur in Halifax shipping and one of a group of twelve individuals who dominated the affairs of Nova Scotia. Early investments in steam included co-founding the steam ferry company in Halifax harbour and an investment in the pioneering steamship Royal William. Cunard went to the United Kingdom, where he set up a company with several other businessmen to bid for the rights to run a transatlantic mail service between the UK and North America. It was successful in its bid, the company later becoming Cunard Steamships Limited.

In 1840 the company’s first steamship, the Britannia, sailed from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia and on to Boston, Massachusetts, with Cunard and 63 other passengers on board, marking the beginning of regular passenger and cargo service.  The prosperous company eventually absorbed many others such as the Canadian Northern Steamships Limited, and its principal competition, the White Star Line, owners of the ill-fated Titanic. After that, Cunard dominated the Atlantic passenger trade with some of the world’s most famous liners such as the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth. His name lives on today in the Cunard Line, now a prestigious branch of the Carnival Line cruise empire.

Cunard owned a number of companies in Canada. His coal company, which he bought to fuel his liners, is still one of Nova Scotia’s major fuel companies, although today owned by the Irving Family of New Brunswick. He also controlled logging ventures and at one point owned a seventh of Prince Edward Island.

This year the Queen Victoria will be making her inaugural visit to Saint John on October 1^st. and promises to be just as awe-inspiring as her sister ship the QM2.   

Construction on  the next Cunard ship, the NEW Queen Elizabeth is now under way in Italy.  The new ship is scheduled to enter service in the autumn of 2010.  With a passenger capacity of 2092, and at a cost of approximately $700 million, she will be the second largest ship Cunard has ever built after the QM2. 

Curiously the last transatlantic crossing the previous Queen Elizabeth II made was from the port of Saint John in 2008.

*photo’s of Queen Mary 2, curtesy of Port City Pics

While googling information about the QM2 visit in Hamburg this month I came across the Royal Ocean Liner Photography website which is a collection of  8 photo galleries capturing ocean liners during their visits to the city of Hamburg.  Turn your sound on before entering the website here.

It is a fantastic collection of  exquisite photos of the QE2, QM2, Queen Victoria as well as cruise ships AidaDiva and Golden Princess. I love them,  I think they brilliantly capture the grandeur of these ships. It always makes me very happy when I find something like this by chance.  The Internet is full of surprises! I noticed all photos have been watermarked for copyright protection. Photos apparently can be purchased, you have to use the Kaufen form (order form).

The website and descriptions are all in German, so I am summarizing the important pieces of information.

Information-Über mich:  Information – About me
Dirk Rothermundt is a freelance photographer, web designer and software developer. The Royal Ocean Liner Photography website is dedicated to ships visiting the port of Hamburg, mainly QE2 and QM2.

Galerien – Galleries
There are 8 galleries documenting Hamburg visits of the ships mentioned above. My favourite galleries are obviously those of my 2 favourite liners, QE2 and QM2, so I take the liberty to describe the albums in more detail.

1. Queen Victoria, Dec 18, 2007
   Inside QV: 74 photos witnessing pure luxury
                                                                                                                                
2. AIDADiva Christening, Apr 20, 2007
                                   
3. QM2 in Voss & Blohm dry dock, Nov 8-19, 2005                        
   • QM2 reception on river Elbe, arrival at Cruise Terminal
     The night shots are exceptional! One can tell by the quality that these are Dirk Rothermundt’s speciality.
   • QM2 in Dock 17, view from Landungsbrücken
   • QM2 departure from Dock 17
     Great close up shots . I am always in awe of this impressive hull!
     
4. A Day on QM2, Aug 1, 2005
   • Arrival at Cruise Terminal
   • On the decks
   • Inside QM2
   • Hamburg as seen from QM2
   • The Bridge
     It is not often that photographers are allowed on the bridge. 41 close up photos. I guess those are rare.
     
5. A Day on QE2, Jul 8, 2005
   My favourite gallery of course. Fantastic shots both outside and inside. The albums from left to right are
   • The arrival
   • Docking at Cruise Terminal
   • The decks (outside)
   • Hamburg from the QE2
   • QE2 Interiors
     41 great photos that catapult me right back aboard. 
   • Departure
                              
6. Golden Princess, Jun 7, 2005
                                  
7. QE2 in Hamburg, May 30, 2005
   • QE2 at Cruise Terminal
   • QE2 at night
     Brilliant night shots
     
8. QM2 in Hamburg, Jul 19, 2004
   • Arrival
   • A day and night in Hamburg
   • The fireworks
     When the QM2 visits Hamburg, it is party time and the Queen is honoured with a splendid fireworks display. These photos show that the city does not spare any efforts to welcome her!

I hope you  are enjoying the photos as much as I do. Great memories come back while clicking through the albums. I wish I could return for another Transatlantic voyage.

Possessions spanning star’s life and career to be auctioned live in Beverly Hills in October, benefiting charities supported by The Streisand Foundation.

6 August, 2009 – Cunard Line and Julien’s Auctions are partnering once again – to present an exclusive preview from The Collection of Barbra Streisand – onboard flagship Queen Mary 2’s Transatlantic Crossing to England departing New York 23 August, before they are sold at auction live and online at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA on 17 and 18 October, 2009. All proceeds from the auction will benefit The Streisand Foundation, founded more than two decades ago by the famed actress-singer-director-composer-activist-philanthropist, to aid humanitarian causes worldwide.

During the Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic voyage, Darren Julien, President, and Martin Nolan, Executive Director, of Julien’s Auctions will be joined by Marty Erlichman, Streisand’s long-time manager, to present an exclusive inside look at the auction and the prolific career of the famed entertainer through the line’s acclaimed onboard enrichment programme, Cunard Insights.

After Queen Mary 2 arrives in Southampton, the auction highlights will then be exhibited at The Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. From Ireland, the highlights will travel to Beverly Hills where a full public exhibition will be presented.

Julien’s Auctions will offer more than 400 lots from Barbra Streisand’s stunning personal collection, including fine and decorative art, Americana furnishings, Art Deco fixtures, oriental rugs, Native American baskets, and the international star’s personal Yamaha Baby Grand Piano, along with timeless movie memorabilia and costumes from her numerous film, television, live concert and special personal appearances. Clothing highlights include costumes and outfits from “The Way We Were,” “Funny Lady,” “On a Clear Day,” “Yentl,” “Nuts,” “Prince of Tides” and “Meet The Fockers,” as well as custom Donna Karan and other designer pieces, including two vintage Christian Dior fashions.

Exhibitions for the auction will be created by WRJ Design Associates, who have designed exhibitions for The Estate of Katharine Hepburn, The Estate of Johnny Cash, The Collection of Cher and recently The Collection of Michael Jackson.

Registration is required to bid in the live auction of The Collection of Barbra Streisand. Registration and bidding, including absentee bidding, can be done either in person at the exhibitions and auction, by visiting www.juliensauctions.com before the sale, or by calling (310) 836-1818.

To learn more about Queen Mary 2 and to book a voyage, please contact your travel agent Arthur Wright at (914) 835-7600 Ext 226, or feel free to email me at awright@richtravel.com.

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Die Queen Mary 2 war heute auf einen Kurzbesuch im Hamburger Hafen. Auch wenn ich keine Zeit mehr für das Ablichten des Auslaufens hatte, hier ein paar Schnappschüsse vom Kreuzfahrtterminal. Erstaunlich auch, wie viele Zuschauer noch immer ein Besuch der QM2 in Hamburg anlockt.

This is a continuation of my big trip to Europe and back on the Queen Mary 2. Last I had left off, I had just got off the Queen Mary 2 in Brooklyn.

When I walked out of the terminal doors at the ship’s pier, I could take either a Yellow Cab or a town car to the airport. The yellow cabs had just emptied their line when I walked up and the guy directing traffic asked where I was going and told me I could take a town car to Laguardia for $15 more than a cab. There was one waiting and I was anxious to get going so I took it. Plenty of legroom, some free drinks and snacks set up and a pleasant driver from Pakistan. It took about 25 minutes with no traffic and I paid $65 (plus $10 tip) when we got to the airport. With traffic, this drive can take 50 minutes.

My flight was on North West airlines at 11:30am from Laguardia with a connection in Minneapolis. The first leg was on a DC-9 and the second on an Airbus 319. I purposely booked this route because I wanted to fly on a DC-9, a relic of the industry but full of sexiness.

I hopped into line at the Delta check in at about 7:15 and the lines were already long. Aside of long, I could tell people were not pleased. There was an angy vibe coming off the crowd and everyone seemed tense. I decided to go chill outside for a while and let this squall pass before I got in the middle of it.

Outside the Delta terminal doors is an upper deck that looks into the taxi bullpen below. This is where they wait, by lane, untill they are called up to the taxi line for passengers.

I did some quick plane spotting from this corner, I wish the pictures were better but for a phone, I’m not going to complain.

The white plane on the left with the blue stripe said “Piedmont” on the tail, an airlines from long ago…but it was being actively loaded at the gate.

The Piedmont plane pushed back and within five minutes, a US Air 319 painted in the Philadelphia Eagles colors/logo pulled into that same gate.

I decided to go check in about 8am and the line was worse. So was the mood. The ticket counters were fully staffed and it was a madhouse in there. Pleople were cutting in line, screaming that they were going to miss their flight and sky caps were leading people to dead end lines in some roped off area. A twosome of 20 something girls were sobbing in line. Some previous days flights were cancelled and they put all those people in a separate line then proceeded to close both ends of the lane and forget about them all. This is one of those situations where I was thankful to be flying business/first calss because my line had about seven people in it versus the hell I was watching on the other sides of the ropes where the number had to have been 75-100 angry passengers trying desperately to check in. I made it to the front and the agent that I had previously watched being so gruff with people, put on a smile and checked me in fast. It was weird. I felt like a fish swimming in a pool of sharks, one false move would set off a frenzy. People were just so rude and pushing/shoving/running you over with their bag and there was no “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”.  It was just different that what I was accustomed to.

These were survivors. They could eat me alive.

Security was painless and I stopped at Chili’s Too for some breakfast. I chowed down, made a few calls and meandered down to my gate. It was at the very end of the terminal where it rounds out to accommodate multiple gates There were six gates that shared a common boarding area. Each gate had a flight and all of the flights left within 40 minutes of each other. Two of the flights were delayed so that meant that there were six flights leaving, almost, at the same time. That gate area was crowded! It had the murmur of a Colosseum and the smell of a locker room at the YMCA. I could not wait to get on that plane and out of this stress hole. As I stood in line a fellow traveler next to me started complaining about how bad the flight and NW Air are and we hadn’t even boarded the plane yet! I found my seat on that lovely DC-9 and settled in, grateful that I was getting out of New York.  We pushed back from the gate and started taxing to the runway…where the real excitement started for me. Laguardia is a huge airport and I got to see airliners that don’t even hit my edge of the States. This is a target rich environment for plane geeks like me.

A Delta CRJ-700. These are becoming so much more popular to fly because it is way cheaper to operate these that a traditional larger aircraft. Get used to smaller planes in the future. Another way to cut costs (and not provide drink services anymore).

That orange plane is a surprise. That is a Pacific Southwest plane actively loading at a gate. Another ghost from the past flying new gear, what the hell? Pacific Southwest used to be a player and they were the ones that had smiley faces drawn on the noses of their aircraft. I did some digging when I got home and found out that these were US Air planes painted in the schemes of the airlines that they had purchased over the years. US Air purchased Piedmont and Pacific Southwest (along with Allegheny and America West) to become who they are today (see picture below). Consolidation within the industry can read like a coat of arms with its heritage reading like a family tree.

This was a flight I took on US Air from Kansas City to Palm Springs. Notice the four logos in a circle on this plane. Those are the four former brands that ended up being US Air today. I think this is pretty darn cool.

An AirTran 717-200 taking on fuel. I don’t see to many 717s in my neck of the woods.

Here is a treat. This is Donald Trump’s personal plane. It is a Boeing 727-23 that has been fully pimped out in the Donald style. Gold fixtures in the lav, leather and mahogany trim, a full time crew and his name on the outside of the plane in 24k gold leaf. I learned it is registered in Bermuda. It looked pretty empty and alone on this day.

Out my window I start to see a back up of active traffic and the pilot announces that we are number nine in line to take off. That’s a NorthWest A319, an American MD-90 and a SouthWest 737 all meeting us at the end of the tarmac.

We turned just a bit and I caught a glimps of what was behind us. There are 10 aircraft lined up behind us, on three taxiways, with more behind that American that I couldn’t get in. Imagine being in the back of this lineup as the captain tells you you are number 19 in line.

My last shot of NY soil. It was good to be moving on.

I like this shot. It captures the feeling I had when I took it. Warm.

Lunch was served and for once I can say it was terrible. I will eat almost all airline food with a smile but this sandwich was terrible. On very thin piece of turkey with a half a thin slice of cheese on a huge, cold, hard roll. The lettuce and tomato were completely wilted. No condiments, no nothing. It was dry as the Sahara and I killed a can of coke trying to washing it down. I ate the red parts off the yellow strawberries and ate my four grapes. The cookie was the best part of this meal.

We hit Minneapolis and I caught a shot of this North West Airlines 747 getting ready to go. Since we were late leaving NY, I only had 10 minutes to catch my connection… luckily it was at the gate right next to where my flight was pulling in and I made it on time.

I hopped on my North West A319 for the trip from Minneapolis to Kansas City. The skies were perfect.

We did run into one big ass thunder cluster and our pilot flew around it.

Over Kansas City, I discovered a UFO landing base. Upon further review… it is a NASCAR track.

We landed with no problems and I will tell you, I liked the Kansas City airport. It was fast, efficient and well laid out. From the time off the plane to get my bag was about five minutes. No joke. The humidity slapped me like an older brother and it felt good to be back in my adopted home. I picked up my rental car and hit the freeway east. It was about 5:30 pm and I wanted to get out of the city as fast as I could.