A blast from the past

City, Sea Fest plan to revive fireworks" in downtown Long Beach

Long Beach Press Telegram

Long Beach City Hall and the Sea Festival Association deserve star-spangled applause for their plan to return Fourth of July fireworks to downtown. A clash between the city and Queen Mary over public-safety and event fees snuffed the 2005 show, earning red glares from residents and downtown businesses eager for holiday revenue.   The new plan, devised by the city parks department and the non-profit Sea Fest, will relocate the event from the Queen Mary to the Rainbow Lagoon and Marina Green area. Revelers are expected to watch from a fenced-in area as part of a related Sea Fest carnival.   Last year's event was derailed by a $70,000 public safety tab the city expected the Queen Mary to pay. The City Council has allocated $120,000 for this year's event.   In addition, Sea Fest organizers plan to collect a small admission fee at the Marina Green site for non-Long Beach residents to offset some of the cost, but that fee is still being determined. The idea, said David Ashman, the city's special events manager, was to serve all Long Beach residents who want to enter the event area for free.   The year-long hiatus (the Veterans Stadium fireworks event took place in 2005 and will again this year) appears to have been worthwhile. We favor hosting revelers in a contained area, with police supervision, and the city has provided appropriate funding.   The plan wisely funnels guests into downtown, where they can access businesses and transportation, rather than residential Bluff Park and Alamitos Beach. Anyone who wants to watch from the bluff and beach still can, but the city's plan certainly encourages downtown viewing.   While Long Beach and the Queen Mary remain in a dispute over rent credits, moving the event from the QM was the right decision for residents since those tensions may heat up again. Canceling the show shortly before the event last year was a disservice to all. Promoters plan to use bigger fireworks shells for a display similar to the one Cerritos put on recently for its anniversary celebration. This new program appears to improve on the past while still providing the blast.

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Keel Laying Ceremony Held for New Cunard Ship Queen Victoria

http://www.cruise-ship-report.com/News/051906.htm

 

The next Cunard Line ship, Queen Victoria, ceremonially entered the first phase of actual construction on May 19th with a keel laying at the Marghera shipyard of Fincantieri near Venice, Italy.

Queen Victoria, when she enters service in December 2007, will become the third in Cunard’s fleet of Queens and the middle of the three in size, considerably smaller than Queen Mary 2 but a fair bit larger than Queen Elizabeth 2.

The keel laying involved the placement in the dry dock of one section of the ship’s hull made up of six pre-manufactured blocks, which weigh 325 tons and are fitted with 50 tons of pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment. Eighty sections ultimately will be used in the construction of the Queen Victoria.

The 90,000-ton ship will take to the water for the first time at her float out in January 2007 and is scheduled to be delivered to Cunard in December 2007.

“Queen Victoria is a very significant ship for Cunard," Carol Marlow, Cunard’s president and managing director, said prior to the ceremony. "Not only is she the second largest ship we have ever built but she further reinforces Cunard’s commitment to our British heritage."

Queen Victoria will feature a Royal Court Theatre with the first private boxes at sea; a “Cunardia” museum, housing Cunard artifacts and memorabilia; the first two-story library at sea, with 6,000 books and a splendid spiral staircase; and a grand, British colonial-style conservatory,

Queen Victoria will depart on her Maiden Voyage on Tuesday December 11, 2007. The ship will subsequently sail from New York on January 13, 2008 on a 105-day maiden world cruise which will call at 36 cities in 23 countries.

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Work begins on 'new QE2' vessel

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/4995872.stm

 

Work is due to begin on a new cruise liner which is widely thought will eventually replace the QE2.

The new £300m Queen Victoria, owned by Southampton-based Cunard, is being built at an Italian shipyard, where the keel is due to be laid on Friday.

Cunard admits it has been giving some thought to QE2's final resting place.

The QE2, which was launched 39 years ago, has carried two million passengers across five million miles.

She served as a troop ship in the Falklands War but the 67,000-ton vessel gave up her Cunard Line flagship status to newer sister ship the Queen Mary 2 last year

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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

CUNARD LINE ANNOUNCES:QUEEN VICTORIA’S ‘MAIDEN WORLD CRUISE’AND QE2’S ‘SOUTH AMERICA, PACIFIC AND ORIENT ODYSSEY’

http://www.cunard.co.uk/news/default.asp?Cat=&View=ViewArticle&Mode=News&ContentID=5261&Active=News

Cunard Line, inventor of the World Cruise in 1922, will once again celebrate its illustrious history in 2008 when its brand new 90,000-ton liner Queen Victoria departs on her 106-night ‘Maiden World Cruise’ simultaneously with the world’s most famous ocean liner, QE2, as she embarks on a 103-night ‘South America, Pacific and Orient Odyssey’. These epic voyages follow on from the ‘Maiden World Cruise’ of Queen Mary 2 and the 25th World Cruise of QE2 in 2007.

Departing from Southampton on the same day, the 2008 world voyages of Queen Victoria and QE2 follow very different routes.

Both ships will leave from their homeport of Southampton on Sunday 6 January 2008, amidst a great fanfare, and will head for New York on the first-ever tandem westbound Transatlantic crossing. QE2, making her 804th Atlantic crossing, will escort Queen Victoria, making her first, with both arriving in New York a week later on 13 January. They then continue together, reaching Fort Lauderdale two days later. From there the ships will take different courses before a further spectacular ‘Meeting of the Queens’ in Sydney on Sunday 24 February.

In Sydney, guests who wish to can enjoy our ‘One Voyage, Two Ships’ adventure by swapping from one ship to the other. This combination voyage (also offered in the new 2008 World Cruise brochure) involves sailing from Southampton to Sydney on QE2 (49-nights) before transferring to Queen Victoria for 58-nights on 24 February and returning home on 22 April after a 107-night journey; fares range from £12,128 to £123,418 per person.

Carol Marlow, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, says:

“Continuing Cunard’s legacy of noteworthy firsts in maritime history, we are delighted to announce the simultaneous grand ocean voyages in 2008 for our newest liner Queen Victoria and our ‘grande dame’ QE2. Cunard’s World Cruises are already considered the ‘gold standard’ in voyages around the world – after all it was a Cunarder – Laconia – which undertook the first one in 1922. QE2 has undertaken more long voyages then any other ship afloat and we are delighted that Queen Victoria will continue this fine tradition - offering a 21st century ocean liner experience as she makes her own circumnavigation of the globe in renowned Cunard style.”

Queen Victoria ‘Maiden World Cruise’

The world’s newest ocean liner will depart Southampton on 6 January 2008 on her 106-night ‘Maiden World Cruise’ which will call at 37 cities in 23 countries. Every call, with the exception of Lisbon, will be a maiden call for Cunard’s new Queen. Queen Victoria will circumnavigate the globe in a westbound direction and, after calling at New York, will transit the Panama Canal before making maiden calls at some of the world’s most famous cities including Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Dubai, Athens and Barcelona. Queen Victoria will also transit the other of the great canals, the Suez, before returning to her homeport of Southampton on 22 April. Early Booking Fares for the complete voyage range from £10,999 per person for double occupancy of a D8 inside cabin to £115,869 per person for double occupancy of a Q1 Queens Grill Grand Suite.

Shorter ‘Liner Voyages’ are also available and include Southampton to Sydney (48-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from £7,899 to £53,379) and Singapore to Southampton (35-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from £4,199 to £38,845).

QE2 ‘South America, Pacific and Orient Odyssey’

QE2 is the most experienced world voyager afloat and, for the first time in over a decade, her 2008 voyage will see her concentrate on South America and the Pacific in a 103-night odyssey that will leave Southampton on 6 January and call at 30 places in 17 countries – a mix of exciting cities and interesting ports. After leaving New York QE2 will head around South America calling at Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands and Valparaiso. Cruising into the Pacific she will then circle the world’s largest ocean before arriving at Los Angeles on 30 March. Port calls will include Easter Island, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Honolulu. After transiting the Panama Canal QE2 will return home to Southampton on 18 April. Early Booking Fares for Southampton to Southampton range from £8,999 per person for double occupancy of an M6 inside cabin to £114,919 per person for double occupancy of a Q1 Grand Suite.

Shorter ‘Liner Voyages’ are also available and include Southampton to Singapore (64-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from £6,349 to £77,809) and Sydney to Los Angeles (35-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from £3,949 to £42,899).

Early Booking Benefits

The voyages are on sale from 5 June 2006 and savings of up to 50% (QE2) and up to 45% (Queen Victoria) are available for bookings made by 31 January 2007, subject to availability. For bookings made by this date there is also a range of additional benefits including upgraded air, complimentary gratuities, generous onboard credits and past passenger savings, also subject to availability. These are applicable depending on the voyage selected and grade of accommodation.

In addition, for passengers in Grills Accommodation (Princess and Queens Grills), the additional benefit of exclusive shore events are offered if the booking is made before 31 January, again subject to availability.

Reservations can be made on 0845 071 0300.

- Ends -

For Further PRESS Information

Contacts

Eric Flounders, Public Relations Manager:0207 940 5390
eric.flounders@cunard.co.uk
Michael Gallagher, Public Relations Executive:0207 940 5391
michael.gallagher@cunard.co.uk
Or visit the Cunard website: www.cunard.co.uk

 

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Ill winds buffet Carnival cruises

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12823070/

 

By Amy Yee in New York

Updated: 1:41 a.m. ET May 17, 2006

Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator, on Tuesday cut its earnings outlook for the year on lower bookings for Caribbean voyages, soaring fuel costs and an accounting change.

 

Lingering fears of hurricanes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has deterred consumers from booking Caribbean cruises that depart from Florida and other ports vulnerable to storms.

"We underestimated the psychological effect that hurricanes had on the mindsets . . . of people taking cruise vacations," the company said.

Shares in Carnival plunged 8.5 per cent to end Tuesday's session at $42.60.

The company, with brands that include Princess and Cunard of Queen Mary fame, on Tuesday forecast earnings for fiscal 2006 in the range of $2.65 to $2.75 per share, down from average analysts' estimates of $2.93 per share.

The company lowered its earnings forecasts in March after reporting a 19 per cent drop in first quarter profit.

Advance bookings from North America, the cruise industry's core market, have slowed for this year's third and fourth quarters. Third-quarter occupancy is down 6.2 percentage points for Caribbean cruises compared with last year, but up 3.6 points for European cruises.

Although the cruise industry is stringently conserving fuel, soaring energy costs continue to hurt profits. The cumulative impact of higher fuel prices for 2006 is expected to be $265m.

Carnival was also hit by an accounting change related to ship building and renovation costs, reducing full-year earnings per share by about 8 cents.

However, Micky Arison, chief executive, said that industry fundamentals "remain sound".

On Royal Caribbean's new ship, Freedom of the Seas, which made its debut last week as the world's largest cruise liner, he said: "If Freedom gets half the PR that Queen Mary got, it will be positive for the industry."

Carnival's guidance revision marks the latest headwind for the cruise industry, marring unexpected buoyancy after 9/11.

But the industry has recently been at the centre of negative publicity following a fire aboard a Princess ship; a car crash during a celebrity cruise day trip; a pirate attack on luxury liner Seabourn near Somalia; and a probe into a honeymooner's disappearance from a Royal Caribbean ship.

A US Congressional panel heard testimony about shipboard security and safety in December and demanded statistics for crimes on cruises.

 

 

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DFA to assist Pinoy seaman

THE Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom had sent a consular team to Southampton to help a Filipino seaman arrested for the alleged killing of a fellow Filipino aboard the Queen Mary 2.

The department said that the consular team is scheduled to meet the accused in Southampton on Wednesday to provide him with legal assistance.

The suspect is a 49-year-old seaman whose name was withheld while the case is under investigation.

Chargé d’Affaires and Consul General Mario de Leon informed the department that the Queen Mary 2 is still at sea completing a scheduled cruise and is expected to dock at her home port in Southampton on Wednesday.

While waiting for the ship to sail into the United Kingdom, de Leon spoke with Police Deputy Supt. Gallon Cessford Sr., an officer of the Hampshire police, on the details of the killing.

Cessford said the victim, a 40-year-old worker, was injured after a fight below the ship deck while the luxury liner was en route to Norway in the afternoon of May 12.  

The victim was being airlifted to a hospital in the northern coastal town of Groeningen in the Netherlands when he died.  

The foreign office said a postmortem on the worker was scheduled Tuesday in the Netherlands to determine the extent of the injuries.

The suspect has been detained on the ship by the captain, in compliance with Section 105 of the UK Merchant Shipping Act.   

Cessford told Philippine Embassy officials that after he was informed of the killing, he immediately sent seven police officers to Norway to investigate the incident. 

De Leon said the UK police will accompany the Philippine consular officials when they talk to crewmembers who may have witnessed the killing.
--Jonathan Vicente

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Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Cunard Line Announces Queen Victoria's Maiden World Cruise in 2008

Cunard Line Announces Queen Victoria's Maiden World Cruise in 2008 
Cunard Line, the company that pioneered world cruising in 1922 with the
first-ever world cruise aboard the Laconia, will make further maritime
history on January 13, 2008, as its newest ocean liner, Queen Victoria,
departs New York simultaneously with Cunard's esteemed ocean liner,
QE2, for their world cruise voyages. Sailing roundtrip from New York, the
concurrent world cruise departures mark the start of Queen Victoria's
105-day Pathway to the Explorers maiden world cruise and QE2's 90-day
South America, Pacific and Far East Odyssey, her first foray into South
America in more than a decade.

Following a full day of festivities to mark the historic occasion, both
ships will depart for Ft. Lauderdale, where similar celebrations are
planned. From there, the ships will part, each sailing different epic
itineraries before reuniting in Sydney on February 24.

"Continuing Cunard's legacy of noteworthy firsts in maritime history,
we are delighted to announce the simultaneous grand ocean voyages for
our newest liner Queen Victoria and our 'grand dame' QE2. Cunard's World
Cruises are widely considered the 'gold standard' in voyages around the
world. QE2 has undertaken more long voyages than any other ship afloat
and we are delighted that Queen Victoria will continue this fine
tradition -- offering a 21st century ocean liner experience as she makes her
own circumnavigation of the globe in renowned Cunard style," said Carol
Marlow, Cunard Line's president and managing director.

Cunard's third Queen will depart New York on January 13, 2008 on her
Pathway to the Explorers maiden world cruise, calling on 36 cities in 23
countries. Every call, with the exception of Lisbon, will be a maiden
call for Cunard's new Queen. She will circumnavigate the globe in a
westbound direction and, after her New York call, will transit the Panama
Canal before making maiden calls to some of the world's most famous
cities, including Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala
Lumpur, Mumbai, Dubai, Athens and Barcelona. Queen Victoria will
transit the other of the great canals, the Suez, before arriving into
Southampton on April 22. Guests returning to New York will enjoy sailing
aboard Cunard's flagship vessel, Queen Mary 2, on one of her legendary
six-day transatlantic crossings, arriving into the city on April 28.

Early Booking Fares for Queen Victoria's 105-day Pathway to the
Explorers maiden world cruise start from $18,827 per person, double occupancy.

Shorter Liner Voyages are also available and include the 41-day New
York to Sydney voyage with Early Booking Fares starting from $7,810 per
person, double occupancy, and the 47-day Los Angeles to Singapore voyage
with Early Booking Fares starting from $9,146, per person, double
occupancy.

The most experienced world voyager afloat, QE2 will, for the first time
in more than a decade, tour South America and the Pacific in a 90-day
odyssey that will leave New York on January 13 and make stops in 17
countries -- a mix of exciting cities and interesting ports. After
departing New York, QE2 will head around South America calling in Rio de
Janeiro, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands and Valparaiso. Cruising into the
Pacific, she will then circle the world's largest ocean before arriving
in Los Angeles on March 30. Port calls will include Easter Island,
Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and
Honolulu. After transiting the Panama Canal, the ship will return home
to New York on April 12.

Early Booking Fares for QE2's 90-day South America, Pacific and Far
East Odyssey start from $13,355 per person, double occupancy.

Shorter Liner Voyages are also available and include the 42-day New
York to Sydney voyage with Early Booking Fares starting from $6,848, per
person, double occupancy, and the 35-day Sydney to Los Angeles voyage
with Early Booking Fares starting from $4,878, per person, double
occupancy.

The voyages are on sale from June 5, 2006 and Early Booking Fares for
these voyages represent a 15 percent per person savings off brochure
rates. As an extra bonus, guests will save an additional 5 percent when
bookings are made by January 31, 2007. A special amenity package will be
offered to guests booking a Full World Cruise or Liner Voyage including
complimentary shore events for Grill guests.

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Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Canada investigates QE2 liner over dumping

http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_international.asp?id=145151

 

Tuesday, May 02, 2006 6:57:39 PM ET

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is investigating whether the luxury cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 illegally dumped garbage in Canadian waters and could prosecute if there is sufficient evidence, officials said on Tuesday.

The federal Transport Ministry started an investigation after the ship reported last September that it had dumped 3,000 litres (790 U.S. gallons) of paper pulp in waters near the 12-mile limit off Canada's Atlantic coast.

A spokeswoman for Cunard said the firm "regret(s) the accidental discharge of food and waste paper that occurred when QE2 was offshore" and promised to co-operate with the probe.

The Transport Ministry said the next time the QE2 entered a Canadian port, inspectors would board the ship to gather evidence and interview crew members.

"If there's sufficient evidence, and if warranted, we'd prosecute," said Steve Bone. In recent years, ship owners have been fined C$3,000 ($2,700) for dumping garbage in Canadian waters.

Queen Elizabeth 2 is owned by Cunard, a unit of Miami-based cruise line Carnival Corp

 

 

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Tuesday, May 02, 2006

'Pulp' dumped from QE2, probe ordered

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1146480613252&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News

 

 

May 1, 2006. 04:27 PM

CANADIAN PRESS

 

DARTMOUTH, N.S. — One of the world's most elegant cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth 2, is being investigated for polluting the waters off Cape Breton.

Transport Canada confirmed Monday that the ship issued a pollution report to the Canadian Coast Guard on Sept. 9, 2005, the day after it dumped 3,000 litres of what the crew described as ``paper pulp" in Canadian waters.

"We're basically investigating to determine whether there were any infractions of the Canada Shipping Act," said Steve Bone, a Transport Canada spokesman based in Dartmouth.

"Should there be sufficient evidence and if warranted, we'll prosecute. There are fines."

Bone said it remains unclear what was dumped, but there has been speculation it was primarily toilet paper.

The Queen Elizabeth 2, described as a "floating palace" on its website, is operated by Cunard, a subsidiary of Miami-based Carnival Corp.

Calls to Cunard's offices in the U.K. and the United States were not immediately returned.

Clark Wiseman, an Environment Canada enforcement officer, said the mysterious discharge shouldn't alarm Nova Scotians.

"If the material is nothing more chemically complex than paper, then that puts it way down the list," he said. "It's certainly not on the same level as oil, or gasoline or a variety chemicals in industrial use."

Federal officials have up to three years to investigate and plan to interview the crew when the vessel returns to a Canadian port.

The ship is scheduled to arrive in Halifax on Sept. 23. during a cruise to New England.

According to a federal government website, two vessels were fined $3,000 apiece between September 2004 and March 2005 for "the illegal discharge of garbage" in New Brunswick waters. The type and quantity of garbage dumped wasn't listed.

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