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CRUISE LINKS (with Gary Bembridge)

Monday, September 25, 2006

From `Dallas' to war to daughter's wedding, commodore has seen plenty aboard ships

From `Dallas' to war to daughter's wedding, commodore has seen plenty aboard ships

Sunday, September 24, 2006
ABOARD THE QUEEN MARY 2 -- Arguably, no one knows more about transatlantic cruising than Cunard Line Commodore Ronald Warwick, who retired after 36 years at sea, including serving as Master of the Queen Mary 2. Warwick made history when he reached the position of Captain of the Queen Elizabeth 2, because in doing so he followed the footsteps of his father, who also captained that ship. The Commodore sat down for a chat with writer Fran Golden aboard the QM2.
GOLDEN: What are the most common misconceptions for first-time passengers about doing a transatlantic crossing?
WARWICK: I think the most common one is that people think they are going to be bored. And if you sort of define that more by saying whether it's the males or females who think they are going to be bored, it's probably the males. Typically the man is dragged aboard by his wife and then effectively dragged ashore by her at the other end because he's enjoyed it so much. That's happened time and time again.
GOLDEN: What are some of the challenges you've encountered on your hundreds of transatlantic crossings?
WARWICK: We do have the challenges of the weather. The weather in the Atlantic can be horrendous at times but other times it can be just like it is today, like a pond.
GOLDEN: Have you seen icebergs? Rogue waves?
WARWICK: Well, we had a rogue wave several years ago on the QE2, a 90-foot wave. We knew it was going to be very bad weather because we were crossing the path of a hurricane. We had expected 40- to 50-foot waves and everyone was told that. And we got this rogue wave. But the ship was built very strongly so there was only superficial damage to the vessel and no one was injured. And most people slept through it as it occurred at 2 in the morning. As far as ice is concerned it has always been my policy to plot a course around 20 to 25 miles south of any known ice (we get the ice forecasts from the International Ice Patrol and several weather stations). I can't recollect ever seeing any icebergs.
GOLDEN: What has surprised you in terms of how ships have changed over the years?
WARWICK: I have to say I was very surprised when Carnival Corp. took over this company in '98 and announced they were going to build another transatlantic liner, because if you had asked me prior to that time I would have said the QE2 was the last of the ocean liners. But obviously Carnival realized that by building a bigger ship (QM2) and using economies of scale and introducing all the new technology, they can run a very, very efficient operation. So I am very pleased to have been proven wrong.
GOLDEN: You've had a lot of celebrity passengers over the years. Do you have a favorite?
WARWICK: There's one man who sticks out in my mind more than the others and that was a chap called J.R., remember him? J.R. Ewing. Larry Hagman. This is going back a few years but he was the man women loved to hate in that `Dallas' thing. But he came on board QE2 with his wife and daughter and in real life he is totally the opposite. He was so generous with his time. He stopped and had millions of photos taken with strange females on his arm and it was really nice to see.
GOLDEN: What was the hardest part about being a captain?
WARWICK: The hardest part was remembering names with thousands of passengers a week. Otherwise, there's nothing really hard.
CC: What are some of your most memorable experiences as a captain?
WARWICK: I was chief officer of the QE2 when we went to the Falkland Campaign in 1982 and that was a fascinating experience -- not withstanding the reason for going -- to go from being a passenger ship to a troop carrier. The amount of work that took place to convert it was incredible -- to see this magnificent ocean liner converted to a different role working with the Royal Navy. And then there is actually, being appointed Captain of the QE2, which was my burning ambition once I joined the Cunard Line. To have actually achieved that in 1990 was very, very special. And officiating at the marriage of my daughter (on the ship) in Boston. Also being in the shipyard for the construction of this ship, and the keel-laying, and taking this ship out for the first time and the naming ceremony with the Queen of England. It's all been very special.

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Crossing the Atlantic in a variety of styles

Crossing the Atlantic in a variety of styles

Sunday, September 24, 2006
By Fran Golden
ABOARD THE QUEEN MARY 2 -- My relatives came over in steerage generations ago, but for my first trans-Atlantic voyage I packed my fanciest clothes and headed to London and then south to Southampton, U.K., to cross the Atlantic on this hugely fabulous Cunard Line ship to New York. I felt downright royal.
There is something about a crossing: a tradition to uphold, conquering the Atlantic. And it just has to be on every experienced traveler's must-do list.
Yet I boarded the Queen Mary 2 with some trepidation. Would I be bored with six days at sea? Would I get seasick? Would we encounter icebergs or rogue waves?
Still, I decided to go for it.
The Queen Mary 2, as befits her ocean liner status, is not your typical cruise ship.
For one, the $800 million vessel, owned by Carnival Corp., is really, really big, one of the largest ships in the world at 151,400 gross tons, nearly four football fields in length and with a passenger capacity that tops 3,000. She has a hard hull to deal with the sometimes-rough Atlantic (she is the only cruise ship to cross it on a regular schedule) and offers more activities than anyone could possibly imagine doing in six days -- including lectures hosted by Oxford University, acting classes with graduates of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and shows in the ship's planetarium.
But the biggest difference is her old-fashioned ocean liner class system. Guests are assigned dining rooms based on their cabin status.
My friend Kim and I were in a Princess Suite, which meant a nice-sized cabin with private balcony and chilled champagne awaiting our arrival. It also meant we dined in the Princess Grill, a nice restaurant where the waitstaff was perfectly versed in pampering (including finishing some dishes like excellent steaks and lamb chops tableside).
In fact, our entire experience on the Queen Mary 2 involved fine service and pampering.
Above us were Queens Suites, with Queens guests dining in the Queens Grill, similar to our Princess venue but with the added advantage of hot and cold running luxuries, including caviar.
Below us were the normal passengers, dining in Britannia, a perfectly nice, large, two-story dining room with a Titanic ambiance.
We decided it was worth it to upgrade to Princess if you can, if for no other reason than to feel a tad superior to the masses.
Given the sense of history that a crossing inspires, Kim and I were a little surprised to hear a Caribbean band playing "Hot, Hot, Hot" at the sailaway. And that the crowd, the vast majority British and American (the Brits outnumbering Americans by a few hundred) was, well, a little cruise ship-y.
We wanted Elizabeth Taylor dressed in a little black dress and pearls, holding a white poodle (there is such a photo on display on the ship), not people in shorts and jeans doing a conga line. We did spy one person at the sailaway in a cocktail dress; we weren't, however, sure whether it was a man or woman.
It did in fact turn out that the overall atmosphere on the Queen Mary 2 was not as formal as we had anticipated. And this was something some passengers complained about and others seemed to rejoice in (like the folks in the pub who showed up in casual attire even on the three formal nights).
The reality is you could find fancy if you wanted it, especially in the Queen's Room, the ship's ballroom, where ballgowns and tuxes were on full display -- and man, could these people dance. The ship's big band playing, we even observed a pair of kids, the young man in a white tux, his tiny partner in a long black dress with black gloves, impressively waltzing across the dance floor.
At the captain's cocktail party for Princess and Queen guests, one well-dressed couple (from England but transplanted to the United States) complained to Kim and me that the shipboard ambiance was not as luxurious as they anticipated. Sipping on free champagne, they then went on to complain how Americans are butchering the English language. OK, whatever.
Kim and I quickly established our favorite shipboard spots from the long list of lounges and bars and entertainment venues.
Topping the list was the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, where (for a fee) guests can soak in the warm bubbling waters of the Thalassotherapy Pool. So relaxing was the experience, I was practically hallucinating (or maybe it was all the Dramamine I took as protection against slightly rocky seas; although for all but one day of the trip the Atlantic was pretty darn smooth).
The spa also has a whirlpool, fantastic aroma steamroom and herbal sauna. And in between visits to these, you can scoop ice from a fountain and -- if you are like me -- when no one else is looking, pretend to be Kim Bassinger in "9 1/2 Weeks."
Another favorite spot was the Golden Lion pub, where you can chow down on excellent fish and chips washed down with beer on tap while you watch sporting events on the TV screens or passengers playing darts. We happened to be onboard during the World Cup and moaned and groaned with a sizable crowd when England lost its final match. One man sat at the bar, tears rolling down his cheeks.
The pub is also the ship's nighttime karaoke venue, where Ken from the U.K. did a decent "Summertime Blues" with a strong British accent, and one girl butchered Roberta Flack so badly she was "killing us softly" with her voice.
The G32 disco, where one "Graham Cracker" was the not-very-exciting DJ, attracted the vessel's small late-night party crowd. The casino -- with its Monte Carlo-ish card room and Carnival Cruise-ish slots area, also had attendees in the wee hours.
The top dining venue, the Queens Grill not withstanding, is celebrity chef Todd English's self-named restaurant, Moroccan-inspired in decor and serving such Todd treats as "potato love letters" (creamy potato and truffle-filled ravioli: scrumptious) and a warm, melting chocolate cake. (There is a $30 per person charge for dining here at dinner, $20 at lunch).
Rather than stay inside and do the machines in the well-equipped gym, I decided to walk off calories on the Promenade Deck, where one lap around the ship equals a third of a mile. On several days I braved winds and ocean spray, but I set my goal at 2.2 miles a day and stuck to it (on the one day when rain and winds closed the deck, I devised a route inside the ship).
On one of my walks, I kept passing a man with binoculars looking out to sea and finally asked what he was looking at. "Anything," he replied. And then he pointed to a cargo ship in the distance. We had not seen land for five days. And we were somewhere off the coast of Newfoundland. It was not until later that I realized our conversation took place near the site of the Titantic's sinking.
The last day of our trans-Atlantic cruise was truly memorable. Folks got up at 4:15 a.m. (or just stayed up all night) to see the ship enter the waters of New York. At about 4:30 a.m., the ship sailed under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, so close that those on top felt they could practically jump up and touch it. Then Manhattan came into view. And there she was: Lady Liberty standing proudly before us just as the sun began to rise.
My grandparents or their parents saw this view. I felt lucky to be seeing it while wearing a plush bathrobe provided by this luxury liner, on which I was treated like a princess.
%%bodyend%%The Queen Mary 2 makes six-day trans-Atlantic crossings to and from New York from May to November (Note: The seas tend to be rougher toward the end of the season). Rates are from $1,419 to $4,459 for Britannia cabins, $4,999 to $7,309 for Princess Suites and $7,379 to $37,159 for Queen Suites. The ship also sails in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada/New England and South America, and will make her first World Cruise in 2007.

The Queen Mary 2 makes six-day trans-Atlantic crossings to and from New York from May to November (Note: The seas tend to be rougher toward the end of the season). Rates are from $1,419 to $4,459 for Britannia cabins, $4,999 to $7,309 for Princess Suites and $7,379 to $37,159 for Queen Suites. The ship also sails in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada/New England and South America, and will make her first World Cruise in 2007.

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Friday, September 01, 2006

Historic Tandem Transatlantic Crossing And 'First Ever Meeting Of Three Queens' Herald Cunard's 2008 World Cruises

 
 
LONDON, ENGLAND -- (MARKET WIRE) -- August 31, 2006 -- Bookings for the first-ever westbound tandem crossing of two Cunard Queens are now being taken as Cunard launches its much anticipated main 2008 World Cruise brochure - on sale 1 September 2006. And not only will the crossing be historic, but their arrival in New York will be unparalleled, as they are greeted in the harbour by their flagship sister Queen Mary 2 - the first-ever meeting of three Cunard Queens.
The new brochure also details new World Cruise segments from GBP1,899 per person and exclusive new Cunard tours in the Far East and Australia from GBP1,450 per person.
Amidst a great fanfare, the world's newest Cunarder, Queen Victoria, and the world's most famous ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, will leave their homeport of Southampton on Sunday 6 January 2008 and head for New York at the start of their 2008 World Cruises. QE2, making her 804th Atlantic crossing, will escort Queen Victoria, making her first, to New York where they will arrive a week later on 13 January to meet up with Queen Mary 2. Cunard's 168-year reign on the Atlantic has produced countless memories and historic occasions but none will have a finale like this.
The Cunard flagship and the largest liner in the world, Queen Mary 2, will greet her sisters with a host of photo opportunities, and special events will mark the event - a first in maritime history.
Fares for the tandem crossing on Queen Victoria range from GBP999 to GBP15,849 per person while for QE2 they range from GBP899 to GBP13,799.
QE2 will then escort Queen Victoria to Fort Lauderdale where they will arrive two days later. There the ships will bid farewell to each other and will set off on different journeys to the other side of the world where they will see each other again in a further spectacular 'Meeting of the Queens' in Sydney on Sunday 24 February.
The tandem crossing and 'Meeting of the Queens' in Southampton, New York, Fort Lauderdale and Sydney are just part of Cunard's historic 2008 World Cruise story - full details of which can be found in the new brochure, along with itineraries and prices for longer and shorter segments of these momentous voyages. Guests can choose to travel on just one Queen, or combine sectors on QE2 and Queen Victoria.
Cunard Line invented World Cruising in 1922 and will take this tradition to new heights in 2008 with its brand-new 90,000-ton liner Queen Victoria offering its 106-night 'Maiden World Cruise' as well as the world's most famous ocean liner, QE2, offering a 103-night 'South America, Pacific and Orient Odyssey'. These epic voyages follow just a year after the 'Maiden World Cruise' of Queen Mary 2 and the 25th World Cruise of QE2 in 2007.
Carol Marlow, Cunard's President and Managing Director, says:
"Cunard's famous, historic, World Cruises have always set the benchmark for round-the-world voyaging and 2008 will take that tradition to a new height with the introduction of a new Queen to the world, the first ever westbound tandem crossing and the spectacular meetings we have planned for our ships around the world - starting with all three Queens in New York. The company has never before issued its full World Cruise brochure so early but as 2008 promises to be such a landmark year we have published it now to give our past guests and Cunard newcomers ample opportunity to secure their place in history".
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 in New York and Florida, she will make her first transit of 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. En route, Queen Victoria will also transit the Suez Canal, before returning to her homeport of Southampton on 22 April. Early Booking Fares for the complete voyage range from GBP10,999 per person for double occupancy of a D8 inside cabin to GBP115,869 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 GBP5,799 to GBP53,379) and Singapore to Southampton (35-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from GBP4,199 to GBP38,849).
The new brochure details the new sectors now available including Southampton to Los Angeles (25-nights including the historic tandem crossing and ports in the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and California; fares range from GBP2,899 to GBP26,659 per person) and Sydney to Singapore (24-nights around Australia and up through the Far East; fares range from GBP3,699 to GBP25,469 per person).
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 GBP8,999 per person for double occupancy of an M6 inside cabin to GBP114,919 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 GBP6,249 to GBP76,579) and Sydney to Los Angeles (35-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from GBP4,319 to GBP43,269).
The new brochure also details QE2's sectors for 2008 including Southampton to Valparaiso (32-nights including the tandem crossing and around South America; fares range from GBP3,599 to GBP38,079 per person) and Singapore to Los Angeles (21-nights across the Pacific including Hawaii; fares range from GBP2,699 to GBP26,079 per person).
'One Voyage, Two Ships'
In Sydney, guests who wish to can enjoy a 'One Voyage, Two Ships' adventure by swapping from ship to the other. This combination voyage (also offered in the new 2008 World Cruise brochure) involves sailing from Southampton to Sydney on QE2 (48-nights) before transferring to Queen Victoria for 58-nights on 24 February and returning home on 22 April after a 106-night journey; fares range from GBP10,098 to GBP122,288 per person.
Early Booking Benefits
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.
Promotional fares range from GBP10,098 to GBP122,288 per person for the 'One Voyage, Two Ships' combination.
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.
 

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