I was a member of the staff of the QE2 from 1994 - 1998. As a member of the staff I had a "cushy" position and my own private cabin and dined in the passenger's Mauritania Restaurant ... not the crew mess. It was best job of my life. Traveled the world. Met celebrities. Fine dining. Now, in my home, I dedicated a guest bedroom to a QE2 theme ... it is filled with QE2 memorabilia.
These liners have piqued my interest for the majority of my life. I even spent my honeymoon on the Queen Mary, but I would've given the majority of my life's earnings to have seen the Olympic before she was scrapped. The Titanic was always my favorite liner for obvious reasons, but all maritime history has taken a large majority of my interest throughout the years.
Btw, I was born in 1983, so clearly the Olympic was gone LONG before I was born, almost 50 years, but I still wish that White Star/Cunard would've sold the Olympic to a controlling interest to sell her as a hotel/conference center/museum ship like QM because Olympic would've most definitely had attracted Titanic buffs.
In 1967 I was taken on as a trainee ropelayer in the Belfast Ropework Company, a subsiduary of Harland & Wolff Shipbuilders. Initially I learned the skill on old Victorian machines operated by leather belts driven by an overhead shaft that was itself driven by the River Connswater. Most of the machines were geared for one-inch hemp ropes, and frequently broke down through age or more usually the belts breaking or coming adrift. They were also highly dangerous, offering little protection to the operator, and there were certainly a number of these who lost a finger, hand or arm through being careless! After six weeks of training, I was suddenly put onto a brand new electric machine that was designed specifically to make synthetic ropes. After a further short training on this machine, I was given my first big job, which was to make various ropes for no less a customer than Cunard, and it's new ship, the QE2. It took several months to complete the quota, which I had to do ALONE at night in a 40-acre factory, during which time I never saw another soul, apart from the passing night supervisor checking to see that I was on the job. I have to say that I hated the work, and as soon as the QE2 job was completed, I handed in my notice and left the Belfast Ropewoks for good. Nevertheless, I left with a sense of pride in having made my tiny imprint in history - all of the synthetic ropes used for guylines, hawsers, matting and cargo nets for a famous ship and an equally famous shipping company, Cunard.
Extremely well built. And that design!! Ship simply time-proof. Untouchable for passing years! Like 'Mary' 534. Good work indeed. 😊👍🇵🇱🇬🇧♍ On the other hand who could have imagined our small 'Batory' to remain 33 years in service? Ships, especially those with souls, can do it!!!
Nice video! I sailed on QE2 six times as a child with my parents in her last five years in service. QE2 was my favourite ship before we even sailed on her, my Dad introducing me to the ship as he had followed her construction as a child in a scrapbook he still has. This meant every trip on her was a dream come true! She was our second home, having become smitten with her on our first trip - a westbound transatlantic, my parents having decided to bite the bullet and sail on her before she was gone after seeing her sail from Southampton from the excellent vantage point of Calshot Spit about a year before. I have many happy memories such as visiting her bridge for the first time on our third trip, with the onboard nursery, whilst we were sailing at nearly 28.5 knots. I had my photo taken at her helm and was nearly blown over by her headwind when I stuck my head above the leading edge of her port bridge wing as the weather deflectors weren't doing their job on that occasion! That first bridge visit ignited my childhood dream to become a deck officer, a dream that is now coming true through a deck officer cadetship. A very special ship in many ways, to many people. Her onboard atmosphere and human aspects being just as special as the ship herself. I could write a book with my memories and the photos my parents and I took. My Dad filmed our last trip on her in July 2008 and also filmed her from QM2 on the final tandem crossing in October 2008. It was both bittersweet and awesome seeing our second home in her element from the decks of another ocean liner. Here's a link to my Dad's UA-cam channel: ua-cam.com/users/JimJamPixel I host most of my parents and my QE2 photos on my Flickr account here: www.flickr.com/photos/thomashypher/ I have various QE2 videos on my UA-cam channel, including from revisiting her in Dubai in January 2020, where I also got to visit her bridge for the third time whilst filming for the most recently made QE2 documentary (on national television here in the UK and also shown overseas since) - a few weeks before the bridge opened for heritage tours out in Dubai. My bit of the documentary is at this link: fb.watch/9pkzYB0KSg/
@THypher1 "That first bridge visit ignited my childhood dream to become a deck officer, a dream that is now coming true through a deck officer cadetship." - Good on you !
Hi from Scotland. I just subscribed to your site. Fascinating. I traveled back from New York to Southampton in 1969 when I was 6. It is one of the few periods of my early age which remains vivid in my memory even in my 60’s and your video just made those happy memories even clearer. I’m hooked on your videos. Excellent work !
I joined the QE2 many times as a mechanical engineer of MAN-Company, which delivered the nine Diesel Engines. In this function I did many cruise trips with this ship, as well as many Atlantic Crossings. An exciting and interesting time, which I never want to miss.
The QE2 is the only one of the true Transatlantic liner I was fortunate enough ever to see in real life. She sailed to Boston many times & I was lucky enough to tour her once in the early 70s while she was berthed at Commonwealth Pier.
My mother had always wanted to sail on one of the big liners, so my parents went to England on the QEII for their 50th anniversary. (They came back on the Concorde.)
Wow that's very fitting...two of the most iconic machines ever built, for 2 very different futures that never came to be, both in service around the same time, and both retired in the 2000's. Truly a dream trip if I'd ever have one, like travelling through the ages, the best of modernism and tradition the 20th century had to offer..
@baritonebynight Qm2 built in a foreign ship yard. So can never be a truly British ship. QE2 was the last of the line, British built and thankfully now a floating hotel.
Another great vid. Fun fact: during the launch she actually got stuck on her slip and it took a bit after the bottle hit for her to glide into the Clyde.
You missed the best part, Prince Philip jokingly started to push the QE2, as she got unstuck so it seemed that he had singlehandedly pushed the QE2 of her slip!
It is perhaps ironic that it was jet travel that led to the one time I was fortunate enough to sail on the QE2. On moving to Europe for a year for my father's work, we flew over and we kids suffered terribly from jet lag. So much so that my parents decided that we would sail home on the QE2, since the pace the Queen kept was 'a time zone a day'. It was unfortunate that my father ended up having to fly home as his father died unexpectedly, but Mom soldiered on, shepherding two children (11 and 5) onto the ship at Southampton. Where we found that the chefs and the waiters had been in a 'disagreement' that had ended with kitchen knives out and the wait staff on strike until the chefs apologized (or something like that...it was 1970 and I was 11, so memory is hazy). We sat in the bar and the nice bartenders fed us peanuts and mixed nuts, which was all the food they had available. We were delayed in departure due to this 'disagreement', and so we put into Le Havre for luggage pickup in the middle of the night. My mother was very concerned about our belongings, especially her guitar, but our lovely steward saw that everything was safely aboard and secured for us to collect in the morning. It was a lovely trip after that, and no jet lag marred our experience!
As someone who lives in Glasgow, near Clydebank, the city and river where all these great liners were built from the QE2, Queen Mary to the Aquatania, it’s honestly depressing seeing where this city has gone ):
She is the most beautiful liner ever built, I am an 81 year old ex seaman and I have seen lots of them since the mid-fifties, born in Belfast, brought up with the history of the Olympic class, I saw the Canberra launched (A stunner as well) but the QE2 is the culmination of transatlantic liners!
I live in new mexico, thoroughly landlocked though i grew up on the gulf coast. while i love the desert and the mountains i do miss the sea. i love older ships of military and passenger type and i grew up reading everything i could find about ships and naval history from Bucheim's Das Boot to Jan De Hartog's to C.S. Forester one of the worst days of my life was when i found out that Carnival bought Cunard. one day my friend Sam, a former boatwright, at Costco, the monumental bastion of middle class mediocrity and there was a kiosk with pictures of cruise ships, those frightening top heavy not very seaworthy floating hotels which cause me to become wistful about roge waves, when i spotted a picture of a real liner with beautiful lines, a balanced look to her, recalling days when ship builders respected ships. i had been ragging on the Carnival monstrosities when i saw that beautiful ship and i said "Now There's A Ship! i would sail on her! Sam leaned over to me and Growled : "That's the QE2!!
It is the same funnel just massively rebuilt to accommodate 9 diesel exhausts plus 2 auxiliary boiler exhausts compared to just 3 boiler exhausts and a steam pressure release valve in it's original steam era form. Cunard had originally planned to give QE2 a brand new funnel of a new design in what was planned to be an even more extensive 1986/7 re-engining refit than it actually was (still her most major refit) but they decided against this as the funnel had become iconic by that time and they decided to adapt it to it's new job. The new form of the funnel incorporates sheet steel damaged in her 1976 (steam era) engine room fire that can be seen very prominently in certain lighting conditions and the scoop at it's base was reused and widened to accommodate the funnel getting fatter.
I was a Stewardess on QE2 from 1969-1975, an amazing ship and we went through MANY adventures during this period. 1st visit to Israel and bomb scares, hurricanes etc.😅 7:06
You know I’m a groupie already, but was just being nostalgic about QE2 because I completed two models of her, so I watched the video again. What a great thorough, and cohesive video this was. I know it’s due to my age and love of originality, that I preferred many of her original colors and venues to the way she finished up, but she did mature into a very comfortable liner. I do hope you make pilgrimage to her in Dubai. You will, I hope, still get that old feeling when you step on board. She always feels like she is welcoming you home. ❤️
Another entertaining video and another lovely ship. Great stuff 👍 It was funny you should say that the Chief Designer designed her with a yacht like style since one of the co-designers was Jon Bannenberg (he did the Double Room) whom became the undisputed Father of modern yacht design. Actually in many of Jons yachts the reversed sloping windows of the aft decks of QE2 can be found. Another fun fact is that the shipyard John Brown nearly went bust building the m/s Kungsholm for Swedish American Line which was launched in 1966. The ship became much more expensive to build that the yars had quoted so in the period of economic uncertainty the fate of the QE2 was also in jeopardy. Keep up your great work and I really look forward to your next movie 😍
Very amazing and influential ship for sure. Getting to see the refit from the older steam turbine system to diesel-electric would have been mind-blowing. That's a huge undertaking to the very core of the ship, but props to Cunard for designing her in a way that made it possible.
I had the great privilege of sailing on the QE 2 from Le Havre to New York with 4 classmates who had spent five years together with me studying in Europe. In the summer of 1977, transportation on the ship, which included our baggage (enormous trunks filled with books), was less expensive than flying with such freight. The crossing was wonderful, even magical, with excellent food, drink and entertainment. Although I continued to receive mailing from Cunard, often with enticing offers, I was never able to repeat the experience. But I still have fond and vivid memories of one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life!
I was borne in California 1968 . My Aunt and Uncle Imagrated to American soil from post WWII most of the trip on The Queen Mary. I toured her after she retired. I was a small boy. Very Impressed by the work put into her. Especially the Wood work and her over all size . She's like a Massive Family Airlum . I also was lucky enough to see Q.E. II come into Port .
I just woke up and saw this before I made coffee and put my glasses on. I just saw the headline and thought it was a video about Elton John. Looking forward to another great video!
Apparently the Queen was determined that, as her grandmother "had" the Queen Mary and her mother the Queen Elizabeth, the QE2 would bear her name and be "hers".
QE2 is a monument to the great tradition of Cunard, the greatest Ocean Line of all time! Renowned for reliability, tradition, high safety standards, innovation, and passenger comfort. Let us remember which ship came without hesitancy to the rescue of the remaining victims of the White Star Line Titanic......the Cunard ship 'Carpathia'. Today we have following that fine tradition, the great Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, the Queen Elizabeth.
From my research, the only ship lost by Cunard was the Lusitania during WW1 as a result of an act of war by a torpedo launched by a German U Boat. Cunard's safety record from the 1840s is exemplary!!!
Although I think Queen Mary 2 was done right, I was disappointed to the the new Queen Elizabeth and Victoria looked like your average cruise ships. So much more could have been done with their experior design to maintain the historic Cunard look.
It was a real bummer to me, especially since when QM2 was being built that she was described as a new class of superliner. Usually class means you're going to be building more than one. Ordering two Vista and now a Pinnacle class clone was just, a big letdown, both from a traditional perspective and also an engineering perspective. Because let's be honest, while cruise ships push the boundaries in size and accomodations and I appreciate them for it, ocean liners are technical masterpieces. End of the day though, I still have a deep fondness for the QV and QE. While they do have big shoes to fill bearing those names, they still have a bit of ocean liner in them, both in their interiors and amenities but also in their engineering, with their reinforced bows and slightly greater size when compared to other Vista and Pinnacle class ships. Lastly, while Cunard did miss out on the opportunity to actually boast owning the most famous ocean liners in the world, I'm kinda glad QM2 is the only one. You see all these cruise ships, and then you see QM2 sticking out from them all, like a great light. And that light really gives you something to believe in, something to aim for, because you know that this is what we can do when at our best. And it further adds to the mystique of ocean liners, as being a rare yet legendary work of art. Plus it makes me extra excited for her successor. :D
They do not look like average cruise ships, they don't like ocean liners, because they are not. But they are pretty traditional, not like a modern cruise liner their stern is completely different and interiors traditional. I'm actually baffled by your comment, have you seen a modern cruise ship and them next to each other? The reason it looks different to QM2 is because it's a different designer. They are also still quite attractive ships especially Victoria.
Using this video as a source for my AP Seminar class research paper. I wanted to write about something I'm interested in, so I chose "How Did Ocean Liners Adapt to the Threat of Airliners?" Thanks for making such great content, man, I really appreciate all the effort you put into this stuff :)
Cunard really saves itself with the queen mary 2 and all the ships being built by adapting to the cruise industry but they still offer transatlantic voyages which keeps the old tradition alive.
The finest Transatlantic liners ever built, QM, her sidekick QE and the QE2 , the terrific trio, unrivalled for Strength, Reliability, and all round Excellence. Must say though QM is me favourite then QE then QE 2. All Magnificent ships.
I am a naval/ocean liner enthusiast..and somehow I stumbled over this video in my feed I really enjoyed your video.. I have liked and subscribed.,and I will now click on more of your efforts
My parents had their honeymoon on the QE2. Sadly they got a divorce afterwards and I was sent to live with my father in CA while my twin was sent to live in London with my mother. I only found out about this when my twin and I happened to go to the same summer camp and we decided to switch places and get our parents back together.
I've been fortunate enough to cross the Atlantic from NY to Southampton thrice on the QE2 in 1971, '74 and '77. If I'm not mistaken, I recall she had a B&W funnel with a red lining of the air intake in those years. The entertainment, service, comfort were outstanding, but I do remember the food on the Italian line's Rafaello and Michelangelo was better to my taste.
Th ebest thing about her conversion to a hotel is that her engines and bridge were preserved and all changes are meant to be reversible. Which was the same thig done to the M.S. Doulos Phos, S/s Borea (The second to last 2 funnel ocean liner), M/s Birger Jarl etc!
And that is perhaps the coolest part about her to me. That even though she is now enjoying the retirement life, despite her age, she can still come back out if needed. :D
These videos are Fabulous. I especially like the ones on The Queen Mary. It's a Museum of Natural history as far as it one of the few places we can appreciate wood from Trees that are long gone. I believe it's like WWII P.T. Boats a regular grocery list of rare wood . It would be interesting stuff from a D.N.A level to bring back those Trees. Some one should research it. Large to small vessel even if they are on the bottom in Davey Jones locker .😁 wonderful video
Ah yes. QE2 the Great (just made that up :). Learned something new today: had no idea she had a garage! Surely QM2 retains that feature, for that is genius. Like I said in your greatest Queen poll, I firmly give it to QE2, for the reasons that you and I listed. She's a survivor who more than passed the test of time, and we wouldn't still have the transatlantic tradition without her. While I would've liked to see her still at home in the UK, she's in good hands with the Saudis. I'm not worried about her one bit.
They really are "a portal in time". Nothing could adapt and display a current trend better than a luxury liner or cruise ship. I'm also loving that I'm learning a lot while watching these videos. That there was a difference in a trans Atlantic ship and a cruise ship. These company's had to have so much pressure on them too! Doing maintenance while at sea? Heading to South America with 4k plus full of troops with only ONE engine? When to convert....when to do this or that...because if you ain't moving....you ain't making MONEY! B/O/B.....thank you for these wonderful videos!
i had a Thai friend who began working on the Qe2 in his late 20s. i think he was there for 15 years or more then after the ship retired he began his role on the QM2 as a butler. I lost touch with him quite some time ago. he must be in his 50s and i guess still be working on the QM2 because i cant think he could do much else as the name QE2, Qm2, Cunard runs through his veins. i often wonder how he is going on these days along with his partner who had worked a fair bit longer for Cunard.
Came here for more videos after running out of Historic Travels and Oceanliner Designs ones to watch, stayed for the synth heavy beats in the background music
Great video but when you discuss the name, you miss out the crucial fact that the the monarch wasn't the second in Scotland, where the ship was built. This is at least partly why they chose 2 instead of II after she accidentally said "the second" during the naming
I was living in Rhode Island when the QE2 ran aground while attempting to navigate through the Cape Cod canal. The newspaper reported that one passenger was quite upset that as to the predicament of the liner, and asked the Captain if they should prepare to abandon the ship. The Captain replied, "But Madam, why? The ship is already on the bottom of ocean! [have some more champagne!]"
First of all let me say: Love these vids! Thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to research these and give us this awesome content! y only criticism of your videos is this: Your narration audio seems to be too quiet, maybe muffled or simply you just dont speak loud enough. I find most of the music you have in your videos is far louder/cleaner/crisper on my surround system but your voice is somewhat dulled/muffled, like im listening to your voice thru a pillow from across the room. BUT again, awesome content! Keep up the great work and THANK YOU for doing this for us! HAPPY NEW YEAR and may 2022 bring you every happiness.
Last of the "real" liners, not a floating apartment block cum Las Vegas style "showboat" that we get today...excellent video, well documented and most enjoyable, thank you.
Wonderful Video!! Informative and entertaining! Professional scripted and narrated ! Big Old Boats videos are always the best of the best !!! The Queen Elizabeth 2 was a fantastic ship with a grand and amazing career. The exterior styling was sleek and beautiful ! I especially loved the later styling with the larger “ Cunard Orange “ funnel and the deluxe balcony suites added!!! A definite improvement. Her war record in the Falklands was something to inspire pride ! But , here I have to say , I never cared much for her interior decor. Too modern and sterile looking for my tastes!! A uninviting 1970’s Howard Johnson Hotel vibe ?!? Didn’t appeal to me ! SORRY! I had the chance to see her in Los Angeles Harbor , when she was on a World Cruise in the early 1990’s ! Beautiful and Inspiring ship !! I’m glad she has the chance to live on now in Dubai !!! God Bless in QE2 !!!!
Dates are slightly wrong on this Cunard conducted a shakedown cruise Dec 1968 from Greenock with company employees and their families on board but engine problems delayed return to Southampton till 2 January 1969 were Cunard refused delivery of the ship till engines were fixed. Maiden voyage was April 69 to New York. How do I know all this? My dad worked for Cunard and I was on the shakedown cruise as a 12 year old boy. We still have a set of 35mm slides from the trip with the original brand new QE2 interior.
You got to do the Sisters that Saved Cunard as a follow up! Saga sisters need respect that they deserve is saving Cunard upgrading them from blah cruise line with history and a swan to luxury again!
Great vlog! Have you done one with SS France/Norway? Here is a fun fact. The Norway became the first cruise ship that the pax insisted being on. If she sailed this route, or that route. It did not matter. They wanted to sail onboard the Norway. That was something totaly new back then. I remember when Mr. Knut Kloster bought her in 1980 many thought he was nuts. How will he be able to fill her wilth people? The other thought was that is this awesome liner be a horrible looking cruise ship. Boy, were we wrong. She started the race for newer and bigger cruise ships. Until then all cruise ships had been old liners or ferries. Not any more! Look at the airline industry. In the old days the LCC, low cost carriers bought older aircraft from the big airlines. Today it is the LCC that are giving Boeing and Airbus huge orders of new aircraft. Now you know!
Great documentary, I would argue one point, at 19:26 you say she is the one reason we can still book a trans Atlantic voyage today. I would argue that point, to be frank, the real reason would be Micky Arison. He pushed through the building of the QM2 when ocean liners were done.
Fair point. I more meant that the QE2 kept Cunard in business through the challenging 70's and 80's and demonstrated that there was still a niche market for transatlantic voyages in the late 90's. I don't think QM2 or Cunard would exist today if QE2 failed or didn't get built.
@@BigOldBoats I don't know about that. You have to remember Cunard also had the Countess and Princess that were pretty much printing $$$ for Cunard from the mid 70's on. Please don't get me wrong, I spent a good amount of time on the QE2 thanks to my fathers job with Cunard.
Ultimately Micky saved the ship, but QE2 kept Cunard going largely on her own until he came along nearly 30 years later... He bought Cunard purely to get hold of QE2 and to build her successor. QE2 was hugely profitable, with that rocketing after the Falklands boosted her profile further, hence it being worthwhile carrying out the largest merchant ship conversion ever.
@@stigjohnnynaustdal4844 yes. QE2s was far more complex. She was fully converted from steam turbine to diesel electric and it cost more than a new cruise ship would have done.
Can you please tell me where you found all the original videos of her Interior (11:50-15:00)? Would be very grateful to you because I never find them on UA-cam.
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When will you do the Story of the SS Windsor Castle?
Now your content is great but it would be fun to see you make a new Chanel… about the world war. Keep this cahnnel in great health tho
This is the best QE2 video ever!
If your socoalife is dull, you can hang out with me.
I was a member of the staff of the QE2 from 1994 - 1998. As a member of the staff I had a "cushy" position and my own private cabin and dined in the passenger's Mauritania Restaurant ... not the crew mess. It was best job of my life. Traveled the world. Met celebrities. Fine dining. Now, in my home, I dedicated a guest bedroom to a QE2 theme ... it is filled with QE2 memorabilia.
Can you tell me what years the Royal Doulton Ritz China was used?
That sounds divine.... How wonderful ☺️
Omg can I stay in that room
These liners have piqued my interest for the majority of my life. I even spent my honeymoon on the Queen Mary, but I would've given the majority of my life's earnings to have seen the Olympic before she was scrapped. The Titanic was always my favorite liner for obvious reasons, but all maritime history has taken a large majority of my interest throughout the years.
Btw, I was born in 1983, so clearly the Olympic was gone LONG before I was born, almost 50 years, but I still wish that White Star/Cunard would've sold the Olympic to a controlling interest to sell her as a hotel/conference center/museum ship like QM because Olympic would've most definitely had attracted Titanic buffs.
In 1967 I was taken on as a trainee ropelayer in the Belfast Ropework Company, a subsiduary of Harland & Wolff Shipbuilders. Initially I learned the skill on old Victorian machines operated by leather belts driven by an overhead shaft that was itself driven by the River Connswater. Most of the machines were geared for one-inch hemp ropes, and frequently broke down through age or more usually the belts breaking or coming adrift. They were also highly dangerous, offering little protection to the operator, and there were certainly a number of these who lost a finger, hand or arm through being careless!
After six weeks of training, I was suddenly put onto a brand new electric machine that was designed specifically to make synthetic ropes. After a further short training on this machine, I was given my first big job, which was to make various ropes for no less a customer than Cunard, and it's new ship, the QE2. It took several months to complete the quota, which I had to do ALONE at night in a 40-acre factory, during which time I never saw another soul, apart from the passing night supervisor checking to see that I was on the job. I have to say that I hated the work, and as soon as the QE2 job was completed, I handed in my notice and left the Belfast Ropewoks for good. Nevertheless, I left with a sense of pride in having made my tiny imprint in history - all of the synthetic ropes used for guylines, hawsers, matting and cargo nets for a famous ship and an equally famous shipping company, Cunard.
No one could ever have imagined back in 1969 that QE2 would be in service for almost 40 years
Extremely well built. And that design!! Ship simply time-proof. Untouchable for passing years! Like 'Mary' 534. Good work indeed. 😊👍🇵🇱🇬🇧♍ On the other hand who could have imagined our small 'Batory' to remain 33 years in service? Ships, especially those with souls, can do it!!!
1969 also saw the first flights of the Concorde prototypes. Imagine telling someone the QE2 would outlive Concorde then, they'd laugh in your face.
@@JoeStudd96 No one could have imagined QE2 would sail all the way until 2008.
Came back to watch again as a way to commemorate Elizabeth II. Thank you for this and all your other videos.
Same
Nice video! I sailed on QE2 six times as a child with my parents in her last five years in service.
QE2 was my favourite ship before we even sailed on her, my Dad introducing me to the ship as he had followed her construction as a child in a scrapbook he still has. This meant every trip on her was a dream come true! She was our second home, having become smitten with her on our first trip - a westbound transatlantic, my parents having decided to bite the bullet and sail on her before she was gone after seeing her sail from Southampton from the excellent vantage point of Calshot Spit about a year before.
I have many happy memories such as visiting her bridge for the first time on our third trip, with the onboard nursery, whilst we were sailing at nearly 28.5 knots. I had my photo taken at her helm and was nearly blown over by her headwind when I stuck my head above the leading edge of her port bridge wing as the weather deflectors weren't doing their job on that occasion! That first bridge visit ignited my childhood dream to become a deck officer, a dream that is now coming true through a deck officer cadetship.
A very special ship in many ways, to many people. Her onboard atmosphere and human aspects being just as special as the ship herself.
I could write a book with my memories and the photos my parents and I took. My Dad filmed our last trip on her in July 2008 and also filmed her from QM2 on the final tandem crossing in October 2008. It was both bittersweet and awesome seeing our second home in her element from the decks of another ocean liner.
Here's a link to my Dad's UA-cam channel: ua-cam.com/users/JimJamPixel
I host most of my parents and my QE2 photos on my Flickr account here: www.flickr.com/photos/thomashypher/
I have various QE2 videos on my UA-cam channel, including from revisiting her in Dubai in January 2020, where I also got to visit her bridge for the third time whilst filming for the most recently made QE2 documentary (on national television here in the UK and also shown overseas since) - a few weeks before the bridge opened for heritage tours out in Dubai.
My bit of the documentary is at this link: fb.watch/9pkzYB0KSg/
please write a book; you write beautifully
@THypher1 "That first bridge visit ignited my childhood dream to become a deck officer, a dream that is now coming true through a deck officer cadetship." - Good on you !
Still miss your Normandie video, hopefully it will be back.
WHAT HAPPENED TO IT
@@doeixo it disappeared sadly.
Probably something to do with UA-cam being a scummy company. Love these videos too.
@@mcguire2038 Probably more like one of the video clips in it was owned by a scummy copyright holder
@MisterAMC 117 I completely agree.
Hi from Scotland. I just subscribed to your site. Fascinating. I traveled back from New York to Southampton in 1969 when I was 6. It is one of the few periods of my early age which remains vivid in my memory even in my 60’s and your video just made those happy memories even clearer. I’m hooked on your videos. Excellent work !
I joined the QE2 many times as a mechanical engineer of MAN-Company, which delivered the nine Diesel Engines. In this function I did many cruise trips with this ship, as well as many Atlantic Crossings. An exciting and interesting time, which I never want to miss.
I am revisiting this video after the news that broke today, September 8th, 2022.
The QE2 is the only one of the true Transatlantic liner I was fortunate enough ever to see in real life. She sailed to Boston many times & I was lucky enough to tour her once in the early 70s while she was berthed at Commonwealth Pier.
My mother had always wanted to sail on one of the big liners, so my parents went to England on the QEII for their 50th anniversary. (They came back on the Concorde.)
Wow that's very fitting...two of the most iconic machines ever built, for 2 very different futures that never came to be, both in service around the same time, and both retired in the 2000's.
Truly a dream trip if I'd ever have one, like travelling through the ages, the best of modernism and tradition the 20th century had to offer..
Have crossed the Atlantic 4 times with her - get really sentimental. The last real ship. Thank you
I beg to differ. We still have QM2.
@@baritonebynight Sorry QM2 is a swimming skyscraper - far away from QE2
@@hplfd1However- its still not a cruise ship, so there's that
@baritonebynight Qm2 built in a foreign ship yard. So can never be a truly British ship. QE2 was the last of the line, British built and thankfully now a floating hotel.
Another great vid. Fun fact: during the launch she actually got stuck on her slip and it took a bit after the bottle hit for her to glide into the Clyde.
You missed the best part, Prince Philip jokingly started to push the QE2, as she got unstuck so it seemed that he had singlehandedly pushed the QE2 of her slip!
It is perhaps ironic that it was jet travel that led to the one time I was fortunate enough to sail on the QE2. On moving to Europe for a year for my father's work, we flew over and we kids suffered terribly from jet lag. So much so that my parents decided that we would sail home on the QE2, since the pace the Queen kept was 'a time zone a day'. It was unfortunate that my father ended up having to fly home as his father died unexpectedly, but Mom soldiered on, shepherding two children (11 and 5) onto the ship at Southampton. Where we found that the chefs and the waiters had been in a 'disagreement' that had ended with kitchen knives out and the wait staff on strike until the chefs apologized (or something like that...it was 1970 and I was 11, so memory is hazy). We sat in the bar and the nice bartenders fed us peanuts and mixed nuts, which was all the food they had available. We were delayed in departure due to this 'disagreement', and so we put into Le Havre for luggage pickup in the middle of the night. My mother was very concerned about our belongings, especially her guitar, but our lovely steward saw that everything was safely aboard and secured for us to collect in the morning. It was a lovely trip after that, and no jet lag marred our experience!
RIP Queen Elizabeth: Girl, young lady, woman, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and Queen.
No its a ship.
@@7sevensevern
Ships are Queens of the Sea
As someone who lives in Glasgow, near Clydebank, the city and river where all these great liners were built from the QE2, Queen Mary to the Aquatania, it’s honestly depressing seeing where this city has gone ):
They weren't built in Glasgow...
@@rob_lightbody pedant
They weren’t built in Glasgow, they were built in Scotland, UK.
I was at the launch in CLYDEBANK
@@IhaveQuit124 How can a comment like this go unreplied to for 6 months… Glasgow is literally in Scotland.
my first time on QE2, I was 11 and my cabin was 4007. some things you never forget.
She is the most beautiful liner ever built, I am an 81 year old ex seaman and I have seen lots of them since the mid-fifties, born in Belfast, brought up with the history of the Olympic class, I saw the Canberra launched (A stunner as well) but the QE2 is the culmination of transatlantic liners!
I hope you're doing great, man.
I live in new mexico, thoroughly landlocked though i grew up on the gulf coast. while i love the desert and the mountains i do miss the sea. i love older ships of military and passenger type and i grew up reading everything i could find about ships and naval history from Bucheim's Das Boot to Jan De Hartog's to C.S. Forester
one of the worst days of my life was when i found out that Carnival bought Cunard. one day my friend Sam, a former boatwright, at Costco, the monumental bastion of middle class mediocrity and there was a kiosk with pictures of cruise ships, those frightening top heavy not very seaworthy floating hotels which cause me to become wistful about roge waves, when i spotted a picture of a real liner with beautiful lines, a balanced look to her, recalling days when ship builders respected ships. i had been ragging on the Carnival monstrosities when i saw that beautiful ship and i said "Now There's A Ship! i would sail on her! Sam leaned over to me and Growled : "That's the QE2!!
The "shoutout to her many weird-ass funnels" cracked me up.
:)
It is the same funnel just massively rebuilt to accommodate 9 diesel exhausts plus 2 auxiliary boiler exhausts compared to just 3 boiler exhausts and a steam pressure release valve in it's original steam era form.
Cunard had originally planned to give QE2 a brand new funnel of a new design in what was planned to be an even more extensive 1986/7 re-engining refit than it actually was (still her most major refit) but they decided against this as the funnel had become iconic by that time and they decided to adapt it to it's new job.
The new form of the funnel incorporates sheet steel damaged in her 1976 (steam era) engine room fire that can be seen very prominently in certain lighting conditions and the scoop at it's base was reused and widened to accommodate the funnel getting fatter.
Yes that really cracked me up.
Can we just appreciate the quality of the intro?! The music choice is incredible!!
thank you for this great little video of the QE2. Your channel has brought me much joy, thanks for your hard work and super stories!
Thank you, I'm really glad you're enjoying it!
I was a Stewardess on QE2 from 1969-1975, an amazing ship and we went through MANY adventures during this period. 1st visit to Israel and bomb scares, hurricanes etc.😅 7:06
Love the music on this episode captures the feel!
great point. so many modern pieces on you tube have jarring trash music
You know I’m a groupie already, but was just being nostalgic about QE2 because I completed two models of her, so I watched the video again. What a great thorough, and cohesive video this was. I know it’s due to my age and love of originality, that I preferred many of her original colors and venues to the way she finished up, but she did mature into a very comfortable liner. I do hope you make pilgrimage to her in Dubai. You will, I hope, still get that old feeling when you step on board. She always feels like she is welcoming you home. ❤️
I wake up to a new ocean liner video from big old boats...YES!!!!
Another entertaining video and another lovely ship. Great stuff 👍
It was funny you should say that the Chief Designer designed her with a yacht like style since one of the co-designers was Jon Bannenberg (he did the Double Room) whom became the undisputed Father of modern yacht design. Actually in many of Jons yachts the reversed sloping windows of the aft decks of QE2 can be found.
Another fun fact is that the shipyard John Brown nearly went bust building the m/s Kungsholm for Swedish American Line which was launched in 1966. The ship became much more expensive to build that the yars had quoted so in the period of economic uncertainty the fate of the QE2 was also in jeopardy.
Keep up your great work and I really look forward to your next movie 😍
Thank you! :)
Very amazing and influential ship for sure. Getting to see the refit from the older steam turbine system to diesel-electric would have been mind-blowing. That's a huge undertaking to the very core of the ship, but props to Cunard for designing her in a way that made it possible.
I had the great privilege of sailing on the QE 2 from Le Havre to New York with 4 classmates who had spent five years together with me studying in Europe. In the summer of 1977, transportation on the ship, which included our baggage (enormous trunks filled with books), was less expensive than flying with such freight. The crossing was wonderful, even magical, with excellent food, drink and entertainment. Although I continued to receive mailing from Cunard, often with enticing offers, I was never able to repeat the experience. But I still have fond and vivid memories of one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life!
Forever my favorite ship of all time. It's a shame I was too young to have had a chance to sail on her.
I was borne in California 1968 . My Aunt and Uncle Imagrated to American soil from post WWII most of the trip on The Queen Mary. I toured her after she retired. I was a small boy. Very Impressed by the work put into her. Especially the Wood work and her over all size . She's like a Massive Family Airlum . I also was lucky enough to see Q.E. II come into Port .
Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth the second.
I just woke up and saw this before I made coffee and put my glasses on. I just saw the headline and thought it was a video about Elton John.
Looking forward to another great video!
I came to the US in the fall of 1969 on the QE2 when I was 3. Thank you for your video. I love this ship.
rest in peace both queen's
Loved it! A window into the past. Expertly done and your voice is so gentle yet interesting.
Hoping to be able to visit her one day. Such an elegant ship even today
I love coming home from school and seeing Big Old Boats on my subscription.. :)
I remember going to see the QE2 while it was docked in Adelaide in 2008. That really sparked my curiosity with ocean liners :)
@Psivewri For me as well, but for me it was seeing the QE2 in Hobart in 1985.
Really enjoy your videos. Look forward to them every month. Thank you so much for your content!
Apparently the Queen was determined that, as her grandmother "had" the Queen Mary and her mother the Queen Elizabeth, the QE2 would bear her name and be "hers".
😂😂😂Facts😂😂😂
Such a great and feelgood episode of your series! Keep up the good job!
QE2 is a monument to the great tradition of Cunard, the greatest Ocean Line of all time! Renowned for reliability, tradition, high safety standards, innovation, and passenger comfort. Let us remember which ship came without hesitancy to the rescue of the remaining victims of the White Star Line Titanic......the Cunard ship 'Carpathia'. Today we have following that fine tradition, the great Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, the Queen Elizabeth.
From my research, the only ship lost by Cunard was the Lusitania during WW1 as a result of an act of war by a torpedo launched by a German U Boat. Cunard's safety record from the 1840s is exemplary!!!
QE2, Queen mary, Queen Elizabeth and the newer queen's are the legacy of cunard AND white star.
Thanks for your POV and known facts about the QE II.
Love the romance of ocean liners.
(Also it’s appearance on ‘Keeping Up Appearances’)
"Bucket residents, Lady of the house speaking"
Although I think Queen Mary 2 was done right, I was disappointed to the the new Queen Elizabeth and Victoria looked like your average cruise ships. So much more could have been done with their experior design to maintain the historic Cunard look.
It was a real bummer to me, especially since when QM2 was being built that she was described as a new class of superliner. Usually class means you're going to be building more than one. Ordering two Vista and now a Pinnacle class clone was just, a big letdown, both from a traditional perspective and also an engineering perspective. Because let's be honest, while cruise ships push the boundaries in size and accomodations and I appreciate them for it, ocean liners are technical masterpieces.
End of the day though, I still have a deep fondness for the QV and QE. While they do have big shoes to fill bearing those names, they still have a bit of ocean liner in them, both in their interiors and amenities but also in their engineering, with their reinforced bows and slightly greater size when compared to other Vista and Pinnacle class ships. Lastly, while Cunard did miss out on the opportunity to actually boast owning the most famous ocean liners in the world, I'm kinda glad QM2 is the only one. You see all these cruise ships, and then you see QM2 sticking out from them all, like a great light. And that light really gives you something to believe in, something to aim for, because you know that this is what we can do when at our best. And it further adds to the mystique of ocean liners, as being a rare yet legendary work of art. Plus it makes me extra excited for her successor. :D
They do not look like average cruise ships, they don't like ocean liners, because they are not. But they are pretty traditional, not like a modern cruise liner their stern is completely different and interiors traditional. I'm actually baffled by your comment, have you seen a modern cruise ship and them next to each other? The reason it looks different to QM2 is because it's a different designer. They are also still quite attractive ships especially Victoria.
What?
Urgh! You had to drop this while I was still in the office, lmfao! I guess I know exactly what I'm watching on the commute home!
Using this video as a source for my AP Seminar class research paper. I wanted to write about something I'm interested in, so I chose "How Did Ocean Liners Adapt to the Threat of Airliners?" Thanks for making such great content, man, I really appreciate all the effort you put into this stuff :)
I freaking love your content, keep it up ❤️
Thank you so much!!
@@BigOldBoats You are more than welcome.
Ok that intro was pure fire!!! Great video yet again
Cunard really saves itself with the queen mary 2 and all the ships being built by adapting to the cruise industry but they still offer transatlantic voyages which keeps the old tradition alive.
I was able to spend 2 nights on her during the gulf war for an R&R award. So thankful to the Cunard line for putting up with us during that time.
The finest Transatlantic liners ever built, QM, her sidekick QE and the QE2 , the terrific trio, unrivalled for Strength, Reliability, and all round Excellence. Must say though QM is me favourite then QE then QE 2. All Magnificent ships.
I am a naval/ocean liner enthusiast..and somehow I stumbled over this video in my feed
I really enjoyed your video..
I have liked and subscribed.,and I will now click on more of your efforts
2nd or 3rd time watching this. Well done. ❤. She’s still a favorite.
My parents had their honeymoon on the QE2. Sadly they got a divorce afterwards and I was sent to live with my father in CA while my twin was sent to live in London with my mother. I only found out about this when my twin and I happened to go to the same summer camp and we decided to switch places and get our parents back together.
Sound a bit like the plot of "The Parent Trap".
Did it work
😂😂😂
Did you have to deal with any fiances who were getting in the way of getting your parents back together?
Ha,ha…..ha!
Great video, looking forward to watching your other videos. 😊
I've been fortunate enough to cross the Atlantic from NY to Southampton thrice on the QE2 in 1971, '74 and '77. If I'm not mistaken, I recall she had a B&W funnel with a red lining of the air intake in those years.
The entertainment, service, comfort were outstanding, but I do remember the food on the Italian line's Rafaello and Michelangelo was better to my taste.
Over the last year or so, the QE2 has become my personal favorite ocean liner.
You have absolutely fantastic taste in music btw!
Thank you!
Great video - When I ever hear QE2 I immediately think - Hyacinth Bucket
YES haha
@@BigOldBoats "Have you seen my holiday brochures? You can't miss them. There's one about the Orient Express and the others cruising on the QE2"
Got to love Hyancinth (Bouquet) Bucket.
Th ebest thing about her conversion to a hotel is that her engines and bridge were preserved and all changes are meant to be reversible. Which was the same thig done to the M.S. Doulos Phos, S/s Borea (The second to last 2 funnel ocean liner), M/s Birger Jarl etc!
And that is perhaps the coolest part about her to me. That even though she is now enjoying the retirement life, despite her age, she can still come back out if needed. :D
These videos are Fabulous. I especially like the ones on The Queen Mary. It's a Museum of Natural history as far as it one of the few places we can appreciate wood from Trees that are long gone. I believe it's like WWII P.T. Boats a regular grocery list of rare wood . It would be interesting stuff from a D.N.A
level to bring back those Trees. Some one should research it. Large to small vessel even if they are on the bottom in Davey Jones locker .😁 wonderful video
Ah yes. QE2 the Great (just made that up :). Learned something new today: had no idea she had a garage! Surely QM2 retains that feature, for that is genius. Like I said in your greatest Queen poll, I firmly give it to QE2, for the reasons that you and I listed. She's a survivor who more than passed the test of time, and we wouldn't still have the transatlantic tradition without her. While I would've liked to see her still at home in the UK, she's in good hands with the Saudis. I'm not worried about her one bit.
Sailed her twice and loved the boat but I wish I was a little older at the time to fully appreciate her.
It’s a SHIP!
Nice. If they cannot sail, it is nice to see them as a floating accommodation
They really are "a portal in time". Nothing could adapt and display a current trend better than a luxury liner or cruise ship.
I'm also loving that I'm learning a lot while watching these videos. That there was a difference in a trans Atlantic ship and a cruise ship. These company's had to have so much pressure on them too! Doing maintenance while at sea? Heading to South America with 4k plus full of troops with only ONE engine? When to convert....when to do this or that...because if you ain't moving....you ain't making MONEY!
B/O/B.....thank you for these wonderful videos!
i had a Thai friend who began working on the Qe2 in his late 20s. i think he was there for 15 years or more then after the ship retired he began his role on the QM2 as a butler. I lost touch with him quite some time ago. he must be in his 50s and i guess still be working on the QM2 because i cant think he could do much else as the name QE2, Qm2, Cunard runs through his veins. i often wonder how he is going on these days along with his partner who had worked a fair bit longer for Cunard.
Came here for more videos after running out of Historic Travels and Oceanliner Designs ones to watch, stayed for the synth heavy beats in the background music
Great video but when you discuss the name, you miss out the crucial fact that the the monarch wasn't the second in Scotland, where the ship was built. This is at least partly why they chose 2 instead of II after she accidentally said "the second" during the naming
MMMMMM, Maybe! Were you ever involved in attacking post boxes Rob ?
That’s a nice picture of her majesty on the thumbnail.
Here are some another good ocean liner channels (Great big move) ( nautical study) and (ocean liner design & illustration)
Great vid. Shared to Twitter.
Thank you!
I was living in Rhode Island when the QE2 ran aground while attempting to navigate through the Cape Cod canal. The newspaper reported that one passenger was quite upset that as to the predicament of the liner, and asked the Captain if they should prepare to abandon the ship. The Captain replied, "But Madam, why? The ship is already on the bottom of ocean! [have some more champagne!]"
First of all let me say: Love these vids! Thanks SO MUCH for taking the time to research these and give us this awesome content!
y only criticism of your videos is this: Your narration audio seems to be too quiet, maybe muffled or simply you just dont speak loud enough. I find most of the music you have in your videos is far louder/cleaner/crisper on my surround system but your voice is somewhat dulled/muffled, like im listening to your voice thru a pillow from across the room. BUT again, awesome content! Keep up the great work and THANK YOU for doing this for us! HAPPY NEW YEAR and may 2022 bring you every happiness.
Last of the "real" liners, not a floating apartment block cum Las Vegas style "showboat" that we get today...excellent video, well documented and most enjoyable, thank you.
Great video and well told story👌 video and audio was well put together as well
The most beautiful ship of all time.
Amazing music🥰amazing visuals great content😎
Wonderful Video!! Informative and entertaining! Professional scripted and narrated ! Big Old Boats videos are always the best of the best !!! The Queen Elizabeth 2 was a fantastic ship with a grand and amazing career. The exterior styling was sleek and beautiful ! I especially loved the later styling with the larger “ Cunard Orange “ funnel and the deluxe balcony suites added!!! A definite improvement. Her war record in the Falklands was something to inspire pride ! But , here I have to say , I never cared much for her interior decor. Too modern and sterile looking for my tastes!! A uninviting 1970’s Howard Johnson Hotel vibe ?!? Didn’t appeal to me ! SORRY! I had the chance to see her in Los Angeles Harbor , when she was on a World Cruise in the early 1990’s ! Beautiful and Inspiring ship !! I’m glad she has the chance to live on now in Dubai !!! God Bless in QE2 !!!!
Thank you, Michael for the kind words! Really appreciate it :)
Superb video !
In my opinion she is the last great liner.
No offence QM2 fans
mate what a great video, new subscriber for sure :)
Welcome aboard :)
Dates are slightly wrong on this Cunard conducted a shakedown cruise Dec 1968 from Greenock with company employees and their families on board but engine problems delayed return to Southampton till 2 January 1969 were Cunard refused delivery of the ship till engines were fixed. Maiden voyage was April 69 to New York. How do I know all this? My dad worked for Cunard and I was on the shakedown cruise as a 12 year old boy. We still have a set of 35mm slides from the trip with the original brand new QE2 interior.
The song is Hurt You Anymore (Instrumental) by CLNGR
I remember the adds for the QE2 in the 90s - sail to New York in her and fly back on Concorde !
You got to do the Sisters that Saved Cunard as a follow up! Saga sisters need respect that they deserve is saving Cunard upgrading them from blah cruise line with history and a swan to luxury again!
Great vlog! Have you done one with SS France/Norway? Here is a fun fact. The Norway became the first cruise ship that the pax insisted being on. If she sailed this route, or that route. It did not matter. They wanted to sail onboard the Norway. That was something totaly new back then. I remember when Mr. Knut Kloster bought her in 1980 many thought he was nuts. How will he be able to fill her wilth people? The other thought was that is this awesome liner be a horrible looking cruise ship. Boy, were we wrong. She started the race for newer and bigger cruise ships. Until then all cruise ships had been old liners or ferries. Not any more! Look at the airline industry. In the old days the LCC, low cost carriers bought older aircraft from the big airlines. Today it is the LCC that are giving Boeing and Airbus huge orders of new aircraft. Now you know!
Great documentary, I would argue one point, at 19:26 you say she is the one reason we can still book a trans Atlantic voyage today. I would argue that point, to be frank, the real reason would be Micky Arison. He pushed through the building of the QM2 when ocean liners were done.
Fair point. I more meant that the QE2 kept Cunard in business through the challenging 70's and 80's and demonstrated that there was still a niche market for transatlantic voyages in the late 90's. I don't think QM2 or Cunard would exist today if QE2 failed or didn't get built.
@@BigOldBoats I don't know about that. You have to remember Cunard also had the Countess and Princess that were pretty much printing $$$ for Cunard from the mid 70's on. Please don't get me wrong, I spent a good amount of time on the QE2 thanks to my fathers job with Cunard.
Ultimately Micky saved the ship, but QE2 kept Cunard going largely on her own until he came along nearly 30 years later... He bought Cunard purely to get hold of QE2 and to build her successor. QE2 was hugely profitable, with that rocketing after the Falklands boosted her profile further, hence it being worthwhile carrying out the largest merchant ship conversion ever.
“the largest merchant ship conversion ever”? Have you heard about the conversion of The SS France becoming The SS Norway?
@@stigjohnnynaustdal4844 yes. QE2s was far more complex. She was fully converted from steam turbine to diesel electric and it cost more than a new cruise ship would have done.
Did 6 round trips in In the 70s and 80s from New York to England -Unbelievable luxury
I was the youngest ever passenger to board the QE2, at 5 weeks old.
Can you please tell me where you found all the original videos of her Interior (11:50-15:00)? Would be very grateful to you because I never find them on UA-cam.
Zi saw the ship just once, coming in to New York Harbour. I think she was the best looking of the liners.
Good one but could use more of the interiors: dining rooms, bars, and cabins.
So wish I could have traveled on this ship!
Could you please do a video on the ship duo Michelangelo e Raffaello? I really enjoy your videos ^^
Thank you! And yes, they're on my list!
QE 2 and Queen Mary are still alive
My grandfather actually built one if the steam turbine for the qe2 when she was being built
I love how Queen Elizabeth 2 is the only one who was at all of the christenings of the 3 gens of queens
Great story thanks more boat.