QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
by
Jim Rubino
Transatlantic Crossing
December 1999
A gray December sky provided the backdrop for the beginning of what was to be
a great experience. A trip across the formidable December North Atlantic on
that sole keeper of the flame for all great ships that sailed this path
before her. Of course, I am speaking of the one and only Queen Elizabeth 2.
This journey began with another historic mode of transport -- a train ride
through the English countryside on the Venice Simplon Orient Express.
Steeped in its own history, what better way to compliment a classic sea
voyage. The first-class Pullman dining cars are like a page from an Agatha
Christie novel. Rich with inlaid wood , plush carpets, and comfortable
wingback chairs. Watching the quaint villages and farms roll by made me
think of days when this type of travel was the norm, not the exception. A
more relaxed time, indeed.
We arrived at Southampton at about 3:30 Sunday afternoon. We disembarked the
train and walked directly into the Queen Elizabeth II terminal (I assume
named for the Monarch, hence the II). Within minutes we were registered and
escorted by a Steward to our stateroom.
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Our home for the next six nights, the mighty Queen Elizabeth 2, was docked in
front of her smaller sister, the recently rechristened Caronia. Both ships
spent the previous month in dry dock being extensively refitted. They looked
beautiful in their new paint. Cunard reached back into it's own history, and
painted each ship in the original Cunard livery of a Federal Grey ( a kind of
flat black) hull, white superstructure, and the classic Cunard red-orange and
black funnel. QE2 looks almost new again. Her hull once again smooth.
As we made our way to our stateroom, I noticed passageways had new, plush
carpeting. It appeared to be Axminster carpeting, in deep and vibrant shades
of blue, gold, and burgundy, with intricate geometric patterns and borders of
solid color. In addition, Four and Five Decks have new light wood
wainscoting on passageway walls.
Our Caronia class accommodation on Three Deck was redecorated with new
carpeting, drapes, furniture, and bedding. Shades of medium blue and cream
dominate the decor and compliment the honey-colored wood wall covering. The
style is traditional, elegant, and subdued. A full bath, trimmed in marble,
completed the stateroom. In the usual QE2 fashion, beds were each fitted
with down comforters and down pillows.
As I strolled the ship, I noticed several changes in public areas. Our
Restaurant, the Caronia, was completely redesigned and redecorated during the
latest refit. The room is absolutely stunning. It features a new entrance
with curved balustrade and twin staircases that descend into the room. The
walls feature mahogany wainscoting and brass light sconces. Ceilings are
done with crisscrossing mahogany beams separating recessed white sections
that feature crystal light fixtures that spread out in an almost floral
design on the ceiling. The carpeting is a plush pattern in shades of rust
and brown. Mahogany finished chairs with a sort of velvet fabric in rust
complete the room. A vast improvement over the previous decor in this room.
The Mauretania Restaurant has new carpeting and drapes, in brighter shades of
teal. Also, the entrance to the restaurant from the Crystal Bar was redone.
The doorways are now flanked with faux columns, giving the entrance a more
stately appearance.
The other area that I noticed had many changes was the Queens Room. This
room is used for afternoon tea, cocktail parties, and evening dancing to a
live orchestra. The lighter-colored wood accents have been replaced with
dark mahogany. The built-in planters that separated the various sections were replaced with built-in seating, trimmed in mahogany. The furniture is all
new, featuring low and high-back upholstered tub chairs in solid shades of
royal blue and gold. The new carpeting is also done in these colors. The
design of the end walls was reworked in mahogany, with the bronze statue of
H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth II featured more prominently than before.
Our departure from Southampton was more solemn than those I experienced from
New York. A dockside brass band played Christmas carols and then British
themes as the tugs prepared to pull QE2 from her birth. People crowded the
decks. QE2's sister, Caronia, gave us a farewell blast of her horn. We
quietly slipped away from the dockside. It was charming. Heading for the
English channel, we were about to experience what must be considered the
consummate sea voyage -- a "crossing," a Line voyage on a purpose-built ocean
liner. An ocean liner which later showed her proud lineage by taming a
rough North Atlantic sea, at times with Force 8 winds and rolling seas, at
speeds of 25 to 29 knots. No other passenger ship today can make such a
claim.
I had sailed on QE2 before, and had crossed the Atlantic by ship before, but
this was the first time I crossed on QE2. The ship and its passengers seemed
to assume a rhythm that doesn't exist in the "cruise" experience. The focus
was very much the ship, with our destination, New York, seeming so far off in
the future. There was a feeling of calm, comfort, and confidence in the
journey. The slow rising and settling of the massive hull through the seas
was accompanied by an almost soothing creaking of bulkheads. In this
service, all of the elements of the ship work in harmony to transport its
passengers from one continent to the other, with pace and grace.
QE2 is a wonder of engineering. At times there were rough seas, but always
there was the feeling that the ship was completely capable for this service.
We seemed to be compelled to tune the TV to the "view from the bridge" to
witness yet another wave breaking over QE2's raked prow. Or to monitor our
course and speed on the televised GPS information. For me, the ultimate was
to lean over the stern rail and see the Atlantic being churned furiously by
the twin screws. That is when you really understand the awesome power of
this ship.
In spite of the complex machinery working to transport us at 28 knots,
shipboard life assumed an unhurried state. Strolling the teak decks;
attending a lecture on Maritime history; pausing to hear the Captain's noon
report; taking afternoon tea; lingering for hours over dinner each evening,
sharing cocktails with friends while listening to Cole Porter or Gershwin
played on a grand piano that once graced the Queen Mary. These simple
pleasures took on an almost surreal feeling. QE2 was in her element. It is
so hard to describe the feeling, but having crossed on another ship, a former
liner, I can only say that QE2 is really the remaining quintessential "ocean
liner." She captures the grand experience of this stately and historic mode
of travel. To all those who have cruised on QE2, but never crossed, I say
that you should experience the difference.
Arrival in New York was almost magical, as usual. Hundreds of people huddled
on deck, shivering in the cold, waiting to see the Statue of Liberty and
lights of Manhattan. A red sunrise was breaking through the cloud cover over
midtown. The tugs scurried to greet us as we headed up the Hudson River. A
fire boat gave us a grand salute of water from its hoses. A fitting end to a
great journey and a charming welcome to this grand ship.
