Slow boat to......

I notice that Cunard (and I guess P&O) have slowed down their ships for 2019. 17 day itineraries are now 19 days. Soon we'll be lucky to be able to do a two week cruise that reaches Gibraltar! I can remember doing a 16 day cruise from Southampton that went as far as Alexandria. It's all well and good saying that to enable the company to keep costs down they must save fuel AND cut costs in other areas as well, this means that, unfortunately, the quality of the end product is gradually being eroded. The choice of dishes on the menu is not what it was, drink prices are now ridiculously high etc, etc. I still love being at sea on a great ship, but it's definitely not what it was. Even the so called luxury lines are trying to cut bits and pieces.

Was that 16 day cruise on QE2 ? She definitely sailed faster and further.

Hi Hattie,

No, it was on Canberra. QE2, Canberra and Oriana were great as their speed enabled then to include so many distant ports in their cruises and they were all such wonderful ships.

Ships operated by Cunard & P&O have slowed down between ports to save fuel and also calling at less ports during a cruise to increase takings whilst onboard more recently than comparing to faster ships like QE2. You only have to look at cruises this last 4-5 yrs and notice a difference especially the slowing down between ports to save fuel. QM2 has increased the number of days to do a TA only for one purpose to save fuel what used to be a 6nt crossing is now 7nts even though QM2 is quiet capable doing it in 6nts.

Hi Hattie,

No, it was on Canberra. QE2, Canberra and Oriana were great as their speed enabled then to include so many distant ports in their cruises and they were all such wonderful ships.

We had two cruises of identical ports aboard the lovely Canberra in the late 1980s. The first one took 12 days and the second one was 14 days. The extra two days involved slower operation. The first cruise took three nights from Southampton to Madeira; the second one took four nights.

I recall seeing a chart posted in a public area that gave the fuel consumption at various speeds. There was a huge difference - well out of proportion - between 16 knots and 22 knots. On one of our bridge visits (ah, those innocent days!) the first officer explained that there had been fuel-saving adjustments that meant that the Canberra could no longer reach her original maximum speed of about 27 knots when she was a liner even if the company wanted to use extra fuel.

My first crossing on the QE2 was in 1973. We left Southampton half a day late but arrived in New York on time. This 4 1/2 day crossing was made mostly at 30 knots. It was quite windy on deck with a frequent 30-knot westerly wind speed.

Think QM2 is able to make the crossing in 5 days. To think that in the 1940/50s the crossing could be made in 3.5 days. Cruising now is really a mass market 'pile it high, sell it cheap' type operation. It is fantastic value if you go for the lower grade accommodation but not such a good deal if going for a suite unless a separate a la carte restaurant and sun deck is offered as on Cunard. To think that a military band and streamers was the regular send off from Southampton.

Think QM2 is able to make the crossing in 5 days. To think that in the 1940/50s the crossing could be made in 3.5 days. Cruising now is really a mass market 'pile it high, sell it cheap' type operation. It is fantastic value if you go for the lower grade accommodation but not such a good deal if going for a suite unless a separate a la carte restaurant and sun deck is offered as on Cunard. To think that a military band and streamers was the regular send off from Southampton.

She might well be able to do it in 5 days but has she ever done it commercially, when we sailed on QE2 it was a 6nt TA that was in 1997 on our last TA on QM2 in 2015 it was 7nts.

When I travelled on QE2 it was a 4 sea day crossing. In 14 days we sailed to New York, had a tour, returned to the ship and sailed down to Bermuda, had a day there, sailed back to New York, had another tour there and then sailed back to Southampton all in 14 days. I was fortunate to do many sailings on her. In 21 days you could do a great Caribbean cruise calling in at New York on the outward and homeward voyage. It only took one sea day to sail from New York to Port Everglades.

She might well be able to do it in 5 days but has she ever done it commercially, when we sailed on QE2 it was a 6nt TA that was in 1997 on our last TA on QM2 in 2015 it was 7nts.

All of my QE2 crossings, from 1969 to 2001 were 5 day. In 2000 on there were some 6 day crossings. Testing the waters I guess. Sad that we seem to be heading backwards in so many ways. Now crossing as if it were 1905. Concorde retiring with nothing better taking its place was the first time in the history of aviation that the next gen thing did not go higher/faster/farther.