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When the Three Queens Meet - 11 August 2019


jkadventures
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Hi Cunard Regulars - we are contemplating a crossing on the QM2 after our QV voyage ending 11 August 2019 and we see all three Queens will be in Southampton. Will there be special festivities that should not be missed? Our other option is to fly home the same day as our voyage ends.

Thanks!

 

 

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Following...we are on QM2 from NYC arriving in Southampton Aug 10th, then leaving on Queen Elizabeth so will have the opportunity to both arrive and leave with all 3. All I could find was a local tour for people to watch the 3 leave in the evening...

 

 

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The three Queens have met in Southampton a few times. We were on the QV in July 2012 on such an occasion. Nothing special happened. We were given Union Jacks to wave out on deck but that was about it.

There was a helicopter overhead taking photos/videos.

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As a research exercise (along the lines of other such exercises some of you will recall I've undertaken here before), here is what I have come up with for a list of all the times the current three queens have met or are scheduled to meet.

 

13 Jan 2011 - New York City

 

05 Jun 2012 - Southampton

12 Jul 2012 - Southampton

 

06 May 2014 - Lisbon

09 May 2014 - Southampton

 

03 May 2015 - Southampton

25 May 2015 - Liverpool

 

10 Jan 2016 - Southampton

10 May 2016 - Southampton

23 Jun 2016 - Southampton

 

10 Aug 2018 - Southampton

 

11 Aug 2019 - Southampton

 

Please check my work. Have I missed any or gotten any of these wrong?

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Thank you for posting that list. I just remembered we were also on the QV on 3rd May 2015 for the Lusitania Remembered voyage.

 

You're welcome. The best I can say is we were on QM2 for her arrival in Southampton for a 'two queens meet' the first time QM2 and QE met on 8th Nov 2010. QM2 arrived first, very early that morning as usual. We awoke to an exchange of whistle blasts from both ships as QE sailed past QM2 upon her arrival a bit later but still very early that morning.

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Great list thanks, nothing last year then ?

I have been on QM2 for 2 of those, the weather wasn't very cooperative in June 2012 for the Jubilee, the Red Arrows couldn't fly and most of the fireworks disappeared into the clouds.

Liverpool in 2015 was a bit more successful !

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Great list thanks, nothing last year then ?

I have been on QM2 for 2 of those, the weather wasn't very cooperative in June 2012 for the Jubilee, the Red Arrows couldn't fly and most of the fireworks disappeared into the clouds.

Liverpool in 2015 was a bit more successful !

 

No, nothing in 2017 that I could find anyway.

 

To answer the OP's question, whether anything special is planned for a three queens meet appears to come down to whether there is some particular occasion to celebrate. For the June 2012 meet, it was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. For the May 2015 meet in Liverpool, it was Cunard's 175th anniversary. For the January 2016 meet, there were fireworks to send off all three queens on their world voyages. Not sure if Cunard has come up with any particular occasions to celebrate in 2018 or 2019.

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The day before our arrival in Southampton on 10 May 2016 our Daily Program on the QV for the 9th advised that we would meet up with QM2 and QE in the Bay of Biscay and sail in formation all the way into Southampton. Despite great excitement and anticipation throughout the day the planned meet-up never occurred that day or even during the night and our first sighting of the other two Queens was in the port itself at about 5:00am. What went wrong we never found out but that daily program held us in anticipation for a disappointing 24 hours!

13221438_1694391194159299_8273508774341216139_n.thumb.jpg.a75b97b412cc4b325c4f1397658e35e7.jpg

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There's a typo in my previous list of three queens meeting dates. The July meeting in 2012 was on 13 July. Here is a corrected list of the dates.

 

13 Jan 2011 - New York City

 

05 Jun 2012 - Southampton

13 Jul 2012 - Southampton

 

06 May 2014 - Lisbon

09 May 2014 - Southampton

 

03 May 2015 - Southampton

25 May 2015 - Liverpool

 

10 Jan 2016 - Southampton

10 May 2016 - Southampton

23 Jun 2016 - Southampton

 

10 Aug 2018 - Southampton

 

11 Aug 2019 - Southampton

 

The occasion Cunard came up with for the 09 May 2014 meeting in Southampton was to celebrate QM2's 10th birthday. Here is a wonderful youtube video clip from that celebration I hadn't seen before. I think you'll enjoy it too if you haven't seen it.

 

 

There are plenty more videos from other meetings of the three queens available on youtube for those who are interested. I was able to find at least one video for each of them.

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Mom Janet, Elaine and I will be on Queen Victoria on 10th August. All three Queens are in Southampton that Friday and all Three are heading off Eastbound towards Hamburg and Norway.:) Different destinations but it might be possible that Cunard will do a bit of a celebration thingy? Anyone in the know? chance to wave some flags around and have a nice sailaway in any case.Maybe a bit of dancing queens?

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  • 3 months later...

I'm reviving this thread since I just watched a video on the ITV News web site discussing this year's meeting of the three queens. That video ended with this comment.

 

"It's ninety-nine years since Cunard first sailed from Southampton, a tradition set to continue with celebrations already planned for next year's centenary."

 

No details provided on what those plans may be, but my guess is that could well be the special occasion Cunard has in mind to celebrate for next year's 11 August 2019 meeting of the three queens in Southampton.

Edited by bluemarble
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  • 1 month later...

"It's ninety-nine years since Cunard first sailed from Southampton, a tradition set to continue with celebrations already planned for next year's centenary."

 

No details provided on what those plans may be, but my guess is that could well be the special occasion Cunard has in mind to celebrate for next year's 11 August 2019 meeting of the three queens in Southampton.

 

That is very exciting! We just last week booked a trip on Queen Victoria leaving on August 11, 2019, and we had no idea that the departure might be special. I have now gone from super happy to really super happy. :D

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That is very exciting! We just last week booked a trip on Queen Victoria leaving on August 11, 2019, and we had no idea that the departure might be special. I have now gone from super happy to really super happy. [emoji3]

 

 

 

From this year meeting we were on elizabeth25aaec57675db0da679984f45918ed50.jpg

 

 

 

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Sweet picture! The QM2 is really a special vessel. I love to read about the glory years of the transatlantic liners. The first thing I did when I retired was to take a crossing on the QM2. It was really special. Since then I have been looking for a chance to try one of the other Queens. To inadvertently pick the one trip that is 100th birthday of Cunard in Southampton, when all three Queens will be in port is like a sign from heaven! I just hope everyone stays healthy and it all works out.

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Cunard has just posted insight speaker lists for 2019 and the one insight speaker listed so far for QV's August 11, 2019 sailing is "Phil Holt - Red Arrows/Donald Campbell". I wonder if that's a tip-off in any way that the Red Arrows might be performing once again for the 2019 meeting of the three queens in Southampton. On the other hand, there are also three other sailings for QV and QE during the remainder of 2018 and 2019 that list "Andy Wyatt - Red Arrows" as a speaker, so this is pure speculation on my part at this point.

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9th May 2014 Southampton

 

I was on board QM2 for her 10th anniversary celebrations (and crossing to New York).

 

The three queens were gathered close together before QM2 sailed past QE and QV, with a band playing on the quay, fireworks, and one of the most memorable sailaways I've experienced.

 

The photos from this amazing day can be seen here:

 

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Pepperrn, I'm not sure if I've expressed to you how much I thoroughly enjoy your sets of Cunard pics on Flickr. If I already have, then please forgive me, but it certainly deserves repeating. And, I'm sure many here feel similarly. I especially appreciate the way you present the pics in continuity. For instance, I can look through your pictures one-by-one on one screen, and follow along 'virtually' walking through the ship's deck plans on the other screen. It really brings the tour to life. Just love it. Thank you so much!

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