QM2 no longer a TransAtlantic LINER

[ren0312]

Hi ren0312,

 

They built two cruise ships in addition to QM2, not "instead of".

I'm not sure what you're intending to show with that comment? For what commercial reason would Cunard want to build a ship that had a higher top speed than Queen Mary or Normandie? She could never be faster than SS United States, so the Blue Riband record would always elude her. A pointless and expensive exercise.

Also remember QM2 is far, far larger than ships like Lusitania, Mauretania, Queen Mary, Normandie, United States.

 

As QM2 has no regular competition on the north Atlantic unlike in the past (if you want speed, fly), there is no need to race across the ocean, much as some of us would love it! (I've been on the bridge of QM2 when she's been at 27 knots). Many passengers prefer seven day crossings.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see six day crossings again (as was my first on QM2). I’d hate to see routine eight day cruises across. Seven seems a good compromise.

 

At 28 knots, the Queen Mary consumed approx 1,000 tons of oil per day. At 30/31 knots this increased to 1,400 tons. Almost half as much again for an extra 2/3 knots increase :eek:

(QE2's figures were 433 tonnes per day at 28 knots. QM2 consumes 261 tonnes per day at 29 knots for the diesel engines (plus 237 tonnes for the turbines))

 

Only a handful of ships from the "golden age" were 28-30 knot ships. The vast majority plodded along at far more modest speeds, even the SS United States did not routinely cross in 3 days 10 hours and 40 minutes. She only had to do that once.

 

And what those high speeds from the "golden age" do not show are the complaints from hundreds of passengers regarding the bone-shaking vibration that made parts of those old liners (esp near the stern) almost uninhabitable. Lusitania, Mauretania and even Normandie were esp prone to this at first.

 

Hope this helps :) .

 

I wonder how bad were the vibrations in the old days, since I have nothing to compare them with now, with the Normandie the vibrations were remedied with replacing the 3 bladed propellers with 4 bladed ones. I do not know if the prospect of a transatlantic crossing at late 1800s speeds is enough to make someone like me go for Cunard over Celebrity, which is a brand that I already have tried and found to be OK.

Edited October 21, 2014 by ren0312

[capnpugwash]

I wonder how bad were the vibrations in the old days, since I have nothing to compare them with now, with the Normandie the vibrations were remedied with replacing the 3 bladed propellers with 4 bladed ones. I do not know if the prospect of a transatlantic crossing at late 1800s speeds is enough to make someone like me go for Cunard over Celebrity, which is a brand that I already have tried and found to be OK.

 

An excellent plan I must say.

[bols59]

& here I thought I knew everything there is to know about ocean liners! Well, I am humbled. Thanks for a simple and erudite explanation of the differences between an ocean liner and a cruise ship.