Live: Queen Anne Maiden Voyage.

[Colin_Cameron]

Well, obviously we're not there quite yet. But we leave home this morning to head to Southampton, which Google tells me is 670 miles.

 

If anyone else on board wants to pitch in with their thoughts, observations or daily reports, feel free. It may be easier to find 'who said what' if it's all in one thread.

 

Even with the four month delay this has been a shorter wait than in the past. QM2 Maiden was booked in '99 and QV in '01 (or '02, I'd need to dig out the paperwork). But it's going to be odd going on a ship that hasn't been named. Should we even be referring to her as "Queen Anne"?

[Victoria2]

Just now, Colin_Cameron said:

Well, obviously we're not there quite yet. But we leave home this morning to head to Southampton, which Google tells me is 670 miles.

 

If anyone else on board wants to pitch in with their thoughts, observations or daily reports, feel free. It may be easier to find 'who said what' if it's all in one thread.

 

Even with the four month delay this has been a shorter wait than in the past. QM2 Maiden was booked in '99 and QV in '01 (or '02, I'd need to dig out the paperwork). But it's going to be odd going on a ship that hasn't been named. Should we even be referring to her as "Queen Anne"?

QA...Questions and Answers!

 

Looking forward to hearing all about your [and others onboard] first impressions of 'QA'. 👍

[Germancruiser]

Thank you for letting us parttake in this long awaited event of the Maiden Voyage of QA. I so look forward to many many pictures of her interiours. Thx. again.

[Cruise Puss]

We're on her in August, but looking forward to hearing about her beforehand.

 

Noticed you live in Inverness.  My Uncle has lived up there since the 1960's. He lives in the Blackpark area. He used to live on the other side of the hill overlooking the Firth in an old Shepherd's Cottage, but he moved last year.  I adore Scotland (I'm a quarter Scottish) although I haven't been for some years.

 

It's certainly a long drive! I've driven it myself from here in Oxfordshire, but down to Southampton is even further.

 

Have a safe and enjoyable trip down. 🙂

[schattenfell71]

We will be flying from Dusseldorf, Germany to London on Friday morning where Cunard will bring us to Southampton.

 

We are so excited about it and I have to say that I would prefer to drive 670 miles more than to fly for 1 hour. 🥶

 

[exlondoner]

41 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Well, obviously we're not there quite yet. But we leave home this morning to head to Southampton, which Google tells me is 670 miles.

 

If anyone else on board wants to pitch in with their thoughts, observations or daily reports, feel free. It may be easier to find 'who said what' if it's all in one thread.

 

Even with the four month delay this has been a shorter wait than in the past. QM2 Maiden was booked in '99 and QV in '01 (or '02, I'd need to dig out the paperwork). But it's going to be odd going on a ship that hasn't been named. Should we even be referring to her as "Queen Anne"?

It seems reasonable to call her Queen Anne. After all you would address a baby by its Christian name long before it was christened.

Are you driving or training or flying to get to Southampton?

 

[Pear Carr]

Thank you in anticipation!  We are on in July and looking forward to any input to this thread from those of you on Queen Anne’s maiden voyage. 

[Colin_Cameron]

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

It seems reasonable to call her Queen Anne.

I guess. 

 

I assume she stopped being Hull 6274 when she was handed over to Cunard but wondered if she should be Q8 or some other designation until the naming ceremony. It took me long enough to stop referring to QE2 as 'The New Queen'. 😀

 

Q1 Queen Mary

Q2 Queen Elizabeth

Q3 never built

Q4 Queen Elizabeth 2

Q5 Queen Mary 2

Q6 Queen Victoria

Q7 Queen Elizabeth

Q8 Queen Anne

 

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

I guess. 

 

I assume she stopped being Hull 6274 when she was handed over to Cunard but wondered if she should be Q8 or some other designation until the naming ceremony. It took me long enough to stop referring to QE2 as 'The New Queen'. 😀

 

Q1 Queen Mary

Q2 Queen Elizabeth

Q3 never built

Q4 Queen Elizabeth 2

Q5 Queen Mary 2

Q6 Queen Victoria

Q7 Queen Elizabeth

Q8 Queen Anne

 

But, but, but, what about Berengaria, who wasn’t built for Cunard, but who was a queen? Also, the Arcadia started off life as a hull for QV, until they decided they needed a modified version. 
But I think we can call this one Queen Anne, or, I imagine, Annie, if feeling affectionate.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for starting the thread, have a good journey to Southampton and Bon Voyage for Friday. 

[bluemarble]

7 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

... I assume she stopped being Hull 6274 when she was handed over to Cunard ...

 

To that point, I thought it was interesting the Porto di Venezia website referred to her both ways on their port schedule prior to her departure for Southampton on April 24th. Here's what I had captured from their departure schedule.

 

[bluemarble]

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

But, but, but, what about Berengaria, who wasn’t built for Cunard, but who was a queen? Also, the Arcadia started off life as a hull for QV, until they decided they needed a modified version. 
But I think we can call this one Queen Anne, or, I imagine, Annie, if feeling affectionate.

 

Or how about "Dreamboat Annie" perhaps? One of my favorite songs by the rock band Heart.

[Cruise Puss]

Just now, bluemarble said:

 

Or how about "Dreamboat Annie" perhaps? One of my favorite songs by the rock band Heart.

'Heart' - now there's a great band! 👍😊

[safarigal]

7 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

I guess. 

 

I assume she stopped being Hull 6274 when she was handed over to Cunard but wondered if she should be Q8 or some other designation until the naming ceremony. It took me long enough to stop referring to QE2 as 'The New Queen'. 😀

 

Q1 Queen Mary

Q2 Queen Elizabeth

Q3 never built

Q4 Queen Elizabeth 2

Q5 Queen Mary 2

Q6 Queen Victoria

Q7 Queen Elizabeth

Q8 Queen Anne

 

Alas I never sailed on Queen Mary, I have only stayed on her in Long Beach. However, I have sailed on the other Queens, and very much look forward to boarding Queen Anne on May 3rd! 

[Victoria2]

34 minutes ago, safarigal said:

Alas I never sailed on Queen Mary, I have only stayed on her in Long Beach. However, I have sailed on the other Queens, and very much look forward to boarding Queen Anne on May 3rd! 

and as a keen reader of your blog, I look forward to your thoughts.

[exlondoner]

39 minutes ago, safarigal said:

Alas I never sailed on Queen Mary, I have only stayed on her in Long Beach. However, I have sailed on the other Queens, and very much look forward to boarding Queen Anne on May 3rd! 

Are you staying in for the Canaries?

[safarigal]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Are you staying in for the Canaries?

Yes, and the British Isles 🙂

 

[LittleFish1976]

To celebrate the maiden voyage of Queen Anne, the captain and some reps from the brewery here in Japan ceremonially smashed the lid of a barrel of sake in the lobby of Queen Elizabeth which is currently in the Sea of Japan en route to Busan. We were all then offered a glass of sake to celebrate. I’m hoping we’ll see some footage or images on board here of the Queen Anne festivities 

[Colin_Cameron]

On 4/29/2024 at 9:16 AM, exlondoner said:

Are you driving or training or flying to get to Southampton?

We've tried them all over the years but this time we're driving, with a couple of stops on the way, as we have Queen Anne's newest crew member travelling with us.🤫 More about them later.

Edited April 30 by Colin_Cameron

[Colin_Cameron]

On 4/29/2024 at 9:37 AM, exlondoner said:

But, but, but, what about Berengaria, who wasn’t built for Cunard,

And as such didn't have a Cunard designation during her design/build.

 

On 4/29/2024 at 9:37 AM, exlondoner said:

Also, the Arcadia started off life as a hull for QV,

Yes, that's why I said 'or some other designation'. We were booked on that maiden voyage as well, but obviously that didn't happen.

Q3 and Q4 were Cunard designations for 'the ship that never was' and QE2, QM2 was known as PQM or Project Queen Mary and I've just remembered that QA was (is?) Project Halifax.

 

On 4/29/2024 at 9:37 AM, exlondoner said:

 until they decided they needed a modified version

I've never been convinced by that, and said as much to a Cunard exec on QV's maiden voyage. I said that I thought the change and delay was less to do with the ship's suitability and more to do with Cunard not being ready for another new ship so soon after QM2. That got me a very big grin and "I couldn't possibly comment."

[Colin_Cameron]

16 hours ago, safarigal said:

Alas I never sailed on Queen Mary, I have only stayed on her in Long Beach.

Same here. But I have sailed on Queen Mary 2 AND Queen Mary II !😄

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Same here. But I have sailed on Queen Mary 2 AND Queen Mary II !😄

The one that was moored on the Thames for so long and is now, I think, on the Clyde?

[exlondoner]

19 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

 

 

I've never been convinced by that, and said as much to a Cunard exec on QV's maiden voyage. I said that I thought the change and delay was less to do with the ship's suitability and more to do with Cunard not being ready for another new ship so soon after QM2. That got me a very big grin and "I couldn't possibly comment."

Surely some of that is easily verifiable? Either QV is or is not longer than Arcadia?

[Colin_Cameron]

Yes, sailed on her numerous times on the Clyde in the 60's when she was Queen Mary II. She's now back where she belongs and back to being just Queen Mary again.

[Colin_Cameron]

10 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Surely some of that is easily verifiable? Either QV is or is not longer than Arcadia?

But were the changes to the design the reason for the delay, the official line, or something they happily managed to achieve because of the delay, which is my belief.