QE2 World cruise 2009.

[Mayor Kathie]

Has anyone any information about the QE2 world cruise 2009.Where is it going and what way,we would love to be part of it, but would like to know the details.Hope someone can help.

Regards

Kathie:)

[ocngypz]

Kathie: the 2008 schedules for QV and QE2 aren't even out past April 08.... let alone any 09 world itineraries!

[guernseyguy]

Kathie: the 2008 schedules for QV and QE2 aren't even out past April 08.... let alone any 09 world itineraries!

 

Is this not unusually late? 14 months out and no itineraries?

[Karanja]

Is this not unusually late? 14 months out and no itineraries?

 

 

I was told announcements in a couple of months about two weeks ago.

[guernseyguy]

I was told announcements in a couple of months about two weeks ago.

 

I checked a few other lines - HAL to Nov 08, Carnival to Jul 08, but along with Cunard, P&O and RCL to April 08 - so I guess its not out of line with much of the industry. Several posters have quoted other websites/sources saying that the Queen Vic will be doing en-Southampton Meds/Northern Europe - but no links to gauge quality of information.

[KenC]

I checked a few other lines - HAL to Nov 08, Carnival to Jul 08, but along with Cunard, P&O and RCL to April 08 - so I guess its not out of line with much of the industry. Several posters have quoted other websites/sources saying that the Queen Vic will be doing en-Southampton Meds/Northern Europe - but no links to gauge quality of information.

 

Oh ye of little faith !!!

 

 

http://www.gibraltarport.com/html_files/cruise/cruisesummarytotal_2008.cfm

 

http://www.tv.cphport.dk/coins/KbhHavn.nsf/anloebCruiseAll?openAgent&lang=1

 

Ken

[guernseyguy]

Thx for posting the links Ken - interesting how the Gibraltar port thinks QE2's pax are 'British' and the QV's are 'International'. Also interesting that RCL will have their newest 'Freedom' class ship in Europe - only a year after they bring over a 'Voyager'. Looks like the Caribbean slump is pushing more, newer tonnage Europe's way.

 

Peter

[KenC]

Thx for posting the links Ken - interesting how the Gibraltar port thinks QE2's pax are 'British' and the QV's are 'International'. Also interesting that RCL will have their newest 'Freedom' class ship in Europe - only a year after they bring over a 'Voyager'. Looks like the Caribbean slump is pushing more, newer tonnage Europe's way.

 

Peter

 

Don't you know .... the Med is the new Caribbean!!!!

 

Have only recently realised that QE2 doesn't 'do' the Baltic - any ideas why not? Draught? No wonder QV is going there on her first summer season.

 

Ken

[KenC]

... or even draft!!! :eek:

[dougnewmanatsea]

Have only recently realised that QE2 doesn't 'do' the Baltic - any ideas why not? Draught?

It seems unlikely to me that big ports like St. Petersburg, Helsinki etc. can't accommodate a ship with such a deep draft, but I can't think of any other reason for QE2 to have never been to this area.

[cunardqueen]

Have only recently realised that QE2 doesn't 'do' the Baltic - any ideas why not? Draught?

 

Didnt Captain Bob Arnott fall out with the Russians when QE2 called at Yalta a number of years ago something to do with the visa reqirement and it would take too long to process all the passengers and he ordered the immigration officials back to the tender and he sail away shortly afterwards? this was in the 80s.

[stowaway2k]

It seems unlikely to me that big ports like St. Petersburg, Helsinki etc. can't accommodate a ship with such a deep draft, but I can't think of any other reason for QE2 to have never been to this area.

 

She has been to Helsinki and Stockholm...

[stowaway2k]

Didnt Captain Bob Arnott fall out with the Russians when QE2 called at Yalta a number of years ago something to do with the visa reqirement and it would take too long to process all the passengers and he ordered the immigration officials back to the tender and he sail away shortly afterwards? this was in the 80s.

 

Yes, March 1980.

The US had just boycotted the Moscow Olympics, following the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan. Great Britain was considering their own boycot of the Olympics.

The Soviet official's demand for visas was an on board, on-the-spot decision, so Captain Arnott made his own on-the-spot decision to sail.

 

He writes about it in his 1982 memoir "Captain of the Queen"

[KenC]

Hardly likely to be a Russian 'ban' in place after all these years and it seems she has been to Stockholm and Helsinki. But it still seems strange that, given the well worn routes she sails, she never goes to the Baltic these days???

 

Ken

[dougnewmanatsea]

She has been to Helsinki and Stockholm...

Sam Warwick's site reveals that her maiden call to Helsinki was in 1996 and it was also the last time she called at Stockholm.

 

Here was her itinerary of what was apparently her last Baltic cruise:

July

Sun 28 Southampton

Mon 29 At sea

Tue 30 Rostock Maiden call

Wed 31 At sea Cruising Baltic Sea

August

Thu 1 Helsinki Maiden call

Fri 2 At sea

Sat 3 Stockholm

Sun 4 Copenhagen

Mon 5 Copenhagen

Tue 6 Oslo

Wed 7 At sea

Thu 8 Southampton

It is very odd that she's apparently never been to St. Petersburg. I wonder if the cruise terminal there simply can't accommodate a ship with such a deep draft?

 

If so, the obvious answer to why she doesn't go to the Baltic any longer is that she can't visit St. Petersburg. I think they'd have a hard time selling a Baltic cruise without St. Petersburg.

 

She did re-visit Copenhagen and (interestingly) Rostock in 2004 on a Norwegian Fjords cruise, which does technically put her in the Baltic, but it was definitely not a "Baltic cruise" per se:

Jun

S 5 Southampton, UK

SU 6 North Sea

M 7 Great Belt

T 8 Rostock, Germany

W 9 Copenhagen, Denmark

TH 10 Copenhagen, Denmark

F 11 Oslo, Norway

S 12 Hardangerfjord, Norway

SU 13 Flaam, Norway

M 14 Aalesund, Norway

T 15 Bergen, Norway

W 16 North Sea

TH 17 S. Queensferry, Scotland

F 18 North Sea

S 19 Southampton, UK

This is a very interesting question. I'm going to try asking Cunard this question and see what the official answer is!

[Mustangs]

I was recently speaking with several Cunard reps at the American office, and was told that itineraries for all three ships should be available for the period of April 2008 until April 2009 as of the end of this month (February).

 

We will wait and see!

 

Alan

[The Lowlander]

It seems unlikely to me that big ports like St. Petersburg, Helsinki etc. can't accommodate a ship with such a deep draft, but I can't think of any other reason for QE2 to have never been to this area.

 

I asked about the possibility of QE2 visiting St Petersburg while on board last year. The answer given was indeed that draft is a problem. Apparently the captains can practice on simulators & none of them were happy that they could safely manouver her. It is therefore deemed to be too much of a risk.

 

This info came from one of the on board cruise sales staff so I can't vouch for the accuracy of it though I'm sure there will be a grain of truth in there somewhere.

 

John