Monarch of the Seas: Memories of the QE2
Monarch of the Seas
The QE2 story is a timeless chronicle of an iconic ship, launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 20th September 1967, which became far more than a symbol of ocean-liner travel and a testament to elegance and style. She exudes history and has encountered war, hurricanes, 95-foot waves, uncharted reefs, engine failure, gun-runners, stowaways, terrorist plots and drug smugglers. She has come to represent something inherently British, touching hearts everywhere and mirroring the nation’s joy and sadness over the last 50 years.
Built for Cunard by the John Brown Shipyard of Clydebank as a twin-screwed transatlantic liner and cruise ship, Queen Elizabeth 2 had a service speed of 28.5 knots and operated for nearly 40 years. Her revolutionary design used aluminium alloy in her construction (mainly in the superstructure) which allowed for a shallower draft, while increasing the ship’s stability and permitting restaurants and public rooms to be placed higher in the ship.
The interior had all the verve of the Swinging Sixties, reflecting a quiet elegance. Nightclubs, a piano bar, a two-level theatre, two ballrooms, a card room, two libraries, a shopping arcade and an observational lounge as well as four swimming pools (two indoors) and a large expanse of deck were some of the amenities on hand. The lobby was circular with a sunken seating area, navy carpets, walls lined with navy hide and sofas covered in green leather. The silvered ceiling flowed to the outer walls in concentric circles like the pattern made by a stone dropped in the water. On the Sports’ Deck below, apart from the usual ship-board games, there was a children’s room with a crèche and a cinema.
Brian Price, Cruise Director from 1974 to 1995, says: “The original exterior and interior designs were iconic from any other...and remain iconic today, even as she lies in Dubai. No other more recent ship, regardless of modern techniques, will ever replace her image.”
During her long service the QE2 would undergo many major refitting and refurbishments, change ownership several times and become the largest ship at the time to travel through the Panama Canal.
Challenging events would arise in her long history such as the time she went to the rescue of the burning Antilles cruise ship which had run aground. The QE2 would suffer from her own troubles when power failure occurred off Trinidad as a result of jellyfish being sucked into the intakes. In the Seventies extortionists informed Cunard in New York that they had placed six bombs on board. A bomb disposal team was parachuted onto the ship in mid-atlantic. No bombs were found and the criminal mastermind was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On another occasion the ship left on a chartered cruise to Israel to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the state’s founding. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt later revealed in a Panorama interview on BBC Television that he had countermanded an order given to an Egyptian submarine commander by President Gaddafi of Libya to torpedo the vessel. Another plot to blow up the ship by the IRA was again averted in the mid-seventies. In 1982 she was requisitioned by the British Government to carry 3,000 troops and 650 crew volunteers to the Falklands where she was under the constant threat of attack. She became the last Cunard steamship to undertake the crossing of the Atlantic and in 1987 she was re-engined with nine diesel engines and totally refurbished at a cost of £110 million.
Working aboard the QE2 was not always plain sailing. John Chillingworth joined Cunard as a cadet in
1969. By 1984, aged 31, he had become the youngest ever Chief Engineer for a Queen. “Not only did I have large boots to fill,” he says, “but I had to prove myself.” The QE2 was proving to be a handful at the time. “Fortunately for me, I had lived through many crises of my predecessors, so had a good handle on how things had to be done.” John would later go on to head-up QE2 London, a consortium set up to return the QE2 to Britain and to save her for perpetuity.
By 2002 the QE2 had completed five million miles — a world record and the equivalent of sailing to the moon and back nine times. By the end of her time with Cunard she had completed 1,423 voyages, carried 2.5 million passengers, made 806 Atlantic crossings and 25 full world cruises.
For those travelling on the QE2, the first night was the Captain’s cocktail party. Gentlemen would dress in dinner jackets and ladies in stunning evening gowns. John Chillingworth (Chief Engineer) would greet the 12 people at his table in first class in the evening, while the Deputy Chief Engineer did the same at his table in the tourist class restaurant. Conversation would flow and they were usually a “good bunch”, says John. “I used to find socialising a good way to turn off; however, if there was a major going-on, or if we were on fog or ice stand-by I would keep everything low key and not drink.”
First class and cabin class were only in operation on the trans-atlantic crossings when accommodation and dining were the main criteria for establishing a difference between the two. When QE2 went cruising she was one class and afforded a lifestyle which was out of this world. Glamour was the order of the day and one particular lady hired an additional suite of rooms just to house her extensive wardrobe, so she never appeared in the same outfit twice.
“I suppose the quantity of caviar consumed was a fair indicator of opulence whether crossing the Atlantic or cruising,” reflects Brian Price. “For most of its life QE2 was the world’s number one consumer of the best caviar, and I managed a fair bit myself.”
There were many passengers who cruised for long periods of time, and others who came back repeatedly to travel on QE2. It didn’t seem to matter where the ship was going. Cunard ships were best known for being just a bit more formal than the ordinary cruise ships. QE2 epitomised this, with grand staircases that gave every opportunity for ladies to show off their finest ball gowns.
Brian Price remembers chatting with Sir Nigel Broackes (Chairman of Trafalgar House who owned QE2 for a number of years) at a Captain’s cocktail party in the Queen’s Rooms. “Brian, don’t look now,” he whispered, “but there’s a lady just behind you wearing matching earrings, necklace and bracelet in emeralds and diamonds. Well, they’re probably worth more than it cost to build this ship.”
Brian remembers the guests being entertained by many big names, including Vera Lynn and Bob Hope on a D-day Commemorative Cruise while his wife still remains amazed by “the endless whirl of cocktail parties”.
Captain R. W. Warwick, Lt. Cdr. RNR FNI, captained the QE2 for several years in the Nineties. As a young man he had stepped aboard her in 1970 and was “totally in awe” at what he saw. “At this point,” he says, “it became my ambition to join Cunard with the hope and goal of being in command one day.” In 1990 he took command as Captain and Master of the ship. As Master, his prime responsibility was always for the safety of all those aboard, closely followed by the safety of the ship although this role extended further to the management of all aspects of the ship.
The ship is like a small town, often with over 2,500 people on board. One moment the Master is being a managing director caring for the commercial viability of the vessel, next he can be like the mayor of a town, judge and jury, promoting sales, planning future cruises, attending press and television interviews or hosting a reception for port officials.
Many memorable events and incidents occurred during his time on board. It was while he was Second Officer in 1972 that the bomb scare occurred. The ship launched a lifeboat in the North Atlantic and Second Officer Warwick (as he was then) assisted in picking up the bomb disposal experts who had parachuted into the sea. As Chief Officer in 1982 he was involved in the Falklands and helped convert the ship to carry troops, vehicles, ammunition, helicopters and stores to the campaign. Later in 1990 he took command of the QE2. This was the first time that a Cunard Master had captained the same ship as his father (Commodore W. E. Warwick was QE2’ s first Captain). He remembers the first day very clearly when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II boarded for the Spithead review on the 150th anniversary of the Cunard line and when the Queen came to the bridge to witness his first docking.
Later, Captain Warwick’s father would sail with him as a passenger. This meant a lot. “My father was a man of few words, but the fact that he sailed with me as a passenger when I was in command meant that I had done all right in his eyes.”
Perhaps one of the greatest pleasures for Captain Warwick was performing the marriage ceremony of his daughter in 2001.
Captain Warwick found every aspect of the job enjoyable: travelling the world, exploring foreign lands, experiencing different cultures and “welcoming passengers from all the corners of the earth was always a pleasure”. He believes the QE2 always had a unique appeal to those who liked to go to sea in ships; for many it was turning this dream into a reality. As he says: “Other ships go to destinations but for many travellers the QE2 was the destination.”
Captain Warwick would go on to become Master and Commodore of the QM2, but still remembers the QE2 with great fondness.
QE2 will spend its 50th anniversary in Dubai facing a very uncertain future. She was officially handed over to new owners, Dubai World, in November 2007 after 40 years as an ocean-going liner. Three companies were involved: Istithmar (the equity wing of DW), Nakheel and later Dubai World Ports. The contract and ownership for QE2 was initially with Istithmar. It was hoped that Nakheel would be in control of the future development, but Nakheel had over-expanded and came close to going out of business when the global recession hit. After four years of lay-up costing $12 million a year, Istithmar transferred ownership to Dubai Dry Docks who report to Dubai World Ports. Plans to develop the ship into a luxury hotel have not materialised up to now, although it is rumoured that some repair work is being carried out.
Attempts were made by QE2 London, a consortium based in Britain, to bring QE2 back to the UK in 2012. Despite initially making good progress with Dubai World to secure the ship, the agreement fell through and QE2 London was ultimately dissolved.
The future of this iconic ship now seems very uncertain. John Chillingworth says: “Since the ship has been in Dubai, she has spent the last two years without power and has suffered from the extreme heat. All her aluminium decks have buckled and the teak decks have lifted. There are thousands of cracks in her superstructure.” He believes that QE2 “represents a testament to British shipbuilding and design and was part of many people’s lives for over 40 years. She is a national treasure and should be kept for future generations to see.”