👋 thanks so much for joining me for this trip down memory lane. I don’t know about you but it made me really miss QE2! Let me know what you think of the ship in the comments below and stay safe everyone!
Hi Terry, I too was fortunate to work as crew back in 2004. My uncle was John Duffy who's sadly passed away couple of years ago. I miss him and the ship. He encouraged me to train in the white star academy as a waiter and we will never get a golden age of cruise liners like this again (also the s.s France /Norway )
My dad gave me the special gift of taking me to go see the ship in Los Angeles once a year. I was further privileged when I was able to BOARD the ship on her last visit to Los Angeles in March 2008. I was in high school and intended to make a sort of documentary episode. I wrote a script and everything! What I learned was that I needed a lot more training. Instead, I did my best at narrating a 10 minute piece with the "steady cam" footage I had. Very special ship to me, indeed. She really is a unique gem.
I worked on board QE2 as a Stewardess 1969-1975, this video brought back many memories however, I hardly recognized the ship with all the many changes.
As a previous guest onboard this did bring back the beautiful, and spectacular memories of being a passenger. I loved the full descriptions of the ship for those who might not have known of her splendor. I was fortunate to have been a passenger on board the QE2 for the final transatlantic crossing into NY. You did a spectacular job on this presentation of this great liner.
Very nice ship tour. I had the privilege to sail on her in January 2008 when she went through, now famous images, rough seas in the Bay of Biscay sailing along in tandem with the new Queen Victoria. Memorable voyage, which culminated in a Royal Rendez-vous in New York City, joining Queen Mary 2, in a pyrotechnic extravaganza.
I worked in the Caronia restaurant in 2000. Lived on 6 deck somewhere above the anchor! Very noisy when docking in ports! Great memories. I visited her on the open day in Dubai 2018. Felt quite emotional walking through the corridors again!
I worked as a bar waitress on the QE2 back in 2005 and had such a great time with the other crew and passengers alike. She is a such an iconic ship and your great video brings back some amazing memories, so thank you 🙏 Brilliant!
Thank You for a very well done exposay on Q.E. II She was my home as a crew member from 91‐93. Certainly, it is one of the best and most memorable times of my life. At the time, I was the only American working in the kitchens. My fellow ship's company were amazing!
Well done. Sailed in her in 1980 when she was truly mostly original and then in 1996 and 2008. 3 x still wasn’t enough. She was a joy and pleasure to sail in. Always felt like home. ❤️
After spending literal hours touring Carnival cruise ships (I have an obsession with ocean travel) it’s so refreshing to see the elegance of Cunard. These ships were/are truly unparalleled.
I sailed on her in 1997 from New York to Southampton with my brother, he used to work on the original Queen Mary as a commie waiter. So he was most pleased that I got us upgraded to the Queens Grill...what a treat that was. Max Bygraves was on board with his son and one of his Rolls Royce's returning from the NYC Motor show. We used to have tea in the the grill lounge. Very form memories I still have and now sail on Cunard a lot.
QE2 forever, sailed like 20-odd voyages on her, loved that ship and still do. Thanks for your awesome photography ship's tour books, btw! Also, Queens Grill literally is the best place I've ever eaten. They were so accommodating and you could basically get ANYTHING they had, on or off the menu. Quite a ship!
Thanks for the video. I worked as an assistant cameraman on a promotional film for the Cunard line in 1987 (also on CZcams) which was filmed during a Caribbean cruise and the transatlantic cruise to Southampton. It was a beautiful ship, and I will always grateful for the opportunity.
Thank you Chris. Such wonderful memories were remembered from your tour. I found myself saying out loud throughout the tour, 'oh, I went there', or 'stood there'. QE2 was also the ship which got me interested in ocean liner travel in 1983 when my cousin was a crew member and were invited on board in Southampton. I was finally lucky enough to finally sail on her in 2008 during her last Norwegian Fjords cruise. As I boarded in Southampton I started crying as it was a dream come true. When we disembarked finally in Southampton I tapped her hull and thanked her for the memories. I have the same model of QE2 as you do in a glass case with bits and pieces of memorabilia I've collected over the years, including a chip of white paint I found by the Funnel Bar whilst we were leaving Stavanger. I recall we stayed in stateroom 2142 and ate in the Caronia restaurant, which was amazing. I really miss QE2 as she was!
Thanks for the tour. It was a time journey for me. I worked several years on the QE2. My company, MAN in Augsburg/Germany delivered the 9 Diesel engines for the ship in 1986. Can you imagine the sound in the engine room at full speed during Atlantic crossing? Mindblowing!! I still keep my boarding pass from these times.
I traveled on her on her maiden Mediterranean cruise first class and she was a incredible ship that was gradually ruined.The deck at the top of the ship had a 24 hour open coffee shop that served snacks and had tables outside it .This entire deck was like a street with a wonderful discotheque the coffee shop and other shops.At that time there was the Columbia Restaurant The Grill and The Britannia Restaurant tourist Restaurant the main lounge the Queens Room and the stern lounge was the double up lounge it was the tourist class lounge.I had at that time traveled on P&O ships and Orient Lines and Royal Male and other Cunard ships but the QE2 and her modern decor was really special.When they first converted the top deck into accommodation suites I returned to do a three week cruise on her and felt the ship was totally ruined but still had a good time on her.I did one further cruise on her and found it had deteriorated sadly..I consider myself extremely lucky to have cruised on her from her very beginning when In my view she was the real QE2.She was refitted to many times.
She certainly did change a lot during her career. I only knew her in person after the 1994 refit which I think fixed a lot of issues from piecemeal refits over the years. She was spectacular. But must have been amazing in her original trendy configuration :)
A super video! Thank you for posting. Brings back so many happy memories when I was a waiter in the Caronia from 1995... Best years of my life... Subsequently, I was a guest on the QM2 for her maiden voyage :-)
Sailed on the great lady in 1980 at the grand age of 10...transatlantic to New York ....then to cape canaveral(as it was called then)...trying to describe to someone how it feels on the great ship mid Atlantic is difficult as its such a unique experience....well maybe the fact its left such an impression on me 43 years later says it all....grace personified...
Great to see this of the QE2 as I started sailing on Cunard the year after she retired and so many people loved her. Really enjoy your videos, websites, and books.
I enjoyed the video. It brought back memories of working onboard in The Queens Grill Restaurant and before that The Mauritania Restaurant. 1987 -1988 including sailing the full world cruise in 88.
Like you I enjoyed the video and I had the pleasure of working on board her when she did the Maiden World Cruise in 1975. That was quite the experience.
Great tour Chris. I worked on the construction of the ship in the 60’s, cruised on her on the penultimate cruise in 2008 and have just returned from Dubai following a 5-day stay in one of the Penthouse Suites. Although some of the, alterations I’ll call them, don’t do her any favours it’s nice to see some of the old quality in her. Keep up the good works. Geoff
I worked on board QE2 as a Stewardess 1969-1975 this video brings back many memories, however have recognizing some of the areas with all the changes. In the ships early years many of the outside decks were used by the crew for sunbathing, parties etc. As more facilities were added obviously these areas were taken away. Wonderful memories Chris thanks.
I traveled aboard her in June of 1970, traveling from Southampton to New York City. We traveled in tourist class. I was 12 at the time, so my memories are mainly of the kid’s lounge, indoor pool, library, and other kid-friendly spaces. I do not recognize her in most pictures and videos I see, due to the refurbishments she went through.
In my teens whilst living in Clydebank, QE2s birthplace, I had the wonderful experience of meeting with John Brown's head hydrodynamacist (Tom Glenn, then retired from Browns). He was instrumental in the design of the funnel scoops, along with the hull. The 'scoops' were designed lift the exhaust fumes from the ship's boilers clear of the upper deck and they worked no matter the wind direction in relation to the ship's heading.
I traveled on QE2 from New York to Southampton on one of its last trip carrying passengers across the Atlantic. I wrote a novel based on the events, called "Passage Across The Atlantic." It's on Kindle Amazon.
Thanks for the historic insights. I was stuck by how (relatively) small it is compared to modern ships and not many passengers these days would put up with a room without a balcony on a semi-premium ship.
So true. While she was considered a large ship when she was launched, she is - by today’s standards - a ‘mid-sized’ ship. Yet aboard, she didn’t feel small. And she had a commanding presence on the dockside. The cabins, should she have remained in service, would have needed a major overhaul to remain relevant. Balconies aside, single beds that couldn’t be turned into a Queen did not make for a romantic voyage! But QE2 was a legend and most people overlooked her design quirks (due to her age) because the experience aboard was magical and second to none.
Sailed this ship for the 1998 “Voyages of Discovery” World Cruise. I remember those long, long corridors! Such amazing memories of the ports and people I met brought alive by this video. The QM2 is a very different ship. Transatlantic on QE2 used to take us 5 days. QM2 is more than a week. Why is that? Still, I bet the QM2 has less asbestos in the ceilings than the QE2 did! We weren’t meant to know about it, but we did! 😉
Excellent video! It brought back many memories from my four crossings, once as a steam ship and the other three after her engine refit. She was grand in every way and looked like a ship, not a floating condominium. I miss her terribly.
My girlfriend just got me a model for our first anniversary because I love that wedding scene from The Parent Trap so much. I would have loved to sail on her during her service life, but this tour was certainly the next best thing. We'd never be able to afford a Cunard wedding, nor do I think I'd really like one, but you bet I'll be humming that Nat King Cole song the whole time I'm building the model!
Hi. I have watched and rewatched your excellent cruise videos. Especially loved your Cunnard trips. So we have booked 7nights in Sept 21 on Queen Mary 2 to the fjords. I do hope you are presenting on that cruise. Jan
You look way too young to have sailed aboard QE2! Seriously though, many thanks for this video. I never had the chance to sail on her, but watching this I get a real impression of how it would have been.
Spending our first wedding anniversary on board tonight - stationary in Dubai, of course! - in a balcony room and this was a great reminder of the history of this iconic vessel. Thanks for your efforts in compiling the images and narration!
Thank you for the tour . I wish the United States liner would have been better cared for. She has sadly been gutted and sits forlornly docked in Philadelphia .
I traveled transatlantic on the QE2 many many times during the '70s with my mother and brother. I have fond memories of those travels. I remember once winning the Jackpot Bingo enroute from Southampton to NYC!
Great video Chris. Like you I'm Australian, and became interested in cruise ships as well. I saw the QE2 when she visited Hobart on Sunday 17 February 1985, and watched her come up the Derwent River from O'Possum Bay. Saw her again up close on her next visit to Hobart on Friday 8 February 1991. Would have loved to sail on her in her prime. You were lucky you got the chance.
Thanks for a great video. It brought back many happy memories. You missed the shop on one deck just forward of D stairway. I always used to try to book cabin 2130, the only single inside cabin with a bath tub. 2048 was my second choice.
Oh no I just became the old guy. I crossed from New York to Southampton 1989 when I turned 18 years old on board, with about 30 friends ( school organized). Only the exterior looks the same. And the revolving doors you mentioned almost cut off my brothers toes.
Doing a video of the Old Queen Mary shouldn’t be difficult, she’s moored alongside in Los Angles and used as a Hotel. I stayed on board her for the experience in 1976 but missed the usual roll of the ship. Beautiful woodwork in the cabins, it would be worth a video Chris.
Wow amazing video Chris!! Thanks for uploading it. I really enjoyed it and found it very informative. She has visited my home city of Cape Town, South Africa a couple of times, but sadly I never went onboard her. Would have loved to though. Stay safe and keep uploading these amazing videos!! Regards Alain.
I always wanted to cross on QE2 but during the time she was sailing I was young and doing things like getting through college, working, buying a house......and by the time I had the money.....she was long retired. The next best thing is traveling on QM2 and vids like this......as I find Dubai to be a place that I want no part of.
@@ChrisFrameOfficial Who am I to argue with THE Cunard guru, but having just got off my second crossing I would say she's the only way to cross the Atlantic!
The actual most famous ship in the world is Titanic being part of the actual history classes on the entire world, followed by the movies, change on naval security laws ando so on.... , but famous floating ship maybe is the QE2, at least on transatlantic ones, there's a lot of iconic ships trough decades including some carnival iconic cruise ships, a couple of first RCI ones also new ones like Symphony ots... And few military vessels
Was told that when QE2 was launched, she had a strict three class system in place. That was the reason for duplicate bars, elevators that stopped halfway up, and odd ship partitions. This was changed a few years later, but you could still see the intent of the designers. I was told this by a ship employee during a little tour round the ship. Can you tell us more about this?
Has anyone any photos of the kitchens, bakery, butchers shop and the infamous escalators from the kitchen to the Britannia restaurant ect on the QE2 taken in the early days from her pretrials in 1969. The camera I used developed a problem with the lens and lost so much. I need this to go with my scrapbook.
QE2 looked very dated in her later years. Her interior layout was made with her original 60s-style design in mind. I’ve seen photos of her original 60s interiors and I believe they are more befitting of her layout than her later designs are. That mid-century interior design is not something that can easily be messed with or altered and remain good-looking. For example the lobby, Queens room and Grand Lounge all looked dated and odd in the 2000s. But you see them as they were originally made and they actually look great. Retro, obviously, but great for 60s design, and they should’ve just kept it instead of trying to blend it with 90s/2000s.
The Grand Lounge still utterly hideous. I was really hoping it would be returned to its original configuration but the tacky arcade still remains and the beautiful chrome and glass staircase has gone.
When I traveled in the QE2 in the mid 2000s the only thing that was outstanding was the service and the food. 80% of the interiors were motel style dreary.
The loan Cunard took from HM Government to build QE2 was repaid by the line and given the ship went on to become an iconic global ambassador for Britain for 40 years, I would say it was money well spent 👍
Nah, she was much more appealing in the early days. Crossed the Atlantic eastward thrice on her in '71, '74 and '77. None of this shopping malls and chaise-long-by-the-bar malarkey. Shuffle board and libraries were the thing. An era gone forever, sadly.
👋 thanks so much for joining me for this trip down memory lane. I don’t know about you but it made me really miss QE2! Let me know what you think of the ship in the comments below and stay safe everyone!
I actually got to sail as a passenger with my mum in 2008 before she went out of service. I cried on our last evening!
I miss her too
i was QE2 crew, joined her in 1973 , still regard her as home , the video was great thank you i loved it ..
So glad you liked it :)
I traveled on the QE2 many many times transatlantic during the '70s.
Hi Terry, I too was fortunate to work as crew back in 2004. My uncle was John Duffy who's sadly passed away couple of years ago. I miss him and the ship. He encouraged me to train in the white star academy as a waiter and we will never get a golden age of cruise liners like this again (also the s.s France /Norway )
My dad gave me the special gift of taking me to go see the ship in Los Angeles once a year. I was further privileged when I was able to BOARD the ship on her last visit to Los Angeles in March 2008. I was in high school and intended to make a sort of documentary episode. I wrote a script and everything! What I learned was that I needed a lot more training. Instead, I did my best at narrating a 10 minute piece with the "steady cam" footage I had. Very special ship to me, indeed. She really is a unique gem.
i saw her in san pedro,2006
You should post the video you took of the ship to CZcams. I would love to see it.
@@RM-lj8bv I'm much obliged to your interest in my video. Here's a link to it, if CZcams allows it: czcams.com/video/Cijh1d0PE1A/video.html
I worked on board QE2 as a Stewardess 1969-1975, this video brought back many memories however, I hardly recognized the ship with all the many changes.
She sure did change a lot between 1969 and 2008 when most of these photos were taken!
As a previous guest onboard this did bring back the beautiful, and spectacular memories of being a passenger. I loved the full descriptions of the ship for those who might not have known of her splendor. I was fortunate to have been a passenger on board the QE2 for the final transatlantic crossing into NY. You did a spectacular job on this presentation of this great liner.
Very nice ship tour. I had the privilege to sail on her in January 2008 when she went through, now famous images, rough seas in the Bay of Biscay sailing along in tandem with the new Queen Victoria. Memorable voyage, which culminated in a Royal Rendez-vous in New York City, joining Queen Mary 2, in a pyrotechnic extravaganza.
I sailed on her in 1996 and 2003. The 1996 Transatlantic voyage was my first sailing and I was entranced from the beginning
I worked in the Caronia restaurant in 2000. Lived on 6 deck somewhere above the anchor! Very noisy when docking in ports! Great memories. I visited her on the open day in Dubai 2018. Felt quite emotional walking through the corridors again!
Thank you!!
I worked as a bar waitress on the QE2 back in 2005 and had such a great time with the other crew and passengers alike. She is a such an iconic ship and your great video brings back some amazing memories, so thank you 🙏 Brilliant!
I cruised on QE2 during the 2005 World Cruise! Glad to hear the video brought back happy memories.
Thank you for this nostalgic reminder of how wonderful this ship is
Thank You for a very well done exposay on Q.E. II She was my home as a crew member from 91‐93. Certainly, it is one of the best and most memorable times of my life. At the time, I was the only American working in the kitchens. My fellow ship's company were amazing!
Well done. Sailed in her in 1980 when she was truly mostly original and then in 1996 and 2008. 3 x still wasn’t enough. She was a joy and pleasure to sail in. Always felt like home. ❤️
After spending literal hours touring Carnival cruise ships (I have an obsession with ocean travel) it’s so refreshing to see the elegance of Cunard. These ships were/are truly unparalleled.
Carnival acquired the majority of Cunard in 1998, and the rest of the company in 1999.
@@CJODell12wow i googled it and you are correct i did not know that
I sailed on her in 1997 from New York to Southampton with my brother, he used to work on the original Queen Mary as a commie waiter. So he was most pleased that I got us upgraded to the Queens Grill...what a treat that was. Max Bygraves was on board with his son and one of his Rolls Royce's returning from the NYC Motor show. We used to have tea in the the grill lounge. Very form memories I still have and now sail on Cunard a lot.
QE2 forever, sailed like 20-odd voyages on her, loved that ship and still do. Thanks for your awesome photography ship's tour books, btw! Also, Queens Grill literally is the best place I've ever eaten. They were so accommodating and you could basically get ANYTHING they had, on or off the menu. Quite a ship!
Wonderful man! I traveled on QE2 all throughout my youth and I miss it very much. This is the best video I've seen.
Thank you 🙏
I agree
Thanks for the video. I worked as an assistant cameraman on a promotional film for the Cunard line in 1987 (also on CZcams) which was filmed during a Caribbean cruise and the transatlantic cruise to Southampton. It was a beautiful ship, and I will always grateful for the opportunity.
Thank you Chris. Such wonderful memories were remembered from your tour. I found myself saying out loud throughout the tour, 'oh, I went there', or 'stood there'. QE2 was also the ship which got me interested in ocean liner travel in 1983 when my cousin was a crew member and were invited on board in Southampton. I was finally lucky enough to finally sail on her in 2008 during her last Norwegian Fjords cruise. As I boarded in Southampton I started crying as it was a dream come true. When we disembarked finally in Southampton I tapped her hull and thanked her for the memories. I have the same model of QE2 as you do in a glass case with bits and pieces of memorabilia I've collected over the years, including a chip of white paint I found by the Funnel Bar whilst we were leaving Stavanger. I recall we stayed in stateroom 2142 and ate in the Caronia restaurant, which was amazing. I really miss QE2 as she was!
Such nice memories 👍
I sailed on her in 77' thanks for the memories.
Thanks for the tour. It was a time journey for me. I worked several years on the QE2. My company, MAN in Augsburg/Germany delivered the 9 Diesel engines for the ship in 1986. Can you imagine the sound in the engine room at full speed during Atlantic crossing? Mindblowing!! I still keep my boarding pass from these times.
I was lucky enough to visit the engine room in 2008 while the ship was making 30 knots on her way to Singapore. It was epic.
I traveled on her on her maiden Mediterranean cruise first class and she was a incredible ship that was gradually ruined.The deck at the top of the ship had a 24 hour open coffee shop that served snacks and had tables outside it .This entire deck was like a street with a wonderful discotheque the coffee shop and other shops.At that time there was the Columbia Restaurant The Grill and The Britannia Restaurant tourist Restaurant the main lounge the Queens Room and the stern lounge was the double up lounge it was the tourist class lounge.I had at that time traveled on P&O ships and Orient Lines and Royal Male and other Cunard ships but the QE2 and her modern decor was really special.When they first converted the top deck into accommodation suites I returned to do a three week cruise on her and felt the ship was totally ruined but still had a good time on her.I did one further cruise on her and found it had deteriorated sadly..I consider myself extremely lucky to have cruised on her from her very beginning when In my view she was the real QE2.She was refitted to many times.
She certainly did change a lot during her career. I only knew her in person after the 1994 refit which I think fixed a lot of issues from piecemeal refits over the years. She was spectacular. But must have been amazing in her original trendy configuration :)
What a lovely ship! Never had the chance to sail on her, but wish I had. Thank you for the tour!
A super video! Thank you for posting. Brings back so many happy memories when I was a waiter in the Caronia from 1995... Best years of my life... Subsequently, I was a guest on the QM2 for her maiden voyage :-)
Sailed on the great lady in 1980 at the grand age of 10...transatlantic to New York ....then to cape canaveral(as it was called then)...trying to describe to someone how it feels on the great ship mid Atlantic is difficult as its such a unique experience....well maybe the fact its left such an impression on me 43 years later says it all....grace personified...
Great to see this of the QE2 as I started sailing on Cunard the year after she retired and so many people loved her. Really enjoy your videos, websites, and books.
Thanks so much 🛳🛳🛳
Really enjoyed re-visiting QE2. First sailed on her in Sept '73, then in July '94 and last time April 2008. Will always be my favorite ship.
I enjoyed the video. It brought back memories of working onboard in The Queens Grill Restaurant and before that The Mauritania Restaurant. 1987 -1988 including sailing the full world cruise in 88.
Like you I enjoyed the video and I had the pleasure of working on board her when she did the Maiden World Cruise in 1975. That was quite the experience.
I worked on this beauty for 9 months in 2004, enjoyed a world cruise no less. Fantastic
I was working with the Tv company Rediffusion, and had the opportunity to go on board a few times, happy times
Hello Chris! Thanks for this walk through QE2. It brought back lots of wonderful memories!
Great tour Chris. I worked on the construction of the ship in the 60’s, cruised on her on the penultimate cruise in 2008 and have just returned from Dubai following a 5-day stay in one of the Penthouse Suites.
Although some of the, alterations I’ll call them, don’t do her any favours it’s nice to see some of the old quality in her.
Keep up the good works.
Geoff
I worked on board QE2 as a Stewardess 1969-1975 this video brings back many memories, however have recognizing some of the areas with all the changes. In the ships early years many of the outside decks were used by the crew for sunbathing, parties etc. As more facilities were added obviously these areas were taken away. Wonderful memories Chris thanks.
I traveled aboard her in June of 1970, traveling from Southampton to New York City. We traveled in tourist class. I was 12 at the time, so my memories are mainly of the kid’s lounge, indoor pool, library, and other kid-friendly spaces. I do not recognize her in most pictures and videos I see, due to the refurbishments she went through.
1983, state room 4007. I was 11. I sailed on her 5 times. My parents sailed on her 27 times.
In my teens whilst living in Clydebank, QE2s birthplace, I had the wonderful experience of meeting with John Brown's head hydrodynamacist (Tom Glenn, then retired from Browns). He was instrumental in the design of the funnel scoops, along with the hull. The 'scoops' were designed lift the exhaust fumes from the ship's boilers clear of the upper deck and they worked no matter the wind direction in relation to the ship's heading.
I traveled on QE2 from New York to Southampton on one of its last trip carrying passengers across the Atlantic. I wrote a novel based on the events, called "Passage Across The Atlantic." It's on Kindle Amazon.
I worked on the QE2 1977 to 1982 as a chef when it was mainly British crew I was only 19 years old when I joined. It was a great life then
Thanks for the historic insights. I was stuck by how (relatively) small it is compared to modern ships and not many passengers these days would put up with a room without a balcony on a semi-premium ship.
So true. While she was considered a large ship when she was launched, she is - by today’s standards - a ‘mid-sized’ ship. Yet aboard, she didn’t feel small. And she had a commanding presence on the dockside. The cabins, should she have remained in service, would have needed a major overhaul to remain relevant. Balconies aside, single beds that couldn’t be turned into a Queen did not make for a romantic voyage! But QE2 was a legend and most people overlooked her design quirks (due to her age) because the experience aboard was magical and second to none.
Sailed this ship for the 1998 “Voyages of Discovery” World Cruise. I remember those long, long corridors! Such amazing memories of the ports and people I met brought alive by this video.
The QM2 is a very different ship. Transatlantic on QE2 used to take us 5 days. QM2 is more than a week. Why is that?
Still, I bet the QM2 has less asbestos in the ceilings than the QE2 did! We weren’t meant to know about it, but we did! 😉
QM2 could do it in the same 5 day time as QE2 - technically she’s as capable. QE2 was still faster though 😁😁😁
Excellent video! It brought back many memories from my four crossings, once as a steam ship and the other three after her engine refit. She was grand in every way and looked like a ship, not a floating condominium. I miss her terribly.
My girlfriend just got me a model for our first anniversary because I love that wedding scene from The Parent Trap so much. I would have loved to sail on her during her service life, but this tour was certainly the next best thing. We'd never be able to afford a Cunard wedding, nor do I think I'd really like one, but you bet I'll be humming that Nat King Cole song the whole time I'm building the model!
I hope you enjoy building the model. QE2 was one of a kind.
Brings back so many memories thanks
Hi. I have watched and rewatched your excellent cruise videos. Especially loved your Cunnard trips. So we have booked 7nights in Sept 21 on Queen Mary 2 to the fjords. I do hope you are presenting on that cruise. Jan
I would love to!!
You look way too young to have sailed aboard QE2!
Seriously though, many thanks for this video. I never had the chance to sail on her, but watching this I get a real impression of how it would have been.
Best. Compliment. Ever 😀 thank you.
Great video mate, great to see her again and take a photographic journey thorough her.
Spending our first wedding anniversary on board tonight - stationary in Dubai, of course! - in a balcony room and this was a great reminder of the history of this iconic vessel. Thanks for your efforts in compiling the images and narration!
I kept wondering why you spoke of the QE2 in the past tense. Then realised you made this in march 2020 :)
Yes! As the cruise industry was closing in 2020 I felt nostalgic for my favourite ship!
Thank you for the tour . I wish the United States liner would have been better cared for. She has sadly been gutted and sits forlornly docked in Philadelphia .
I traveled transatlantic on the QE2 many many times during the '70s with my mother and brother. I have fond memories of those travels. I remember once winning the Jackpot Bingo enroute from Southampton to NYC!
Great video Chris. Like you I'm Australian, and became interested in cruise ships as well. I saw the QE2 when she visited Hobart on Sunday 17 February 1985, and watched her come up the Derwent River from O'Possum Bay. Saw her again up close on her next visit to Hobart on Friday 8 February 1991. Would have loved to sail on her in her prime. You were lucky you got the chance.
I wish QE2 was still around
Actually she is around. Thank Golly
Most modern cruise ships are just floating casinos, good to see the classic of ocean liners remaining strong.
Yeah we can see it always here in Dubai.. lovely
Great video. Luckily I live near Dubai and visit the ship regularly.
Thanks for a great video. It brought back many happy memories. You missed the shop on one deck just forward of D stairway.
I always used to try to book cabin 2130, the only single inside cabin with a bath tub. 2048 was my second choice.
Yeah I missed the One Deck shop and the One Deck salon mainly because my photos were so blurry :(
We sailed many cruises and crossings on QE2. (20) We now have sailed 7 crossings on QM2. The QE2 is still our favorite ship. QM2 is in 2nd place.
Oh no I just became the old guy. I crossed from New York to Southampton 1989 when I turned 18 years old on board, with about 30 friends ( school organized). Only the exterior looks the same. And the revolving doors you mentioned almost cut off my brothers toes.
Awesome video, and an historical record
I crossed the Atlantic 8 times on QE2...
Such a great ship!
Love this! Would love a Queen Mary video (the original QM)
Doing a video of the Old Queen Mary shouldn’t be difficult, she’s moored alongside in Los Angles and used as a Hotel. I stayed on board her for the experience in 1976 but missed the usual roll of the ship. Beautiful woodwork in the cabins, it would be worth a video Chris.
Wow amazing video Chris!! Thanks for uploading it. I really enjoyed it and found it very informative. She has visited my home city of Cape Town, South Africa a couple of times, but sadly I never went onboard her. Would have loved to though. Stay safe and keep uploading these amazing videos!! Regards Alain.
Thank you!
I always wanted to cross on QE2 but during the time she was sailing I was young and doing things like getting through college, working, buying a house......and by the time I had the money.....she was long retired. The next best thing is traveling on QM2 and vids like this......as I find Dubai to be a place that I want no part of.
I still miss the QE2 to this day but QM2 is epic. She’s worth a try!
@@ChrisFrameOfficial Who am I to argue with THE Cunard guru, but having just got off my second crossing I would say she's the only way to cross the Atlantic!
The QE2 was the last ocean going liner in the true sense. She could have been refitted and carried on.
I just saw recently they’ve removed the Queen Mary’s life boats and the weight of them had been doing significant damage apparently.
She was my home in 2005/2006 I worked in Coronia and then Queens Grill 😊the crew bar could tell many tales if walls could talk 😂
Very interesting - thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks
The actual most famous ship in the world is Titanic being part of the actual history classes on the entire world, followed by the movies, change on naval security laws ando so on.... , but famous floating ship maybe is the QE2, at least on transatlantic ones, there's a lot of iconic ships trough decades including some carnival iconic cruise ships, a couple of first RCI ones also new ones like Symphony ots... And few military vessels
Fair point! Perhaps QE2 is the most famous ship that DIDN’T sink 🚢
2:22 is Sheena. She was penthouse stewardess.
Where did you purchased that QE2 model behind you?
It was from a local model shop in the 1990s. Not sure if it’s still manufactured.
Ah that’s a shame. Such a beautiful model of QE2. Who knows I might come across QE2 model somewhere. Thank you anyway! Really appreciate it
Was told that when QE2 was launched, she had a strict three class system in place. That was the reason for duplicate bars, elevators that stopped halfway up, and odd ship partitions. This was changed a few years later, but you could still see the intent of the designers.
I was told this by a ship employee during a little tour round the ship. Can you tell us more about this?
Has anyone any photos of the kitchens, bakery, butchers shop and the infamous escalators from the kitchen to the Britannia restaurant ect on the QE2 taken in the early days from her pretrials in 1969. The camera I used developed a problem with the lens and lost so much. I need this to go with my scrapbook.
❤️❤️❤️
Well 2008 was the end of elegant liners 😔.... And why in the heck did they remove the lifeboats 🤦♂️
the ship is retired now
Who ever disliked this video is a bum!
Does anyone know of a current Cunard captain or deck officer with a public Instagram account?
QE2 looked very dated in her later years. Her interior layout was made with her original 60s-style design in mind. I’ve seen photos of her original 60s interiors and I believe they are more befitting of her layout than her later designs are. That mid-century interior design is not something that can easily be messed with or altered and remain good-looking.
For example the lobby, Queens room and Grand Lounge all looked dated and odd in the 2000s. But you see them as they were originally made and they actually look great. Retro, obviously, but great for 60s design, and they should’ve just kept it instead of trying to blend it with 90s/2000s.
Her owners in Dubai castrated her by removing her lifeboats.
The Grand Lounge still utterly hideous. I was really hoping it would be returned to its original configuration but the tacky arcade still remains and the beautiful chrome and glass staircase has gone.
Darn you Carnival! just had to sell her to the worst,most unsafe part of earth....Clydebank is where she belongs
I don't want to sound like a damper but she seems much, much less grand than the Queen Mary.
When I traveled in the QE2 in the mid 2000s the only thing that was outstanding was the service and the food. 80% of the interiors were motel style dreary.
Narration is seriously difficult to follow.
she is not the most famous ship TITANIC is
This paid by British, taxpayers 😡
The loan Cunard took from HM Government to build QE2 was repaid by the line and given the ship went on to become an iconic global ambassador for Britain for 40 years, I would say it was money well spent 👍
Nah, she was much more appealing in the early days. Crossed the Atlantic eastward thrice on her in '71, '74 and '77. None of this shopping malls and chaise-long-by-the-bar malarkey. Shuffle board and libraries were the thing. An era gone forever, sadly.