CruiseInd 2.0 » Queen Mary 2

Lets talk about Duck Tails

Greg — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:15:41 +0000

A recent maritime certification compliance with SOLAS is an increase in stability requirements. As vessels superstructures get taller they need a stable base (hull). A popular enhancement done in drydocking a modern cruise ship is the addition of balconies. This can sometimes be done by extending the stern superstructure of a vessel as was done with the Veendam left (notice the addition of a ducktail). Another option is the addition of a sponson. [1] A sponson is the extension of the hull on the sides of a vessel. These mostly are reserved for Ro/Ro vessels as they contain a large, unrestricted vehicle deck. An example can be seen in the Ro/Ro ferry Princess of Scandinavia right. The addition of Sponsons can be unappealing to a vessel. This is another reason that cruise ships resort to a duck tail.

This month saw the drydocking of 3 ships and the addition of ducktails to two of the ships. P&O’s Arcadia at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany received hers below.

At the same time in the same shipyard, Cunard’s Queen Mary2 was going through her routine Drydock.

The QM2 will leave on December 5th and the ORIANA will leave December 17th.

On the other side of Europe, in Cadiz, Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas is going through a rather massive drydock. A lot of interior changes are being made as well as the addition of an entire row of balconies to the ships superstructure. Her duck tail is rather more pronounced. Here it is all painted.

[1] Contemporary ideas on ship stability By Dracos Vassalos

Photos from SHIPS & THE SEA – BLOGUE dos NAVIOS e do MAR

Queen Mary 2 to be Reflagged in Bermuda [w/Render]

Greg — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:41:00 +0000

vs.

Just doesn’t look right to me!

(Photo Credit: Flickr user LeHavreShips®Karl via Creative Commons license)

Small Fire Breaks Out in Queen Mary 2’s Engine Room

Greg — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:50:55 +0000

from Cunard:

[The Fire]was swiftly dealt with by the ship’s company and had no impact to any guests, crew or to the structural integrity of the ship.

Pictures of The Royal Rendezvous (i.e. The 3 Queens) in NYC Last night.

Greg — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:36:16 +0000

Live from the Cunard Queens in NYC

Greg — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:48:24 +0000

Well these photos are live at least. Refresh the page every so often to to see the updated photos from the webcam. Or use the mobile webcam viewer from your hand held device.

QM2 in Red Hook Brooklyn

Queen Victoria in Manhattan

Queen Elizabeth in Manhattan

Cunards Royal Rendezvous Schedule of Events

Greg — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:27:37 +0000

SCHEDULE:
Thursday January 13th
ARRIVALS:
6:00 AM (approx) All ships will be berthed at respective cruise terminal (see below).

DEPARTURES:
6:00 PM
Queen Mary 2 – from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
Queen Victoria – from Pier 90, Manhattan Cruise Terminal
Queen Elizabeth – from Pier 88, Manhattan Cruise Terminal

6:40 PM (approx)
Cunard Royal Rendezvous at the Statue of Liberty featuring Fireworks by Grucci for a spectacular sail away celebration.

UPDATED: 7 December 2011

The 3 Queens and New York

Greg — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:34:35 +0000

The 3 Queens, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria, will all meet up in New York on Thursday. The Queens will be arriving into a city that will probably still be digging out from the storm that will slam them tomorrow. No word on how the weather will, if at all, impact their visits.
One thing Is for sure; It will be a ship photographers dream there. Even if its below freezing

The Queen Mary 2 will arrive up from the Caribbean and dock at Red Hook, Brooklyn. The Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth will sail up the Hudson and dock at the Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan. Those two will sail in from Europe, doing Cunard’s popular tandem crossing. All three will anchor off of the Stature of Liberty to enjoy a fireworks salute to the famous ships.

Explosion on Queen Mary 2 A Few Months Ago

Greg — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Apparently there was an explosion onboard Cunard’s flagship in September. One of the ships electric generators blew a capacitor which caused oil to be sprayed onto high voltage wires. This caused an arcing event that caused the vessel to loose power momentarily. The damage was apparently severe not only to the generator but to surrounding areas and the control room. According to a recently released report from British Officials:

Also caused serious damage to an adjoining steel door into the main switchboard room, the stiffeners on the bulkhead of the compartment were buckled, and the steel cover plate on a cross-flooding duct was blown out into the main switchboard room.

No one was injured as they weren’t in the area at the time, and passengers hardly noticed anything. This report that was just released, was the first anyone has heard about such an event on board the Queen.

Link to MAIB Report (Link PDF)

Tech Thursday: Cruising via Facebook

Greg — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:56:00 +0000

Ok now I have seen it all. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am always outspoken when it comes to technology. I am a proud technology pundit and always encourage the use of it, but this may be too far!

Cunard recently hosted a virtual crossing aboard Queen Mary 2…on Facebook. Simply by visiting their Facebook page, “virtual guests” could suggesting what actual passengers should do. Regular activities, along with the suggestions posted are what is actually happening on the ship in the middle of the ocean.

John Honeywell, aka Captain Greybeard, sums it up the best:

In the afternoon, for example, some may decide to take afternoon tea while others opt to listen to a lecture or visit the planetarium. In the evening, they can suggest which restaurant to dine in, and even what to wear.

During the day, the virtual traveller gets a chance to tour the ship and meet fellow passengers, such as this aristocratic-looking pooch in Queen Mary 2′s unique kennels.

Peter Shanks, Cunard’s President and Managing Director:

"When we set out we had no idea what the response might be. It turns out to be very enthusiastic, with many people experiencing and interacting with us on this virtual crossing. If nothing else, it brings home to people who have yet to make this iconic trip in reality just how much there is to do on a transatlantic crossing."

Click Here To View The Photos on Facebook

See, fortunately this works because there is nothing that can capture everything that is cruising. So while it may have seemed like you were on a cruise you weren’t because nothing really matches up to it. Regardless of how many virtual tours I look at of ships online, there is just nothing like seeing an area in person for the first time.

Another Norwegian Epic Fire And They are All Arson

Greg — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:49:56 +0000

French maritime news site, Mer et Marine, is reporting that on June 6th there was a small fire onboard. Families of the workers at STX France were allowed to tour the vessel and see what their relatives had been working on for the past 3 years. This common as a way for the shipyard to show how important they are to the community. The crew were notified of another small fire onboard and decided, as a precaution to evacuate all passengers.

This shipyard has not had much luck during these events. On November 15, 2003 the gangway leading to the Queen Mary 2 collapsed killing 16 and injuring 32 during the family day at the yard.

This is the third fire on the ship so far.

These fires are all a result of arson. From a “translation” from Mer et Marine: “ The criminal origin of fire starts is no longer in doubt.”

The ship is still scheduled for her sea trials and delivery on the 15th.