Attached are some preview pics and the full album can be found at the link below. Hope you enjoy.

Ernie

ShipSpotting Album

[ 01-15-2011: Message edited by: eroller ]

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Originally posted by eroller:
Do I have plans tomorrow to see QV and QE in port? Unlikely. They really hold no interest for me. Once you have seen one Vista, you have pretty much seen them all, at least from the exterior. A Cunard funnel alone is not enough to peak my interest.

Ernie

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GREAT pictures Ernie! THANKS! I dont suppose you would go shipspotting tomorrow and take pictures for the 'rest of us' who cant be there? PUH-LEEEASE?

Were you able to enter Port Everglades easily and take pictures from the parking garage? I have tried this before but unless I have cruise documents security won't let me into the port.

[ 01-15-2011: Message edited by: Carlos Fernandez ]

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:
I did the same today but began with Ft. Lauderdale, waiting for QM2 to arrive from the inlet, then John U. Lloyd Park for the other ships and finally Miami. I'll post some pictures later.

Were you able to enter Port Everglades easily and take pictures from the parking garage? I have tried this before but unless I have cruise documents security won't let me into the port.

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Great pic of QM2! You know I have never gone to John Lloyd park. I will have to do that sometime. Are you planning to go tomorrow for QE and QV?

Regarding Port Everglades, you shouldn't have any problem getting in. Just say you are picking up a passenger from one of the ships. Very easy. The security check-point is really because the cargo and passenger ships are mixed at Port Everglades. It's much better at the Port of Miami where cargo is now separated. No check-point for passengers.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:

GREAT pictures Ernie! THANKS! I dont suppose you would go shipspotting tomorrow and take pictures for the 'rest of us' who cant be there? PUH-LEEEASE?

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I'm glad you are enjoying the pics. It was a fun day seeing all the ships, especially QM2. I don't think I would have gone if it wasn't for her.

I'll see how the day goes tomorrow. If the mood strikes me, I head to the port and grab some pics of QV and QE. They are just not very exciting to me, and it's really no different than having two HAL Vista's in port.

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Originally posted by eroller:
I'm glad you are enjoying the pics. It was a fun day seeing all the ships, especially QM2. I don't think I would have gone if it wasn't for her.

I'll see how the day goes tomorrow. If the mood strikes me, I head to the port and grab some pics of QV and QE. They are just not very exciting to me, and it's really no different than having two HAL Vista's in port.

Ernie

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Originally posted by eroller:

Great pic of QM2! You know I have never gone to John Lloyd park. I will have to do that sometime. Are you planning to go tomorrow for QE and QV?

Regarding Port Everglades, you shouldn't have any problem getting in. Just say you are picking up a passenger from one of the ships. Very easy. The security check-point is really because the cargo and passenger ships are mixed at Port Everglades. It's much better at the Port of Miami where cargo is now separated. No check-point for passengers.

Ernie

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Thanks Ernie, great pictures from you as well. John U. Lloyd Park is really not so great for the inlet since the jetty is closed, the north side at Point of the Americas is better. The park is good though to view the ships along the Intracoastal Waterway such as Eurodam and Constellation today.

I don't think I'll go back up for QV or QE, I've seen QV in the past and it's not the same as QM2 which I have not seen in a couple years, specially with the timing today arriving at noon.

Dmwnc1 more pictures are certainly coming, I just have to sort through 350 of them, here's another one.

[ 01-15-2011: Message edited by: Carlos Fernandez ]

[ 01-15-2011: Message edited by: dmwnc1 ]

When you go to the jetty at Point of America's where do you park? Please don't tell me you have to park way up in the first public lot and walk all the way down the beach? It's so much easier on South Beach as there is a parking lot right there. One time I grabbed some great pics from a vacant house (undergoing renovation) along the inlet. I just parked in the driveway and walked around back. I'm glad I wasn't arrested for trespassing. LOL.

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Originally posted by eroller:
Gorgeous Carlos! Your pics make QM2's black hull look so shiny and vibrant. Did you do any touch up's in photo shop? The reason I ask is her hull looked so dull and faded in person today.

When you go to the jetty at Point of America's where do you park? Please don't tell me you have to park way up in the first public lot and walk all the way down the beach? It's so much easier on South Beach as there is a parking lot right there. One time I grabbed some great pics from a vacant house (undergoing renovation) along the inlet. I just parked in the driveway and walked around back. I'm glad I wasn't arrested for trespassing. LOL.

Ernie

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The hull did seem clean for the most part on the starboard side, but it might have been the sun being in the opposite direction to where I was. I'm only doing some brightness and contrast on Photoshop. BTW she had a sizable dent aft on starboard.

Parking is very easy, I usually park on South Ocean Drive before it turns into the houses along the inlet the walk towards the beach or if it's a major event like Oasis coming in for the first time I call the church there (I think it's St. Sebastian) the day before and ask them for permission to park. Here's a small map:

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:

Parking is very easy, I usually park on South Ocean Drive before it turns into the houses along the inlet the walk towards the beach or if it's a major event like Oasis coming in for the first time I call the church there (I think it's St. Sebastian) the day before and ask them for permission to park. Here's a small map:

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Thank you Carlos. I had no idea there is free parking close by. That is even better than SoBe then since they charge an arm and a leg.

Thanks for the map. Perhaps tomorrow I'll watch sail away from there.

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Originally posted by Aad:
Wonderfull pictures. Wish I was there. Please please take some pictures of QE and QV today. Do it for us poor people in cold and wet Europe with no ships at all. Aad

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AMEN Aad!!!!

Carlos those pictures are absolutely breathtaking. I hope to see more of yours and Ernie's pictures today should you both get the opportunity to take more photos and share with those of us in the U.S. braving the freezing cold and snow!

THANK YOU both for these outstanding contributions. Well done indeed!!!

OK, a stupid question... here im Brazil when we have 5-6 ships in the same port it's just a HUGE mess, (and they all are small compared to QMII, Freedom & Solstice Class...) you all can't believe how messy can be, people every where, lugagges in every place, just like a circus That's because our terminals are very small for the huge cruise transit over here, i have to admit we are no prepaird for things like that. So, the question, how does it works in Miami and Fort Lauderdale? Each company have it own pier and embarkation spot? It's all in the same place but something like an airport?

The record of more ships in a single place i believe it's in Fort Lauderdales right?

Thank you all and again, congratulations, lovely pics!

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Originally posted by Italianliners:
OK, a stupid question... here im Brazil when we have 5-6 ships in the same port it's just a HUGE mess, (and they all are small compared to QMII, Freedom & Solstice Class...) you all can't believe how messy can be, people every where, lugagges in every place, just like a circus That's because our terminals are very small for the huge cruise transit over here, i have to admit we are no prepaird for things like that. So, the question, how does it works in Miami and Fort Lauderdale? Each company have it own pier and embarkation spot? It's all in the same place but something like an airport?
Italianliners

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Yes, in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale each ship has its own terminal, dedicated to embarking and disembarking thousands of passengers during each call. Some terminals even have luggage carousels, just like in the airports. Outside the terminals there are dedicated areas for cars and busses, for dropping people and luggage off, for picking up people and luggage, for parking, etc.

It's all quite well organized, considering the numbers of people coming and going, even though it all seems like chaos when you're in the middle of it. But these ports are designed to handle these ships and people on a regular basis, unlike other ports in the world which rarely see more than one ship at a time; those places have no need to develope an extensive terminal, but it gets very crowded when several ships come in on the same day.

I wish so much she would head out here again. I am so jealous of you lucky people!

This was QM2 and Oasis's first meeting right?

[ 01-16-2011: Message edited by: Cunard Fan ]

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:
[QB]

BTW she had a sizable dent aft on starboard.

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Interestingly she berths on that side when she visits Barbados but I am more than sure that damage did not occur here. It is a big depression in the hull plating there.