One of the busiest days in the life of a ship is making the vessel ready for an ocean voyage, whether it is embarkation or disembarkation. On this particular day, seagulls are flying overhead, there’s a salty mist in the air, and dock workers are urgently loading large quantities of cargo, supplies and baggage into a giant 13 story tall, 963 foot long vessel. The famous Queen Elizabeth-2, like hundreds of turnarounds before, is making ready to sail from her home port of Southampton, England. In addition to the nearly fifteen hundred passengers board the ship, 7,720 pounds of beef, 2,342 doz. eggs, 600 pounds of coffee, 865 gallons of ice cream, 55 pounds of caviar, and 6,700 pounds of potatoes, to name only a few items, will be loaded into the ship.

The Queen Elizabeth-2 is virtually a floating city with all the necessary departments which include; a bank, shopping mall, hair salon, post office, police station, hotel rooms, restaurants, swimming pools, spas, print shop, phot lab, bars, show lounge, theater, disco, museum, computer lab, library, chapel, and finally a town mayor, or more commonly known aboard a ship as the Captain. On this particular day in 1998, the Queen Elizabeth-2 is preparing to drop her ties from the Southampton dock, and cross the vast Atlantic ocean to the port of New York, over three thousand miles, and about five days away.

Watching from the Bridge, on the starboard wing, the Captain, several officers and the Harbor Pilot, work together as a team to command the departure of the QE-2. A high school band on the dock plays a tune, as shouts of farewells are heard both from land and from the decks of the QE-2, while she gently moves away from the dock. One can easily feel a sense of nostalgia watching the people on land and the people on the ship wave at each other as the QE-2 makes yet another classic, trans-Atlantic voyage like she has done hundreds of times before. Last of the great liners built for trans-Atlantic service, the QE-2 continues the legend of making an Atlantic crossing, like so many of her predecessors did before her.

Life aboard the Queen Elizabeth-2 has slowly changed with the times and matured over the last 29 years since her debut in 1969. Gone are the days when QE-2 passengers would visit the Coffee Shop, the Lookout Bar, or play a tune in the Juke Box. The Coffee Shop and Lookout Bar have both been replaced with a pantry or galley. The only foozeball table aboard the QE-2 today is in one of the crew lounges. The spartan, futuristic-looking chairs of the early 70’s have been removed from the Queen’s Room and replaced with furniture that is actually reminiscent of the 40’s and 50’s. The chances of finding a “go-go” girl in a mini-skirt, spinning records for the young adult passengers is pretty slim, being replaced with a DJ playing the latest tunes on CD’s, or perhaps passengers can sing their favorite songs at karaoke night.

Structurally, the QE-2 has gone through many changes over the years. She went from being a steamship to sporting the largest and most powerful diesel electric engines built for a vessel of her size. The sheltered sports deck was filled in with two decks of luxury suites, and a classy shopping mall now over-looks the Grand Lounge, which use to be the Double-up / Double-down room.

Altough QE-2 has seen many physical changes in her public rooms, and even her silhouette, the movements smells, sounds, and the basic feeling of being at sea aboard this unique vessel have not changed. In the morning, passengers can still find a cozy chair and look out at the expanse of the sea as QE-2 makes a steady 28.5 knots. Breakfast in one of the six restaurants, which all have large windows, remind passengers that they are indeed at sea, traveling in a luxurious resort with palatial features. High-noon Tea and snacks in the Queen’s Room is a popular and traditional experience to enjoy. During the day there are countless activities to choose from, in fact, it is estimated that it would take at least three months to attend all of the activities scheduled for one five-day crossing.

As the dusk hour spreads it’s darkening shadow over the ocean, the QE-2 becomes an oasis of glamour, excitement, and prestige. Passengers can dance to big band music in the Grand Lounge, see a colorful show filled with music, siging, costumes and drama, and then indulge in some of the finest dining available at sea or on land. After dinner, there may be a waltz playing in the Queen’s Room, more contemporary music and dancing in the sophisticated Yacht Club, or perhaps passengers can relax in the less formal Golden Lion Pub. The extravagance, sophistication and comfort aboard the QE-2 of the 90’s would dazzle any passenger from the 70’s who by chance could have peeked into the future.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Barryboat:
There is a rare chemistry of comfort, nostalgia, prestige and wonder that may never again be duplicated on another ship. An ocean voyage aboard the most famous ship in the world lives up to the stereotypical glamour associated with her very name. The Queen Elizabeth-2, unlike the cruise ships of today, virtually sets the standard for elegance and grander for the ships of tomorrow.

---