Four and Five Deck Corridors.

[Chris]

These corridors were refurbished (during 1999) to include new railings, wood veneer and white wall coverings.

I was hoping Michael could give the full details of the reasons for the change (assume to make Four and Five deck seem a bit less dated) and why this style was selected given it was so different from the rest of QE2.



** Image of the final design, from: http://jimmyinsandiego.com/

[Michael Gallagher]

Chris

The corridors wer changed over a period of months starting in 1999. They were changed because the previous scheme lookes awful by 1999. I can't quite remember which way round but one of the decks had an orange ceiling and the other a light purple. This style was chosen by the ship and the crew just got on and did it. Once a section had been approved by the company, it was left to the ship to do. I think they did a great joband t vastly improve the corridors.

Michael

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Interesting how more and more details emerge as we exchange the memories and the facts at our disposal!

Apart from the ceilings (which must have been a real reminder of the original QE2 interiors!), what else was different in these two corridors before the change in 1999?

Great work by the ship's crew, carrying out this upgrade without outside assistance! They must have been rightly proud of what they achieved.

And I wonder whether the higher decks also had coloured ceilings originally, each deck its own colour?

[Twynkle]

Interesting how more and more details emerge as we exchange the memories and the facts at our disposal!.....

...Great work by the ship's crew, carrying out this upgrade without outside assistance! They must have been rightly proud of what they achieved.

Narrow, difficult places - and much paraphernalia, large panels, heavy doors etc etc - it must have been quite some undertaking!
Was it carried out as she was sailing, and with 'Guests' in situ - and unpredictable weather conditions(!)?
Maybe it was done at a time when the numbers of pax were down.
Which Crew departments would do this... Night Gang, 'Chippies', 'Sparkies'...?

Watertight doors at frequent intervals, too
https://www.flickr.com/photos/watch_keeper/3900962667/in/set-72157622187778695/

[Michael Gallagher]

All the ceilings, wall coverings, doors, number signs were redone. The original handrails were returned.

The ceilings on One, Two and Three Decks were white and never redone.

[Chris]

Isabelle,

Pre 1999 there were no "wood" coverings on the walls. The doors were white. The rails were metal not wooden and the walls had a slight texture to them.

I'll try and hunt down some photos from my 1998 voyage.

Michael: agree a vast improvement. The wall coverings had started to bubble by 2008 in places, but it wouldn't have taken much to fix.

I always thought the 1-2 deck carpets should have been used on 3-5. I was surprised to find it added to BoatDeck during the April 2008 refit. It made a big difference.

[Bob C.]

I'll testify to the fact all walls and doors were white in 4 and 5 Deck back in '69 and the '70's.  I'll provide a few examples when I get the chance to go through my photos.  There was definitely an orange ceiling on 4 Deck and maybe 5 but I'll take a look.  The wood paneling did not start back then until 3 Deck which was pretty much the line or "deck" of demarcation between First and Toursit Class when she ran with the 2 classes.

[Twynkle]

Thinking of the heavy use they got, these carpets - as all on board, seemed to be particularly hard-wearing.
It would be interesting to know how long they were expected to last - and then, did they go to Crew quarters?

 

[Beardy Rich]

Rosie, the old carpets used to be dumped. Any offcuts of carpet found in crew's cabins was purely coincidental
The system of crew cabin allocation was that, basically, new recruits (except those starting a more senior position) shared a 4-berth and it was unlikely that you'd get the same cabin back after crew leave. Most crew didn't bother to re-carpet these cabins. As you 'progressed up the ladder', it became more likely that you'd either get a 2-berth to share or a single berth to yourself (P. O's for example). Lots of these cabins were carpeted with... ahem... offcuts. Depending on your job/position onboard, it was likely that you'd return to 'your' cabin after any crew leave, so making it much more desirable to furnish it tastefully. One of the plumbers cabins on 6 - deck was all green... carpet, chair, counterpane/bedspread.

The main problem was with working boots getting so dirty and greasy. I used to keep my boots inside the cabin on a piece of cardboard but, inevitably, after a while, carpets did become grimy. I never left my work boots outside in case they went 'walkies' on their own

[Chris]

You could still find examples of the 1994 refit carpets in the Cruise Staff and Cruise Directors office on Upper Deck, despite it being long gone in Passenger Areas by 2008.

I think the 1994 carpets were really quite good. Very subtle. The 1999 + designs were far bolder.

[Bob C.]

This picture from 1972 is a bit dark but you can make out the orange ceiling and the white walls on 4 Deck  The photo was taken just aft of G Stairway (red sign) looking forward on the starboard side.  You can also see the white D Stairway sign in the distance.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you Bob! That is a very different atmosphere... the clean modern look she had in her early years... I'd love to have seen that...!