I only went on QE2 once, in about 1993. I remember it was voyage 959. It started when my wife Sylvia picked up the QE2 brochure out of interest in our local travel agent. We looked through this enviously thinking it completely out of our league and we would never go, as our usual holiday was a late booking, slightly out of season, to an unspecified hotel in Spain or the Balearics (i.e. cheap).
When I got to the price page however it struck me that the Atlantic trip was actually good value for a week as it included everything except the bar. As we could have 3 days in New York as well for very little extra the idea started to grow. Finally we decided to throw caution to the winds and book a trip in June sailing west and flying back. We now both very much regret not doubling the cost by taking Concorde home.
I had previously read the book C-Six: Ten Years as the Doctor on “Queen Elizabeth II” by Nigel Roberts. This had caught my eye not only through my general interest in ships, or actually anything afloat, but also because he had been at the same school as me (Queen Mary’s Grammar School Walsall), although he was there before me so I did not know him.
As my father had died at Christmas 1992 we thought it would be a good idea to ask my mother if she would like to accompany us. The answer was yes and so we booked adjoining inside cabins, subsequently upgraded to outside by Cunard. This turned out to be the first of many QE2 voyages made by my mother, as following her remarriage in her seventies, she and my stepfather went so often that we used to joke they had their own cabin. They did actually always book the same cabin the location of which suited her limited mobility (2 new hips, 2 new knees and counting).
Our crossing was made in flat calm. No hurricanes or storms. Not even a gale. The only incident of note I remember, apart from passing over the Titanic, was when we came to a shuddering stop, mid Atlantic, followed by an announcement from the Captain that we had hit a whale which was impaled on the bow and we were backing up to dislodge it. General opinion was that the whale would have been dead when we hit it or we would not have got near it. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, the formal evening dress; midnight buffet and generally watching the sunny Atlantic go by. Evenings spent listening to Anthony Newley sing. Where else could you get this?
Unfortunately I had to use the medical services, as soon after arriving on board I developed the worst migraine I had ever suffered. The doctor decided the only thing to do was to put me out for 8 hours or so. I did miss lifeboat drill but this did the trick and I suffered no further effects for the duration of the holiday.
A couple of years earlier whilst on a ski lift in Vail, Colorado, I found myself sitting next to another member of our ski party, Les Rolinson, who I knew as a local newsagent and a customer of my family business. We got talking and he told me he was also on QE2 and was in fact an entertainments director (or similar, I don’t remember the exact post). I asked him how he came to do this. The story as I remember it went something like this: He was at school with Nigel Roberts then doctor and kept in touch. He and his wife went on a cruise on QE2 and met up with Nigel Roberts. There was at the time apparently a vacancy for the entertainments post and Les casually said he could do that. He was somewhat surprised on arriving home to receive a communication from Cunard regarding his application for the entertainment post, which after some consideration he decided to take, leaving his brother in law to run the shop. I enquired if Les was on board for our sailing and we subsequently met up one evening.
Shortly after our trip QE2 had a major refit which was needed as she was a bit tired in some areas and I do remember there being a few workmen starting on work in a couple of areas.
Having retired early, Sylvia myself and the Cleo the cat live on our cruising home Lone Gerd, a 54’ converted Danish fishing boat and have recently cruised on Queen Victoria, which we felt definitely carried on the spirit of QE2.
