The Double Room (Double Up/Down Room)

[Rob Lightbody]

Except for the addition of ships upstairs, this room was largely unchanged until 1987 when it became the Grand Lounge.


DoubleRoom1984w by Captain Martini, on Flickr



110-08aw by Captain Martini, on Flickr


110-11aw by Captain Martini, on Flickr

[cunardqueen]

l was glancing through some stuff and came across this "Double Room" with another sweeping staircase.....
In the Carmania/Franconia brochure...

[Bob C.]

Awesome photos CQ!  Trying to find a deck plan of the two ships to see how this is laid out but no luck so far.  Will post when I find it.

[cunardqueen]

I did wonder perhaps if the QE2s version was "copied" from here?..none the less very interesting..l wonder if photos exist showing the whole room...

What l do remember about the Double Room on QE2 is just how easy the sweeping stairs were, they seemed very natural steps.

[Rod]

That Double Down Daft staircase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I happen to hold the last known record of sliding down it from top to bottom on ones knees! 17 seconds!
Deliberately I might add. Didnt do my trousers any good, any of the time I did it. But its nice to hold a record!

[Twynkle]

That Double Down Daft staircase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I happen to hold the last known record of sliding down it from top to bottom on ones knees! 17 seconds!
Deliberately I might add. Didnt do my trousers any good, any of the time I did it. But its nice to hold a record!

Oh Rod!
This story begs a topic all on it's own
mainly because i/we need to know much, much more..
Which watch were you on - must have been 12-4?
Who were the competitors - were they all Crankies?
Who did the judging - was it the Chief?
Most of all - Any video / photos?

[Rod]

Come on Rosie. You have already quoted my age on here! Video back then had to be developed!! Pics too and expensive. Most of the time it was 12-4 or sometimes a party after the 8-12 once did it after a Captains cocktail party. Had a whole lot of pax follow me too. For some reason it was a men only thing. They don't make evening gowns like they used to.
Demonstrated it to family once in a hotel. They were MORTIFIED!

[Twynkle]

Come on Rosie. You have already quoted my age on here!

Er - Your age - don't think so! Wasn't it something to do with your quote that you were 'older than the Lord's donkey',
I just love that phrase!  (Have just survived yet another year, I'm sorry - I'm even older now)
 

Video back then had to be developed!! Pics too and expensive.

That's a big disappointment - those stair rails look lethal!

.... For some reason it was a men only thing.

Can't for the life of me think 'why'!

Demonstrated it to family once in a hotel. They were MORTIFIED!

That doesn't sound too good - how are they now? 

[Rod]

They are getting used to me.

[Stowaway2k]

Awesome photos CQ!  Trying to find a deck plan of the two ships to see how this is laid out but no luck so far.  Will post when I find it.

Not a deckplan, but a cutaway might assist...

[Stowaway2k]

Although the staircase itself isn't shown, you can see where the top of the staircase is below the "C", and the bottom of the stairs at the "I"

[Lynda Bradford]

Except for the addition of ships upstairs, this room was largely unchanged until 1987 when it became the Grand Lounge.


DoubleRoom1984w by Captain Martini, on Flickr



110-08aw by Captain Martini, on Flickr


110-11aw by Captain Martini, on Flickr

The Double up double down room is the one room I would like to see reinstated in the Hotel QE2! 

I was fortunate enough to walk down the stairs when I saw around the ship in 1968 before she left Clydebank and at that time it was like something from a film set. I cannot imagine why the curved staircase was removed as it was an amazing feature of the ship.   

[Michael Gallagher]

Cunard still wanted to experiment so they gave each ship a different layout in their conversions to Franconia and Carmania....

[Alistair]

I have a dim memory of walking down those stairs during my one and only time on board QE2 while she was still in the fitting out basin. They were very grand! 

[Bob C.]

I remember walking those stairs like it was yesterday.  They were awesome and like Lynda says, why would they want to remove such a unique characteristic of the ship?  Especially with the stair case(s) they replaced it with which proved to be extremely awkward with a show ongoing or a band playing.