QE2 Refit 13 October to 7 November 1972

[Lynda Bradford]

The QE2 Story would like to thank Michael Gallagher for giving his permission to extract information from information he had compiled on refits and allowing us to make this information available on the QE2 Story Forum.

Source: Michael Gallagher, former Cunard PR Manager and Historian.
Timescale: 3 weeks
Date: 13 October – 7 November 1972*
Contractor: Vosper Thornycroft, Southampton
Total Cost: £1.75 million ($4.5 million)
Captain: W J Law

*The scheduled sailing time of noon on 4 November 1972 had to be deferred until 23.59 hours on 6 November as work fell seriously behind schedule.

See photos of 1972 refit, purchased by Rob Lightbody on behalf of the forum

Background:

“In 1971 Cunard Line was purchased by Trafalgar House for £27.3 million.  Trafalgar House undertook a complete survey of the liner, looking at the services she could provide and examining how she could be reconfigured so that more money could be extracted from the passengers. Instead of being regarded as an untouchable icon of British identity, QE2 was now viewed in terms of profit yield per square foot of deck space.

The new directors were determined to maximise Cunard profits and plans for additional accommodation to be added to QE2 together with conversion of public rooms to more lucrative use as shops and a casino were drawn up.

Trafalgar House concluded that the winter months were where the problems for QE2 lay but acknowledged that QE2 had had a very successful 1972 winter season with 50% more passengers being carried during the six months ended March 1972 than in the same period 1970 / 1971.”

Work in Service:
“Because the actual overhaul period – three weeks – was short for the amount of work scheduled, a great deal of work would also take place during the summer with QE2 still in service. Over 100 workmen from Vosper Thornycroft travelled with the ship during the period.”

Work included:
Repairing the damage (mainly cracks and distortion in the ship’s plating) caused by the violent mid-Atlantic storm earlier in the  season. The damage was temporarily sealed with fibreglass prior to permanent repairs taking place during the drydock.
See Forum Topic on the Mid Atlantic Storm
The painting of the mural of the Thames and the Houses of Parliament in the future Queens Grill Lounge.

Dry Dock: QE2 left dry-dock on 31 October and berthed at the Ocean Terminal until re-entering service with a Southampton – Boston crossing (7 – 11 November)

Behind the scenes and technical work
During the refit period all items appertaining to the annual Load Line and Passenger Certificate Surveys were dealt with and certificates obtained from the issuing authorities for a further twelve month period.

As well as regular mechanical overhaul and repainting, general refit work was also carried out:

Surveys and Repairs

The following major surveys and repairs were undertaken in the following areas:

   All main boilers
   Starboard high pressure and low pressure turbines.
        Port main turbo alternator turbine.
        Various pumping units.
        Space surveys and tank surveys.

All repairs which could only be undertaken when the steam plant was down were complete.

Laundry: All laundry equipment was overhauled and put in good working order.

Stabilisers: The forward port and starboard stabiliser fins were removed and replaced by the new stainless steel fin specially manufactured by Messrs Brown Brothers for QE2.  Repairs were carried out on the aft port and starboard fins which were made serviceable for a further twelve month period. It was the original intention to carry out extensive repairs on the original pair of forward fins and fit these in place of the aft pair during the 1973 refit.

Doubling plates were welded over areas of corrosion and erosion in the way of the stem post and the aft ends of the after port and starboard stabiliser boxes.

Bow Thrusters: The forward bow thruster until which could not be fitted during the April dry-docking due to lack of time was replaced and proved in good working order.

Radio: In order to provide an additional high frequency transmitter to maintain profitability of radio traffic work was undertaken on QE2’s radio system. The radio aerials also had to be re-arranged due to the new Penthouse block being added.

Pantries: Additional pantry facilities were provided on Five Deck.

Air-Conditioning: The forward end of the garage facility was taken over for the installation of more air conditioning machinery.

Hull Painting:The complete hull was washed down and painted externally all round and rusting and bare areas dealt with by grit blasting. An extra coat of paint was applied to topsides and superstructure.

Crew Areas

Petty Officer’s Mess: The handsome cubist furniture from the gutted Lookout Bar was relocated in this mess.

[Lynda Bradford]

Accommodation:

Accommodation Architects: Danish architect Tage Wandborg of Knut E Hansen A/S was responsible for the design of QE2 accommodation.

Sub contractor for Penthouse Suite Unit: EC Payter and Co of Bilston, Staffs (parent company Alcan Booth)

Passenger Capacity (before and after refit):                     

First Class    564   (before) 604 (after)
Tourist Class 1,979 (before) 1,223 (after)
One Class (Cruising)  1,400 (before) 1,740 (after)

Suites: addition of a new, two-deck block of Penthouse accommodation on Signal and Sports Decks featuring two luxury duplex apartments and 8 two-room Penthouse Suites. “Cunard and Vosper Thornycroft designed the aluminium alloy complex so that it could be fitted out and furnished in two halves, port and starboard, on the quayside ready to be lifted by floating crane on to QE2 at the start of the refit and before she entered dry dock”

13 October 1972 QE2 docks in Southampton
13 October 1972 at 18:30 hours QE2 relocated to 46/47 Berth.
14 October 1972 heavy crane lifts prefabricated suites onboard ship
15 October 1972 QE2 entered the dry-dock

Refit provided access to the new suites for passengers and in order to provide steward service in the area, the following facilities were built:

A new passenger lift extending from the new Queens Grill Bar on Boat deck to Signal deck.
A new staircase from the Queens Grill Bar on Boat deck to Signal deck
New pantries on Sports and Signal decks were built.

Gross Tonnage: The addition of the Penthouse Suites resulted in QE2’s Gross Tonnage being altered. The 65,863-ton ship was re-listed as 66,851 grt.

The QE2 Story topic Changes to Public Areas
1969 to 1996 gives details of these suites and may also be of interest

Additional Boat Deck Staterooms:
Port side:
Suites 8208, 8210, 8212,8214, 8216 created in area that was previously shopping arcade.  These cabins were not completed until 1974 and were renumbered 8202, 8204, 8206, 8208, 8210 as a result of the cabins in the reading room area not being built. The new staterooms were offered in the inventory from the 1975 season.

Starboard side:
Suites 8201, 8203, 8205, 8207, 8209 created in area that was previously shopping arcade.  These cabins were not completed until 1974.  the new cabins were offered in the inventory from the 1975 season. 

Stateroom refurbishment: - 300 staterooms were refurbished

Reduction of Cabins: A total of 105 cabins were removed from the inventory:

One Deck      seven cabins (four outside and three inside)      
Two Deck      six cabins (four outside and two inside)
Three Deck   three inside cabins.
Four Deck      four inside cabins
Five Deck           26 cabins aft and 59 cabins forward were removed from the inventory

[Lynda Bradford]

Restaurants:

Of the $4.5 million refit cost, $2.5 million was spent on modifications to dining areas and galleys on board.

Queens Grill: The 736 Club/Casino was re-built as the 196-seat Queens Grill. 
Passengers travelling in the new Penthouses and the deluxe staterooms on One and Two decks were assigned dining in the Queens Grill.

Queens Grill Lounge:The starboard Coffee Shop passage and Juke Box Room was re-built as the Queens Grill Lounge and Bar. The layout of the room included a bar area (decorated in blue) forward and a lounge (principally done in white) aft – both areas divided by the new staircase / entrance up to the Penthouses. The aft lounge featured acrylic silver tables and a large mural of the ‘Thames and the Palace of Westminster’.

Columbia Restaurant In order to obtain an additional 225 seats to give the Columbia Restaurant a capacity of 810, the restaurant was enlarged and extended forward taking in, and replacing, the Grill Room on the port side.

Additional space was also obtained utilising part of the main galley on both the port and starboard sides.  More space was gained with the re-design of the main galley and the re-positioning of the bulkheads between the restaurant and the galley further forward – the Quarter Deck galley did not need to be as large now with the creation of a dedicated galley for the Britannia Restaurant on Upper Deck. The extension into the galley area resulted in the necessary provision of 12 windows in the ship’s starboard side to provide daylight into the new area. Entry to the new section was gained through the main room or via the staircase up from One Deck below where the former Grill Room Bar had been.

Britannia Restaurant The Britannia Restaurant was also enlarged forward using space occupied by the Lookout Bar. Seating capacity was increased to 792 (maximum 916). A new layout was possible with the removal of the central escalators leading down to the main galley on Quarter deck. The central servery block was demolished and the escalator was plated in making the restaurant space completely open plan. The Britannia was given its own dedicated galley forward replacing The Lookout Bar.

Galleys

The aim of the refit was to improve efficiency by:
Providing individual Galleys for each restaurant:
Boat Deck: the Queen Grill Galley was built in the space previously the Coffee Shop
Upper Deck: Britannia Restaurant Galley was constructed in the area forward of the restaurant previously the Lookout Bar.  The
Lookout Bar’s 30 windows (18 overlooking the foredeck and six on each side) were plated over which gave QE2 a much more‘plated-in’
appearance than before.  The new Galley improved service as the servery was enlarged and the waiters no longer had to use the escalator to/from the Galley on Quarter Deck. 

“A new lift was installed on the centre-line at the forward end of the superstructure. This involved the construction of an aluminium
alloy forward extension of the superstructure at Upper Deck level.”

Quarter Deck Main Galley was reduced in size as it was only serving the Columbia Restaurant. The area was reconstructed along
the lines of a highly sophisticated American design and incorporated a new larder, washing up area and confectioners shop. Minor 
bulkheads were erected, new tiled floors were laid, stainless steel fittings and existing ovens were replaced and new windows were cut
during the course of the work. A new large service buffet amidships between the Columbia Restaurant and the galley was built.

         New equipment including rotary baking and roasting ovens, infrared heating areas and char-broiling equipment
         The service lift was extended from Quarter deck up through the Upper and Boar Decks to the Sports Deck with a view to meeting   
         future passenger requirements

         The superstructure was extended forward with the addition of a box like structure that contained a stairway connecting the two
         galleys on Quarter and Upper Decks

[Lynda Bradford]

Passenger Areas:

The QE2 Story topic Changes to Public Areas 1969 to 1996 may also be of interest

Contractor: C W Robbins (a kitchen-supply firm) was appointed by Cunard to handle the refurbishment and new designs of the passenger areas. 

Cunard invested $2,600,000 in major public room refinements and new equipment.

The Shopping Arcade on Boat Deck (between D and E Stairways) was relocated further aft to the Double Up lounge area. This resulted in the windows lining both sides of what was the lounge being obscured by the shops. 

The One Deck Shop was moved from One deck to a new location on Boat deck near the new Shopping Arcade.

Casino: A new casino was created in the space occupied by the Library and Port Foyer midships on Upper deck.

Reading Room: The London Gallery, on Boat Deck, used as a display area for British art, was removed with the aim to create a Reading Room. However this was not completed until 1974.

Conference Room: – A new conference room to replace the one on Quarter Deck was built aft of the Double Room on Upper Deck. 

Cruise Staff Office: was created in a space that was part of the Upper Deck Library

Library: The Tour Office on Upper deck was transformed into a new Library.

New Toilet Facilities facilities were constructed next to the Theatre on the starboard side.

Duty Free Liquor Shop: The Bureau and Bank in the Forward Lobby on Two Deck were replaced by a new Duty Free Shop

The Double Room received several modifications including enlarging and extending the stage forward and the re-building of the existing chairs by reducing the width in order to achieve a 500-passenger capacity. All chairs were re-covered and a coral statue was located here.

Theatre Bar on Upper deck was adapted to become QE2’s discotheque and area for cabaret dancing and entertainment. This was a replacement for  the 736 Club Disco.  "The area was enlarged and refurbished in shades of red and orange (a style considered ultra modern at the time) with the walls re-done in a vibrant red fibreglass moulded in an egg crate pattern and the sofas lining the area also re-done in red. Shiny metal Bertoia chairs were upholstered in red tweed and the curtains were red and orange".

Queens Room/Midships Bar: The area between the Queens Room and the Midships Bar was modified to provide improved access to the internal dispensing areas. Further dispensing bar space was gained by utilising a section of the Quarter deck Conference Room.

Cocktail Bar: A new cocktail bar was created in the space previously used as a conference room on Quarter Deck. 

"A" Stairway: The loss of the Lookout Bar resulted in the entrance on A Stairway Upper Deck being removed and a new bulkhead built.

[Lynda Bradford]

I am working on producing individual topics for QE2 refits and repairs over her lifetime. 

see above for information on the October, November 1972 repair/refit.

This is an ongoing project and I will post additional refit/repair topics over a period of time, so keep watching the forum for more information.

You may also want to have a look at the list of QE2 repairs and refits Prime Contractors where I will post links to individual refit topics as and when they are posted. 

[Chris Shaftoe]

QE2 was my first ship and I recall that my first tour included the October, November 1972 repair/refit. As a 17-year-old, this was quite an exciting time for me - the huge drydock, the shutting-down of just about everything, using shore-side power to provide essential services etc. I remember it was very cold. We had no heating for the cabins and lived on sandwiches and coffee - no hot meals - unless you went to the nearest pub and bought them.

The ship was crawling with shore-side workers who at that time seemed very militant and union-oriented. I remember that one in particular, spent an entire day sitting on a toolbox in the working alleyway reading a paper and eating sarnies. We couldn't say anything for fear of causing a strike. As an engine-room boy,  I was prevented from working on my own because according to a shop-steward I would be taking a man's job from him.

On the other hand, the refit was very interesting in that being in drydock allowed me to walk UNDER the keel of QE2 - having 66,000 tons of cruise ship sitting over your head still raises a smile to this day. I seem to remember they had to remove a propeller at this time too, although I never found out why.

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks Chris for your story.  It is wonderful to hear that you were actually aboard at the time of the refit and to hear your memories, especially being under the keel of the ship in dry dock, what a wonderful experience.  Maybe someone else remembers the propeller being removed and can tell us more.