Call Lights

[Michael Gallagher]

You may have noticed these red and green lights dotted about corridors. Originally they were located outside every cabin and  there would be a switch inside the cabin on the console. Originally the system had been installed to summon steward/esses to the cabins by pressing either a red switch (for a steward to attend) or a green switch (for a stewardess to attend). The advent of more sophisticated telephone equipment in cabins and the fact that either a man or woman would attend the cabin resulted in this system being disconnected. These lights on One, Two and Three Decks were largely removed when the cabin doors were refaced in 2001 (but the switches remained in the cabins). The doors had been orange up until then!

However you could still see the lights on Four and Five Decks.

[Twynkle]

Hello!
These green and red lights were the subject of an amusing discussion with 'The Neighbours' on deck 5 -
Amongst other things we thought that the red light had been for Busy / Being Sick/ In an awkward position / In the loo/Got a Virus etc - Please don't disturb'  And green for 'Yes please, we are looking forward to seeing you'!
Rosie

The last image here shows a bit of blistering paint on the panel....?

[Bob C.]

These lights were interesting and really worked.  We used them once or twice to have the steward or stewardess remove room service trays.

Somewhere I have a photo of these lights on Queen Mary.  I'll have to dig it out ant post it.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Here is another picture of the call lights, taken on Five Deck portside :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/3913021404/



This is the short perpendicular alleyway leading to Cabin 5128 -- quite possibly my favourite cabin ever on QE2. The crew will have known which set of lights related to which cabin...!

[Michael Gallagher]

I used to like it when there had been a flood as you got to see the following.... The ceilings were made up of steel trays, hinged so that workmen could get at the ductwork above when a situation arose.

[Rob Lightbody]

You may have noticed these red and green lights dotted about corridors. Originally they were located outside every cabin and  there would be a switch inside the cabin on the console. Originally the system had been installed to summon steward/esses to the cabins by pressing either a red switch (for a steward to attend) or a green switch (for a stewardess to attend). The advent of more sophisticated telephone equipment in cabins and the fact that either a man or woman would attend the cabin resulted in this system being disconnected. These lights on One, Two and Three Decks were largely removed when the cabin doors were refaced in 2001 (but the switches remained in the cabins). The doors had been orange up until then!

However you could still see the lights on Four and Five Decks.

The switches were still present in 3093, and I loved them, I think there was at least 2 sets of them as I recall... and the back of the corridor door - i dont know what you call it - the one in the passageway that was shared with our neighbours - was still orange or at least the wall that was revealed when it was opened/closed was orange anyway.

[Twynkle]

....I used to like it when there had been a flood as you got to see the following.... The ceilings were made up of steel trays, hinged so that workmen could get at the ductwork above when a situation arose.

You lucky, lucky man!!
(secretly, I've been waiting till you take us further 'behind the scenes' - beats Mr T Q, well...nearly!!)
Clever designing here - wonder who thought of hinged steel - do you think that idea came from similar 'ceilings' on Queen Elizabeth?

[Cruise_Princess]

I still missed those call lights  right up to the final voyage for steward and stewardess.....as nearly every night needed assistance to get the zip up in my dress ( caused of course  by too many QE2 desserts!!)....and trying to get hold of a stewardess if you had a steward could prove diffiicult...(  Myn Mum  just had such trouble trying to grab the zipper..hence the help!!...many times I used to creep out of the cabin in search of a stewardess as when calling room service to ask for a stewardess always took too much explaining! and time nearly always ran out no matter how early I started to get ready!   It became a talking point on all our cruises and looking back it was pretty funny.

[Bob C.]

Taking my first trip on QE2 when I was six back in 1969 and being from an average middle class American family, I did not understand the concepts of stewards and stewardesses.  However, those red and green Christmassy looking lights with a switch right by them were irresistable.  So I did what any other curious unsupervised child (just for a brief moment) would do and flipped the switch to see the lights come on.

This occurred during our bon voyage party in our cabin (pictured below) which was when everyone in the photo learned what those lights were for when a puzzled steward knocked on the door to inquire why the lights kept switching between red and green!

That steward was Mr. Fred Baker who we met up with on 5 of our 7 subsequent crossings over the next 10 years and considered as family - he never left 4 Deck! 

[Bob C.]

Here is a photo of the call buttons on QM.  This was taken during our 2006 visit.

[Rob Lightbody]

Here is a photo from my recent visit to QE2 in Dubai.  It shows the call lights in a 3-deck midships pantry.

[cunardqueen]

And remember the small push button thing  high on the cabin wall they would press as they left the cabin to cancel the light.
 
I remember my very first cabin on entering for the first time l had a good look round examining everything pressing the light switches,opening the doors  and couldnt figure out why the green switch didnt work anything.. It wasnt long before my stewardess Daphne appeared and all was revealed.

All the way to New York l couldnt get over the fact l had my own steward and stewardess    

[Jeff Taylor]

I've mentioned it before, but imagine how surprised I was when I arrived at my cabin on QE(1) and found that not only had my luggage preceeded me, but the steward had unpacked it and laid out my clothes for dinner (decent choice of a necktie too).  While at dinner, he laid out my pajamas, and when I returned he stopped by to inquire as to whether my shoes needed a shine overnight.  I did get to pick out what I wanted to wear in the morning, though!   On formal nights he automatically stopped by to offer assistance with tieing shoes, shirt studs, and the bow tie. There were call buttons, but he was in the cabin so much I never needed to use it.  Those were the days...

[Bob C.]

I've mentioned it before, but imagine how surprised I was when I arrived at my cabin on QE(1) and found that not only had my luggage preceeded me, but the steward had unpacked it and laid out my clothes for dinner (decent choice of a necktie too).  While at dinner, he laid out my pajamas, and when I returned he stopped by to inquire as to whether my shoes needed a shine overnight.  I did get to pick out what I wanted to wear in the morning, though!   On formal nights he automatically stopped by to offer assistance with tieing shoes, shirt studs, and the bow tie. There were call buttons, but he was in the cabin so much I never needed to use it.  Those were the days...

AMEN!!!