Passenger Areas
Design: Cunard appointed Dennis Lennon to be in charge of refurbishment and redesign.
“Overall furnishing work was not entirely successful due to container strikes, the late arrival of materials and the change of the decorative architect. Some late deliveries of materials necessitated special air freights to New York, and in some cases arrived so late that work in the Boat Deck rooms and Midships Bar had to be cancelled.”
Restaurants:
New Tables of the World Restaurant
Total invested: $1 million
The tourist-class Britannia Restaurant on Upper deck was totally remodelled to an entirely new concept in dining and renamed the Tables of the World – to reflect its new international menu and link it to the name of the exclusive restaurant at the summit of the World Trade Centre, completed in 1973 – Windows of the World.
Dennis Lennon redesigned the whole area, dividing the restaurant into five sections, each with a different national character and décor, representing the areas QE2 visited: England, France, Spain, Italy and the Far East. Each area was decorated in an appropriate national motif. Lennon described the new look as offering “quiet elegance and great style”; his aim had been to “make it the best, with no restrictions”.
The Londoner
(English)
Position in restaurant: at the rear across the width of the ship.
Capacity: 242 seats
Theme: Victorian era London West End Restaurant. This theme was created through the colour scheme and the English themes such as a wall covered in prints, including spy cartoons, views of colleges of Oxford and a Chatelain map of the World. There were also models of the Cunard paddle steamers Britannia and Persia set into shadowboxes in the wall. Imitation gaslights added to the atmosphere.
Décor: White walls with dark wood effect ceiling. Chairs covered in plush dark red material. Mink brown coloured carpet.
The Flamenco
(Spanish)
Position in restaurant: Port side
Theme: Hot Spanish Andalusian gypsies were an inspiration for the decor of the theme.
Décor: Tan and white with terracotta tile floor, white blinds and wall lamps in a pierced Moroccan style. Picasso drawings of bullfights in Seville, was a major feature of this section.
The Parisienne
(French)
Position in restaurant: at the entrance to the restaurant
Theme: al fresco outdoor café themed
Décor: The colour scheme was dark green, emerald and white. Four large square umbrellas (lit from above) a carpet to resemble a green astroturf lawn and dark green trellises created the effect that diners were sitting in an outdoor café. A $1000 enlarged print of a Paris Street scene was a focal feature, as were prints of Versailles and Paris food shops.
The Florentine
(Italian)
Position in restaurant: Starboard side of the dining room
Theme:
Décor:
‘Cut in the classic Italian style’ with a white tiled floor, dark blue velvet covered chairs, blue and white striped blinds and specially-designed Pucci wall hangings in silk and abstract designs based on the Duomo in Florence (the cathedral in Florence). The theme colours were echoed in tiles on the sides of the dumb waiters – a new idea at the time. Dark blue dinner napkins were used and these were set against a white table cloth repeating the blue and white motif of the area.
The Oriental
(Oriental)
Position in restaurant: Centre of the dining room
Theme:
Décor:
This was the central section and centrepiece of the whole restaurant, designed to be ‘full of eastern surprises.’ A big scarlet coloured pagoda, set against a mirrored wall, was the major feature. The ceiling was of gold leaf and hanging bamboo lanterns and Lennon-designed oriental fans that created intriguing wall lamps were introduced. Silver walls (decorated with fans) contrasted with a black carpet. The wicker cane chairs were upholstered in a material resembling black patent leather and lighting was provided via bamboo hanging lanterns.
The main restaurant access was moved to the rear of the room, port and starboard, and the Britannia figurehead was relocated to this new entrance on the starboard side. At the forward end, steps led up to the lobby and the dark blue carpeting of the forward ‘A’ Stairway.
Cunard announced that the same food would be served throughout the restaurant regardless of where passengers were seated.
Queens Grill
“As a result of the decision to build the additional Penthouse Suites, the Department of Trade insisted that an area of fire installation should be installed. This work was substantial.
The capacity of the Grill was increased to accommodate the extra diners”.
Columbia Restaurant
“Redundant chairs (of the same design) from the former Britannia Restaurant were relocated to the Columbia Restaurant and recovered in white hide to replace damaged Columbia seating.”
Public Rooms
Midships Bar Promenade outside the Midships Bar received a new carpet and green valour curtains, similar to that used in the bar itself, and 40 chairs from the Q4 Room were recovered and fitted in that area.
Q4 Room New chairs were ordered to replace those put in the Midships Bar area (approved by Dennis Lennon).
Teen Centre games area was constructed.
Sports Facilities - A nine-hole miniature golf course was built outdoors aft on Upper deck.
Corridors and Staircases
• The carpeting on A and D Staircases was renewed.
• Carpets in alleyways and lobbies were renewed as necessary.
• Four and Five Deck alleyways had a considerable of work expended and bulkheads were cleaned, watertight door casings were repaired
and a total in excess of 300 missing metal trims were replaced on Five Deck.
