QE2's "Bridgecam" Webcam

[Rob Lightbody]

When did it start broadcasting?

Was it the first at sea?


QE2's "Bridgecam" Webcam by Rob Lightbody, on Flickr


QE2's "Bridgecam" Webcam by Rob Lightbody, on Flickr

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I discovered it only after the sale of QE2 was announced... 

I had long been convinced that there must be a webcam to see QE2, and had searched for it -- but obviously gone about it the wrong way.

When the sale was announced, I read all the articles about it that I could find in the internet -- and it was the Telegraph article that contained the link to the bridgecam! That became my constant companion until the very last picture from Dubai... I still have the link on my computers (and occasionally try it!).

Rob, your bridgecam pictures go back a long way -- I wonder whether anyone can remember it from before your earliest captures?

[cunardqueen]

Would there be a way for the present owners to restart such a thing?...

[Michael Gallagher]

It started in 2005 when QE2 was under Princess 'management'. It wasn't the first as all the Princess Cruises ships had one.

[QE2forever]

The earliest capture I can find in my archive is from July 2007...

I don't remember exactly when I first found it but I'm surprised to hear it was online as early as 2005!

[Imonlygoingforone]

As Michael rightly said, it 'went live' sometime in 2005. At this point the camera was updated to this newer type, however it had been there for years displaying the video on the ship only.

It looked cracking when it got modified to look like a Star Wars vehicle one day...!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

It started in 2005 when QE2 was under Princess 'management'. It wasn't the first as all the Princess Cruises ships had one.

... and indeed, it was on the Princess site that I watched QE2 every day after I had found out, right until the end... This site (no longer operational) is still among the main Links on my computer :

http://webcam.princess.com/webcam/QE_bridge.jpg

Even now, I am reluctant to delete it...

As Michael rightly said, it 'went live' sometime in 2005. At this point the camera was updated to this newer type, however it had been there for years displaying the video on the ship only.

Yes -- being a latecomer to the QE2 (from 2000 onwards), I have never known her without the bow video on the cabin TV. The data about speed etc. was added at a later stage (probably when the new camera was installed).

[Bruce Nicholls]

Sadly I did not find it in time.

[Rob Lightbody]

Great answers!

A follow on related question... when did the tv's in the cabins first show the view from the bridge? This was certainly there on my first trip in April 1987.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk.

[Michael Gallagher]

All the passenger cabins received TV during the re-engining and the View from the Bridge was introduced then - it was one of the 'wow' factors! Some of the Queens Grill cabins had had TV and video equipment installed in 1983.

Originally all QE2 cabins were to have TVs installed in 1969 and were wired for this but cost-cutting meant that NO TV (not even in the suites) was put in. The France had TVs in her suites only at the time.

So QE2 finally got the TVs 18 years after she should!

And which cruise ship was the first to offer TVs in every cabin? The Norway (former France) was fitted in 1980 during her conversion from France to Norway.

[Chris]

Great facts as always Michael

[Trevor Harris]

Wait...QE2 was run by a completely different company?

[Thomas Hypher]

If I'm right in saying, Cunard as a brand (don't like the word) came under the management of Princess Cruises for a time in the 2000s which is itself owned and run by Carnival under their UK Ltd company called Carnival UK which is currently headquartered in Southampton very near the docks. As far as I'm aware, these days Cunard, P&O Cruises, and Princess Cruises are each under their own management within Carnival UK so each have a more equal footing. A couple of years back I applied for the position of Officer cadet (bridge) with Carnival UK which (had I been successful at the time) would have led to being assigned to one of the brands (which is all they are now) and being posted ship wise accordingly.

Thomas

[Trevor Harris]

Not QE2’s but it’s her in the shot.

[Willum]

I have collection of QE2 Bridge webcam Screengrabs from when it was running. The original build had cabling for a number of channels of B/W TV and the modulators in the SRE but it was never implemented. I was Tech R/O before and after TV, it was inevitable of course, but socially, fitting TV was a backward step, and the ship lost some of its uniqueness. The Bridge webcam was the most popular channel, we thought about superimposing oncoming trains on it and Loch Ness monsters but then we would, wouldn't we?
Heres a bit of QE2 TV related folklore, before the network was fitted, ie pre-Bremerhaven we had a set with a VHS player in the Wardroom and I ran in a TV Aerial from the Monkey Is  so we could watch local TV in port. When coming up the English Channel the FA Cup final was being shown and Rod Stewart - well known Football enthusiast was in there with the 8-12 Engineers cheering on as required. I came in to check the signal and said witheringly, "Its, not important, only a GAME you know". That's just one way to be on the receiving end of a hail of empty beer cans.