Captain Ian McNaught

[RmsAquitania]

I think slowly and sadly cunard is losing its unique "britishness" and becoming too international. I too think Capt Mcnaught should have been made Commodore of the line.

[cunardqueen]

I think cunard are heading the same way with Captains and Officers interacting...notice how there are no private cocktail parties any more...eventually I think there will be no hosted tables (save on the wine)  and eventually captains cocktails will be reduced to gathering in the atrium with the captain doing a short speech from deck above and thats the last you will see of him....I think its obvious they don't want their senior personnel getting too friendly with passengers.  pity....as they were the true Cunard PR.....

Perhaps as was with QE2 its the end of an era in that sense, No cruise on QE2 was complete without one of those little printed invites and you had no idea where you were going. Who hasnt for a moment, just applied a tad more make up before joining the line up to shake hands with the Captain and then to enter into the Queens Room, who dared refuse the glass of fizzy plonk and then wondered in to see old friends from previous trips or your table guests and then before you know it the lights are raised and your making your way to dinner to start another glamorous evening. The hosted tables and private parties were always great PR and usually a talking point long after you docked

 Call me old fashioned but this was part of Cunard and what Cunard did and always should do. and they did it very well. I have no idea how they do it on the new one ones, l dont really care to be honest, But l always knew my Captain had Cunard in his veins. Now with this Princess lark is it to be first name terms and a hi five when you greet him, and who would have thought a Princess Commodore on a Cunard Queen. I do gather embarkation afternoon isnt on QM2? if that is the case lm appalled. Ok so there is that Kings Court but l saw that one day and it was a feeding frenzy for the mad
 I for one liked Cunard the way it was, Not how its going, they do l believe call it progress , but at what price 
( l still cant get over the downloadable bagtags )

[Cruise_Princess]

Totally agree Cunard Queen....

All too soon the ships will be computer controlled from a port and the passengers can pay for a 'virtual' meeting with the Captain !  LOL

We may laugh now.....but remember they used to laugh at the thought of a man on the moon?

Your comment re the hi 5 greeting etc....obviously you haven't experienced the way NCL do it....

oh my God.....you would NOT like it..... and my experience was a few years ago never to be repeated......

YES embarkation as early as poss on QM2...according to John Duffy that wonderful long time Hotel Manager for Cunard just shakes his head and said its what todays Clientelle want......they CANNOT possibly wait till afternoon to get on board., hence the reason you cannot be privately escorted to your cabin as crew are on lunch duty at the Zoo  feeding trough in kings court.

'you can call me old fashioned too....to be honest I prefer it....( I must be a boring old git as well LOL)

An I agree with the comment above Capt McNaught should have been Commodore..( TO be honest I think he had thought that too...he had earned it).....so much better than the one elected....far too 'smarmy 'in my book, ( i bet he has a lot of mirrors in his cabin!)  a behaviour not cared for in a  dignified and distinguished Cunard Captain.

[skilly56]

Ian McNaught's father was a marine engineer. Ian's son is at present in the second year of his deck officer cadetship - I met him on QE2 in July 08. Once the salt gets in your veins it seems to pass down through the family generations.

My father was gunnery officer on destroyers doing the Russian convoys, I'm a marine engineer, my youngest son was one of Ian McNaught's junior officers on QE2. As I say, it gets in the blood!
Skilly

[Chris]

Commodore Warner is actually from P&O originally, and he treated us with the utmost professionalism and courtesy, and wrote a wonderful afterword for the QM2 book.  We had a number of QE2-style parties on QM2 in 2009 thanks to Commodore Warner.   

[Twynkle]

Is this Captain McNaught's ship?
It appears that he wasn't at the helm for this transit.

Note:  link to seaboard transiting the Corinth canal not active

(Somewhere that Queen Elizabeth won't be able to squeeze through,either...!)

[Jeff Taylor]

Ditto Chris's comments on Commodore Warner.  Bernie's a charming guy with a great sense of humor and very entertaining.  I was on his first QM2 cruise when he relieved Ron Warwick after the Ft. Lauderdale pilot crunched the pod leaving port--overall an awkward scene.  Was fortunate enough to have dinner at his table one evening and enjoyed it thoroughly.  He clearly understands the difference between Princesss and Cunard and takes to his new role.  Amazing memory for names and faces, although he did keep Ray Rouse close by in those early days.

[Rob Lightbody]

Does anyone have nice images of Captain McNaught on QE2 (not on QV) that we can use to illustrate the 'Ask the Captain' topic?

Thanks.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Help yourself, Rob!

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=mcnaught&w=55206992%40N00

Very good idea.

[andy liney]

[Andrew W]

I have a few here:

https://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=51026500@N00&q=mcnaught&m=text

[Cunarder Man]

Rob, will send original if you want.

[Rob Lightbody]

Link to Trinity House web site
https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/media

[Clydebuilt1971]

Good news!

A very fitting appointment for a very professional man.

Gav

[Lynda Bradford]

I am so pleased with this appointment for Captain McNaught.  He was my favourite captain on the QE2 as he was such an approachable person.  Congratulations to the Captain.