Quarter Deck Pool & Magrodome Roof

[Louis De Sousa]

During the 1994 refit the indoor swimming pool on Quarter Deck was removed along with the Magrodome Roof, do you think it was the right move?

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Interesting question, Louis. The photo certainly looks very attractive :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/gallery/displayimage.php?album=47&pid=835#top_display_media

I never knew this area when the Magradome was in place, and I did like the Lido as it was... so it's hard to tell.

Could those who voted say something more about their views?

[Rod]

Speaking as a former Deck Engineer, one of my responsibilities was the magradome.

YES!!!!! Definately.
Roof was constantly coming off its tracks. Closing it had to be done from the outside, so if a suddenn Carribean rain squall came up yo got drenched. There were constant battles over open/closed between depts. Then if said squall came up it was...well you didn't close it fast enough. Then there was the half open discussions. To top it all off you couldn't clean the inside windows.
Surprisingly no one was ever injured from jumping off the roof into the pool.
From the standpoint of a passenger it was a great idea.

[Adam Ilgin]

I don't know... It was probably a good idea on paper, but from what Rod said, from a practical stand point, it wasn't worth it.

[Adam Hodson]

Whilst looking good on paper, and looking good on the inside, it spoiled the stern of QE2 in my opinion. And from Rod's tales, it was very impractical.

[Adam Ilgin]

I wonder why they closed up the quarter deck pool entirely.

[Adam Hodson]

I wonder why they closed up the quarter deck pool entirely.

I believe they wanted to change her stern. The magrodome took up quite a bit of deck space, and with the Alpha and Beta tenders there, I've heard that the passenger flow and deck space in that area wasn't great. Also, the space that the pool took up was replaced by the Pavillion galley.

[Adam Ilgin]

Ah. So for the same reason they closed the Lookout bar.

[Graham Taylor]

I believe they wanted to change her stern. The magrodome took up quite a bit of deck space, and with the Alpha and Beta tenders there, I've heard that the passenger flow and deck space in that area wasn't great. Also, the space that the pool took up was replaced by the Pavillion galley.

It was never about Cunard wanting to change her stern, it was though about changing tastes in cruising with guests wanting more relaxed dining options during the day. The QE2 as originally designed had two open air swimming pools ostensibly for when the ship operated as a two class vessel. The Magrodome was installed in '83 in an attempt to establish an area for buffet style breakfast and lunches resulting in a triple purpose space: a buffet area, an indoor lido pool and an enlarged night club space. This created more problems than it solved: firstly the space set aside for the buffet servery on the port and starboard sides coming through from the Queens Room was inadequate, secondly the pool itself was under-utilised for those in swimwear were not comfortable using the pool alongside guests taking lunch, thirdly the roof space created a "well deck" space immediately outside the old Yacht Club which was used for sports but ruined the step down appearance of the aft decks and finally, the problems already mentioned regarding opening/closing the roof. More often than not the pool was not filled with water, particularly on the TA so became somewhat of a redundant space.

This situation remained for 11 years until '94, when it was decided to remove the pool entirely, enabling an upgraded buffet area to be installed on Quarter Deck, with better seating. The supportive box the pool sat in could be removed on one deck enabling an enhanced servery/seating/galley area for those on the open deck in sun/swimwear wanting lite meal options. The space above the Lido becoming an enlarged Yacht Club as the night club and an improvement in the open decks just above.

You are right though Adam that with the installation of the Magrodome there was a quite cumbersome route down from the open decks on Sports and Boat Deck to Upper Deck outside the Yacht Club, back up to walk along side decks over the Magrodome and under Alpha/Beta and finally down two flights of stairs to the One Deck Lido. Those '94 changes gave back to the ship a more attractive stepped down appearance to the aft decks and increased the area of available open deck space.

[Graham Taylor]

Ah. So for the same reason they closed the Lookout bar.

In a nutshell, no. The reason for the removal of the Lookout Bar is covered elsewhere in the forum, that being the establishment of the Mauri Galley, but I rather like Rob's theory regarding a weakness in the design of the forward superstructure particularly during heavy seas in the N Atlantic.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you, Graham, for an excellent explanation of the Lido / Quarterdeck Pool / Magrodome conundrum.

I must admit that I too would have been shy about swimming in the pool while those around me were eating and chatting and looking on.

The spaces gained by the changes were all for the better -- say I, who only knew the ship in her later years, so I might possibly have thought differently had I been able to compare.

[Adam Ilgin]

Thank you Graham. What I meant to say was that in both instances an area was removed to create a galley, but it is an interesting theory that that space on the fo'c'sle  was created to increase structural stability.

[Adam Hodson]

Rob's theory can be found on the QE2's original Look-out bar, by Theo Crosby topic.