Did you know?

[Twynkle]

Did you know that me, yes me a PG diner who would prefer to dine in the crew mess, has no freaking idea how to post a new topic?

Oh, Rod!

Ok - Go to the index page
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php

then click on one of the pale blue header links
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/board,32.0.html

and like on most other header pages, you will see New Topic button peering out at you!

There's one a short way from the top of most of the subject - header pages - and I wonder what you are going to post next?  Something about memories of about 41 yrs ago and a very nice RMS Cunarder, perhaps?
Hope so
(In case you are wondering - archives can be extremely helpful!!)

Hope this works for you - and hope I haven't misled you round all the buoys etc
When you have negotiated your way further - just let me know - and as this just about as far off topic as it gets - it'll need to be deleted!

Rosie

[Twynkle]

Did you know - that on 22 July 1990: Arrived in Southampton after fastest ever Eastbound Crossing - 4 days, 6 hours, 57 minutes (av speed 30.16 knots)

[Michael Gallagher]

With regard to the Concorde link... I'm afraid to say P&O were the first to utilise Concorde to get passengers to and from a ship: Canberra as part of her World Cruise in 1978. They flew people to and from Rio!

[Rod]

Thnks Rosie. Short sweet and to the point!
Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Now if I can just remember!
Again ...Thanks Jane.

[Rod]

With regard to the Concorde link... I'm afraid to say P&O were the first to utilise Concorde to get passengers to and from a ship: Canberra as part of her World Cruise in 1978. They flew people to and from Rio!

Dont be afraid. P&O had they followed some of their forward thinking people in the 70's and 80's would probably have become the number 1 shipping line in the world. Instead you got a product that was half this and a quarter that.
Their labour cost were well below Cunards and frankly, the service offered was WELL above standard.

[Peter Mugridge]

They didn't have the QE2, though!

[Michael Gallagher]

Oh but they wanted her! The closest they came was 1996. When QE2 was in drydock in Southampton a team was sent by P&O to inspect her.....

[Peter Mugridge]

Never heard that before.... did they actually make an offer?

( Should this be spun off onto a separate thread...?? "P&O attempt to obtain QE2" ?? )

Having said that... it certainly is a "Did You Know?" bombshell!

[Michael Gallagher]

They'd have got her if Kvaerner hadn't insisted on them also taking Royal Viking Sun, Vistafjord, Sea Goddess I and Sea Goddess II. P&O didn't want the hassle of disposing of them.

[Peter Mugridge]

Are we allowed to know what the offer was and if... shudder.... they would have painted her in all over white despite the disastrous foray into grey over a decade earlier?

[Michael Gallagher]

QE2 would have been an immediate replacement for Canberra (her 1997 retirement had been announced by then). They did consider putting the Royal Viking Sun into Princess but did not want the hassle of getting the other three.

[Twynkle]

Oh but they wanted her! The closest they came was 1996. When QE2 was in drydock in Southampton a team was sent by P&O to inspect her.....

This is intriguing!
It's tempting to say 'How very dare they'!
She'd have needed to live with a yellow funnel, too
What do you think it might have been that triggered Kvaerner's interest in QE2 at that time?
Presumably, if they'd really wanted her - wouldn't they have tried harder to get her?

And whilst we are on the subject of unsolicited offers - do you think there might have been others?
This curiosity may be out of order - please excuse me if it is!
Rosie

[Michael Gallagher]

The summer of 1996 saw Kvaerner enter into negotiations with

P&O
V Ships
Virgin
Prudential

QE2 and Royal Viking Sun were seen as the only two real assets of Cunard. Discussions fell through when it came to price and the fact that Kvaerner would not sell ship by ship.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Yes, that is a most intriguing piece of news!

Could I ask, where is Sagafjord in all this? And whatever made them think that Vistafjord (the later Caronia / Saga Ruby) was not worth bothering with?

[QE2forever]

Are we allowed to know what the offer was and if... shudder.... they would have painted her in all over white despite the disastrous foray into grey over a decade earlier?

Oh my - not sure if I would have loved this!