Author Topic: What was said  (Read 5033 times)

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Offline pete cain

What was said
« on: Jan 14, 2013, 02:50 PM »
'' Without question QE2 is legendary,one of the most beloved ships in our 169yr history, she has been hostess to royalty, celebrities and the most noted personalities from around the world.  In addition, she has been a witness to history, serving magnificently in the Falklands conflict, adored the world over, she is quite simply irreplaceble''

   What then was the reason for the sale of QE2?. '' I was dreading the day when I would have to stand up and say the ship is going to be broken up. I felt terrible about it, she is terribly popular and she runs well--in the back of our minds, we had to think one day she would be retired.  So we were very keen to have offers from ports that she could go to that would preserve her, delightfully, we received an offer--we received several offers as you can imagine, but one that was a serious offer--(from a port) that could actually look after this wonderful vessel, could maintain her and preserve her for future generations and keep her in the condition that we felt was appropiate-- first class condition. These people will do that, they have a great respect for the ship, they have great respect for the history................ we would have a situation like this where she could be placed where she would be so well looked after............ it was a very difficult decision to  make but at the end of the day, you can't turn down something that is going to preserve this wonderful ship for generations to come''.

    Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem chaiman of Dubai world, has paid tribute to QE"'s astonishing record and outlined some of his plans for her future.    ''QE2 is without doubt one of the wonders of the maritime world, and is easily the most famous serving liner in the world today. I am delighted we will be able to create a home for her............................................. Dubai is a maritime nation and we understand the rich heritage of QE2. She is coming to a home where she will be cherished''. The ships millions of fans around  the world will be thrilled to see that pledge honoured.   


Above are extracts from    'Final year' The Cruise People , Canada.
                                          Richard H  Wagner. Beyond ships.com.
                                          'QE2 The Final Voyage, Trinity press, Tony Storey.

  Interesting to note that the H K announcement doesn't contain, such platitudes, just get her up there rip her to bits & let's get selling!, that's my interpretion. I'd love a comment from Carol Marlow , did Cunard carry due dilligence with the sale I wonder , or were the dollar bills just too much, to  be objective?.
 I know she has to earn a living , what a way to end such a career if it all comes about.

Offline andy liney

Re: What was said
« Reply #1 on: Jan 14, 2013, 03:15 PM »
Let's just hope that the agreement between Cunard and Dubai contained some of those sentiments (from both sides) in some sort of binding way that would prevent the scrapping of the ship or other unacceptable fate. However, knowing Cunard to even the limited extent that I do (I had to sue them once - after the QE2 left the fleet I hasten to add!) I'm not optimistic.

In my view, Cunard couldn't get rid of the QE2 fast enough as she didn't fit into the new Carnival way of running things in terms of shift patterns and crew terms and conditions - she was a traditional square peg that didn't fit into their corporate round hole. Again, in my opnion, the rhetoric that accompanied the sale was just window dressing. However, I'd love to be proved wrong and see Cunard come out fighting for her now!

EDWARD HICKSON

  • Guest
Re: What was said
« Reply #2 on: Jan 14, 2013, 03:29 PM »
I wonder whether this is one of our current problems, just as the fate of QE2 (Dubai, London, the Far East or the scrapyard) hangs in the balance.

Cunard, which trades on its historic importance and grandeur, does not seem to be aware of the importance of QE2 in that history in the late 20th / early 21st century.

What can we do to wake them up right now?
This is exactly the point!

I will never stop until I find out...
Oh, Carol!
Apologise if I'm doing you wrong.

Forum members please have a look on her remarks to the Cornell Club of New York 2007:

Cunard Today

During the second half of the 1900s, Cunard changed ownership a
few times.  It was an independent company up to 1971.  Then, after
that time, it was bought by Trafalgar House and then Trafalgar
House was bought by Kvaerner.   [Cunard] didn’t really have a
strategy.  The company added ships here and there, they were all
different sorts of ships and nobody really knew what Cunard was.
Then in 1998, Carnival Corporation came along and saw that this
historic part of the shipping industry was in a mess and struggling. 
Carnival decided to invest, partially in 1998 and finished it off in
1999 by buying the whole thing, and started to inject a vision into
Cunard.  That was that Cunard had the most famous ocean liners in
the world.

QUEEN MARY 2

Whilst we had QE2, we needed a new ocean liner and that is where
QUEEN MARY 2 came into being.  Micky Arison, who is the
Chairman and CEO of Carnival, personally wanted to build this
vessel and she came into the marketplace in 2004.
I joined the company in July 2004.  Sadly, it was quite clear that the
service levels onboard the ship were not what they needed to be.  It
is very difficult to bring out the world’s largest ocean liner when all
you have to choose from in terms of staff is QE2 and CARONIA. 
So, we needed to do some work on all the ships and so we changed
the organizational structure so that a lot of our operational and hotel
side were going to be run by Princess Cruises.  They were not to
mimic a Princess cruise, which is very different than a Cunard
voyage, but to give the expertise and help to get the service right. 
So, we went through a period of learning and moving things forward
and I think we are very pleased with the result and I think that the
ship now is chiming on all cylinders.

QUEEN ELIZABETH 2

The other challenge for us was QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, QE2 - -
what was going to happen with QE2.  We had a ship that was aging,
she was getting up to be 40 years old, which for a ship is a very long
life.  She was incredibly successful though, she is incredibly
successful.  She goes from strength to strength. But when Cunard
was taken over by Carnival, I think it is safe to say that they were
not happy with the state of the ship.   So, there was a lot of
investment in QE2 to make sure that she still has that Cunard service
and the distinction of being a Cunard liner.  We thought long and
hard about it and we invested a lot of money in the ship, we continue
to invest a lot of money to try and keep that 40 year old ship in
condition.  And, we said that we will keep her going as long as we
possibly can because she had a huge following. 
That said, we had to think that sometime, her life with Cunard was
going to be over and we had to think about what on earth we would
do at that point.  QE2 is an icon of Cunard, she is such a well-
known and well-loved ship around the world that none of us can
bear to think of sending her to a scrap yard somewhere to be broken
up.  Our secret dream and desire was that we would manage to find
someplace where she could go and have a future home, where she
could be preserved, her history and her heritage all preserved, for
future generations to see.  We were very lucky that quite out of the
blue came an approach from Dubai, the government of Dubai, Dubai
World, and they showed an interest in the ship.  The more we talked
to them, the more we thought we think these chaps actually know
what they are taking on.  They understand her history and her
heritage and the importance of the vessel.  And, we came to a final
agreement to turn QE2 over to them in Dubai in November of next
year.
Over the years, we have had a number of different approaches about
QE2 but none, to be honest, that we felt seriously understood the
costs involved in keeping a ship like that in the pristine condition that
we would want her kept in.  So, this Dubai offer really seemed to be
the only one that made sense.  For us, there was no point in us selling
her, having her go to her new owners and then become a mess.  She
still has Cunard’s name on her so it is important for us that she be
maintained in her first class condition.  Therefore, this was really the
only offer we had.  There was some interest from the U.K. in one of
our seaside resorts but again, nothing that had any sensible
understanding, sadly, of the cost.  So, this is really the only serious
offer that we had.
They are going to be refurbishing her either as she is now or as she
was when she came in in the late sixties, which is an interesting
concept.  They are looking at the plans and seeing whether they can
do that or not.  But she will be QE2 as we know her.  Of course,
she has been renovated, refurbished throughout the years many,
many times.   The cost of her was around 29 million pounds and we
have spent at least 15 or 16 times that as a company on
refurbishment and renovation.
It was a very difficult decision to take.   She is an icon and she could
have gone on for a few more years.  We just took her around the U.
K. on her 40th anniversary voyage and we had crowds out in every
port of call.  We had fireworks, we had an incredible time because
this ship is just an icon.  She is a legend in her own lifetime.  There is
really no other ship quite like her. But, to turn down an opportunity
like that to have her well looked after and to have her preserved in
the way she will be would have been very wrong.  So, she will leave
our fleet in November of next year.

Source: http://www.beyondships.com/QV-MarlowCornell-2.html

Who is giving QE2 a second chance in London now?

If it is already posted, please put it the right topic.

« Last Edit: Jan 14, 2013, 08:00 PM by Edward Hickson »

Offline ship pro

Re: What was said
« Reply #3 on: Jan 14, 2013, 05:08 PM »
Peter,

Thanks for refreshing our memory of Cunard and Dubai's views 4 years ago, They need to be reminded.

Offline Twynkle

Re: What was said
« Reply #4 on: Jan 14, 2013, 07:29 PM »
Peter,

Thanks for refreshing our memory of Cunard and Dubai's views 4 years ago, They need to be reminded.

And if anyone else would like a gentle reminder, here is a quick glimpse of QE2 in 2005-6, taken perhaps around the time when selling her had become an item of 'interest' for the Company,
together with a quote also from Ms Marlow.
http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/QE2-6.html
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=1148.0

Offline pete cain

Re: What was said
« Reply #5 on: Aug 31, 2016, 08:20 PM »
Time to revisit this topic, & interesting to read the crap spouted by Cunard rep C Marlow as qouted in the Cornell Club NY 2007.
 as an aside for a different current  topic  Lifeboats & davits, I cannot help but think that they will erect them as some sort of 'triumphal arch' en-route down the jetty to witness their magnificent efforts ---- the emperor has no clothes :'( :'(

Online cunardqueen

Re: What was said
« Reply #6 on: Sep 01, 2016, 06:23 PM »
Quote
will never stop until I find out...
Oh, Carol!
Apologise if I'm doing you wrong.

Forum members please have a look on her remarks to the Cornell Club of New York 2007:
   
Enough spin to leave us all really quite dizzy. >:(
Lets not forget their first duty is towards their shareholders

Quote
But, to turn down an opportunity
like that to have her well looked after and to have her preserved in
the way she will be would have been very wrong. 

The cold hard facts. :o
Quote
she will leave
our fleet in November of next year.   
From the moment you first glimpsed the Queen,
 you just knew you were in for a very special time ahead.!

Offline pete cain

Re: What was said
« Reply #7 on: Jan 26, 2019, 03:56 PM »
'' Without question QE2 is legendary,one of the most beloved ships in our 169yr history, she has been hostess to royalty, celebrities and the most noted personalities from around the world.  In addition, she has been a witness to history, serving magnificently in the Falklands conflict, adored the world over, she is quite simply irreplaceble''

   What then was the reason for the sale of QE2?. '' I was dreading the day when I would have to stand up and say the ship is going to be broken up. I felt terrible about it, she is terribly popular and she runs well--in the back of our minds, we had to think one day she would be retired.  So we were very keen to have offers from ports that she could go to that would preserve her, delightfully, we received an offer--we received several offers as you can imagine, but one that was a serious offer--(from a port) that could actually look after this wonderful vessel, could maintain her and preserve her for future generations and keep her in the condition that we felt was appropiate-- first class condition. These people will do that, they have a great respect for the ship, they have great respect for the history................ we would have a situation like this where she could be placed where she would be so well looked after............ it was a very difficult decision to  make but at the end of the day, you can't turn down something that is going to preserve this wonderful ship for generations to come''.

    Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem chaiman of Dubai world, has paid tribute to QE"'s astonishing record and outlined some of his plans for her future.    ''QE2 is without doubt one of the wonders of the maritime world, and is easily the most famous serving liner in the world today. I am delighted we will be able to create a home for her............................................. Dubai is a maritime nation and we understand the rich heritage of QE2. She is coming to a home where she will be cherished''. The ships millions of fans around  the world will be thrilled to see that pledge honoured.   


Above are extracts from    'Final year' The Cruise People , Canada.
                                          Richard H  Wagner. Beyond ships.com.
                                          'QE2 The Final Voyage, Trinity press, Tony Storey.

  Interesting to note that the H K announcement doesn't contain, such platitudes, just get her up there rip her to bits & let's get selling!, that's my interpretion. I'd love a comment from Carol Marlow , did Cunard carry due dilligence with the sale I wonder , or were the dollar bills just too much, to  be objective?.
 I know she has to earn a living , what a way to end such a career if it all comes about.

Offline pete cain

Re: What was said
« Reply #8 on: Jan 26, 2019, 04:01 PM »
In the context of Robs news, re cabins, its worth yet another look at this  & also paging to Edward Hicksons
 very interesting item on QE2  on the same page. Wish we could get a quote from Marlow

Online Andy Holloway

Re: What was said
« Reply #9 on: Jan 27, 2019, 03:52 PM »
I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a [re]quote from Carol Marlow she's long gone, moved on to other things and, as with plenty of other so called Cunard management, Pam Conover excepted, was only there doing their penance before moving on to greater things within CUK/Carnival Corp. They said the right things for whatever audience they were talking to, but in the end were not in the slightest bit interested in Cunard's future or, even worse, the crew, whatever rank or position they held! 

Offline pete cain

Re: What was said
« Reply #10 on: Jan 27, 2019, 04:38 PM »
Management speak as usual Andy