I was a Hotel Officer, starting off in the Brit Kitchen and subsequently in the Bureau (Travel Bureau and Cashiers).
In 1977 I did the whole of the Jubilee World Cruise as I was the only person trained to use the new electronic billing machine in the Cashiers Office. I believe that only 2 other officers did the whole cruise - Captain Arnott and Eve Tytherleigh, the physio.
I attach a photo of the Bureau staff of that era - I think taken in the Hotel Manager's office.
I eventually left QE2 and Cunard in Auckland, halfway through the 1978 Pacific and Orient Cruise.
I have many happy memories of QE2, although I admit I wanted to go to the Princess or Countess, mainly for tax purposes. I was in the Bureau in July 1976 when the engine room fire forced the ship to limp back to Southampton. We had to interview all the passengers to help with alternative travel arrangements. The organisation of this was chaotic with passengers queuing for at least 2.5 hours before reaching the counter. Any goodwill had evaporated by the time we talked to them. We organised breakdowns far better in Shaw Savill.
The only person I kept in touch with was Security Officer Bob Lockwood (Baby Bomb), who sadly died suddenly in 2016. My wife and I had seen him only the previous year in Auckland, where he lived.
