QE2 Charters

[Andy F]

Many thanks Michael. BTW - did you manage to sort out the logos?

PM me your email address Chris and will be happy to oblige 

[Rob Lightbody]

The 1973 Charter to Israel hit the headlines the world over, and therefore now has its own dedicated topic.

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,5209.0.html

[Twynkle]

About the cost of Chartering QE2
(Has this appeared somewhere already?)
Lots of questions, and I'm really sorry to be so curious....
However, I s'pose many of the answers may need to remain confidential.

It would be interesting to know how costing was calculated - as well as something about the terms and conditions.
Also - how far in advance did the companies chartering need to book?
Was the whole of QE2 used overnight for private parties....?
Were any charters refused?

So many thanks - I know this will cause extra work...
maybe it can be left for a while.
Rosie

[Tom Walker]

I was aboard QE2 for the 100th Anniversary & re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty 7-4-86. Was there anyone else, who is a member,  aboard for this the only  QE2 trans-Atlantic Charter by the Chrysler Corp which departed Southampton on 6-23-86 to Bermuda and then 4 days in NY Harbor?
In addition, there was a baggage handlers strike in Southampton which delayed our sailing for several hours and nearly caused us to miss the ebb tide seaward. Lots of mud was stirred up on our departure.
This the first and only trans-Atlantic QE2 Liberty Charter was done by Lee Iaccoca, Chairman of the Chrysler Corp in 1986. Mr. Iaccoca was also the Chairman of the Statue of Liberty 100th Anniversary Re-dedication Committee. This was a sales incentive promotion for Chrysler-Plymouth and Dodge dealers to promote increased sales of Chrysler Corp. automobiles. There were 1,350 Chrysler-Plymouth dealer employees and 1,350 Dodge Dealer employees aboard for this exclusive Chrysler Charter. Our entire QE2 crew were all volunteer veterans of the Falkland War Campaign. Mr. Iaccoca and several of the other top Chrysler executives disembarked QE2 upon arrival in Bermuda in order to fly ahead to NYC and prepare for the Statue of Liberty re-dedication ceremony on July 4th. It took two more days at sea until the QE2 anchored in NY Harbor next to the Statue of Liberty and was joined by the British aircraft carrier Arc Royal and battleship USS Iowa which anchored nearby QE2.I was told that several records were set during this unique charter. One of those records was for the most wine consumed during any trans-Atlantic crossing. This was all documented in the Liberty Cruise VHS tribute which given to those aboard.  I have never seen a DVD of this recording. Can anyone else comment on this?

[Rod]

I was aboard QE2 for the 100th Anniversary & re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty 7-4-86. Was there anyone else, who is a member,  aboard for this the only  QE2 trans-Atlantic Charter by the Chrysler Corp which departed Southampton on 6-23-86 to Bermuda and then 4 days in NY Harbor?
In addition, there was a baggage handlers strike in Southampton which delayed our sailing for several hours and nearly caused us to miss the ebb tide seaward. Lots of mud was stirred up on our departure.

Tom my story of 86 is above.

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=848.msg36918#msg36918

Also surprised that no one has mentioned our visit to Come By Chance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_By_Chance,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Tom, have a look at Rod's story above :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=848.msg36918#msg36918

[Andy Holloway]

It was Starship Oceanic (Premier Cruises) berthed with QE2 in Boston.

Ah old ships, Oceanic [1965 - 2012] was the first ship i served on, she started life as a Trans Atlantic Liner built for Home Lines, but never sustained this trade, instead being moved to the morel lucrative NY to Bermuda route.

She could have managed nearly 30 knots in her heyday, and we still used to crack out a healthy 28 knots running back from Lucaya on a Thursday night, to be alongside, secured and starting to off load passengers in Port Canaveral by 0630 Friday.


A bit like QE2 she was a rabbit warren of cabins, but an interesting ship and a lot of he build ideas, were familiar when i eventually joined QE2 and learnt my way around.
An interesting fact about her is, that she must be one of the only ships to go through her career having changed owners several times but always retained her original name - Oceanic. The 'Starship' bit was only ever used as a marketing ploy!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

For a discussion in Liners' List, I have been looking for the exact dates of the Yokohama Charters. This is what I have found here assembled in this Forum :

If in doubt, I go by what Ronald Warwick says in his book.

Yokohama : 27 March 1989 for 72 days.
Osaka : December 1989 for 6 months.

And also :

19 February to 27 March 1989
A shorter than usual World Cruise in order to position QE2 in Yokohama for a 72-day charter (30 March – 9 June).

26 November to 21 December 1989: QE2 undertook another extended cruise in 1989 to position her in Japan for the 180-day (28 December 1989 – 19 June 1990) Japanese charter.

Apart from the starting date (27 or 30 March 1989), these two quotes seem to be in agreement (72 days in Yokohama).

The second Japanese charter was not Yokohama, but Osaka (December 1989 for 6 months), as mentioned by Ron Warwick.

[Andy Holloway]

It was Starship Oceanic (Premier Cruises) berthed with QE2 in Boston.

The first ship i ever sailed on, 3 & 4 day cruises, [Mon/Fri, Fri/Mon] out of Port Canaveral with nearly 2000 pax, of where anything up to 600 could be 'children'!

Lots of good stories from my 6 months onboard, especially as we were linked initially to Disney and subsequently to Universal.

[cunardqueen]

Apart from the starting date (27 or 30 March 1989), these two quotes seem to be in agreement (72 days in Yokohama). 

I believe it was referred to as YES Yokohama. from what l remember. i recall a ship's officer commenting on the fact he wouldn't be surprised if they buy the ship. And from the passenger's point of view a great many of us were more shocked she went back for a 6-month charter . And were convinced they would buy QE2 then.

[cunardqueen]

  It would be interesting to know how costing was calculated - as well as something about the terms and conditions.
Also - how far in advance did the companies chartering need to book? 

I know for Hebridean Cruises and their Hebridean Princess (ex Cal Mac ferry) when they do charters, they will quietly refund the people already booked and block off that cruise for any further bookings. Though how much they charge for a charter is anyones guess Remember when the Queen chartered her for her cruise.  Obviously, shes a much smaller ship , beautiful as she is, Years ago when she called into Kirkwall l wangled a ship visit, thanks to making friends with a waiter Brian P from Kent . But then ships visits were relatively easy to do. My first one to Vistafjord was simply put on a telex from the port agent (who l knew)  That "A Mr Devin is seeking to view the ship , is that in order ?" he showed me him sending the telex, and word came back a day or so later that yes that was in order and to present himself at the tender station. I remember being met by Perr the restaurant manager, given the tour, then a lovely lunch with a souvenir plate. On QE2 l regaled my tale to the Purser the Norwegian one, l forget his name , at his table,one night , he had worked with Perr years ago and sadly had died through illness. of course, that was in the years when Vistafjord sister ship Sagafjord was voted the No 1 cruise ship in the world. But no one looks after a visitor better than Cunard .

Queen Mary 2 was chartered for a crossing from New York a few years ago by the Pied Pier Travel group, who then sold cabins on the crossing. You can imagine how big the FOD gatherings were. But when all said and done , Just how do you go about chartering a ship of that size.         

[Andy Holloway]

From Michael's extensive records, for whom and when did QE2 travel to Copenhagen for a charter? I think it would have been late 2004 or mid 2005 as I did one of the initial recces when I worked in Miami pre QM2's ATHOC (Athens Olympic Committee) charter in 2004.

[Peter Mugridge]

Just how do you go about chartering a ship of that size?     

With a very big wallet...?

[Lynda Bradford]

For a discussion in Liners' List, I have been looking for the exact dates of the Yokohama Charters. This is what I have found here assembled in this Forum :

And also :

Apart from the starting date (27 or 30 March 1989), these two quotes seem to be in agreement (72 days in Yokohama).

The second Japanese charter was not Yokohama, but Osaka (December 1989 for 6 months), as mentioned by Ron Warwick.

Information provided by Michael Gallagher, Cunard ex historian that I posted in the topic QE2 1980's Dates of World and extended cruises mentions the Japanese charters.  When Michael is next on the forum he may be able confirm whether  the ship sailed to Yokohama or Osaka in December 1989 : 

Extract from 1980's World Cruise topic:
13 January –27 March 1989:  ‘Round South America and Circle Pacific’ extended Cruises 74 days, 27 ports

South America: 37 days, 15 ports
(13 Jan – 19 Feb)
Pacific: 37 days 12 ports
(19 Feb – 27 March)
Note: A shorter than usual World Cruise in order to position QE2 in Yokohama for a 72-day charter (30 March – 9 June). Upon completion of charter, QE2 sailed from Honolulu to Southampton: 25 days (9 June – 3 July).In March

QE2 experienced a sudden and severe South Pacific storm while on the Tahiti – Auckland leg of the voyage. 40-foot waves and 60-knot winds. 30 passengers had to be treated for injuries by the doctor and damage included a broken piano. The weather forecast had not predicted the storm so Captain Bennell could not avoid it.

26 November to 21 December 1989: QE2 undertook another extended cruise in 1989 to position her in Japan for the 180-day (28 December 1989 – 19 June 1990) Japanese charter.  27 days, 12 ports
Note: QE2 sailed from Honolulu to Yokohama without passengers (21 – 28 December 1989).

[Michael Gallagher]

Andy

The Copenhagen charter you referred to was the Novo Nordisk Charter from 14 - 21 May 2005.

The late charter (September 2004) actually resulted in the cancellation of the planned 2 - 21 May Caribbean cruise to / from Southampton. A replacement 12-day Med cruise was substituted (2 - 14 May) and then the charter.

Danish Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk wanted to charter QE2 as an incentive for its entire US sales team (1100 people) while visiting the company's HQ in Denmark. Originally QE2 was to be berthed at Copenhagen but due to impending EU Environmental Compliance Regulations it was not possible to berth her at Langelinie in Copenhagen as 'water under the keel' requirements could not be met. Cunard could not find a suitable alternative port but a large travel agency suggested Amagervaerket - a coal port owned by Denmark's largest energy company, E2. A special permit had to be granted by the Minister of Transport to enable this but Cunard was initially reluctant to have QE2 alongside here but relented once it was promised to clean up the berth and that there would be a cleaning contractor on site for the duration of her stay to clean any coal deposits or contain any coal spillages.

14 May - Southampton

15 May - At Sea

16 - 19 May - Amagervaerket

20 May - At Sea

21 May - Southampton

And here she is at Amagervaerket.