Travel Memories 7: QE2

On deck, Zeebrugge.

I always wanted to do those two iconic modes of travel: Concorde, and QE2. Although I missed out on Concorde, I did manage a long weekend on Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2006, just two years before the liner was retired from Cunard service. A friend and I did the trip from Southampton to Zeebrugge and back (with optional excursion to Bruges), just for the experience. This photo, taken at Zeebrugge, always makes me smile: it’s just so typically British! There’s nothing but a working port to look at, it’s cold enough to need jackets and blankets, but these people were determined to get their deck chair time.

Travel Memories: a single photo from a trip — one that always makes me smile, or reflect, or want to go back.

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click here for a larger version of the map below

Pool loungers

Loungers and towels at the Pavilion Pool aboard Queen Mary 2.

The pattern of loungers with blue covers is broken by one rogue yellow cover.

Posted as part of Jude’s 2020 Photo Challenge, specifically: Break the pattern, disrupt the continuity in some way.

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Cruise Line

Queen Mary 2 passing the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Strictly speaking, the Cunard ships are ocean liners rather than cruise liners. But let’s not quibble! Here they are all seen in Sydney and all at night.

Queen Victoria (with strange purple lighting) at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney

Queen Elizabeth passing the Sydney Opera House

The part that was lost in the square crop reads “The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World”

I’ve read that a fourth ship will join the Cunard fleet in 2022. I’m curious to see how they update this poster, which is itself a modern version of a classic Cunard poster c1914 that featured Mauretania, Berengaria and Aquitania. And which queen’s name will the new ship bear?

Posted as part of October Squares Lines&Squares

Random Fridays: Queen Elizabeth

Possibly not the Queen Elizabeth you were expecting? 😉

Apologies if you expected a photo of the UK monarch! This is the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth, seen in Sydney in April this year. A friend and I have booked a one-week cruise on this ship for March next year — bring on the bubbly!

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Colour Your World: Violet Purple

Queen Mary 2, with a crescent moon and purple glowing thing on top

Queen Mary 2 stopped in Sydney for two nights in March. I was quite excited, because I’ve booked a short cruise on the ship for next year. Wildly extravagant, I know! 🙂 QM2’s sister ship, Queen Victoria, was here a few days before QM2, lit overall in a very eye-catching purple; at least QM2 confined the purple glow to the globular thing on top (various electronic instruments, I suspect).
(Color Your World Challenge: Violet Purple)

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Colour your World: Purple Heart

Queen Victoria dressed in regal purple for the evening.

This is the cruise ship Queen Victoria, bathed in rather startling purple light. We get a lot of different cruise ships in Sydney, but this purple look is not common.

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