Celebrating The Diamond Jubilee And The Beatles With Cunard

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Southampton

This week the focus is on celebrations.

             In early June, Cunard Line participated in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations marking the 60^th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne.  There were celebrations throughout the UK for this anniversary ranging from local street parties to a concert with a series of mega-stars outside of BuckinghamPalace.

             Considering the long connection between Cunard and the Royal Family, and this monarch in particular, Cunard decided that it had to do something more than just send a card to mark the occasion.    Therefore, it planned a spectacular event where all three of its Queen ships would meet together in Southampton.

             Because of the legendary reputation of the Cunard Queens, their rare gatherings have been recognized not only by ship lovers but by the general public as special occasions.  The first gathering of three Queens occurred in New York in 2008 when Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria were all in port together.  A few months later, the same three ships met in Southampton but because QE2 was there for a re-fit rather than to begin a voyage, the meeting was considered unofficial even though it generated significant attention.  Then, shortly after the new Queen Elizabeth entered service, she met with Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria inNew Yorkwith all three ships exiting the harbor in a grand procession.

             For this year’s celebration, Cunard planned to have all three ships enter and exit Southampton harbor together.  In addition, there would be a display by Britain’s precision flying team The Red Arrows and a fireworks display as the ships left Southampton.  There would also be a day-long radio broadcast from the roof of the Carnival UK building which overlooks the harbor.        Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  It caused the cancellation of The Red Arrows performance and interfered with the fireworks.

             Still, it was a spectacular event.  The stars of the show in their black and white liveries and Cunard red funnels were majestic.  For those onboard the three ships, the proximity of the ships to each other was indeed an awesome sight.

             Beyondships’ photo essay of the celebrations (including a slide show) is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-royal-jubilee-celebrations-part-one.html

             A much different type of celebration was the performances by The Beatles Celebration onboard Queen Mary 2 during one of her recent transatlantic crossings.  The Beatles Celebration is not just another Beatles tribute band but a show in which the performers place the audience in an imaginary Beatles performance.

            This show was particularly appropriate for Queen Mary 2.  While not mentioned as much as Cunard’s connections to royalty and its connection to the celebrities and movie stars of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Cunard has a substantial connection to The Beatles and to the so-called British Invasion music of the 1960s.  In addition, a performance of this caliber fits nicely with the ship’s overall quality level

            Beyondships’ review of The Beatles Celebration, including an interview with the cast, is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-qm2-beatles-celebration.html

Visiting Windsor Castle and The Beatles’ Liverpool

 

Windsor Castle

 

As  summer begins, so does the British Isles cruising season.  Even in summer,Britainis not like a Caribbean island and thus the focus of such cruises is not on beaches and fun in the sun.  Rather, it is on the rich cultural heritage that you can experience going ashore in the various ports of call.  This week, we present articles on two quite different aspects of that culture.

 The first article is on visiting Windsor Castle.  It is the largest castle in England and has been a royal residence since the 11^th Century.  Naturally, quite a lot has taken place there and you can see where kings, queens and statesmen lived and did things that changed the course of history.  In addition, a fabulous art collection is housed there.

 What makes Windsor even more interesting is that it is still a royal residence.  The Queen lives there and state occasions still occur there.

 Windsor is located nearLondon and while it is not on the sea, it is not far from the major cruise ports.  It thus is a good day trip before or after a cruise.  Some ships also offer organized shore excursions there.

 Our article on visiting Windsor Castle is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article—windsor-castle.html

 Cruise ships calling in Liverpoolusually offer a tour focusing on The Beatles. Liverpool was the rock group’s hometown and the town very much remembers them.

 While a visit to Windsor is all about the splendor and glory of British culture, a Beatles tour takes you to quite ordinary places.  Indeed, that is what is so interesting about it – – four people with backgrounds just like millions of others were able to have such a tremendous impact not just on music but social mores and thought.

 Our article on touring the Beatles’ Liverpool is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article—beatles-liverpool.html

Following John Lennon in Bermuda; Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director of Crown Princess

The Bermuda Botanical Gardens, which John Lennon visited.

I have posted two somewhat different items this week:  One is about a ship and the other is about a cruise destination.

             Continuing with our coverage of Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess, I have posted an interview with Captain Nick Nash and Hotel Director Richard Harry.

  One of the questions that I like to ask the seniors officers of each ship is why should a person who is thinking about going on a cruise select your ship for his or her vacation?  To my surprise, this question sometimes stumps the people that I am interviewing but not so with Captain Nash and Hotel Director Harry.

  They did not focus on Crown Princess’ physical plant.  Crown Princess is a very nice ship with excellent public areas, restaurants and accommodations.  However, as Captain Nash pointed out, having great features is not enough.  You also need consistency and quality in the delivery.  This requires a good crew.

 How a crew is motivated to become, in the words of Princess’ promotional slogan, the “consummate hosts” is a family matter according to Captain Nash and Director Harry.  It is a matter of making the crew feel that they are part of the Princess family.  Our conversation is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/crown-princess-captain-hotel-director-interview.html

 Bermuda is a unique cruise destination.  It is not in the Caribbean but rather in the Atlantic,

far from any other island.  As a result, it is a blend of British, American and African cultures that exists nowhere else.

 The beauty and atmosphere of the island has inspired many writers and artists over the years.  But unknown to many, it played a significant role in the life of John Lennon.   After suffering from writer’s block for some five years, the former Beatle traveled to Bermuda in 1980.  What he experienced while he was there unleashed his creativity and he wrote numerous songs during his visit.  These appeared on his Double Fantasy album and on an album released after his death called Milk and Honey.  In my opinion, these include some of the best work of his post-Beatle solo career.

 Like me, many cruise passengers are fans of John Lennon and the Beatles.  Moreover, quite a few cruise ships call regularly in Bermuda during the summer including Celebrity Summit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn, Enchantment of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.  So I wondered whether it is possible to see some of the places that Lennon saw and to try and see what inspired him about this place.

 So enlisting the aid of popular Bermuda entertainer Tony Brannon (stage name “Tony B”) who actually saw Lennon during his visit, we drove around the island to some of the places Lennon is known to have seen.   It has been more than 30 years so things have changed but there is enough left to get a feel for what it was like.

One place that still exists that Lennon particularly liked is the Bermuda Botanical Gardens.  It was there that he saw a flower called the “Double Fantasy”.  Thinking that this symbolized his relationship with his wife Yoko Ono, Lennon adopted the name for the first album of songs that came from his Bermuda visit.

 Soon Lennon fans who visit the Botanical Gardens will be able to see a memorial commemorating Lennon’s visit to the island.  On June 21, a statue and a dedicated garden will be unveiled.  On that day, there will be a concert on the grounds which will include some of the performers who have recorded songs for a tribute CD.  There will also be an exhibit of Lennon’s lithographs at the Masterworks Museum, which is on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.

 My experiences following Lennon’s footsteps in Bermuda are posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article—following-john-lennons-footsteps-in-bermuda.html