Behind the headlines: 2003 - Cunard’s QM2 hits the water

[Rob Lightbody]

Behind the headlines: 2003 - Cunard’s QM2 hits the water

This month back in 2003, as Queen Mary 2 thundered into the waters that fed Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the world embraced Cunard’s long-awaiting renaissance. Yet, if you delve behind the headlines of the time, there was much more going on...

https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/editors-corner/qm2-history-origin-headlines

[Andy Holloway]

People, many of whom know nothing of the two alternatives to Carnival in the potential bidding process at the time, that is Prudential and a Greek consortium. When Vistafjord went on her 6 week trip from LA down to the South Pacific we had 'representatives' of the Greek consortium sail with us! By the time we got back to LA it was down to one 'bidder' Carnival and the Greeks 'slithered' away leaving behind many unpaid bills including many, many hundreds of USD for satellite phone calls by one particular Greek Captain (who I had had the misfortune to have sailed with when I was with Premier@) to one of his many 'girl friends'!
Believe me, whatever you think about Carnival and their ownership of Cunard, the Greek alternative would have been 20 million time worse!

@ Now there was a true ********* (censored for decency sake!)

[Thomas Hypher]

Believe me, whatever you think about Carnival and their ownership of Cunard, the Greek alternative would have been 20 million time worse!

I can well believe this having experienced Greek ship management, any public re-telling would also require censoring/being toned down...