Crash with pier at Cherbourg (27/10/1974) & dry dock in Rotterdam

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

No Graeme, Newport News was after a certain Captain (who shall remain nameless) decided to bulldoze his way through a totally innocent reef off Nassau, which hadn't done anything to offend anyone.

Looks like we need a new topic for this theme -- but perhaps the relevant topic already exists in the Forum?

If not, you could continue the discussions here, and we can move them once we know what we are actually talking about .

[Boris]

Looks like we need a new topic for this theme -- but perhaps the relevant topic already exists in the Forum?

Already extensively discussed here: https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,2941.0.html

[Boris]

Unfortunately, the Tannoy he made to the pax put paid to his career!

But not soon enough ... he survived long enough to gift us the Nassau Reef-Amtrak evacuation-Newport News debacle. 

[Kevin McGhee]

My cabin was one of those hit. Rod may know some of the engineers in the picture. Boris may know the passengers in the cabin enjoying a cocktail on a world cruise. They were all regular world cruise passengers and are mentioned in Captain Arnotts book "Captain of the Queen". They all knew where to come for a good Cocktail.

[Boris]

Perhaps not as good quality as Rod's earlier pic, but you may be able to discern the extent of the damage ... below

[Chris Shaftoe]

I find this all a little confusing as I seem to remember a similar and yet earlier incident in Cherbourg when a dock worker slipped between the hull and the dock and losing both his legs. However at the time of this thread (27/10/1974) I was not onboard.

It has always seemed to me that to some extent QE2 was unlucky when it came to serious mishaps. I did hear a story about a shipyard worker being killed the first day of construction when the keel was being laid. Does anyone recall this?

[Boris]

May I ask what was said over the tannoy?

Text attached.

[June Ingram]

Was RMS attached to QE2's name on official announcements about the ship ?

[Boris]

Was RMS attached to QE2's name on official announcements about the ship ?

All so many years ago now June, I really can't recall.

But despite the lengthy discussions in this forum pointing out she was not a RMS, and despite what is technically correct, many (most?) of us on board in those days, including Senior Officers, would use the term RMS QE2 on occasion.

[Twynkle]

Hi Boris - Thanks so much for the details at that you are mentioning, we are so fortunate that you and others are able to help memories stay bright and shiny! 
It wouldn't be at all surprising that the use of RMS was 'in vogue' - specially when QE2 was given "first place in the queue" in and out of ports, and when captains were referring to her in public announcements. Seem to remember this was done definitely in a sort of highlighted tone...

[Rob Lightbody]

Was RMS attached to QE2's name on official announcements about the ship ?

Often. Mistakenly!