Author Topic: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers  (Read 63330 times)

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Online Lynda Bradford

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #105 on: Dec 30, 2016, 10:04 AM »
Thanks for the information, it would be good to hear about more celebrities that sailed on QE2
I was proud to be involved with planning QE2's 50 year conference in September 2017 in Clydebank
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Offline nyanks1

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #106 on: Jan 02, 2017, 06:39 AM »
I was on board while the following peformed/lectured:
Rita Moreno
Victor Borge
Tommy Tune
Alan King
David Brenner
Terence Stamp
Julia Childs
Bill Miller
And Barbara Walters was simply a passenger

Online Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #107 on: Jan 03, 2017, 01:17 AM »
I was on board while the following peformed/lectured:
Rita Moreno
Victor Borge
Tommy Tune
Alan King
David Brenner
Terence Stamp
Julia Childs
Bill Miller
And Barbara Walters was simply a passenger

I wonder who they were... :-\

Were they interesting people to have on board?

Offline Twynkle

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #108 on: Jan 03, 2017, 09:24 AM »
having worked in NYO 76-86 , There are so many to list that were passengers aboard our QE2.  The most noteworthy I  remember were James Cagney who sailed with  Pat O'Brien , Joan Rivers, Carroll O'Connor who sailed with his friend,Burgess Meredith, Carly Simon sailed with James Taylor and their family together at the time,Bowie , The Mamas and Papas with families....countless others I have to look up in my logbooks.

It was a special time then.

Hi CunardNYO and Welcome!

Thank you so much for this!
Just as a matter of interest, was it necessary / possible to keep the identity of VIPs confidential whilst they were on board?
If they weren't staying in the grand 'suites' - then maybe it was much more difficult??
For example, to keep the secret, did they use Crew elevators etc
Not long ago Ed Sherran was on board QM2 - the news only got out after he and his 'team' left - he'd been able to use one of the big 'lounges' on deck one as a studio! What you might call a working holiday...

Also - (and Off Topic) - a bit!!
Were you able to work in that magnificent building, 25 Broadway?
All the best, and Happy New Year!

Offline Twynkle

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #109 on: Jan 03, 2017, 09:34 AM »
I was on board while the following peformed/lectured:
Rita Moreno
Victor Borge
Tommy Tune
Alan King
David Brenner
Terence Stamp
Julia Childs
Bill Miller
And Barbara Walters was simply a passenger

Hi nyanks1 and Welcome!
How lucky for the Passengers to hear All these VIPs as 'The Entertainers'!
Bill Miller - did he play in the Golden Lion as well as in the Theatre or Queens Room?
I loved Victor Borge too - Did you by any chance ever hear Tom Lehrer too?
As a matter of interest, did you ever get to hear them play?

Wasn't Julia Child famous for recipes and cooking / cook-books?
And Terence Stamp - a fantastic actor, and heart throb - (Sorry, I'm getting older by the minute!!)

It would be great to hear more about life on board, just wondering where you might have been working?
Thanks so much for posting - and if you have time to have a look round here, you might find other old colleagues too!

Online Chris Thompson

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #110 on: Jan 09, 2017, 03:12 PM »
OK, I've got a good one for you..... Bela Bartok, well his corpse! In 1988 his remains were returned from the USA to hungary on the QE2, basically in a large black box that spent the voyage inside one of the shell door access-ways on 5 deck, right next to the Casino cabins, really creeped out the croupiers!!
Telly Savalas was a favourite customer in the Casino, always a gentlemen.
When Carly Simon was onboard for the QE2 premier showing of 'Working Girl' she was signing autographs outside the Theater,
our manager asked if she would like a cuppa, so we took her into the staff breakroom behind the Casino Bar. Before handing over the 'cuppa' he demanded 12 autographed photos for the staff....she gave him a grin and complied!!

Online Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #111 on: Jan 09, 2017, 04:59 PM »
OK, I've got a good one for you..... Bela Bartok, well his corpse! In 1988 his remains were returned from the USA to hungary on the QE2, basically in a large black box that spent the voyage inside one of the shell door access-ways on 5 deck, right next to the Casino cabins, really creeped out the croupiers!!

That is quite amazing... just shows the huge respect in which QE2 was held. I wonder did he ever travel on her while alive...

Offline Boris

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Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #112 on: Jan 27, 2017, 03:15 AM »
Anyone remember Arthur Negus and Lady Isobel Barnet? (Attached courtesy of Southern Evening Echo: Tuesday 21 Sep 1976)

Offline Malcolm

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #113 on: Jan 27, 2017, 04:38 PM »
I wonder did he ever travel on her while alive...

Not if he died in 1945!  :)

He could have sailed on the Queen Mary or, more likely, Mauretania, Aquitania or Berengaria.

Offline Beau Gielen

Young Couple winning a trip of a lifetime on the QE2
« Reply #114 on: Feb 23, 2017, 12:53 PM »
Winning a Trip of a Lifetime

Hi, my name is Beau Gielen and this is my story and connection with the QE2.

Back in October 2001, my beautiful girlfriend Lucy Dicker invited me to the Melbourne Caulfield Cup horse races.
 
Lucy being a professional model borrowed a dress from J’aton Couture, Italian fashion designers and invited me to go to the races.

We arrived at Caulfield Racecourse and it wasn't long until Lucy grabbed a lot of attention from Camera Crews and Newspapers. This was all new to me but something Lucy was very used too.
 
Lucy entered Chadstone fashions on the field, for fun and I remember Steve Vizard and Lillian Frank were some of the days Fashion Judges. When Lucy hit the stage I cheered, “Number 21” “Number 21” whilst enjoying my beverage. Lucy made it to the finals. She looked amazing and stood out among the finalists. Suzie Wilkes from Channel 9 that announced that Number 21 was the winner! I couldn’t believe it…next thing I’m in this marquee with many celebrities and models.
 
I asked Lucy an important question “What did you Win?” She said a first class trip on the QE2 around America, and many gifts and prizes.  In was in shock. I then asked “Can I come along on the trip?” lol….she said “Of course Silly”. I thought i was dreaming, I’d never been overseas before or travelled on an ocean liner….This was like the movie the Titanic! winning a hand of Poker! Thank God this one didn’t Sink or catch Covid19.
 
In January 2002 we were flown over to LA then to New York where we boarded the QE2. Cunard decided to upgrade us to First Class, Deck 1 and Dine in the Queens Grill…we had a huge room with our own Stewart /Butler!
 The QE2, was the first ship in Port after September 11, and an Aircraft Carrier ported right next to her for security. At Dusk we sailed out of the river Hudson and past Ground Zero where floodlights lit up the site. Teams were working through the night cleaning up the Twin Towers destruction…
We and other passengers stood on the deck near the Bridge of the ship and sang “Amazing Grace” whilst a wreath was thrown into the river as passing.
 
On the third night whilst a violinist was playing Vavaldi in the main theatre …I proposed to Lucy to be my wife. Thank god she said “yes”.
The Trip was amazing, we went to Florida, Colombia, through Panama Canal, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, and LA. 14 nights 15 days.
 We met some amazing people like Frank McCourt who wrote the book Angela’s Ashe’s, part owners of Disney and famous 60’s rock band Herman's Hermits were also on the ship.
 Some of the memories we had of this trip were priceless to Lucy and myself….It was a dream come true and the start of our lives as a family. 

Lucy was one of the Faces of Caulfield races and a judge of the fashions in the following years after the trip…we experienced all the amazing marquees and met lots of amazing people.
14 years later after Lucy’s win we thought we would head to Flemington and enter our two boys William and Thomas into Fashions on the Field…They both made it to the Finals and the winner went to our cheeky one Tommy Gielen!.....As you can imagine Lucy and I were in Shock again and very emotional….what amazing luck we have had and we are truly grateful.

Anyway thanks for letting me share my QE2 story!
Beau
« Last Edit: Sep 09, 2020, 07:04 AM by Beau Gielen »

Online Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Young Couple winning a trip of a lifetime on the QE2
« Reply #115 on: Feb 23, 2017, 09:42 PM »
On the third night…I proposed to Lucy to be my wife whilst a violinist was playing Vavaldi. The Trip was amazing, we went to Florida, Colombia, through Panama Canal, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, and LA. 14 nights 15 days.
 
We met some amazing people..like Frank McCourt who wrote Angela’s Ashes… Herman's Hermits were also on the ship.

Beau, I must admit it was I who moved the second of your two identical posts here, as I thought it would add to our stories of famous / well known / celebrity passengers on board QE2.

You were, of course, celebrities yourselves in your own right during this cruise, and it is wonderful to hear how beautifully you were treated on board.

But then, you also met other famous people, whom you mention. Maybe you have some special memories of these people, which you would like to share with us?

Offline June Ingram

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Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #116 on: Feb 24, 2017, 02:50 PM »
Hi Beau -

Thank you for your wonderful story about Lucy and your voyage on QE2.  What a marvelous experience.  Please tell us more and share any photos that you may have.

June   :)
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Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #117 on: May 23, 2017, 08:38 PM »
Attached is a photo of Larry Hagman on the QE2.

Who is he with, and what room is he in?!

This comes from the Rupert Ballantyne collection, and is copyrighted.
Passionate about QE2's service life for 40 years and creator of this website.  I have worked in IT for 28 years and created my personal QE2 website in 1994.

Online Andy Holloway

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #118 on: May 24, 2017, 04:50 PM »
Attached is a photo of Larry Hagman on the QE2.

Who is he with, and what room is he in?!

This comes from the Rupert Ballantyne collection, and is copyrighted.

Rupert lives about 3 miles from me and i see him occasionally. He was 'Front of House Manager' for his local dramatic society's Christmas production once and wore his old Cunard Hotel Officer's Uniform just to add a bit of class!

Offline Cunarder Man

Re: Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers
« Reply #119 on: Jun 01, 2017, 09:35 PM »
Remembering Roy Barraclough who sadly died today.

I met him on board QE2 in October 1995 as we departed Southampton on a cruise to the Mediterranean. The cast of Coronation Street were on board filming a special episode.

At sailaway Roy appeared to be on his own and I approached him for a chat. He was a very pleasant gentleman and he explained what they were doing on this cruise. I shared with him that I loved his comic performances (Cissie Braithwaite & Ada Sidebottom) with Les Dawson and that I had attended the BBC Televsion Centre to watch a recording of the show. Classic comedy!

Throughout the voyage, even as they were filming, Roy always passed the time of day and his company was enjoyed by all the passengers. On the last evening of the voyage the production team bought all passengers a drink and the cast mingled.

Special times.
« Last Edit: Jun 01, 2017, 09:37 PM by Cunarder Man »