Best Port Visit

[Andy F]

While still trying to think of a suitably embarrassing moment in response to another thread, I thought I'd start a new one. 

What's been your best port visit?  To now at least, I have to say that mine is Lisbon.  Making the transit up the Tagus river and passing under the 25 de Abril bridge with the sun coming up is one of those great moments and just rewards for dragging yourself out of bed at some totally unreasonable hour (well, it is for me)! 

[QE2_MATTHEW]

Well, as luck would have it  :-\on my last cruise there was heavy mist at the port of Lisbon- so there was a blanket of light over everything as the sun came up so we couldnt really see anything and that wasnt worth getting up for at 6am. sorry 

My favourit port would be Zakynthos. Lovely island, hope to go back soon

M

[Andy F]

Oh well never mind but agree Zakynthos is great also

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

So many best moments related to QE2... they will all appear, sooner or later :-)

Here is one : On my very first cruise, in 2000, returning from Norway, we spent a day in Edinburgh, anchored by the Forth Bridge. That evening, we attended the military Tattoo up at Edinburgh Castle, part of the Edinburgh Festival.

Returning to the ship late at night -- that unforgettable view of her, anchored out in the river, all lit up and looking like a dream city on an island -- so huge, so beautiful, so much light -- and feeling so much joy! That was one of those moments when just looking at QE2 completely overwhelmed me... indeed it may have been the moment when I first fell in love with her...

[Cunarder Man]

There were so many, everyone with something special - oh - that was QE2 being there! New York - spectacular sail outs. Durban - crowds thronged the harbour walls. Greenock - so special for obvious reasons. Gieranger - its natural beauty. Spitzbergen - ice around QE2 in July! And many many more.

[Stowaway2k]

The 40th Anniversary Lap of Honor Cruise was epic.

https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B6F5FE4AC7E2BA58

The major highlight was the tribute concert at Liverpool's Anglican Cathederal.
Unfortunately there is no video of it, but I believe that the video that is now out of the concert from her final Round Britain farewell cruise is very similar.

I will never forget anticipating and being stunned by the speech by Captain McNaught, cut short by overwhelming emotion...

“We are celebrating the long and extraordinary life of a great ocean liner.
“It was conceived here in Liverpool and so far the QE2 has visited Liverpool eight times.
“She will come back next year for her last visit, after that she will not pass this way again.”

And with that, the captain abruptly left the podium, leaving the entire audience in stunned, emotional total silence.
I get choked up just thinking about it.


Here is my photo essay with comments, as posted in another forum
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/pic77/qe2_sep07/a40_09.htm

[Louis De Sousa]

-24 of July 1990 maiden arrival in Liverpool.
-New York
-Hong Kong
-Sydney

[Twynkle]

Flamm in Norway - with the long, utterly beautiful journey to get there,
the Fjord, with the Band, the Mountains, the sunshine -
and the Flammsbannen Railway and the Lines 'snapping' as we left!

[Chris Frame]

The Mediterranean Ports we visited during Sojourn were amazing... absolutely beautiful. I also found the Panama Canal - although not a port as such - to be a superb experience. All ports have a special something about them - something that makes them unique. I must say however, the Farewell Australia tour of the 2008 w/c was both exceptionally touching and unbelievably memorable:

Final Visit to Sydney

Farewell Hobart

Farewell Melbourne

Farewell Adelaide

Farewell Albany

Farewell Fremantle and Australia forever...

[KEV]

Chris
these are such brilliant videos-thanks for sharing. I wasn't there but it looks like The Aussies really gave her a great send off

[Malcolm]

it looks like The Aussies really gave her a great send off

They did - from every Australian port. Only New Zealand and Japan got anywhere near the quietest Port in Australia.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Looking at the bridgecam photos as they come up and so often bring great memories with them, one of the most beautiful QE2 ports was Bar Harbor in Maine...

Having seen some pictures of QE2 in Bar Harbor before, I was already looking forward to it -- and the real thing was just as fabulous as any anticipation! We were blessed with sparkling weather too...

It had everything -- the fabulous scenery, the weather, the tendering, the pleasant village -- and on top of that, a great cycling excursion!

Seems I photographed a lot, that day :

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%22bar%20harbor%22&w=55206992%40N00

Here is the Bar Harbor photo, with the schooner Margaret Todd in the foreground :

[Rob Lightbody]

Gibraltar.

And here's why.

We got off.  Walked towards the shuttle-taxis.  Felt a bit hot.  Turned round.  Saw the greatest ship in the world.  Looked at each other.  Got back on board.

 

We then headed to the aft pool on 1 deck.  Where it was deserted.  Completely.  There were 5 people or something.  And a waiter serving afternoon tea, just to us 5.   All we could eat, by the pool, served by our own charming white gloved waiter, in the sunshine, on a teak deck, in a teak chair under a parasol.

Alghero was a 2nd favourite because it was too choppy for the tenders to run so we were 'trapped' on board for the day.  Oh no!      Most people - 95%+ - were not bothered at all, and there was a lovely relaxing atmosphere on board.

[Beardy Rich]

I think that for the majority of the crew during my time onboard the best port visit was Southampton. We could usually get ashore then and some of us could go home to see our folks, girlfriends, wives etc. I never particularly liked New York... too much of a rat-race for me. Does that place EVER sleep???
Actually, the QE2 visited some fabulous ports on her cruises. I loved Norway, especially sailing up the fjords. Some of the crew used to take bottles of spirits ashore to sell to the locals as it was very expensive to buy in Norway. The Caribbean was also a favourite... clear blue skies, azure seas, lots and lots of hot sunshine. I remember having some great times ashore in St Thomas and Barbados. Spending the day at Paradise Beach enjoying the sun and the surf (not to mention the bikini clad beauties passing by) . Feeling awful later because I'd been out in the sun too long
Not a port of call, but transiting the Panama canal was amazing but by God it was hot, especially in the engine room!
Tahiti was nice too... it poured with rain when I went ashore there but it felt strangely warm... something i hadn't previously experienced. Ahhh the memories!
Of course there were other favourites too, but I'll leave those for another time... I've got the back door of the house to paint!!!

Rich Drayson.

[Malcolm]

Antarctica

Bad weather meant that we missed most of the ports in Southern South America. We did have one very good day though - the day we went round Cape Horn.

Here's my video of the passage

[Rob Lightbody]

Here's my video of the passage

Oh my goodness Malcolm, thats beautifull edited, and stunning footage - and audio!  Brought a tear to my eye when McNaught said what he said.  both  and 

[Andrew Collier]

Very nicly done, but very sad to hear the good Captain say those words 

Thanks for sharing this with us 

[Kindlychap]

Best port?

Probably Guernsey.

We went on a three night trip in October 2006 and Guernsey was the only port. But it was missed - rough weather. Nothing that the QE2 was disturbed by of course - we sat there as solid as a rock - but when the pilot boat came out to us it was clear that for the tenders it was a complete no-no.

We sat on the balcony, looking out at Herm and had tea. It was a gorgeous October day - lovely and warm.

Wonderful. And to think that the moaning minnies were complaining they couldn't get off.....

Matthew

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thinking about the recent questions of "most popular / least popular ports" and "which maiden or final port visit would you have wanted to be on board for", I thought back of some of the best ports I have sailed out of.

Not so much the stay on land, but the sailaway atmosphere and scenery.

The first and best that came to mind, was mid-summer Stockholm -- I cannot recommend it highly enough! Sailing through the sun-drenched archipelago, with people out and about in their boats enjoying themselves -- totally splendid.

Night-time Singapore was another stunner -- sailing past all those industrial islands, with factories and oil refineries working at night and smoke and lights blazing all round. Finding the Indonesian mobile phone networks as we sailed past.

Out of Quebec and down the St Lawrence river, with people waving and cameras flashing all the way as we sailed past. That was a final call, so it would qualify for the other thread too .

I wish I had sailed out of Malta -- it looked so great on the bridgecam.

As for the Clyde, we were on Waverley, escorting QE2 -- but I am sure that it would have been a wonderful sailaway for the people on board .

[trevorc]

Even though I never sailed on QE2, I think the visits to the fjords were nice based on pictures I have seen.