Did you meet your wife/husband/partner on/through QE2?

[Terry Foskett]

Our relationship continued ashore for some time as she lived in the US and I lived in the UK. So it took a lot longer before we were married.

[Alan Dutton]

I met my Wife Barbara on the QE2 in June of 1977. We both played hard to get, and in 1980 I came over to America and we got married in 1980 in New York. Unfortunately she passed away in May of 2019.
It was a lot different those days on the ship. Officers were encouraged to mix with passengers, which we did all the time. We even got the prices of drinks in the bar reduced by about 60% to encourage us to mingle.
My colleague Ken Adams also met his wife like me and we both left the ship the same year in 1980.

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks for sharing your story Alan.  Fantastic to learn how many people met their spouse or partner on QE2. 

Also good to hear how Officer at that time were encouraged to mix with passengers and that the drinks prices were reduced to encourage.  This is something that is missing on the new Cunard ships.  The Officers are at the organised Cocktail parties and if people want to stand in the middle of the Queens Room to chat with the officers they can do so.   But on QE2 I always felt the Officers mixed with passengers a bit more and in some cases lasting friendships were formed.

[Rod]

When I was an Apprentice/Cadet on board the ship in 71/72, for some reason we were being "supervised" by Francis Milroy, a 2 1/2 stripe, female Officer who worked in the Bureau/Pursers Office.
I couldn't figure that one out either as we were Engineer Cadets.
  Once, at a meeting with her, in our accom, she showed me the Officer "Blue Book". Where she had got hold of it I had no idea. On the page she showed me, there was a line that had been heavily underlined and I quote exactly: " Officers, who in the course of their duties, are engaged in conversation by passengers, should, as quickly and as politely as possible, should break off that conversation and return to those duties."

[Philippe Spanner]

My father-in-law came down to Southampton to join the Queen Mary as a boilerman in 1952. Before the ship sailed away, he met a lady and gave up the sea and married. They named their first daughter Mary. I joined the QE2 in 1969. Two years later, while on shore leave, I was with my neighbour ( Queen Mary's interpreters' grandson) when I met a 13-year-old schoolgirl named Elaine and never went back to sea. History repeats itself. When she was 15, I had permission to take her to America. We drove across the country and visited the Queen Mary and Disneyland. We married when she turned 18.. We have 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. What appeared to be an irrational thing to do,giving up a great job, considering her age, turned up to be the best thing I ever did. In 2008, thanks to my wife's planning, we were on the last east bound cross-Atlantic on QE2 and renewed our marriage vows on board. We love cruising and are looking forward to many more.

[Lynda Bradford]

Brilliant story Philippe of young love and the connection to two Cunard ships.  Good planning by your wife to renew your marriage vows on QE2 in 2008. 

You mentioned you father-in law's story and that they named their daughter Mary, who I presume is Elaine's sister. so both sisters have a connection to Cunard ships playing a part in their lives.   

[June Ingram]

Wonderful story, Philippe ! Thanks for sharing !

[Chris Thompson]

Might be a little off topic but I met mine on the Sagafjord in 1992.
I was the Casino tech onboard and my future spouse Kristen joined the last leg, L.A to Fort Lauderdale as a passenger.
Oops, yes I flaunted the rules
Kept in touch after the cruise and did the long-distance routine whilst I carried on working at sea.

My last ship was the Celebrity Zenith based in Port Everglades so i was able to see Kristen every Saturday.
This by the way caused much amusement to the longshoremen at the port as she also worked there as a
public relations manager and would be anxiously prowling the dockside waiting for me to be allowed ashore!
During my contract on the ship the other Casino tech missed the tender in St Maarten and I had to work
double shifts for 10 days. I worked this to my advantage on his return as we were in Key West every other
Friday and Port Everglades the next day, from then on he covered the night shift out of Key West and I
would jump ship and get a one way car rental to Fort Lauderdale to see my sweetie! Never got caught by
the way

Left the ships in May 93 and moved in with her the following August. We got married in November 93 and are still happily together 28 years later. And yes we still love a cruise!

[Tony]

I just saw this post as i was on board that year again, Thats lawrence Portet of course shaking the hand. I also checked a photo I have from embarcation. I had one of the cruise staff hold my camera while I went ashore and grabbed tea and he took a shot of me coming back on board. The shell door was #12, so not my door at that time.