4 July on board QE2

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Theodore Scull has just posted a photograph on his Facebook page of QE2 in New York harbour on 4 July 2000, with fireworks in the background.

https://www.facebook.com/theodore.scull/posts/4693890596869

There is a link to this from the QE2Story Facebook page too.

I wonder was that the only time she was in the USA for 4 July, and indeed whether she was given special treatment when she was!

Happy 4 July to our US Forum members -- enjoy the festivities!

[Lynda Bradford]

I have a QE2 couple of menus for 4 July. 

One for 4 July 1979 commemorating 203 years of independence and the other for 4 July 1986 for the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.  Looks like she was in NY for 1986 but not sure if she was there in 1979, but given that the menu commemorates the celebration it is possible. 

[Vincent Scriven]

1986 was the Best seeing RAF Harries fly over to Statue of Liberty and Bow I have a CD Which came off a Betamax Video not very good But the memories Stay with you

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Looking forward to the photos, Lynda and Vincent, if possible .

[Thomas Hypher]

She was in Hudson Bay with HMS Ark Royal (in her first commission with grey boot topping) in 1986 hence the Harriers. Amerikanis was also present, and was also the ship a series of photos were taken from of celebrations that were shared on one of the shipping groups on Facebook a few weeks ago. I'm not sure linking that post here would work or would be appropriate "net etiquette" unfortunately.

[Rob Lightbody]

I'm not sure linking that post here would work or would be appropriate "net etiquette" unfortunately.

No problem linking to anything, anywhere, although it can be annoying if whatever it is thats linked to requires you to be a member of it (e.g. private groups on Facebook).  Can probably assume most have a Facebook login though!

[Thomas Hypher]

Having spent the last 45 minutes searching in all ways possible and having sworn I saved the post to my QE2 collection on Facebook (and even checking Instagram saved posts) I cannot find the photos to link here 

I did find a video, by Barry Vaudrin (also a forum member I think?), of the 4th July 1986 celebrations:

Galileo Galilei (as just Galileo at the time) was also present, sister of Guglielmo Marconi on Lloyd Triestino's Australia route, later Celebrity Cruise's first ship Meridian, and later yet lost to an engine room fire in questionable circumstances in May 1999 as Sun Vista - the earliest passenger ship sinking I remember reading about - in the latest cruise news section of the Ocean Liner Society's Sea Lines magazine, but as it turns out not before being the setting of a large part of a Bollywood film a few months beforehand with some cracking shots of the ship and onboard. Sadly she was at the bottom of the Straights of Malacca off Phuket by the time the film was released:

[Jeff Mahler]

 I remember in 2000 watching the tall ships sail past while blowing up balloons on the aft mooring deck.

[Thomas Hypher]

Another video, just posted today on Facebook and YouTube with some classic Dire Straits music, this time filmed onboard QE2 during the 1986 celebrations:

[Tom Walker]

I was aboard QE2 July 4, 1986 for the 100th Anniversary & re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. It was a most memorable experience. Here are some of my photos taken aboard of me and my dear wife, Colleen.
We joined the Liberty Cruise in Southampton on June 23, 1986 and it was out first of three QE2 sailings.
This cruise was a Charter by Lee Iaccoca, Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation. It was the only time QE2 was chartered trans-Atlantic.  Every couple aboard was awarded their ticket as part of the 1986 Chrysler Corporations sales inventive contest. The Chrysler-Plymouth and Dodge dealerships where my wife worked earned this unforgettable trip. The entire QE2 crew on this Liberty Cruise were hand-selected Falkland War volunteers. Many conversations with crew members were most interesting as they recalled their service
It took five days to reach Bermuda, our first stop en-route.  Then on to NY Harbor where we were anchored for the Parade of Tall Ships and the fireworks celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. Twenty-one Admirals from various navies dined aboard as guests of Cunard on the 4th of July. What an extraordinary experience !

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

That must have been a very special occasion, and so memorable!

Thank you, Tom, for those excellent photos.

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks for posting the picture, Tom, which capture the occasion.

A former member, Stowaway2K posted in Some of the QE2 Anniversaries about the 4 July 1986 event. Does any other members have memories of this special 4 July occasion?

QE2 participates in celebrations at the Statue of Liberty to mark the historic landmark's one hundredth anniversary.
Cunard commissions Garrard's, the Crown jewellers of London, to make a "freedom torch" as a gift to the American people. It was escorted to America by a Polish immigrant family of four, who, like millions of future Americans who came before, viewed America for the first time from the decks of a ship. For them, the ship was QE2.
The torch was presented to the National Maritime Historical Society in New York (where is it now?)
As QE2 sails under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, escorted by an armada of thousands of boats, a 100 foot American flag is unfurled over the side of the ship. As QE2 passes the Statue of Liberty, red, white, and blue ballons are released from the decks of the ship and red white and blue carnations tossed into the harbor.

[Rod]

Unfortunately, Old Glory was unfurled so that it was back to front! Many arguments broke out and it was eventually changed.