Author Topic: QE2's Speed !  (Read 62563 times)

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Offline Isabelle Prondzynski

QE2's Speed !
« on: Jan 30, 2009, 03:41 PM »
My shore excursion is currently taking place in a train, equipped with satellite wifi, where I am told that I am whizzing along at 300 km/hr.

Which of course takes me to QE2's speed. Some 34 knots. Impressive, and last year unbeaten by any merchant navy ship (please correct me if I'm wrong!).

Now, many have talked about the speed of a ship vs the enjoyment of a cruise. As for myself, I enjoy both speed and leisure. One after the other. Or before the other. Or at the same time!

Running along at high speed on the high seas, leaving other ships behind, knowing that the accelerator has it in it to catch up for any delays, going ahead even during a storm at only slightly reduced speed. The wind in my hair on deck. Exhilarating!

Or moving ever so slowly among lobster pots or up a fjord, hardly creating any wake at all, the passengers enjoying the moment with hardly a breeze...

Both are wonderful, to me. Every night on board, I have ended up with a final walk on Boat Deck, QE2 slicing through the waves in the dark, plenty of wind and waves around. And a thankful heart within.

Thinking of other ships I could now book for a cruise, it is the sense of speed that I would be missing as much as every other aspect of QE2. Those ships that, even if they want to, cannot accelerate much beyond 17 knots... that takes some of the joy out of the voyage!

What do y'all think?
« Last Edit: Jul 21, 2018, 01:16 PM by Rob Lightbody »

Offline QE2_MATTHEW

Re: Speed !
« Reply #1 on: Jan 30, 2009, 10:59 PM »
The amazement to me as a 12 year old boy, was the relentless nature of QE2 ploughing through the Atlantic at a steady speed that never faultered. And every night I would go on deck to walk, sit or think. And it was just the sounds and the smells that would be 'oh so familiar'. Although the QE2 was FAST (no doubting that), I never really thought of 32. 1/2 Knots as racing speed. So im not sure I would notice a slower ship. But the thought of being able to out run anything reasured me.

Im not sure how I would take to QV that would have to go slower accross the Bay of Biscay- she is more liable to LULL in the water not slice through the waves. And to see waves lapping under the bridge or QV doen not fill me with confidence.

QE2 survived a 100ft freak wave. Thats good enough for me to put her in the 5* N-Cap Safety test. So I would always have faith in her whatever she faced. 
Im free...

Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: Speed !
« Reply #2 on: Jan 31, 2009, 02:23 PM »
I don't think everybody cared about it, or even knew about it, but to me it was a huge factor in the enjoyment of her.  As a car nut, cruise ships feel like Ford Fiestas compared to the ultra-luxury Bentley that is the QE2.  She also Looked fast which really helped.

The itinerary for the Med cruise I took last summer, would not have been possible on any other ship, except QM2.

Less than a year ago :-



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.

Offline Andy F

Re: Speed !
« Reply #3 on: Jan 31, 2009, 08:44 PM »
and who can forget her final farewell dash of speed as she headed down past the IoW and into the English Channel on the 11th!
Start every day with a smile and get it over with

Offline QE2_MATTHEW

Re: Speed !
« Reply #4 on: Jan 31, 2009, 10:23 PM »
That final dash was amazing. Thanks to Rob for keeping me and Myles informed. We were both in a pub in Southampton celebrating QE2's career and it seemed she was just going to get faster and faster. I wonder how many onbaord were aware of what was happening around them?
Im free...

Offline singlemalt

Re: Speed !
« Reply #5 on: Jan 31, 2009, 11:08 PM »
Matt (& Myles) that sounds like a good place to drown your sorrows  :'(

I was being a bit of a geeky ship girl and watching the AIS screens for updates on my little 'puter (whilst drinking wine in pyjamas and sending drunken texts to Rob as the speed kept increasing. Sorry mate!   :-[)
My mum was onboard and I had spoken to her a couple of times earlier on in the night and so tried to phone and fill her in on the news but kept getting voicemail instead.
Mind you, by then she'd have finished dinner and was probably in the Crystal Bar having a whale of a time  ;D
Wearer of swishy skirts and fab heels; otherwise known as the Cruise Director

Offline singlemalt

Re: Speed !
« Reply #6 on: Jan 31, 2009, 11:20 PM »

Thinking of other ships I could now book for a cruise, it is the sense of speed that I would be missing as much as every other aspect of QE2. Those ships that, even if they want to, cannot accelerate much beyond 17 knots... that takes some of the joy out of the voyage!

What do y'all think?

Isabelle....
Hmmm, if thinking back to my Christmas escapades (that I have discussed elsewhere   :-X) all I can say is it is very disconcerting to be out in open sea going bumpety, bumpety over the waves instead of slicing through them.
Even just wandering around on deck on sea days I had a feeling of "It's not quite right". This was especially evident when travelling short distances between a couple of islands and we were informed in the 12 noon announcement from the Bridge that:
(Needs to be read with a Norwegian accent for full effect)

"Ve vill only be needing a cruising schpeed of between nine and tirteen knots to get to our next port and so ve vill be only using one engine and giving ze ozzers a rest.
So, that's it from ze Bridge.
(Pause for dramatic effect)   
Now buckle up and enjoy ze ride"
      Bing bong!

I'll be interested to hear your opinions on the matter  ;D
Wearer of swishy skirts and fab heels; otherwise known as the Cruise Director

Offline Andy F

Re: Speed !
« Reply #7 on: Jan 31, 2009, 11:38 PM »
An interesting and most amusing post there Ali (with suitable apology to any Norwegian friends who might be reading lol).  I had an 'interesting' track up through Biscay en route to Southampton last year on QM2.  Although the pitching a rolling was certainly noticeable (particularly from my position of being on my knees on the floor of my Stateroom), but she rode it well and I was thankful that I was on a liner, (hopefully) built to withstand the worst the North Atlantic can throw at her.

Oh, and in case you were wondering why I was on my knees at the time, the answer is not half as exciting I'm afraid (otherwise it might just have been posted elsewhere).  I was packing my suitcase and getting increasingly frustrated trying to crack that strange connundrum that befalls all travellers (you know the one, 'well it came out so must therefore go back in again')!
Start every day with a smile and get it over with

Offline Twynkle

Re: Speed !
« Reply #8 on: Feb 01, 2009, 08:18 AM »
That's a very vivid picture - wish I could say that about my packing - there was extra this time - the little QE2 'Coronation mug' had to be kept safe!
From on the top of our little Blue Funnel boat, it seemed as if someone had just put a foot hard on the gas pedal...
The gathering speed was as if she could stand the Goodbye no longer - on the other hand, might it have been the competitive spirit!

Offline cunardqueen

Re: Speed !
« Reply #9 on: Feb 01, 2009, 08:05 PM »
Her farewell departure was something else, other than shield hall, l was on Red jet 4 having got soaked by the fire boat plume, (it masked the tears)we were one of the last to head back, l was amazed at just how quickly QE2 speeded up, she literally seemed to surge ahead, by which time everyone had been called below, and nobody looked back :'(
It was a great comfort to end up in a salsa bar with Matt talking QE2..... the whole day seemed very unreal
From the moment you first glimpsed the Queen,
 you just knew you were in for a very special time ahead.!

Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: Speed !
« Reply #10 on: Feb 01, 2009, 09:29 PM »
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.

Offline Andrew W

Re: Speed !
« Reply #11 on: Feb 21, 2009, 04:09 AM »
And if you want to know how fast 32 knots is - try doing it in a small boat .... it doesn't seem so fast from 60' up on the boat deck but down there when you feel each slam of the waves - it's pretty fast and you can't keep it up for long. I read a book recently about the Queens at War and one of the chapters was about the Queen Mary cutting the Curacao (a Royal Navy cruiser) in two. Part of the reason was the difference in speed. QM1 could easily maintain 29-30 knots in any weather and the old cruiser could not maintain 25 in smooth water .... hence the unfortunate conjunction.

Online Rob Lightbody

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KEV

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Re: Speed !
« Reply #13 on: Mar 19, 2009, 10:39 PM »
First we lose the option of Mach 2 travel near outer space and now The Greyhound of The Sea replaced by vessels with rather less puff. It's nice to spend time on board cruising around no doubt but this is progress?
The beauty of having a powerful engine is having the facility of extra oomph when you need it

Offline Andy F

Re: Speed !
« Reply #14 on: Mar 20, 2009, 09:39 PM »
First we lose the option of Mach 2 travel near outer space and now The Greyhound of The Sea replaced by vessels with rather less puff.

How very true Kev and they call it progress eh?
Start every day with a smile and get it over with