Cunard Fleet celebrates Queen Mary 2's 10th Birthday - Southampton 9th May 2014

[Rob Lightbody]

CUNARD’S FLEET TO CELEBRATE QUEEN MARY 2’S
FIRST TEN YEARS WITH ARRIVAL BIRTHDAY SALUTE
AND DEPARTURE FIREWORKS, FRIDAY 9 MAY, SOUTHAMPTON

Cunard will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the line’s flagship, Queen Mary 2, on Friday 9 May 2014 with the arrival of the whole three-ship fleet in Southampton. This will be a rare occasion to see all three Queens together, and Southampton will be the only place in the world to have hosted the Three Queens three times.

The ships will arrive together at first light to begin a day of spectacular celebration, with an early morning Birthday Salute, a special reception and lunch on board Queen Mary 2 for invited guests in the presence of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, and a spectacular firework send-off in the evening before Queen Mary 2 leads the three ships in convoy down Southampton Water.

Angus Struthers, Cunard Marketing Director, said:

“We’re delighted to have the Three Queens come together in our homeport, Southampton, to mark the first ten years of the grandest ocean liner ever built – Queen Mary 2. Southampton is where Queen Mary 2 was named by Her Majesty The Queen in 2004. And Southampton has been the main UK departure point for Cunard’s crossings to New York since 1919. So it is fitting that it is in Southampton that we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Queen Mary 2, which has become almost synonymous with Transatlantic voyages, and we are honoured that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will be visiting this magnificent ship in celebration of this milestone.”

Key timings for the day are as follows:

Three Ships Arrival: 5.00 - 5.30am

Sister ships Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria will take the lead up Southampton Water, followed by a firetug with waterjets which will herald the arrival of birthday girl Queen Mary 2.

Three Queens Birthday Salute: 5.30 - 5.45am

As Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria take a bow-to-bow position just 30 metres apart by the Queen Elizabeth II terminal, Queen Mary 2 will slowly sail past her sister ships. As a 10th Birthday Salute, ‘Happy Birthday’, rendered on ships’ whistles, will sound out across the water and 10,000 balloons will be released from the Pavilion Pool on Queen Mary 2’s top deck.

Three Queens move to their berths for the day: 6.00 - 6.30am

After the Birthday Salute, Queen Mary 2 will continue on to Ocean Terminal where she will be based for HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s visit. Queen Victoria will sail from Queen Elizabeth II Terminal to City Terminal and Queen Elizabeth will move into her final position at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal. 

 Three Ship Formation: 8pm - 9.30pm

At 8pm, with all passengers embarked, Queen Elizabeth will move down the berth at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal while Queen Victoria sails from City Terminal to take up position behind her, so that the sister ships are bow-to-stern just 30 metres apart. Then at 9.30pm, Queen Mary 2 will reverse out of her berth by Ocean Terminal and will hold her position in the water, creating a curved array of the Three Queens, ready for the first fusillade of fireworks.

Queen Mary 2’s 10th Anniversary Fireworks: 10pm- 10.10pm

In a 10 minute display – one minute for each of Queen Mary 2’s 10 magnificent years – the night sky will be lit up by spectacular fireworks, fired from the Hythe side of the river opposite Queen Elizabeth II Terminal, as the grand finale to a very special day. 

Three Ships Departure: 10.15pm approx

As the climatic fireworks explode overhead, Queen Mary 2 will make ready to lead the way down Southampton Water, followed by Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. 

All are welcome to be part of Queen Mary 2’s special 10th Anniversary fireworks at one of the viewing vantage points – Town Quay, Mayflower Park or Hythe Marina.

- Ends -

Michael Gallagher
Cunard Line Public Relations Manager and Historian
5 Gainsford Street, London, SE1 2NE
0207 940 5391 / 07770 546 283

[June Ingram]

Thank you, Rob, for posting Michael's itinerary of the special day. 

[Adam Hodson]

Yes thanks for posting Rob. I'm sure anyone that will be attending will have a great day!

[June Ingram]

How many of us will be thinking of our beloved QE2 sailing off to a foreign land amidst fireworks 

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Michael, what an extraordinary piece of organisation! This must have taken many weeks to get just right.

Hope it all works out as planned and that a great day is had by all.

[Lynda Bradford]

Sounds like Michael will be busy over the next ten days organising PR and answering all the press enquiries. Best wishes for a successful day!

I remember the 2012 three Queens in Southampton event when we were onboard Queen Victoria.  Cunard put on a fabulous show but were let down by the weather later in the day, which put a damper on the fireworks.

To celebrate some of the forum members had an indoor picnic, thanks to Cunarder Man and we had a lovely celebration.
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,4222.40.html

[June Ingram]

Will a video be made of all of the events ?  And what live press coverage will there be ?

[Twynkle]

Two years ago it was decided to have all three ships together. Planning for the events on the day - the positioning of the ships, the various functions on each ship, the Red Arrows (which didn't take place in end), the five Blue Funnel charters, terminal signage, Captains Photocall, the Contgrats sign on QM2, the fireworks, media requirements and the VIP Dinner took six months. The Master Document / Schedule was 134 pages long.

Hello Michael,
Thanks so much for the schedule, and description of the ships movements for 9th May 2014.
If the Jubilee events took a couple of years with a Master Doc / Schedule of 134 pp,
then did Mighty Mary's Birthday Party take almost as long, minus just one month?
And those balloons - bet you've been blowing them up for weeks!

Sadly, it's not going to be possible for us to make it this, time - saving up for Liverpool!
Big waves to all three ships, and special ones to the birthday girl and QV - (QE is the 'flavour of the month' for next years worldie - there was frantic booking by many of our shipmates throughout our time on QV)
Looking forward v much to seeing you soon,
Rosie

[Michael Gallagher]

There will be four short videos made covering the events of 9 May and they'll be up on Youtube.

Rosie: HRH function is up to page 87 now with a bit more to do.

Still putting together the whole day document...

Michael

[Adam Hodson]

There will be four short videos made covering the events of 9 May and they'll be up on Youtube.

I will look forward to them!

[Twynkle]

There will be four short videos made covering the events of 9 May and they'll be up on Youtube.

Rosie: HRH function is up to page 87 now with a bit more to do.

Still putting together the whole day document...

Michael

Hi and thank you, Michael

Please 'excuse' the questions - maybe these two will already be answered in your document!
Hopefully she'll be wearing her Royal Mail flag (!)   Don't s'pose there is such a thing as a 10 year pennant, is there?  Preferably in Red like QE2's paying off one!
Also - are there set times /  for 'whistling' in the Book(s) of Words...just thinking how much these could raise from howevermanypax  for the Princes Trust! (Pax will give a fair bit to have a blast!)

Rosie

[Twynkle]

It's a bit tricky not to feel that we've missed the Big Boat here...
Only just realised that both Mighty Mary and Leasurely Liz will be coming home after well over 100 days at sea as they are both completing their great 2014 Worldies.
There are several friends on board QE who began their travels on board Queen Victoria - and there will be big 'endings' to be both dreaded by passengers as well as celebrated by many of the crew. The latter won't have had days off for weeks - and importantly, many of the cabin and dining stewards who will have waited 9 long months.
Almost every cabin will be needing to be scrubbed down and remade - the ship's supplies will need to be well replenished - and So'ton will be exceptionally busy disembarking thousands, embarking more thousands - mind-blowing logistics for the Hotel, Housekeeping, and  F & B Depts, the engineers as well as the deckies - some serious shopping as well as free Wifi will be essential tasks too!
....wishing we were all sailing home from  Lisbon!

Godspeed to you Michael, and please don't forget your camera or to write (from) home!
Rosie

PS - 'If only' we'd thought about the event sooner - maybe a push to get QE2 tugged along with QM2 from Dubai could have been successful - it would have made the best PR event for Cunard...ever!

[Rob Lightbody]

Not sure if you're saying we should have had a get together there, or just that we should have got QE2 there!  It is indeed that QE2 isn't a Southampton hotel, or she'd have provided facilities for the passengers and crews passing through Southampton, and also have participated in the Four Queens reunion...

As it is, without QE2, hotels will be hard to come by and expensive, which is what stopped our last attempt at a big get together in Southampton when something was happening there...

[Twynkle]

Not sure if you're saying we should have had a get together there, or just that we should have got QE2 there!  It is indeed that QE2 isn't a Southampton hotel, or she'd have provided facilities for the passengers and crews passing through Southampton, and also have participated in the Four Queens reunion...

As it is, without QE2, hotels will be hard to come by and expensive, which is what stopped our last attempt at a big get together in Southampton when something was happening there...

Hi Rob - Importantly, it was only when I woke up this morning and read something about there being no beds in So'ton, from a Great QE2-er somewhere else that I got brain in gear and realised the significance of Mary's Birthday party being tied in with the End of the Worldies!
Having our Gathering in Liverpool is going to be  really special - and thank goodness you organised it well away from possible dilution by inevitable  chaos in So'ton

My first and only choice for QE2 was always as either a crew training ship and /or Hotel / and / or Conference centre in Southampton - or Liverpool - as you have written too.
Had she been thought about sooner and  more sensitively by her owners, how much she she would have loved coming home. It would been absolutely wonderful for her as well as Cunard - Mary might have felt a bit upstaged / possible miffed, even - however she's a big girl and almost grown up, now!

Cheers
Rosie

I still think that QE2's owners should be considering the King George V Dry Dock (listed building) for her and very close to DWW in So'ton, it would be the best step forward for every economical reason imaginable.....

[Adam Hodson]

I've often dreamed about QE2 meeting up with the Queens in Southampton... But back to reality, I'm sure it will be great, and lets hope that you get lots of great pictures Michael!