QE2 for families and children

[Thomas Hypher]

Time to go back in time nearly 15 years to when I was 6, or to July 2005 and my bridge visit with the children's club! An interesting topic choice for sure!

[Andy Holloway]

We were VERY lucky in that,my children travelled a couple of times when i was Chief Security Officer on QE2, under the 'Friends & Families' scheme. They had also travelled with me when i've been on Vistafjord & RVS.

They were also able to partake of a few things 'normal' passengers couldn't join in with.
For Example, when in Hellsyt on a Norwegian Fjords cruise, the Chief Officer asked if they would like to join  the Cadets who were driving one of the tenders around to Geiranger, following QE2 for the phots to get some new 'library' shots.

Also, my youngest daughter traveled back from her gap year in New York/Dobb's Ferry onboard QE2, she also helped host - sat there like 'lady muck' - Captain's Table with me on a couple of occasions! She was 19 at the time and the old ladies on The Captain's Table in Caronia Restaurant loved her, i might as well have left and got an early night!!!!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Wonderful memories, Andy! Your children had such a special time... .

Photos for the competition please  .

[June Ingram]

Great memories, Andy !  Thanks very much for sharing !   

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

As I very much doubt this photo is likely to win a prize in the current photo competition with the same theme (apologies, Myles!), I would like to post it here for discussion :



Whatever was this scene, Myles? 

[cunardqueen]

  Whatever was this scene, Myles?   

The Maiden Voyage of the NEW QE2 after the 86/87 re-engining. l was travelling round trip and friends of my parents had loaned me his vhs recorder. Stories of that voyage are legendary. I was quite happy roaming all over the new QE2 .

 This photo shows the childrens playroom, leading to the boys toilets, in perhaps an unfinished state, rather like a lot of QE2 on that voyage.  One scene im filming away down on five deck, and theres an offical walks past and his line "Say Guy you think you could switch that thing of" Turns out it was Mike Novak one of the big wigs to do with the refit.  There are scenes of the sailiaway, the entertainment, the day we stopped Mid Atlantic, the vibration at the after end, the Piano case which vanished,the entry into New York and Jack Jones singing The Love Boat, and heaps more stuff. what did surprise me, we disembarked in New York and were hounded by the media, one reporter asked me what id been filming, so l told him some of what l had and he asked could he buy the tapes from me. Now call me old fashioned but l had crossed on my QE2 and she wasnt quite ready for us, my videos were only for my memories so why on earth should l sell them. The guy i remember was a bit surprised when l said No l wont sell them.  and on l went to join the coach tour
The Waldorf was undergoing a refurb, and rather than dropping the passengers at the glorious front entrance we were dropped round the back and set into a lovely buffet lunch.
Every voyage for me on QE2 was unique , but this one had the edge on all the rest.

The photo shows the word "Boys" next to it,Hence my logical thinking for entering this photo. It may not get a vote, BUT like every photo thats entered its great that we all have our own misguided interpretation of the subject in hand .
I did cut the video footage down a bit, its still however three hours long.

[Thomas Hypher]

This photo shows the childrens playroom

The nursery on Sun Deck? She also had a teen club on Quarter Deck in my time onboard - much smaller than the nursery! I experienced both rooms but have struggled to find photos of the nursery from any period in QE2's life (for understandable reasons if the rooms were in use and the fact the nursery was also a bit off the beaten track so to speak) only finding one photo from the 1970s of the nursery, online.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

The nursery on Sun Deck? She also had a teen club on Quarter Deck in my time onboard - much smaller than the nursery! I experienced both rooms but have struggled to find photos of the nursery from any period in QE2's life (for understandable reasons if the rooms were in use and the fact the nursery was also a bit off the beaten track so to speak) only finding one photo from the 1970s of the nursery, online.

Look no further, Thomas -- at your service :

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=55206992%40N00&sort=date-taken-desc&text=qe2%20nursery&view_all=1

[Thomas Hypher]

Look no further, Thomas -- at your service :

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=55206992%40N00&sort=date-taken-desc&text=qe2%20nursery&view_all=1

Thank you very much Isabelle  Is very familiar even though I haven't seen the room in so long! Apparently it has been cleaned up but not had anything done with it in Dubai - yet at least...

You took the photos the day before we boarded for our final voyage onboard...small world!

[cunardqueen]

The Teen Club, l remember it well from my first crossing in 86. Under the direction of Julie Grist and Peter Mullington. i was fortunate in that l was able to use the Teen Club, though it surprised Julie and Peter when i turned up at the Singles Gathering in the Double Down Bar and its thanks to them l was able to use my outward crossing as my First voyage and the return crossing enabled the Repeaters Party Invite.

[Thomas Hypher]

Some of my Dad's photos from our July 2005 voyage...more than the three for the competition (I've only just really realised there are many family photos of us and photos of me as a child over our six voyages thanks to my parents and kind passengers and crew for the whole family photos):


Dad's QE2 Mediterranean digital photos, July 2005 by Thomas Hypher, on Flickr

Dad's QE2 Mediterranean digital photos, July 2005 by Thomas Hypher, on Flickr

Playing deck tennis with one of the other children. The paddle rackets were tricky to hit the ball with given how different they are to tennis rackets (heavier for example). However the tennis balls were not always contained within the court!


Dad's photo of me and my Mum at the bottom of A stairwell during our first voyage in August 2003:

Dad's QE2 August 2003 digital photos by Thomas Hypher, on Flickr

[June Ingram]

Great photos, Thomas ! Thanks for sharing and what wonderful memories to have ! 

[Andy Holloway]

My children were older than Thomas when they sailed on QE2, so were above the age for the Nursery, however it was always the first port of call when they visited me in S'ton for lunch on turnaround days. They always said how they would have loved to have been young enough to use it and how much, those children who did, must have enjoyed their time up there. 

[June Ingram]

I think indeed it must have been a great place for young children ! 

[Andy Holloway]

My children were older than Thomas when they sailed on QE2, so were above the age for the Nursery, however it was always the first port of call when they visited me in S'ton for lunch on turnaround days. They always said how they would have loved to have been young enough to use it and how much, those children who did, must have enjoyed their time up there.

PS. They are 38 - F, 36 - F & 32 -M now!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

My children were older than Thomas when they sailed on QE2, so were above the age for the Nursery, however it was always the first port of call when they visited me in S'ton for lunch on turnaround days. They always said how they would have loved to have been young enough to use it and how much, those children who did, must have enjoyed their time up there.

Did your children get to enjoy the Youth Chillout Room?

I never managed to see what was happening behind this closed door :


Youth Chillout Room by Isabelle Prondzynski, on Flickr

[June Ingram]

Great photo, Isabelle !  Anyone here on The Forum been in the Chill Out Room ? 

[Thomas Hypher]

Lucky enough to experience both, the youth chillout room was the teen club essentially in all but name. It was a small room compared to the nursery that had sofas and games consoles inside (the usual!). Wonder what's become of it now, in Dubai?

[Thomas Hypher]

My children were older than Thomas when they sailed on QE2, so were above the age for the Nursery, however it was always the first port of call when they visited me in S'ton for lunch on turnaround days. They always said how they would have loved to have been young enough to use it and how much, those children who did, must have enjoyed their time up there.

Definitely enjoyed my time up there (on the early voyages we did as I got too old as well!), the surprise bridge visit was the icing on the cake on the July 2005 trip! This was despite also wanting to be left to my own devices quite a lot of the time (to spend hours in the library or watch the sea or explore the ship which there was all plenty of time for anyway as it turned out!) with my parents having to really "encourage" me to go to the nursery or teen club at the beginning of a voyage (so they had a break haha) but I ended up going and enjoying either the nursery or teen club despite my low confidence around people my age (which is something I still have to an extent - preferring to interact with older people of a different generation). The teen club was as good as the nursery. I got quite upset (unlike me) at the last meeting of the teen club on our last voyage, as we'd had such a good time as a group onboard  - with the QE Grand Suite visit as well - and it would never be repeated again onboard QE2, but tried to mask it and the staff thought I was ill because of the food as a result!


Whoops another "heart on sleeve" essay 

[June Ingram]

Hi Thomas -

You still have such vivid and wonderfully heartfelt memories, plus so many photos of your own and your Dad's, ever thought of doing a QE2 memoir ?

June