Those disembarking in New York also got a handsome folder for all the commemorative menus, attached below. And, I also received this commemorative Wedgwood plate during one of the last turn down services.
You want to have seen the menus and covers that were in rubbish bins on disembarkation day in Southampton and New York, tossed out with no thought. having had a set for each voyage l was on, the weight was heavier than you imagined.
On the Maiden Voyage in 1987 after the refit l kept everything that was given to the passengers, However only about two years ago l found on ebay a certificate issued to passengers on that sailing, something that was never in my cabin during the voyage , so lord knows where it ended up.
The menus were always nice to see , stood up on the tables as you went to dinner, now that was an impressive sight.
I was seated at The Chief Engineers table for both crossings, the last night l took the seat where the host would have sat, l had already pre ordered the wines for that night, we toasted Her Majesty The Queen and Then the Almighty QE2 , in tribute to dear Erma Klindt who sat at out table on the out bound crossing, she has us chinking glasses in turn, and just when you chinked the last glass , she said "and once again with feeling", and round we went again. it was customary to then do that each night, the last night was especially sad and l really struggled with the great sadness of it all . Mercifully we were all QE2 fanatics
I tried the chinking glasses with feeling in Vegas with friends at a meal one night, they thought l was mad.