Queen Mary 2 Laid up during Covid Pandemic

[Rob Lightbody]

A couple of interesting recent videos of laid up QM2.

She looks in surprisingly good condition.  The decks look more weathered than normal I think (do they normally get oiled or something?), the lifeboats aren't as bright orange as normal, and as much on-deck furniture has obviously been moved inside as possible - including from some cabin balconies I think.  Is there water in the pools, its hard to tell?

[Chris Thompson]

Looks like some illegal Drone activity! Flying far from land and operator vision, suprised the captain didn't grab a skeet shooting shotgun and blow it away! Wish folks would edit the footage before uploading to get rid of the jerky pans etc!

[pete cain]

Sorry Chris, I like this little video, just a wee bit re assuring to know that she is still there, for me that ship is the only  direct link to QE2, I may well be wrong & stand to be corrected , but, they look like zoom shots & are hardly intrusive.
 

[Thomas Hypher]

Interesting to note what seem to be the gas turbine exhausts where her IMO number is painted. This is where I saw what looked like a lot of steam issuing from this part of her funnel base when on QE2 last year when QM2 was visiting Dubai and nearing departure time. Apparently when a gas turbine is started up when new, or I gather after overhaul or after not being used for a while it can issue a lot of white smoke that fairly quickly goes away. I think this is what I filmed. Airliner jet engine ground tests showing this are popular on YouTube too.

I will never forget hearing the unmistakable sound of the gas turbines/jet engines when putting my ear to the funnel base during the final tandem transatlantic with QE2, nor the air flow and noise at the gas turbine air intake slots in the funnel base. I don't recall hearing them as much if at all in the years thereafter which isn't surprising given how she's been operated most of the time in more recent years.

[Alex Tarry]

Carnival have just borrowed a further 3.5Bn USD, unsecured loans notes (expensive) as their ships and other assets are already mortgaged.  They have told the markets that some of this money will be used to refurbish ships ahead of re-start and that this programme will be accelerated.

They, and the industry as a whole, cannot effort to re-enter the market with shoddy ships, I think we'll see a lot of work happening onboard, ahead of sailing again.  When we think this is, is anyone's guess, Q1 2022?

[Rod]

But, they have to get their ships alongside to do it.
Thus running the risk of getting covid on a ship that previously had never had it.

[Rob Lightbody]

Carnival have just borrowed a further 3.5Bn USD, unsecured loans notes (expensive) as their ships and other assets are already mortgaged.  They have told the markets that some of this money will be used to refurbish ships ahead of re-start and that this programme will be accelerated.

They, and the industry as a whole, cannot effort to re-enter the market with shoddy ships, I think we'll see a lot of work happening onboard, ahead of sailing again.  When we think this is, is anyone's guess, Q1 2022?

I think Q1 2022 has to be where we're looking now.  Its mid-February and the UK is still in the process of locking down international travel, rather than opening up.

Its the lack of a definite date that's been so difficult for the cruise lines - uncertainty is never good in any business.  Has someone calculated how long it will take them to pay off their debt, even if things return to completely normal next year?!

[cunardqueen]

  They have told the markets that some of this money will be used to refurbish ships ahead of re-start and that this program will be accelerated.
 

Where l work, the decision was taken during the first lockdown to spend money in removing carpets from the rooms and laying down wood on the floor.  and some rooms were readjusted to add in small ktchens and configure them as apartments. You can of course charge a bit more for them. But the guest has their own self contained unit . and keeps the guest in their own space.

 As it stands and with hindsight one of the best moves ever, given we have a big group of long-staying guests, each  of around 120 nights plus they are virtually cooking in their rooms, they were supplied with microwaves for that basis, but some are using crockpots (slow cookers), coffee machines, toasters, waffle makers, one ring cookers and other items, the supermarkets are delivering  for the rooms via home shopping. Now after they depart, and theres no date for that, each room with have a new 50ins TV, a lick of paint and probably new soft furnishings to replace the present ones. A cost  for some 40 rooms that is quite considerable, but a cost that is justified given how much the boost in business has provided. The microwaves at the end of the period will be donated to whatever charity can make use of them. Assuming such things can be donated . The staff will be given first refusual, but really none of us want a pre owned microwave, Yes to the TVs obviously 
 
 The cruise ships will no doubt be facing additional charges in doing refurbishment  during this process, But at the end of the day can they afford NOT to do this action now. 
It would be interesting to find out what state they are in general insides. Are the beds all made up is the cabins in effect ready to go  straight into service, a simple thing like a good clean of carpets can made a big difference . If they have kettles in the room, imagine a the state of a kettle after a year of not being used
.
 When a date becomes clearer , its would be an ideal chance to try a soft opening / re entry into cruising offer, with paying guests on board for a couple of nights as you tootle off down the channel , a good old fashioned Party Cruise     
but perhaps less of the Partying . But more importantly, a chance to try out any new checkin or covid test features that this pandemic wil have bought .   

[Thomas Hypher]

Carnival have just borrowed a further 3.5Bn USD, unsecured loans notes (expensive) as their ships and other assets are already mortgaged.  They have told the markets that some of this money will be used to refurbish ships ahead of re-start and that this programme will be accelerated.

They, and the industry as a whole, cannot effort to re-enter the market with shoddy ships, I think we'll see a lot of work happening onboard, ahead of sailing again.  When we think this is, is anyone's guess, Q1 2022?

I can't help but think this is a pretty desperate measure by Carnival Corporation just to stay afloat, if they can, until 2022 from reading between the lines of their actions in the last couple of months.

It would seem to be a carrot and stick approach with the very high interest rate percentage they're offering, higher than share dividends usually are to give some perspective. I would be very surprised if the likes of banks and private equity firms etc will touch this with a barge poll given the unsecured nature and the prevailing situation, and that anyone investing into this "fundraiser" will come after several other parties who have a stake in Carnival through other means, such as the mortgage providers and the shareholders if the company goes tits up. Finally the customer is likely to lose even more from this as those seeking refunds will be right at the bottom of the pile if the worst happens. It's always the ordinary person who gets the rawest deal isn't it? I'm not convinced Carnival Corporation will even raise the $3.5 billion given the circumstances but I'm no financial expert either.

Talking about cruise ship refurbishment already seems very premature in my opinion, particularly when refunds for cruises that likely won't take place this year after all, will have to be taken into the equation within the prevailing situation and amongst all the other factors that have either stayed the same or developed more to Carnival's expense in the last couple of months or so. Crunch time for Carnival and the other big two cruise companies (that are also not diversified like Saga and Fred) is approaching sadly.

I first saw this news in this article a few days ago:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24359-carnival-corp-upsizes-fundraising-to-3-5-billion.html

[Tony]

I suspect that buy a large majority most deposits are via credit card, so the claims for reimbursement will be met by the card issuer

[Thomas Hypher]

I suspect that buy a large majority most deposits are via credit card, so the claims for reimbursement will be met by the card issuer

Hopefully. My Dad's travel insurance contract was recently changed to not include a refund if Cunard cancel the voyage outright. This begs the question of where does the buck stop and who is prepared to fork out the money when this year's cruises such as those to Canada could be cancelled. Will the card issuers such as Mastercard really be prepared to do this worst, comes to the worst?

[cunardqueen]

  Will the card issuer's such as Mastercard really be prepared to do this worst, comes to the worst? 

I fear Mastercard have their own problems with the group action against them. Last rumblings l heard was that each card holder could be entitled to several hundred pounds. Several of the financial gurus were suggesting it was such a large figure that it could hardly be contemplated.
Of course whether it comes off or not is another matter.

While it might be unthinkable that a cruise company such as Carnival could go belly up  , given the past year then anything is possible. To think at the very start all we had to do was wash our hands while singing Happy Birthday.

[Rob Lightbody]

Queen Mary 2 resuming service today.

Good luck to her and all who sail on her!

Looking forward to seeing photos taken on board.

[Hank Hargrove]

Queen Mary 2 resuming service today.

Good luck to her and all who sail on her!

Looking forward to seeing photos taken on board.

Glad to hear that's finally happening!