# 3 Queen Cunarders and 7 P&O Liners depart at the same time



## waiwera

Not sure if this Southampton News has already been posted on SN? But I have just seen an advertisement from a Solent Boat Company for cruises in the Solent to see all three Queen Cunarders depart on the 5th June 2012 at the same time and on the 3rd July 2012 - SEVEN P& O Liners to depart in convoy! Hope I remembered the dates the right way round and this info is correct!


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## James_C

And not a single one of them registered in the UK!


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## Mad Landsman

Yes, I can confirm that the 5th June Cunard event is to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
They will also be together again at Southampton on 13th July.

http://www.cunard.co.uk/About-Cunard/News-Room/Cunard-News/?art=7027


The P & O Event is to celebrate their 175th anniversary. They have made arrangements to use Hampshire Cricket ground for some of the Check-in process because there's not enough space in the docks.

http://175.pocruises.com


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## waiwera

*10 passenger ships claiming Southampton as their home port*

And not a single one of them registered in the UK!

Is this the case with all Seven P&O ships too James ? Or just the Three (American Owned) Cunarders?


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## James_C

waiwera,
The P&O ships all changed to Bermudan registry before Cunard - it started some years ago.
They all still extol the virtues of Britishness of course...


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## R58484956

Cameras at the ready.


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## john g

James_C said:


> waiwera,
> The P&O ships all changed to Bermudan registry before Cunard - it started some years ago.
> They all still extol the virtues of Britishness of course...


I certainly wouldn't chance anything other than P&O or Fred O but have to say I don't fancy the latest P&O "creation " now being put together in Italy.


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## Bob Theman

The original time of departure was given as 1630 - just right for cameramen and videors along the Solent.
But a couple of weeks ago the departure time for all three was changed to 2200.
Just fine for a firework display but not much use for pictures of them enderway down the Solent.
If anyone has later (or better) information I'd love to hear about since I and the family will be staying in Pompey over that week-end and would have made the journey to the Solent for the occasion. It won't be so impressive to photo them alongside at the Mayflower, Ocean and City terminals.


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## Bob Theman

PS>> I was really sad to learn from Fleet that the RN is doing absolutely nothing in Pompey over the 'jubilee weekend' apart from suggesting that the ship (sic) alongside that Saturday will probably dress !
I shall just have to dig out my old photos of the '77 review and let the family browse through them on the day.


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett

Bob Theman said:


> PS>> I was really sad to learn from Fleet that the RN is doing absolutely nothing in Pompey over the 'jubilee weekend' apart from suggesting that the ship (sic) alongside that Saturday will probably dress !
> I shall just have to dig out my old photos of the '77 review and let the family browse through them on the day.


That is awful.

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Review gave us the steam turbine...


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## DAVID ALCOCK

if they have no money for missiles then i presume they have no money for a celebration


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## Pompeyfan

Just to let SN members know that there will be an Oriana crew reunion(old Oriana)at the Lord Nelson in Hythe to watch the seven P&O cruise ships depart at 2000 on 3rd July 2012. Former crew members, and possibly current P&O crew will be coming from all over the world, many from Australia. They reckon Hythe will be one of the best vantage points to see all seven ships leave. It will still be light when they leave, but I might be pushing it a bit to see them from Cowes in decent light, so will try to join members at Hythe. I did one cruise on the old Oriana as crew after she became a full time cruise ship. Sadly, I did not sail on her during her liner days, but did Canberra of course, and there was always friendly rivalry 

Today however, we are all celebrating our former company that bring back such happy memories, and it will be great to the companies current cruise ships all together. Pity none are registered in the UK these days, and not even owned by P&O, but will still be P&O in my eyes.

I will be posting this over on sister site TCF as well.

By the way, the three Cunarder's will be leaving at 2200 on 5th June 2012, but should look nice lit up.

David


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## Molls-Phot

Despite the early arrival time, shortly after dawn, there were plenty there to witness the first arrival together of the current Cunard fleet. It's a shame that the weather was so dull.

There are images and video of the event on my website blog.


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## DAVID ALCOCK

nice pics


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## waiwera

*P& O (Carnival) Altogether in Southampton this Evening*

Not wishing to spoil the spirit of this event for ship lovers - it must be quite a sight and frustrating weather for all those SN ship photographers - but this really is just a Carnival PR Stunt - The company is no longer the British P&O of all those years ago - no longer registered with a home port of Southampton and with just a very , very small number of UK seafarers.

This link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/01/arcadia-cruise-ship-indian-crew
perhaps highlights the real state of affairs for the international crew of these ships. Perhaps a required state of affairs in order to offer low cost cruises and to make the ships pay in 2012 but not how it used to be!


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## Ian6

Sadly have to agree with waiwera's comments. Even the BBC South TV (which was inflicted upon us in Oxfordshire some years ago when Newsroom Southeast went) a TV station mainly devoted to praising things about Southampton reported the 75p per hour issue with Carnival and Indian crew. I guess the spirit of the event was somewhat diminished by the evil weather, no Red Arrows and the news at 18:40 had a rain soaked reporter and a barely visible distant cruiseship through the gloom. There was more coverage of the imperfect arrangements at the cricket ground, or wherever, that the passengers from two of the incoming P&O Cruiseships had been bussed to and the apparently random dump of their luggage.

Very different from P&O SN Co celebrations of 100 and 150 years (not that I saw the former as I was busy being born).

Perhaps it would have been more dignified if P&O and Cunard had just died like so many other great companies rather than the name being exploited by a Miami based operation.
Ian


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## Cutsplice

Read the Guardian yesterday concerning the sacking of some members of the crew of a P&O ship, made sorrowful reading and made me feel ashamed to think P&O can make statements such as they did plus claiming they are British and using smoke and mirrors to conceal the real identity of their outfit.

What little regard I had for P&O has sunk to the depths of the ocean and I do not wish them any commercial success.


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## Ray Mac

Cutsplice said:


> Read the Guardian yesterday concerning the sacking of some members of the crew of a P&O ship, made sorrowful reading and made me feel ashamed to think P&O can make statements such as they did plus claiming they are British and using smoke and mirrors to conceal the real identity of their outfit.
> 
> What little regard I had for P&O has sunk to the depths of the ocean and I do not wish them any commercial success.


My feelings exactly(Cloud)


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## john g

We were at the cricket ground after leaving Aurora......total chaos ......P&O should be ashamed. Regarding the pay structure, the average cabin steward will receive £ 45 in cash tips per 2 weeks for say 10 cabins.....not bad. the bar staff I believe have a percentage of the takings and the restaurant staff generally pick up similar amount to the cabin staff. P&O now put the gratuities on your account but you can opt out if you wish and pay cash at your discretion. The problems may have been brought about by passengers not showing their appreciation over recent times................talking to the staff they still keep coming back, long hours but it was like that when I was at sea.


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## Tom(Tucker)Kirby

Watching TV about Queen Mary 2 this week, I heard the chief officer or Captain saying the she was totally British throughout. It says Southampton her on her stern, but she was built in Italy, and most of her crew are foreign?????
I would be more interested in these ships if they were British throughout!


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## Mad Landsman

Tom(Tucker)Kirby said:


> Watching TV about Queen Mary 2 this week, I heard the chief officer or Captain saying the she was totally British throughout. It says Southampton her on her stern, but she was built in Italy, and most of her crew are foreign?????
> I would be more interested in these ships if they were British throughout!


She now has 'Hamilton' on her stern - Registered there as a 'British' ship.

When they said she was British I think that that may be referring to the name the décor and the ambience rather than anything tangible.


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## Pompeyfan

As mentioned in another post, Goan stewards who I worked with were always paid low wages having to make up from their tips. They also did extra work to make more money in addition to their long hours as stewards by being 'Peak Boy' to we Leading Hands, Dhobi Whalla, seeing to our laundry, and making lifebelts for passengers and crew. All this was stopped by P&O long ago. They also used to mend our clothes having sewing machines in the Goanese alleyways. This has stopped ass well, but I think they still cut hair in their own quarters.

What many people do not understand is that these people, Goan or Indian etc have to support entire families back home, not just their immediate family, but aunties uncles, grandparents and parents etc, so they need as much as they can get over and above their wages. Direct tips helped of course, but if passengers are asked to pay auto gratuities, or have no choice, and no longer tip directly, it will have a major effect on these stewards.

I was over Southampton yesterday, and great to see the news docks so busy, just like the 60s. But although called P&O, this is my former company by name only. Nothing else is remotely like when I worked for them. 

David


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## john g

If P&O had their way I'm sure the ships would still be registered in the UK but Carnival rule now. Another point if the vessels are registered outsde the UK then the MOD can't get involved as was the case in the Falklands.


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## Pompeyfan

john g said:


> If P&O had their way I'm sure the ships would still be registered in the UK but Carnival rule now. Another point if the vessels are registered outsde the UK then the MOD can't get involved as was the case in the Falklands.


John

You could be right, but P&O are a brand name nowadays, not the company I worked for including personnel. They say registering the ships in Bermuda mean couples can get married on board, but there are underlying reasons affecting crew now that they are no longer registered here.


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## DAVID ALCOCK

the critical thing regarding registry as with most things is FINANCE tradition means nothing -unless it affects MONEY
Traditionaly B&I and P&O have allways had a proportion of eastern crewmembers ,my introduction to curry was on a school cruise on UGANDA in 1970-and as for dining room lunch on CANBERRA --THE WORLDS BEST CURRY SERVED IN A SUPERB WAY-totally uneconomic but brilliant(Applause)(Applause)


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## john g

DAVID ALCOCK said:


> the critical thing regarding registry as with most things is FINANCE tradition means nothing -unless it affects MONEY
> Traditionaly B&I and P&O have allways had a proportion of eastern crewmembers ,my introduction to curry was on a school cruise on UGANDA in 1970-and as for dining room lunch on CANBERRA --THE WORLDS BEST CURRY SERVED IN A SUPERB WAY-totally uneconomic but brilliant(Applause)(Applause)


Funny you should mention the curries. Up till recently the lunchtime curry was a must on the P&O cruise ships, on the Aurora only last week it was a bland mess, the only original thing was the poppadoms and that stonking hot chutney. I can well remember the curries on the Brocks boats late 60's / 70's superb especially with parathas from the crew galley.


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## Pompeyfan

DAVID ALCOCK said:


> the critical thing regarding registry as with most things is FINANCE tradition means nothing -unless it affects MONEY
> Traditionaly B&I and P&O have allways had a proportion of eastern crewmembers ,my introduction to curry was on a school cruise on UGANDA in 1970-and as for dining room lunch on CANBERRA --THE WORLDS BEST CURRY SERVED IN A SUPERB WAY-totally uneconomic but brilliant(Applause)(Applause)


The Indian deck crew(as they were then)lived below my Crew & Isolation Hospital on both Canberra and Arcadia aft of both ships. I woke up to the smell of curry every morning from below. I like curry, but not first thing (Jester)

Sometimes, we would be invited to their quarters for a curry absolutely superb as you say David.

In my day, there were a lot of Asian crew, but also a lot of European stewards and so forth. Today, you see very few Europeans, certainly not stewards. They are mainly officers or shop staff, the latter not employed directly by P&O as far as I am aware.

As you say David, it is all about finance with tradition meaning nothing, and neither does the British seafarer these days aboard cruise ships at least. 

David


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