"I was in Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park just north of Battery Park when I took the picture ... We watched the QM2 as she appeared from behind Governors Island and when she was right in front of us, she turned around to await the QE2. The QE2's arrival was announced by the QM2's whistles and then she sailed past us escorted by the fireboats spraying water and helicopters hovering overhead ... We watched as it grew darker and the two ships were on their way to the Verrazano Bridge, going home. It was sad to the QE2 leave New York for the last time and I had some regret that I never sailed on her."
--Peter Ennis, October 16 during QE2's farewell call in New York.
Adam Otsuka snapped this photo of QE2 during its farewell visit to New York City. He took the shot from across the river in Jersey City.
Graham Knott of Goole, East Yorkshire sent us the following photo of Queen Elizabeth 2. The shot was taken in Cagliari, Sardinia in August 2008 while he was sailing aboard Norwegian Jade.
Ben Lyons snapped this photo of Queen Elizabeth 2 while he was onboard Queen Victoria. The two queens were sailing in tandem across the Atlantic -- the maiden crossing for Queen Victoria, the 800-something for QE2. Lyons blogged about the historic event for Cruise Critic, and you can read his dispatches here.
Paul Davis of South Yorkshire, United Kingdom sent us the following photo of Queen Elizabeth 2. The shot was taken in Cagliari, Sardinia in July 2008 while he was sailing aboard Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas.
Trans-Atlantic Cruise: Tea on the Terrace.
"We sailed on the QE2 in late October 2000 on a 10-day trans-Atlantic jazz cruise. Our favorite memory was in Funchal, Madeira where we had made advance reservations at Reid's Palace Hotel (over the Internet) for afternoon tea on their terrace. When we arrived and gave our name, the head waiter said 'Oh yes! Mr. and Mrs. Binder from the QE2!' Everyone turned and looked at us and we felt like movie stars. I'm attaching a photo of us on the terrace of Reid's Palace Hotel with the QE2 in the background (I wish the quality of the picture was better)." -- Nancy & Joe Binder
South Queensferry, Scotland, August 15, 2005.
"From this distance she might have been brand-new -- she looks immaculate -- gleaming white, black and red. Some of the foreign crew were in the town and looked happy -- although whether that was delight at being in a grey, wet Scotland or just to be on solid ground for a while I don't know. I'd imagine their shipboard experience isn't quite as good as the passengers ... Shoreside viewers were mostly elderly Scottish folk who obviously felt great pride in 'their' ship although I'm not sure if the passengers coming ashore for a trip in to Edinburgh knew the significance." --Rob Lightbody
Bremerhaven, Germany, 1987.
"In April 1987 my Dad, Mum and I joined the QE2 as she left the port of Bremerhaven, Germany, where she had just had the most important refit of her life. Amongst many other changes, her Steam Turbines had been replaced with Diesels. This change-over also meant that my Dad's involvement in the ship was over -- he had been Manager of Engineering Development for John Brown Power in Clydebank -- they had built the ship in 1967 and it was her original engines that had been replaced. The cruise was just for three nights although I remember it so clearly even 12 years later that it could have been three weeks...." --Rob Lightbody
From the World Cruise 2004.
"We did the Singapore to Southampton legs and had a fabulous time, seeing sights we could never have seen in places we would never have visited except aboard this wonderful ship. Crossing the line is always great fun, and the very worst treatment is always saved up for the staff. The Staff Captain got the full bin load of e numbers [food coloring] here." --David Tuft
QE2 in Malaga, Spain, in 1982 painted light grey.
"After the Falklands war the ship underwent conversion back to passenger service, with her funnel being painted in the traditional Cunard orange-red with black stripes, but her hull painted an unconventional light charcoal grey. This colour proved hard to maintain, and was unpopular with the regular passengers and so was reverted to traditional colours in 1983." --John Beniston
"After seeing the 1997 film, 'Titanic,' I fell in love with ocean liners. But I thought they were a thing of the past until I found out about the QE2. I thought, how amazing that this beautiful way of transportation, this way of life, still exists. I made my first Crossing on the QE2 in August 2000, and was thrilled to see how incredible the ship was, and was hooked from then on in. It's truly a trip back in time with every voyage QE2 makes." --Steve Landes
Cruise Critic Members meet onboard QE2.
"We sailed out of Southhampton on our way to Norway and France. Our meetings were held on each of our two sea days. It was great to put faces with names!" --Rebecca
Member TAH took this photo in Honolulu from Aloha Tower on on his first voyage onboard in 1991. "I think it does the old girl proud. Thank you for doing this, she means so very much to so many people."
