Tour of the Bridge

Dinner at Captain Wright's Table

Captain Paul Wright , seen here with my sister Stephanie, brother Mark, and Aunte Muriel, and myself, after having dined at his talbe, is the first Cunard captain to have commanded all three Cunard Queens: QE2, QM2, and Queen Victoria

Panama Canal Transit

The Panama Canal is a waterway in Central America which joins the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal travels 6,000 miles, well under half the 14,000 miles route around Cape Horn. Although the concept of a canal near Panama dates back to the early 16th century, the first attempt to construct a canal began in 1880 under French leadership. After this attempt failed and saw 21,900 workers die, the project of building a canal was attempted and completed by the United States in Panama in the early 1900s, with the canal opening in 1914. The building of the 48 miles canal was plagued by problems, including disease (particularly malaria and yellow fever) and landslides. By the time the canal was completed, a total of 27,500 workers are estimated to have died in the French and American efforts.
Since opening, the canal has been enormously successful, and continues to be a key conduit for international shipping. Each year more than 14,000 ships pass through the canal, carrying more than 205 million tons of cargo. By 2002 about 800,000 ships had used the canal altogether.
The canal can accommodate vessels from small private yachts up to large commercial vessels. The maximum size of vessel that can use the canal is known as Panamax; an increasing number of modern ships exceed this limit, and are known as post-Panamax vessels. A typical passage through the canal by a cargo ship takes around nine hours. 14,011 vessels passed through in 2005, with a total capacity of 278.8 million tons, making an average of almost 40 vessels per day

Royal Rendez Vous Florida

Ft. Lauderdale, FL – January 16, 2008 – Queen Victoria, the newest luxury liner in Cunard’s celebrated fleet, made her maiden call to Ft. Lauderdale on January 16, just three days after embarking on her Maiden World Cruise and making an historic Royal Rendezvous in New York on Sunday with both sister-ships Queen Mary 2 and QE2. Queen Victoria has been sailing with QE2 since departing Southampton, England on January 6 making a tandem Transatlantic Crossing together. Queen Victoria was launched on December 10, 2007 by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Parker Bowles). Joining Queen Victoria at Port Everglades was Cunard’s grand dame QE2, the world’s most famous ocean liner. QE2 embarked on her 26th and final World Cruise and will complete her service to the Cunard fleet in November 2008.

This is why I gained wieght

New York - January 13, 2008 - New York's iconic Statue of Liberty stood tall as a fitting backdrop for a Royal Rendezvous of Cunard Line's three luxury liners - Queen Mary 2, QE2 and the new Queen Victoria, which made her maiden call to New York yesterday. Thousands of maritime buffs lined the shores of lower Manhattan to see the regal fleet gather for the first and only time in New York. During a celebration that began with a whistle salute by each liner, the nautical royalty made a majestic procession through New York harbor illuminated by a fireworks-filled sky as they departed on their respective voyages. It is the first time that three Cunard Queens have been in service simultaneously in the company's 168-year history.Queen Victoria was launched on December 10, 2007, by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Parker Bowles) in Southampton, England. Following her celebratory maiden call to New York, she embarks on her Maiden World Cruise, a 105-day journey stopping in 37 ports in 23 countries, while Cunard's grand dame QE2 departs on her 26th and final World Cruise. As the fireworks started, so did the rain. Yet an historic event it was.

Our Cruise on Queen Victoria

This bog will profile my family vacation on the new Cunarder: Queen Victoria