The 11th November 2008 truly was the end of an era. It was the day the people of Southampton lost their girl after 39 years, 6 months and 9 days. As I am just 7 months and 11 days younger, I've always felt an affinity with my fellow 1969 girl. I grew up with her after moving here in 1972. She's something special which no other ship can come close to. Therefore it surprised me that Cunard really were a bunch of bastards over this. We all know how much they hate her but they never treated her with respect, justa cash cow until their Vista Sisters came along to sail with Mary. Of course, there's only one Vista Sister at the present time but to even name another after the illustrious and ORIGINAL Queen Elizabeth is an insult to Cunard's past. Many may shed a tear in the future when it's Mary's time to leave but I doubt many will for the Vista Sisters when there's so many similar around. After all, interior has nothing to do with it, or the supposed reinforced hull to make them a 'liner' (even though common or garden cruise ships have them too so they're all liners!). The vast majority of people will only ever see the exterior of a ship. So Queen Costa Luminosa or Queen Eurodam they are whether Cunard like it or not. Lizzie was the last of her kind still in service and they sold her for thirty pieces of silver. Yes, she had to go by mid-2010 but how could they cause confusion by selling a fake 40th, meaning now all dopey journalists who have degrees in laziness and stupidity say she's 41 rather than have her REAL 40th next year? Are they that desperate for their own Mary to be the longest serving Cunarder? A so-called liner who doesn't do winter crossings but Caribbean cruises.
So here it was, the day we all dreaded. Back in June when I did the Fjords cruise with Rowan, Amy and Jason, this day seemed such a long way off. When I did my last on the 22nd October, it still was unreal. As it ticked by, the hours were slow but the days flew until it had arrived. Cunard were bad enough having a night departure, but to have her arriving in the dark too at her usual time, give or take, was unforgiveable. Then it was changed to 7am from 7.15am, 6am then finally 6.15am. It was ridiculous. The specially commissioned painting unveiled by the Queen on the 2nd June 2008 had her arriving in daylight flying a long pennant. What was the point of that then? Totally misleading. We had booked Shieldhall for the arrival, meeting her at Calshot, and Red Eagle for the departure, going with her to Cowes. I had watched Canberra arrive from the window due to flu and bitterly regretted it all these years. There was no way I would miss this. It was an early start, as Shieldhall was sailing at 5am with boarding at 4am. We'd booked a taxi for 3am which turned up ten minutes early. It was bitterly cold and fairly windy. Mark, from the Ocean Liner Society and who I'd met on the OLS Norwegian Gem cruise in October 2007, was already waiting on the dockside. In all the years she'd been here, I had never sailed on Shieldhall. I did consider the OLS charter that evening but it was more expensive than normal trips. Turned out to be the right decision but more of that later. |
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