Sunday, June 20, 2010

Talking wiith John Duffy, Hotel Manager on Cunard's Queen Mary 2


John Duffy has been an eye witness to the transformation of the passenger ship business. He began his career on the original Queen Elizabeth, one of the great ocean liners of all time and a ship that was a household name in her day. He sailed on the first voyage of the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and served as her hotel manager from 1981 until her last voyage in 2009. Now, he is the hotel manager on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner (as opposed to cruise ship) ever built.

Along the way, Duffy has met royalty, heads of state and numerous celebrities. He has received awards for his work and heads up a department that includes some 900 people. Yet, he remains approachable and friendly, not only talking to but listening to passengers.

Having had such a unique career, I asked him to describe what it was like on the various ships that he has sailed on and how they differ from the passenger ships of today.

In addition, having spent so much of his career doing transatlantic crossings, I asked him why people should choose to spend their vacation/holiday on Queen Mary 2, the only ship that still does transatlantic crossings on a regular basis. I also asked him to address some of the concerns that people sometimes express about a crossing.
My conversation with Mr. Duffy can be found at: http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-art-Duffy.html

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