Cruise ship Ventura photos and update

This week the focus is on P&O Cruises' Ventura as we update Beyondships' section on Ventura with new pages devoted to menus and daily programs. In addition, there are two new photo essays: one showing Ventura sailing from St. Kitts and one showing her with Emerald Princess.

Ventura is very much targeted to the UK market. Thus, the cruise experience is tailored toward British tastes. It is not British in the way that foreigners think of Britain but rather a lifestyle that people in modern day Britain enjoy.

Within that framework, Ventura is somewhat less traditional compared to her sister ship, P&O's Azura. She is somewhat more relaxed and more activity minded but still more formal than most North American-oriented lines.

Outwardly, Ventura looks very much like the Grand class ships operated by Princess Cruises. This surprised many passengers on a cruise that I was on recently when Emerald Princess docked along side of Ventura. Here, we were next to a ship that looked identical to our Princess ship but which was not a Princess ship. Many speculated - - incorectly - - that Ventura must have at one time been a Princess ship.

Ventura was in fact the fulfillment of P&O's long held ambition to operate a Grand class ship for the British market. Prior to its merger into Carnival Corporation, P&O owned Princess Cruises. The Grand class design was developed in those days. For business reasons, P&O allocated all of its Grand class ships to its highly successful Princess subsidiary. At one point, it ordered a Grand class ship for itself but then upon further consideration decided to allocate that ship to Princess as well. In 2008, with the financial resources of Carnival behind it, P&O's ambition was fulfilled with the entry of Ventura into service - - the largest Grand class ship yet built (by a thousand or so gross tons),

Our photo essay of Ventura together with Emerald Princess in St. Kitts shows just how similar the two ships are on the outside. http://www.beyondships2.com/ventura-emerald-princess.html

Later that day, just as the sun was setting, Ventura sailed from St. Kitts. This was a beautiful sail away as the sky was a mixture of blue sky and heavy tropical clouds. There were rainbows and the light gave the ship a golden tint. Our photo essay (including a video) is at http://www.beyondships2.com/ventura-sails-from-st-kitts.html

As mentioned above, we also have a new dedicated menus page http://www.beyondships2.com/ventura-menus.html and a new daily programs (programmes) page. http://www.beyondships2.com/ventura-daily-programs.html These should be helpful if you are thinking of a cruise on Ventura or if you just want to see what is happening on Ventura.

Queen Mary 2 Video and Queen Victoria Dining

This week we present our first video on Beyondships.  It is a short item showing P&O Cruises’ Oceana leaving Southampton.  However, what makes it exciting is that it includes an exchange of salutes between Oceana and Queen Mary 2.

I was standing on the forward observation deck of Queen Mary 2, trying out the video feature on a small Nikon that I had just purchased.  We were getting ready to sail on what had turned out to be a sunny and pleasant afternoon in Southampton when Oceana approached on her way out to sea.  I trained the camera on her and as Oceana approached the pier where QM2 was berthed, QM2 sounded her horns in salute.  These horns have a distinctive sound as one is from the original Queen Mary while the other is a copy of the Queen Mary’s original horn (actually, it is the better sounding one).  In any event, the sounds of the horns as well as Oceana’s answering salutes are captured on the video.

The video is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/video-qm2-salutes-oceana.html

In addition to the video, this week we have added two culinary articles on QM2’s fleetmate, Cunard’s Queen Victoria.  In the first article, Food and Beverage Manager Bernhard Fischer gives us his insights into the various dining venues on Queen Victoria from the luxury Grill restaurants to the new alternative dining options in the Lido.  It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-queen-victoria-dining-guide.html

The second article is a review of the specialty restaurant on Queen Victoria, the Todd English Restaurant.   Although similar in its menu offerings to the Todd English on Queen Mary 2, the Victoria’s version has an ambiance of its own. http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-queen-victoria-todd-english-review.html

Photo Essays - Azura and Ruby Princess

When I am out cruising, I often come across other ships that are in a photogenic situation. Sometimes, during the course of a day, there will be opportunities to photograph the ship in different ways. Sometimes the resulting photographs can be put together to tell a story.




This week we have photo essays on two sister ships - - P&O Cruises’ Azura and the Ruby Princess. Although the two ships said for different cruise lines they are sisters. They are both Super Grand Princess class ships built by the Fincantieri ship yards in Italy. P&O at one time was the parent company of Princess and now they are both part of the Carnival Corporation family so it is not surprising that they would share a ship design.



The essay on Azura follows her through a port call at the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. It was a beautiful day and Azura photographed well against St. Kitts’ green mountains and clear blue skies. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Azura-photos-StKitts.html



Just as Azura is P&O Cruises’ latest new-build ship, Ruby Princess is Princess Cruises’ latest new-build. During the winter months, she is based in Fort Lauderdale and in this essay we see her at various times between ending one cruise and beginning another. In addition, we see her making a port call at the popular island of St. Maarten.

It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-RU-Photos-1.html

P&O Cruises Adonia - - Profile, Photo Tour and Interview with Managing Director Carol Marlow

Adonia is one of eight jewel-like ships that were originally built for Renaissance Cruises. After Renaissance went bankrupt the eight were dispersed amongst various cruise lines and now after a period of nomadic wandering have settled with two being owned by Azamara Club Cruises, three by Oceania, two by Princess Cruises and one, Adonia, by P&O Cruises. Despite their difficult beginning, the eight have gone on to achieve a very good reputation amongst cruise connoisseurs.




I am not particularly partial to small ships. However, I thought the 30,000 gross ton Adonia was a charming ship when I first saw her back in the days when she was the Royal Princess of Princess Cruises.. With its wood paneling, cushioned furniture, and traditional art work, the interior has the charm of an English country house. The ship is nicely laid out as well. The designers were able to include most of the things one would expect on a modern cruise ship - - specialty restaurants, a spa, a pool, shops, bars and lounges, etc - - within a relatively small space.



When the ship was transferred from Princess to P&O Cruises earlier this year, very few changes had to be made. P&O serves the British market and the ship already had a British decor. Consequently, all that had to be done was modify a few public areas so as to include some of P&O’s signature venues. Of course, the existing specialty restaurants which were signature Princess restaurants, also had to be changed. For that task, P&O turned to celebrity chef Marco Pierre White to create a new restaurant for Adonia. The other specialty restaurant was developed in-house by P&O.



To mark Adonia’s arrival at P&O Cruises, I asked P&O Cruises’ Managing Director to give us her thoughts about the line’s new ship. She discussed how the ship came to P&O Cruises and what the line plans for the ship. That article is posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Adonia-Marlow.html



I’ve also created a Beyondships profile of Adonia that includes copies of daily programs, menus from the restaurants, and other information about the ship. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Adonia-Profile.html. As always, there is a photo tour and commentary about the ship. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Adonia-Tour-1.html

Profile and Photo Tour of P&O Cruises' Azura

This week the focus is on Azura, P&O Cruises’ latest ship. Azura is 115,000 gross tons and entered service last Spring.

What I like best about Azura is the innovation. The ship is based on a tried and true design - - the design that debuted with Grand Princess and which has been used with refinements in nine subsequent ships. In 2008, P&O purchased its first Grand-class ship, the Ventura, and while that ship has proven successful, P&O has not merely cloned that ship but has continued to develop the design.

The most striking example of innovation is the introduction of staterooms for the single or solo traveler. While the ships of the ocean liner era almost always had single cabins, in recent years, the cruise ship industry has shunned them; arguing that they do not produce as much revenue per square foot of space as double occupancy cabins. As I have written previously, the math does not support that argument but nonetheless it was the common wisdom in the industry.

The net result was that solo travelers were left to pay a single supplement so that they could occupy a double cabin single occupancy. Sometimes the supplement ranged up to 100 percent of the per person double occupancy rate. This created a disincentive for solo travelers to cruise.

Yet, cruising is a great method of travel for solo travelers. People are open and friendly on a cruise and so a solo traveler does not have the isolation that he or she would face staying at a hotel. At the same time, a solo traveler has the freedom to choose whether he or she will go off on his or her own or take an organized excursion in the ports of call.

Recognizing that solo travelers are a natural for cruising, P&O included a series of inside and outside singe cabins on the Azura. These have sold quite well and generally speaking are booked quite far in advance. (Interestingly, NCL also recognized the importance of solo cruisers at about the same time and included a large number of single cabins on Norwegian Epic, which entered service shortly after Azura. I am told that Royal Caribbean is also thinking of adding single cabins to its ships as they go through their scheduled refits).

In addition to the single cabins and other physical innovations, Azura has a somewhat different style than Ventura. Both are large family-friendly ships. However, P&O has styled Azura to meet the tastes of people who have enjoyed cruising on P&O’s more traditional cruise ships. The idea is to give the traditional cruiser the features of a mega-cruise ship.

All of the P&O ships have a unifying atmosphere. However, the line shuns the notion that one size fits all and there is considerable variety across the fleet. I am pleased to see that P&O has continued this philosophy with Azura.

The Beyondships profile of Azura is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Azura-Profile.html and the multi-page photo tour of the ship begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Azura-Tour-1.html

Profile and Photo Tour of P&O Cruises' Arcadia

P&O Cruises’ Arcadia is a unique ship.

Wait! Isn’t she a Vista class cruise ship and aren’t there Vista class ships in the fleets of Holland America, Costa, and (in a modified version) Cunard? Also, aren’t there six other ships in the P&O fleet?

Yes to both questions. However, Arcadia is unique because she is the only P&O Vista. Stepping aboard, one can see immediately that this ship is different from her Holland America, Costa and Cunard sisters. She has that clean, crisp contemporary British look that immediately tells one that they are on a P&O ship.

There are indeed other P&O ships. However, the P&O fleet is not a cookie-cutter fleet. While there is an overall atmosphere that unites the brand, there has been a conscious effort to have differences between the ships. Some are family-oriented, some are adults-only. Some have a two-tier dress code while others have a three-tier. As a result, each ship has its own character.

Arcadia has a very modern feel. Her interior design is quite contemporary but still restrained Her all white exterior shows off the lines of the Vista class design to their best advantage.

She is one of P&O’s adults-only ships. This lends itself to a more sophisticated atmosphere. In addition, the space that is normally devoted to children and teens is utilized to provide additional activities for adults.

Beyondships profile of Arcadia is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO--Arcadia-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Arcadia-Tour-1.htm

Talking about Single Cabins and Talking with the Senior Officers of Ventura

When I sat down with Captain Alistair Clark, Executive Purser David Sheperd and Cruise Director Leon de Ste. Croix, and asked them to talk about Ventura, the word that kept coming up was “choice.” Ventura is designed to offer guests choices so that the guests can shape the cruise experience so that it suits their needs and tastes. This “choice factor” cuts across entertainment, dining, accommodations and activities. The ship is not based upon the principle “one size fits all.”

One also sees this choice factor across the P&O fleet. While some of the major cruise lines seek to have each of their ships resemble each other as closely as possible so as to maintain brand continuity, P&O has a markedly different set of ships. It is not just that the fleet has large, small and medium sized ships, but there are adults-only and family-friendly ships, traditional/more formal ships and contemporary/more casual ships. Again, this allows the passenger to select the cruise experience that is most suited to him or her.

Unifying all of this is an overall P&O flavor and way of doing things. When you step aboard a P&O ship, you know it is a P&O ship.
Our discussion about Ventura is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-interview.html

Because Ventura does present an array of dining choices, I thought it would be helpful to write an article that gives an overview of the various dining venues on the ship. To help me on this, I asked Food and Beverage Manager Alasdair Ross to give a brief introduction to each of the venues. That article appears at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-dining.html

Changing topics, this year’s crop of new ships includes two ships that have single-occupancy cabins. For the last decade or so, the prevailing attitude in the industry was that single-occupancy cabins were uneconomical and had no place on a modern cruise ship. Every cabin had to accommodate at least two people. As a result, solo travelers had to pay a single supplement that was sometimes twice the per person rate for a double-occupancy cabin.

Now, however, going against this common-wisdom both P&O’s Azura and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic have included some single-occupancy cabins in addition to the typical mix of suites and double-occupancy cabins. Neither line is charging a single supplement for these cabins.

Why did these lines do this and is this the start of something new? I asked several cruise line executives to comment including Carol Marlow, Managing Director of P&O, Dan Hanrahan, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises and Peter Shanks, Managing Director of Cunard. The article is posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/Cruise-articles-singles.html

New Photos and Information about P&O Cruises' Ventura

When I was in England, I had the opportunity to revisit P&O’s Ventura. This ship went into service in 2008 and was at the time the largest cruise ship dedicated specifically for the British market. The onboard atmosphere is designed to appeal to contemporary British tastes in the décor, entertainment dining and activities. Accordingly, Ventura attracts primarily British passengers and those who enjoy the British lifestyle.

The ship itself is a sister ship to Princess Cruises’ Grand class ships and is the fulfillment of a long-held desire for the line. P&O used to be the owner of Princess Cruises and seeing how successful the Grand Princess was for its subsidiary, P&O long planned to add one to its fleet. It even went so far as to place an order for one with Fincantieri but it always made more sense strategically to allocate these ships to Princess. Indeed, the one that was first ordered for P&O became Caribbean Princess.

Now with two years of service under her belt, Ventura has shown that the Grand-class works in the British market. As a large ship, she is able to give holidaymakers an array of choices in activities, dining and entertainment. While she has many of the features of her Princess sisters, she is not a mere clone. The décor, while contemporary, is slightly more subdued. The specialty restaurants are geared more toward the British palate.

I took Ventura from Southampton up into the Norwegian fjords. The scenery there is most spectacular with tall mountains rising thousands of feet up from the water’s edge. It is also a varied cruise involving calls in remote villages and calls in cities. I have posted a photo essay showing Ventura in some of these spots. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Norway.html

I have also updated and expanded the Beyondships’ profile and photo tour of Ventura. In addition to numerous new photos, there are new daily programs, menus, and more information about the ship. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Profile.html and the photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Tour-1.html There is also a new page of photo tour that focuses on the ship’s main galley. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-galley.html

Oriana Profile and Photo Tour and Norwegian Epic in New York

Oriana is a ship that I have been hoping to take a look at for quite some time. Her entry into service in 1995 was recognized as such a significant event that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II agreed to name the ship. After all, this was the largest passenger ship that had been built for the British market since Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2. Furthermore, she was nearly as large as QE2 and was full of all sorts of new luxury innovations. Over the years, Oriana has retained an aura about her and most Brits will know precisely what you mean when you say her name.

Although built in Germany, Oriana is thoroughly British. Her interiors are contemporary but done in restrained good taste. There is no glitz or attempts to invoke awe. Rather, there is the understatement of conservative British style.

Oriana’s British-ness also appears in the food served onboard, the activities and the entertainment. She seeks to make the people she was designed to serve feel comfortable on their holidays.

The vast majority of passengers on Oriana are British. However, P&O Cruises, her owner, also welcomes international guests who are interested in a truly British experience.

In many ways, this is a classic cruise experience as in the days before Las Vegas went to sea. At the same time, she has a celebrity chef specialty restaurant, a West End style theater, a large cinema, a spa, three pools, five whirlpools, 11 bars and even a pizzeria.

Beyondship’s profile of Oriana is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Oriana-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Oriana-Tour-1.html

A much different cruise experience came to New York this last week in the form of Norwegian Epic. This is Norwegian Cruise Line’s latest ship and at 153,000 gross tons the fifth largest cruise ship now in service.

As NCL proudly has proclaimed, its “Freestyle Cruising” was designed to break the traditional mold. On Epic, innovation is a watchword, combing entertainment and dining venues, curving interior walls and cabin configurations unlike any other cruise ship.

I was able to photograph Epic as she came up the Hudson River and docked on the West Side of Manhattan. My photo essay of this event is at: http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-photoessay.html

Talking with the Managing Director of P&O Cruises

When I was in England, I had the opportunity to speak with Carol Marlow, the Managing Director of P&O Cruises. Carol came to this post after heading Cunard Line for several years and she kindly agreed to answer some questions about the difference between the two iconic British passenger lines and about some of the challenges facing P&O.

P&O is in the enviable position of being the public’s favorite cruise line in a rapidly growing market. However, the other major cruise lines have realized the potential of the British market and several have entered it in a big way. How does the home team respond?

In order to meet the growing demand for cruise holidays, P&O has grown the capacity of its fleet by adding new ships. However, as a result, the fleet is now composed of ships that differ widely in size, age and style. How does one ensure the qualities that made P&O popular are maintained through this larger and more disparate fleet?

Ms. Marlow’s answers to these questions as well as her thoughts on the new Azura and the upcoming replacement of the Artemis by the Adonia are posted at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-art-Marlow.html

Photo tour and guide to P&O's cruise ship Oceana

P&O Cruises’ Oceana is the twin sister of Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess. Back in 2002 when Princess was a subsidiary of P&O, Ocean Princess and Sea Princess were transferred from the primarily American market aimed subsidiary to the British market aimed parent company. Both were then modified to suit British tastes. Subsequently, Sea Princess was returned to Princess but Ocean Princess continues to sail on as Oceana for P&O.

What makes this intra-corporate exchange interesting is how it affected the atmospheres on the two ships. Both have nearly identical facilities and amenities but the two ships have much different styles. Even after returning to Princess, Sea Princess continued to sail out of the UK carrying primarily British passengers. However, the atmosphere onboard was one of an American ship serving Britain. Indeed, in her advertising, the British were told that she provided “American-style luxury.”

Meanwhile Oceana has a distinctly British feel. Yes, one can see traces of her American past but she is now firmly a British ship. This manifests itself in the attitude of the crew, the style of service and in other more indefinable ways. As has been said, it is Britain for the British.

In relation to other cruise ships, Oceana is mid-sized at approximately 77,000 gross tons. She is in her element doing warm-weather cruising and so she spends the winters in the Caribbean, only coming home for the summer months. She attracts a substantial number of families with children and has a sizeable children’s area.

My profile of Oceana is at http://beyondships.com/PO-Oceana-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/PO-Oceana-Tour-1.html

Carnival Victory and P&O's Ventura

Periodically, cruise ships have to go in for a refit in which new features are added and the ship is given an overall sprucing up in order to bring her in line with the most recent ships in the line’s fleet. So too with the sections of the Beyondships website. Every so often they have to be updated to keep current with the ship that they are about and to keep them consistent with the profiles that have been added to the site recently.

This week, the Carnival Victory section of the Beyondships website has come out of a refit. Quite a few new photos have been added as well as a new set of Carnival Capers (daily programs) and a new set of menus. In addition, the Carnival Victory section has been re-organized along the lines of the other Carnival sections of the site. The new Carnival Victory section begins at: http://www.beyondships.com/CARNIVALVICTORY.html

I had a very interesting talk about the upcoming Carnival Dream with ship architect Joe Farcus recently. His interior design work on the other Carnival ships has been very creative and so I was interested in finding out what he is seeking to achieve on Carnival Dream. I’m putting our conversation into an article that will be posted in September in honor of Dream’s entry into service next month.

Meanwhile, I have posted a photo essay about P&O’s Ventura on the site. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Barbados.html Ventura is a mega-cruise ship built upon a design that can be traced back to Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess. Intended for the British market, Ventura spends most of her year sailing from Southampton, England. However, in the winter months, she sails from the former British colony Barbados It was there on a bright sunny day with puffy white clouds overhead that I found Ventura along with several other cruise ships including sister ship Emerald Princess. The essay shows Ventura from different angles alone and together with her companions.

P&O's Artemis - - quietly special

Artemis may be the smallest ship in the P&O fleet but she is a special one.

First, there is her historical connection. When the ship worked for Princess Cruises she was named Royal Princess in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. This connection remains as her current name is the Greek name for the goddess that the ancient Romans called Diana.

Then, there is the design. Because of the thoughtful placement of the ship’s machinery, her open decks are uncluttered. In addition, all of her cabins have ocean views.

Next, Artemis does not do the same itinerary week after week. Rather, she moves all over the globe. Also, because of her size, she is able to go to ports that many large cruise ships cannot. This is one of the reasons why most of the passengers that travel on Artemis are experienced cruisers.

Finally, Artemis has a friendly atmosphere. Traditional and British, yes, but the passengers appear to enjoy each others company and that of the service-oriented crew.
My profile of Artemis appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Tour-1.html

P&O's Aurora - - Attractive British sophistication

P&O Cruises’ Aurora is an attractive ship. On the outside, she has a relatively long bow for a modern cruise ship and she has a terraced stern that give her a pleasing sleek appearance, particularly evident when she is underway.

Yet, what I was more impressed by was her interior. Everything has been done with taste and refinement. The atmosphere of the public rooms is cosmopolitan and sophisticated. At the same time, even though she is a big ship, there is a welcoming feeling.

Aurora is based in Southampton, England. She specializes in longer cruises that take her to the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and even to America and Canada. The vast majority of passengers are British - - after all the ship was built with the British market in mind.

In many respects, Aurora reminds me of Celebrity Constellation. However, life onboard Aurora is more traditional and more formal than on most cruise lines. Dinner in the two main restaurants is done in two seatings with passengers having the same table and waiters for the length of the voyage. I like such a system because a camaraderie usually develops with ones table companions and with the staff over the course of several evenings. Aurora has alternative dining venues that are less formal if one needs a change. There are also tables hosted by the ship’s officers as was the custom in the days of the great liners.

I have posted a profile of Aurora http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Aurora-Profile.html and a photo tour of the ship. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Aurora-Tour-1.html I hope you enjoy them.

Ventura - - Designed to be British

For ten years, ships of the Grand Princess-class have been the mainstay of the Princess Cruises fleet. There are now eight Princess ships based on this design in service and another one will join the fleet in the fall. They have proved very popular and conducive to Princess’ objective of providing passengers with “American-style luxury.”

This year, for the first time, a ship built on the Grand Princess design went into service for a line other than Princess Cruises. The other line was Princess’ one time parent company and now sister company under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, P&O Cruises. Moreover, while the previous ships have been used to provide American style cruising, Ventura was built specifically for the British market.

What exactly does designing a ship for Britain mean? Is it posting a picture of the Queen in the atrium and having everything else remain the same as on the Princess ships? Is it decorating the public rooms in British cliches like an English gentleman’s club or a Cockney pub? Neither.

Instead, it means creating an atmosphere that appeals to British tastes. The interior design is done in a contemporary style but there is no neon or theme park-type decoration. Some seven thousand works of art done by British artists or artists living and working in Britain adorn the ship. Thus, the atmosphere is more restrained and intellectual.

The themes of the public rooms reflect places British people like to go. For example, many U.K. residents like to holiday in Spain. Accordingly, there is a large Spanish-style restaurant and bar. British cruisers are not as interested in casinos as their American cousins, so the casino is smaller and more low-key.

Differences in the climate are also taken into account. It is normally cooler and rainier in Britain than in America. Therefore, it makes sense for a cruise ship operating in British waters to have a retractable glass dome over one of the swimming pools. For the same reason, a large movies-under-the-stars screen is not as attractive for such a ship as for a ship operating in American waters.

Walking around Ventura, I was continually struck by the differences between this ship and her American sisters. Yes, the floor plan is much the same. However, P&O have successfully taken that floor plan and geared it toward the market it serves, i.e., the British cruise market. Thus, while Ventura is a sister to the other Grand class ships, she is not a mere clone. Rather, she is a ship with a distinct personality.

My photo tour of Ventura is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Tour-1.html and the ship profile is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Profile.html

Captain Chris Wells of Queen Mary 2

I was quite pleased to find that Captain Christopher Wells was going to be the master of Queen Mary 2 during my transatlantic crossing last month. Chris had been an officer on Queen Elizabeth 2 during the 1990s and from numerous voyages on QE2, I knew him to be an intelligent and articulate officer. After QE2, he went on to stand-by Queen Mary 2 while she was being constructed and then, after a brief time at Princess Cruises, he was given command of P&O Cruises Oriana. This year, he has been dividing his time between relieving Commodore Bernard Warner on QM2 when he is on leave and being master of P&O’s Oceana.

These days, with the financial power of Carnival Corporation behind Cunard and Cunard’s focus on providing a sea experience that invokes the grand ocean liners of the past, it is easy to forget Cunard’s struggles during the 1990s. Cunard’s management then did not know what direction to take the company and as a result, tried many different, sometimes misguided, approaches to trying to survive in the new emerging cruise industry. At the same time, it was always questionable how much financial support the then-parent companies of Cunard could or would provide. QE2 and Cunard survived in large part due to good officers like Chris Wells who were able to manage the ship and evolve QE2’s unique character to fit the times.

I was also anxious to talk to Chris about his experiences during the construction of Queen Mary 2. Cunard had not built a ship since QE2, almost four decades earlier. Who made the decision to build the most expensive passenger ship ever built? Was Carnival Corporation just a reluctant financer or a partner in the enterprise? Chris was there. He would know.

Just after QM2 was built, Carnival Corporation merged with P&O Princess. This opened new opportunities for Cunard officers in the wider fleet. Having spent his entire passenger ship career with Cunard, what were his impressions of the other lines?

Leaving history aside, we also talked about his style of command and about the retirement of QE2 from the Cunard fleet.

Cunard is very proud that its ships are British registered and fly the red ensign of the British Merchant Navy rather than a flag of convenience. As an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, Chris has a warrant to fly the even more prestigious blue ensign over any merchant ship that he is commanding. Consequently, the blue ensign has once again been flying on QM2.

This was not the first time that the blue ensign has appeared on QM2. When the ship was new, Commodore Ronald Warwick received a special warrant to fly the blue ensign even though he was no longer a serving member of the Royal Naval Reserve and he flew the blue ensign on QM2 for a short time. I am not aware of any other of the ship’s masters flying that ensign. Indeed, as I recall, the blue ensign has not been flown prior to that on the Cunard flagship since Commodore John Burton-Hall flew it on QE2 in the mid-1990s. It is a very rare thing.

My conversation with Captain Wells is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-Wells-1.html In addition, I have added some new items to the Queen Mary 2 section of the website including lunch and dinner menus from the Todd English Restaurant, a menu from Sir Samuel’s, and a recent daily programme. http://www.beyondships.com/QM2.html

During my journey, I encountered all three of the Cunard Queens. Accordingly, in the not too distant future, I will be adding a great deal of new Cunard material to the site including interviews, photos, menus and other items of interest.