Cunard Celebrates The Diamond Jubilee and The Beatles

This week the focus is on celebrations.

            In early June, Cunard Line participated in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations marking the 60^th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II accession to the throne.  There were celebrations throughout the UK for this anniversary ranging from local street parties to a concert with a series of mega-stars outside of Buckingham Palace.

            Considering the long connection between Cunard and the Royal Family, and this monarch in particular, Cunard decided that it had to do something more than just send a card to mark the occasion.    Therefore, it planned a spectacular event where all three of its Queen ships would meet together in Southampton.

            Because of the legendary reputation of the Cunard Queens, their rare gatherings have been recognized not only by ship lovers but by the general public as special occasions.  The first gathering of three Queens occurred in New York in 2008 when Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria were all in port together.  A few months later, the same three ships met in Southampton but because QE2 was there for a re-fit rather than to begin a voyage, the meeting was considered unofficial even though it generated significant attention.  Then, shortly after the new Queen Elizabeth entered service, she met with Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria in New York with all three ships exiting the harbor in a grand procession.

            For this year’s celebration, Cunard planned to have all three ships enter and exit Southampton harbor together.  In addition, there would be a display by Britain’s precision flying team The Red Arrows and a fireworks display as the ships left Southampton.  There would also be a day-long radio broadcast from the roof of the Carnival UK building which overlooks the harbor.   Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  It caused the cancellation of The Red Arrows performance and interfered with the fireworks.

            Still, it was a spectacular event.  The stars of the show in their black and white liveries and Cunard red funnels were majestic.  For those onboard the three ships, the proximity of the ships to each other was indeed an awesome sight.

            Beyondships’ photo essay of the celebrations (including a slide show) is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-royal-jubilee-celebrations-part-one.html

            A much different type of celebration was the performances by The Beatles Celebration onboard Queen Mary 2 during one of her recent transatlantic crossings.  The Beatles Celebration is not just another Beatles tribute band but a show in which the performers place the audience in an imaginary Beatles performance.

            This show was particularly appropriate for Queen Mary 2.  While not mentioned as much as Cunard’s connections to royalty and its connection to the celebrities and movie stars of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Cunard has a substantial connection to The Beatles and to the so-called British Invasion music of the 1960s.  In addition, a performance of this caliber fits nicely with the ship’s overall quality level.

            Beyondships’ review of The Beatles Celebration, including an interview with the cast, is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-qm2-beatles-celebration.html