Paul,

I have been aboard both ships and sailed on QM2.

QM2 may not be quite so elegant when viewed externally but she is a real knockout on the inside and is a true ocean liner rather than just a cruise ship. There is a huge amount of Cunard memorabilia aboard too, from models to superb paintings of previous Cunarders. Her on board facilities are something that passengers on the old Queen Mary could never have dreamed of.

I will certainly watch the programme. Thanks for the heads up.

Colin

Actually the older ship might have better been described as a gin palace. Most of the facilities were for the use of first class passengers only. The other classes had a significantly poorer experience.

On QM2 all passengers have pretty much the run of the ship, except for the Princess and Queen's restaurants. which are less spectacular than the standard Britannia restaurant whch is a jaw dropping place to eat.

Having slept aboard both ships our standard cabin on QM2 was streets ahead in comfiness over the old first class cabin on the Queen Mary. Sometimes there is progress!

Colin

It all depends on what you like. As Colin says, all the old conventional liners were not all that comfortable to sail in, and even a lot of the 1st class cabins did not have their own bathrooms. I served in a number of passenegr liners carrying both 1st class and steerage passengers. Three quarters of the ship with about 250 passengers and the 5 or 6 hundred tourist passengers jammed into the remaining quarter! But they were generally very happy and stress-free for both passengers and crew. The more modern the ship, the more comfortable, thousands of passengers instead of hundreds just increased the stress levels. I know that in the 3,150-ton St. Helena, we carried an awful lot of regular passengers who hated the larger ships. This is the last conventional passenger liner in which I sailed – RMS Edinburgh Castle, 27,000 tons. Both 1st class and tourist class passengers. (Tourist class was from the after end of the boat deck to the stern). Given the choice of sailing in this, or the Queen Mary, it would be Edinburgh Castle every time! But it is really just a matter of personal preference. I have never been cursed by ambition, and I am sure I have been happier for it! I remember once visting Queen Eliabeth 2 in Cape Town and that evening, I was visited on the St Helena (76 passengers) by one of their senior officers. After I had showed him round, I noticed that he looked a bit glum. I said soemthing to the effect of "She's not much, but suits me fine!" Much to my surprise, he said with great feeling "I would change places with you today, if it were possible – what a wonderful little ship!"

Bob

Bob, I think it is just that you have first hand experience of the things you talk about that most of us are unable to match and so have little to offer. Also, your favoured building scale and subject matter is very much a niche interest and so whilst your work is admired, those people who are more 'mainstream' modellers prefer different subjects, usually working ones.

Don't be discouraged though!

Colin

Some people are like that Bob They regard the internet as a free resource to be plundered. Fortunately they are in a minority on the model boating side.

Colin

This was my first passenger liner in 1965:

**LINK**

Fifteen minute Utube documentary. I don't think I would have liked the North Atlantic run – too short voyages, only a few days each way. Our round voyage from Southampton to Durban was five weeks, most of the time in sunshine!

Bob

Colin

Some folk called the Union-Castle voyges "The Milk Run!" But as a regular liner service, we carried line passengers, passengers who just went for the holiday, and thousands of tons of cargo. Some regulars complained when the run from Southampton to the Cape was speeded up from two weeks to 11 1/2 days in 1965. The RMS St. Helena was even better, because it took us a month to get to the Cape and another 3 to 4 weeks to get back. The time was increased because a of a shuttle between Ascension and St. Helena carrying an additional 48 passengers on deck, each way. In 1965, the Windsor Castle took the the record with a ten-day passage from Southampton to Cape Town in order to get back on schedule after the seamens strike, that put the whole fleet in Southampton together for the first and last time! The Castles survived until 1978, and the St. Helena (II) until last week!

Bob