McNaught says QV is an ocean liner, and a step forward from QE2.

[Cruachan]

With regard to QV being "just another Vista Class ship", I am sure I read somewhere that Cunard had extra plates added to her hull to make it heavier and so better for TA's. Perhaps that is the reason she rides better than Grand Princess and other Vistas.

 

They sure as heck added some extra plates to her stern after she reversed into the wharf in Valletta :eek:

 

J

[Cruachan]

I have sailed on many ships belonging to ‘lines’ Manchester Liners, Ellermans, Furness Withy, Bankline (Andrew Weir) etc. which did regular scheduled trips to and from specific parts of the world. Were they liners?

 

Steady on our Gari - you're letting your "maturity" show through here aren't you?

 

J

[whitestar68]

Seems quite an unbalanced odd report of an interview trying to find the 'angle' to hook people.

 

QV cannot be a traditional liner in every respect but she has the elegant interiors of ocean liners of the past, not resembling the features of so many of the cruise ships today. There is that Cunard feel there, which for 35 of the last 40 years we have only known on a true ocean liner - QE2.

 

QE2 was not elegant in the traditional sense of liners but was a lovely and well loved ship nonetheless, and the feel has been carried on into QM2 and has been combined with more traditional fittings, the only true liner left. QE2 was less technologically advanced than QV, less manoeverable by herself than QV and after 40 years there were signs of old age. I guess there may be a parallel with a car driver who sells his old slightly tired car and drives off a nice brand new one..

 

The term 'cruise liner' is much used these days, clearly QV and other ships do cross the Atlantic - traditionally a liner route so in a sense qualify as liners for part of their life.. I guess the question is where is the balance between cruise and liner...

 

TA crossings are often marketed as 'cruises' these days!

 

Lovely as QV is, give me QE2 any day.

[garigoun]

Steady on our Gari - you're letting your "maturity" show through here aren't you?

 

J

Sadly true James, I am somewhat mature. But mature I hope in the manner of a good wine rather than that of an old cheese.

The, 'when is a liner not a liner'. question is intriguing though dontcha think?

A Grand Cru Gari

[Cruachan]

The, 'when is a liner not a liner'. question is intriguing though dontcha think?

A Grand Cru Gari

 

Intriguing and, to one with my limited knowledge of these matters, somewhat intimidating.

 

For myself, I care little about the semantic niceties. When I'm on board my needs are simple. As long as the cabbage mechanics can produce three meals per day that aren't actually poisonous, and the beds are not totally vermin infested then I'm happy.

 

J

[Leucothea]

I would imagine Captain McNaught considered the interviewer to be asking an inappropriate question because it is topic that involves controversy.

 

I think the Captains and Cunard officers would be careful regarding their statements to the media, as they now represent not just Cunard, but Princess and Carnaval. They would have to be far more conscious of corporate concerns, and with being diplomatic in that regard, than ever before. PR requires that one not be too blatantly candid with the media, who can often report statements incorrectly or in the wrong context.

[stowaway2k]

The, 'when is a liner not a liner'. question is intriguing though dontcha think?

I thought the question was 'when is a not-a-liner, a liner' :rolleyes:

[Host Sharon]

I'm afraid that you simply cannot take a Vista hull, increase the plate thickness and call it a Cunard liner. It doesn't happen that way. From what I have heard, there were some questions regarding the bulbous bow on the Vista Class. On the Victoria there was some additional strengthing in the bulb and that was all. Same modification was make on the later ships in the class, NOORDAM and EURODAM.

 

She may well ride a bit better than the other Vistas due to her increased length, but I dounbt it would make any noticable difference.

 

 

P&O don't persist in caalling ARCADIA an 'ocean line'r yet she was to be the first QUEEN VICTORIA!!!!

 

It is all hype. I'm just thaankful that QUEEN VICTORIA was built because the vessel that became ARCADIA would have been a disappointment in many respects.

Stephen

 

I wasn't suggesting that the extra weight made her a liner, just that it may be the reason she rides better than other Vista ships.

 

I have always understood that a liner goes from Point A to Point B, regardless of weather conditions and to a strict timetable. That is why most liners had the long foredeck to break up waves in bad weather and to enable them to keep to speed.

[nitwit]

According to John Maxtone-Graham in the book about QM2:

Every liner shares several essential characteristics: high speed, buttoned-up superstructure, a long bow deck, engines amidships. Lifeboats high above the waterline, deep draft, and a finely shaped hull. Few if any contemporary newbuildings meet those relentless criteria.

 

 

What about Canberra?

Glenn.

[Leucothea]

I believe liners can travel at faster speeds than cruise ships; is that not the primary difference?

[guernseyguy]

I believe liners can travel at faster speeds than cruise ships; is that not the primary difference?

 

No. Most cruise ships are faster than most liners ever were. People conflate 'North Atlantic Express liners' with 'liners'. Most liners pottered along at around 20 knots.....were about 20,000 tonnes.....and made money decade in and decade out for their owners. Express liners were a tiny, headline-grabbing economically very marginal minority - most were supported by subsidy....As with air travel, while the 'Queen of the Skies' may have been Concorde, the vast majority plodded across the pond on 767s...

[cruisegal101]

I would imagine Captain McNaught considered the interviewer to be asking an inappropriate question because it is topic that involves controversy.

 

I think the Captains and Cunard officers would be careful regarding their statements to the media, as they now represent not just Cunard, but Princess and Carnaval. They would have to be far more conscious of corporate concerns, and with being diplomatic in that regard, than ever before. PR requires that one not be too blatantly candid with the media, who can often report statements incorrectly or in the wrong context.

 

Surely the captain knows that the ship has state of the art environmental equipment and it would have been much more acceptable to merely state this than to storm out of a press conference. Diplomacy was apparently the least of his concerns at the moment.

[Karanja]

I'm afraid that I cannot agree with John M-G. The VAST majority of ocean liners built in the last century posessed few , if any of the characteristics that he says makes an ocean liner. Even Wikipedia has got it wrong.

 

Take as an example the Holland America Line twins MAASDAM and RYNDAM of the early 1950. North Atlantic service with passengers and freight. 15,000 grt, 39 First Class pax, 854 Tourist Class. Single screw, steam turbine, 16.5 knots.... just over 500 ft length. Pure ocean liners and the MAASDAM as STEFAN BATORY was the last steam turbine liner in service on the North Atlantic!

 

Stephen

 

Stephen

I agree with thee and traveled on the dear old liner Stefan Batory.

 

Another characteristic of a liner used to be a ship that was placed on a line (scheduled) voyage from A to B and often onto C etc. and v.v. - hence passenger liner and cargo liner. It never applies to a tanker liner or oil liner even if they did shuttle from a Persian Gulf oil port to the tank farm at Bayonne, NJ full and crude and back in ballast.

Ted

[Leucothea]

Surely the captain knows that the ship has state of the art environmental equipment and it would have been much more acceptable to merely state this than to storm out of a press conference. Diplomacy was apparently the least of his concerns at the moment.

 

Well, none of us can know really. However, the story does illustrate how the media can create rumors and possibly twist the facts.

[Topsham]

Well, none of us can know really. However, the story does illustrate how the media can create rumors and possibly twist the facts.

 

 

I think most of us know Ian McNaught to be the perfect gentleman and so we should be asking why and how was the question put to him in the first place! Today's passenger ships are so extremely envrionmentally clean that he would have had no reason not to be proud of the stardards of his own ship. I suspect the problem lies with the question and how is was asked.

 

Stephen

[Topsham]

Stephen

I agree with thee and traveled on the dear old liner Stefan Batory.

 

Another characteristic of a liner used to be a ship that was placed on a line (scheduled) voyage from A to B and often onto C etc. and v.v. - hence passenger liner and cargo liner. It never applies to a tanker liner or oil liner even if they did shuttle from a Persian Gulf oil port to the tank farm at Bayonne, NJ full and crude and back in ballast.

Ted[/quote

 

 

Hi Ted,

 

For a tanker to be an 'oil liner' she has to carry cargo in both directions... just like passenger liners and cargo liners.... I think!:rolleyes:

 

Yes, dear STEFAN BATORY.... much missed! Sadly in just over three weeks we will be sending another great liner off on her final passenger voyage, SAGA ROSE. Will send you a 'final' postcard!

 

Stephen

[Karanja]

Stephen

I agree with thee and traveled on the dear old liner Stefan Batory.

 

Another characteristic of a liner used to be a ship that was placed on a line (scheduled) voyage from A to B and often onto C etc. and v.v. - hence passenger liner and cargo liner. It never applies to a tanker liner or oil liner even if they did shuttle from a Persian Gulf oil port to the tank farm at Bayonne, NJ full and crude and back in ballast.

Ted[/quote

 

 

Hi Ted,

 

For a tanker to be an 'oil liner' she has to carry cargo in both directions... just like passenger liners and cargo liners.... I think!:rolleyes:

 

Yes, dear STEFAN BATORY.... much missed! Sadly in just over three weeks we will be sending another great liner off on her final passenger voyage, SAGA ROSE. Will send you a 'final' postcard!

 

Stephen

 

Stephen

Bon Vopage and enjoy a last fling on the Rose. I look forward to the card - and - hearing what might be the liner's/former liner's future.

 

I guess water ballast maketh not an oil liner!

Ted

[Jim Avery]

When it comes to "Liner"-"not a Liner", I knows one when I sees one!

[Savoia]

[ Cunard reflect the different sea-keeping qualities in itinerary planning - so winter crossings are 8 nights instead of the 5 or 6 the QE2/QM2 are capable of. All this said, Queen Victoria is still faster than most liners ever were...

 

 

What makes Cunard the "ocean liner brand" at Carnival is the strength of Carnival's PR machine. It certainly isn't Carnival's Vista hull..which is used at HAL, Carnival and Costa as well. It can't be the designers of QV or QE as Cunard has no inhouse designers of their own. These ships were designed by P&O/Princess Lead Designer Therese Anderson. It has always amazed me that Cunard's look is the end result of its own competition! Then again Costa is the end result of Farcus..very cost efficent. It can't be the distinct crew as crew members are interchanged and shared with P&O/Princess. What makes these Vista Hulls distinct is how they are marketed, nothing more.

[Leucothea]

I think most of us know Ian McNaught to be the perfect gentleman and so we should be asking why and how was the question put to him in the first place! Today's passenger ships are so extremely envrionmentally clean that he would have had no reason not to be proud of the stardards of his own ship. I suspect the problem lies with the question and how is was asked.

 

Stephen

 

 

Agreed. As for how a question is asked, attitude and tone make all the difference.

[diamond-queen]

Funny how this hasn't been reported anywhere else in the press, ie were there any other members of the press or just one guy on the quayside that asked a few questions. Is it not more likely that the Captain, already on a tight deadline to meet various people as they usually are when in Port had answered various questions and simply said 'right thats enough' and wound the conversation up.

[Girl Guide]

What an odd thing for someone in his position to do....and in front of the media no less. What could so easily have been addressed with the usual corporate rhetoric he chose to draw attention to with his churlish behavior.

 

Embarrassing to him...embarrassing to Cunard, and in Halifax of all places. A most unprofessional reaction from someone who should know better. What WAS he thinking???

 

Cheers, Penny

 

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

 

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continued...did it ever!

 

October 16,2008...the “Affair” goes transatlantic as we sail in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage...what a thrill!

 

December 9, 2008....the “Affair” resumes again....Life is good!

 

July 30, 2009....transatlantic again...some “Affairs” just get better

 

August 7, 2009....the “Affair” goes on...this time “home” to Norway

 

2010....the “Affair” is indecisive, but booked for at least 10 days somewhere

 

And the media has a reputation for being honest Penny? As the old adage goes 'don't believe everything you read'..................... This does not sound at all like Captain McNaught.