John Maxtone-Graham to lecture on both Queens

[geopa]

Just received the spring issue of The Cunarder:

John Maxtone-Graham will lecture on the QM2's July 11 and 17th crossings,then on the QE2 for their July 18 and 30 cruises ( I guess he will catch up with the July 18th mid-cruise.)

 

Attended his lectures on the QE2 on a July 99 Bermuda cruise- he was excellent, kept the entire audiance spellbound the entire time.

Boy, one more thing to look forward to this July 11th.

[ciaobella]

I hope his book about the QM2 will be for sale on board and that he will be willing to autograph it! What a terrific souvenir that would be! We are so looking forward to everything about this cruise!

[geopa]

On the July 99 cruise he had copies of his book for sale, I bought one and he autographed it for me.

[Druke I]

John Maxtone-Graham was a guest lecturer on the last voyage of Sky Princess as a Princess ship, San Francisco to Sydney, 9-00, and he was excellent.

 

Both he and his wife are very personable and approachable.

[Lisa63]

Mr. Maxtone-Graham was a lecturer on our August 2003 westbound crossing. He gave four presentations on four separate dates, and each sitting was more crowded than the one prior. He truly captivated the audience. There were also several book signings, and he spoke with each person who sought an autograph. I was also privileged to speak with him several times throughout the cruise, passenger to passenger. (Although I was in awe the entire time.)

[Host Caroline]

We have had the pleasure of sailing with Mr. Maxtone-Graham twice (although not on Cunard).. His presentation on the Panama Canal was excellent! If he does his "Titanic" presentation, don't miss it.. He held 600+ of us spellbound on a stage in a dark theatre with only one spotlight as he told this tale in a way you will never forget. He had his books with him on both sailings.. they are wonderful reads for anyone who loves cruising!

[ciaobella]

GEOPA:

 

Did you get an issue of The Cunarder because you are a past passenger, or is this something mailed to folks who are booked or who are interested? All we have received is a brochure with the sailing itineraries. We have tried to sign up for Sailmail but we haven't received anything.

 

CAROLINE:

Thank you for the information about the speaker - he sounds awesome!

 

Thank you to everyone who is posting for all the good advice!

[geopa]

Ciaobella,

After your first cruise on Cunard you become a member of Cunard World(their past passenger club). The Cunarder is their newsletter that they publish (4 times a year I believe).The following is copied from their web site:

This will be our 4th cruise on a Cunard ship, the others being Cunard Countess ,Cunard Crown Dynasty and QE2

 

 

There are three levels of World Club membership:

 

SILVER CUNARDER

 

Silver World Club members have sailed with Cunard on one voyage and enjoy these incredible benefits:

 

Savings on Club Value Sailings

Onboard World Club Representative

Access to the World Club Desk

Special mailings with exclusive savings offers

Quarterly Newsletter - The Cunarder

Access to the members-only webpage

GOLD CUNARDER

 

For guests who have sailed with Cunard on 2 to 6 voyages.

 

Gold World Club members enjoy even more benefits, giving them even more ways to enjoy a cruise to exciting destinations around the globe. In addition to the benefits offered to Silver World Club members, Gold Cunarders are invited to our onboard World Club cocktail reception- available on sailings of more than four days- and receive a beautiful Gold Cunarder pin.

 

PLATINUM CUNARDER

 

With three magnificent ships and a world of destinations that range from the exotic to the sublime, there are plenty of reasons to sail with Cunard time and time again. For those guests who enjoy more than 7 voyages with Cunard or have sailed on a voyage of 48 consecutive days or more (all on one booking number), there are even more benefits that come with their World Club membership.

 

In addition to the core benefits offered to Silver Cunarders, Platinum-level World Club members enjoy:

 

Onboard World Club cocktail reception (available on sailings of more than four days)

Priority check-in and embarkation in New York and Southampton, England

Invitation to an onboard Senior Officer's party

A Platinum Cunarder pin

 

* Priority check-in and priority embarkation may be available only at specific ports or on select sailings.

[ciaobella]

Thank you for the detailed explanation! You obviously like Cunard! This will be our first cruise with them - other cruises on Radisson(2) and Royal Caribbean(3). I think I would love to sail around the world - just stay on the ship and see it all! However, we still have children in college, so the trip around the world will have to be taken in small segments! We have a great TA who recommended this trip - and all of our other cruises - for our 30th wedding anniversary. Another friend saw the QM2 in one of the Caribbean ports earlier this year (from another ship) and said the ship was most impressive. We can't wait!

[geopa]

Ciaobella,

There must be something about 30th wedding anniversary and a crossing on the QM2, ours will be on July 12th. Our 25th was on the Crown Princess on a Baltic cruise.

Our experience with Cunard in the past has been a mixed lot:

Countess== cruise from hell-- service was very good, food so so but no AC in out cabin--only time I was glad to get off a ship at the end

 

Crown Dynasty- a real gem-- just the right size to really see Alaska

a few years later we did it on the Galaxy and it just was not

the same experience.

 

QE2-- we booked a cabin on 5 deck ( not a good ideal) but the rest

excellent

 

Looking forward to july 11th

[ciaobella]

I wonder how many others will be celebrating an anniversary - What a grand way to do it!

[Estelle]

Geopa -

 

We will also be on the July 11th crossing - celebrating our 20th anniversary (a little early - actual date is in Sept but we can't go away then).

 

We had originally planned a Princess cruise in Europe but switched to the QM2 because my husband has always wanted to do a crossing and feels he must experience this ship.

 

Despite the somewhat lukewarm postings and reviews I've been reading we're still very excited to take this trip and can't imagine that we won't have a great time.

[Zipper25]

We won't be taking a July crossing but will be on the August Med. Cruise. This trip is a celebration of quite a few things for us - two milestone birthday that add up to 90 (one of us is 40 this year and the other 50, though I refuse to say which of us is which!). We are telling our friends that this is our 90th Birthday cruise. Whilst at sea we will also celebrate our 15th Anniversary so all in all it is an important trip for us on so many levels. I can't wait and am so excited that the calendar has ticked over to a new month which means that there is even less time till we leave Australia for the UK and the QM2! I am even starting to bore myself with telling anyone who cares to listen that I am going on the QM2 and I fell that I should be trying to wean myself off these boards by limiting the number of times that I log on to a mere 47 times per day. It"s difficult, this weaning business, so if any of you out there have tips for an over-excited, totally obsessed, impatient 50 year old (damn! the secret's out) I will be willing to try any and all remedies. Got to go now as I have to check that the countdown calendar is working correctly and that I really have all these days to wait for this trip that has been so long in the planning! Wish me luck with my addiction;)