Where in the world ?

[bluemarble]

I think we're down to just two more Cunard ports whose names start and end with the same letter (at least that I've managed to identify anyway).

 

One is in South America and has been mentioned previously in this thread.

 

The other, if I have it figured correctly, is on an island in the Mediterranean where the town at the port shares the name of the island itself.

[Essiesmom]

Would that be Samos ?  I visited there as al port change on another line...  EM

[bluemarble]

12 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Would that be Samos ?  I visited there as al port change on another line...  EM

 

Yes, Samos is the Mediterranean port I was looking for. QV has called there several times and I found a photo showing QV in the bay where the town of Samos is located.

[exlondoner]

Have we had Arica, Chile?

[bluemarble]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Have we had Arica, Chile?

 

 

Arica is the South America port I was looking for.

That concludes our game to identify Cunard ports whose names begin and end with the same letter (unless anyone knows of any more). Thanks to everyone who participated and to those who came up with ports I hadn't found.

[sfred]

Morning all.  Do we think that the following qualifies?

 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

 

If "City" is an integral part of the place name, then I suppose it shouldn't qualify.  It is listed in Cunard itineraries with "City", and the Wikipedia entry shows the name as Ho Chi Minh City and the acronym HCMC, so probably this is the case.  But if "City" is just an additional informal description, like New York City but it is really just New York, then perhaps it does qualify a little.  Maybe an honorable mention....

 

Thanks as always, @bluemarble.  Another fun game!

[bluemarble]

@sfred, I think also debated whether Ho Chi Minh City should qualify or not when I was first compiling my list of ports for that last game and ultimately decided that it probably did not. But I'm certainly willing to give it a shout out as an honorable mention. Thanks for the kind words.

Edited November 8, 2020 by bluemarble

[sfred]

In the spirit of the recent fun location challenges, I've thought of another.  The large majority of our time on Cunard ships has all been at the exact same altitude - "sea level".   But occasionally, the water level that the ship is floating on is above, or below, "sea level".  Where are these places in the world (not necessarily ports), and what is the highest altitude that a Cunard ship has ever climbed to?

 

Tidal variation should not count.  High tide is above low tide, sometimes significantly so like at St. John NB Canada, but they are both still "sea level" at that point in time. 

 

To kick it off, here's an example:

 

Manaus, Brazil.  In February when QV has called at Manaus, the average height of the Amazon River is around 25 meters above sea level.  The water height is even greater later in the year when summer rainfall swells the river.

 

What are some other Cunard places that are above, or below, sea level?

[sogne]

how about this port has been shown before but a different aspect

[bluemarble]

3 minutes ago, sfred said:

In the spirit of the recent fun location challenges, I've thought of another.  The large majority of our time on Cunard ships has all been at the exact same altitude - "sea level".   But occasionally, the water level that the ship is floating on is above, or below, "sea level".  Where are these places in the world (not necessarily ports), and what is the highest altitude that a Cunard ship has ever climbed to?

 

Tidal variation should not count.  High tide is above low tide, sometimes significantly so like at St. John NB Canada, but they are both still "sea level" at that point in time. 

 

To kick it off, here's an example:

 

Manaus, Brazil.  In February when QV has called at Manaus, the average height of the Amazon River is around 25 meters above sea level.  The water height is even greater later in the year when summer rainfall swells the river.

 

What are some other Cunard places that are above, or below, sea level?

 

The first place that comes to my mind is while transiting the Panama Canal. Naturally, those locks raise ships above sea level during the transit. Wikipedia tells me Gatun Lake is 26 meters / 85 feet above sea level.

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, sogne said:

how about this port has been shown before but a different aspect

 

I think this is a view of the Frihamnen Cruise Center in Stockholm, Sweden.

[sfred]

5 hours ago, sfred said:

What are some other Cunard places that are above, or below, sea

 

5 hours ago, bluemarble said:

The first place that comes to my mind is while transiting the Panama Canal. Naturally, those locks raise ships above sea level during the transit. Wikipedia tells me Gatun Lake is 26 meters / 85 feet above sea level.

 

Agreed, and as best I can determine, the Panama Canal is the highest altitude a Cunard ship has climbed to, at 26 meters.  A bit short of the altitude of the world's highest navigable body of water, Lake Titicaca on the Peru-Bolivia border, at 3,812 meters, but not too bad .  Lifting 90,000 gross tons of ship by 26 meters is a lot of work.

 

After the canal at +26 meters, and Manaus at approximately +25 meters, I think there are four more Cunard ports in the world that have water levels different from "sea level" (although admittedly the deviation becomes much smaller).

[exlondoner]

What about Amsterdam?

[Essiesmom]

Todays Queens are too large, but has Cunard ever had a ship transit the Kiel Kanal?  EM

[sfred]

12 hours ago, exlondoner said:

What about Amsterdam?

 

Thanks @exlondoner.  Yes, that is one of the places that I think qualifies.  The locks at lJmuiden have a vertical rise or fall, depending on the tide conditions, such that the port of Amsterdam can be slightly below or slightly above "sea level".  Not the 26m of Panama, but nonetheless a variation.  

[sfred]

5 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Todays Queens are too large, but has Cunard ever had a ship transit the Kiel Kanal?  EM

 

As you say, @Essiesmom, the current Queens cannot fit in the Kiel canal.  Limiting factors are length (canal limit of 235.5m and QV is 294m), and air draft to fit under bridges (canal limit of 40m and QV is 54.6m).  QM2 is bigger again and would also exceed the canal's limits on draft and beam.

 

I've seen postings in the Cunard forum from people who have transited the Kiel canal on Caronia and Vistafjord.  Not sure about other previous ships.

[exlondoner]

And what about the dry dock in Hamburg?

[sfred]

37 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

And what about the dry dock in Hamburg?

 

Two for two, @exlondoner!   QM2 has used the Blohm & Voss 17 dry dock in Hamburg for refits.  When emptying or filling the dry dock, there would be a period of time when the ship was afloat off the bottom of the dock, but the water level in the dock would not yet be at "sea level". 

 

Also I understand that at times, the water level of the Elbe at Hamburg can be above "sea level" during rainy periods, exceeding the normal tidal variation.  Not by a lot, but some.

Edited November 9, 2020 by sfred

[sfred]

On 11/8/2020 at 11:20 PM, bluemarble said:

That concludes our game to identify Cunard ports whose names begin and end with the same letter (unless anyone knows of any more). Thanks to everyone who participated and to those who came up with ports I hadn't found.

 

One last thought on the recent game for Cunard ports that begin and end with the same letter.   While the below doesn't qualify...

 

Glenelg Scotland UK

 

...it would be great if it did.  The name is also a palindrome.  Unfortunately the pier looks a little small for Cunard.

[Colin_Cameron]

9 hours ago, sfred said:

 

One last thought on the recent game for Cunard ports that begin and end with the same letter.   While the below doesn't qualify...

 

Glenelg Scotland UK

 

...it would be great if it did.  The name is also a palindrome.  Unfortunately the pier looks a little small for Cunard.

I had a season ticket for that crossing for many years.

[exlondoner]

12 hours ago, sfred said:

 

Two for two, @exlondoner!   QM2 has used the Blohm & Voss 17 dry dock in Hamburg for refits.  When emptying or filling the dry dock, there would be a period of time when the ship was afloat off the bottom of the dock, but the water level in the dock would not yet be at "sea level". 

 

Also I understand that at times, the water level of the Elbe at Hamburg can be above "sea level" during rainy periods, exceeding the normal tidal variation.  Not by a lot, but some.

 

Have the current Cunarders always dry docked in Hamburg or have they ever been anywhere else?

 

Also does heavy rain in Quebec affect the water level as in Hamburg?

[Yaldi]

6 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

Have the current Cunarders always dry docked in Hamburg or have they ever been anywhere else?

 

Also does heavy rain in Quebec affect the water level as in Hamburg?

Queen Elizabeth was dry docked in 2018 at Brest

 

Queen Victoria had her surgery in 2017 at Palermo 

 

Those are two recent ones l recall off hand but there may be more.

[Host Hattie]

I found another set of photos, this is probably far too easy.

[exlondoner]

Well, it could be on the Clyde.

[Yaldi]

If not the Clyde then further north. I think the ship in the window is MV Lord of the Isles and her usual beat is around Oban and the Hebrides. I will try at anchor near Oban? Which ship are you on, it looks like forward on Queen Mary 2?