An Adults only Queen ?

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, Cruise Liner Fan said:

What ever happened to Bea Muller who was the lady who lived aboard the QE2? The last I heard of her was when the QE2 was sold, she was not happy about that and wrote a letter to Micky Arison who is the chairman of Carnival Corporation the parent company that owns Cunard. Bea was offered cabin space aboard either QM2 or Queen Victoria but she turned down both ships. I did see her aboard QM2 in 2010. And does anyone know what ever happened to another elderly woman known as the QE2 Diva? She was very talented in singing opera and it was the wife of one of the Cunard captains that gave her the name QE2 Diva.

I do believethat both ladies have passed on. Bea was a real kick. You had to handle her with kid gloves but if you worked it right she was  fun for afternon tea. Particularly ifyou got to share with her AND the Opera Diva at the same small table, they had a love hate relationship. Bea's two sons had to book passage if they wished  to visit with her. The only time she left the QE2 was when it has to be drydoced. Whe the ship was taken out of seivice Cunard did offer her space on the QM2 and the Victoria but not at the seriously low bargain rate she enjoyed on the QE2. On that ship she had an inside cabin that was made up more like a studio. One of the beds had been removed and a sofa placed in the cabin along with a floor lamp.

 

The Opera Diva lived in Berkeley Heights NJ in a large mansion that has since been taken down. Her parents sent her to Europe evey summerto study opea but she never perforemed professionaly. She never married. The QE2 was her stage and she preformed at every passenger talent show. Very difficult to get her offstage and she would always carry plastic roses that she would throw into the audience.

 

Sadly,with the changes in cruising from a more traditional luxurious way to travel vs the more casual way of today, there are very few if any "Characters" left on the high seas. The QE2 had several other regular passenegrs. One of the largest share holdres in Disney would book two of the largest Queens Grill suites for the annual world cruise. and many of the gentlemen hosts over the years managed to catch a wealthy single lady while doing the world cruises. Cunard had to institute a 30 max on the hosts to stop this "love boat" set up.

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 hours ago, exlondoner said:

As an ex-teacher, my feelings towards children are usually fear and loathing, but, oddly, I like seeing them enjoying themselves on Cunard.

 

My feelings exactly!

 

11 hours ago, NE John said:

I believe teens and younger recognize they are on a “grown-up” ship rather than one with waterslides and go-carts and they act accordingly. The key for kids is to keep them occupied and that’s what the Kid’s Clubs are for. The worst I’ve seen were the bored teen or two on a Crossing. Alaska is great for kids with plenty of active port stops. 

 

I don't often cruise during summer holidays, but I was just on QE to Alaska. I didn't see lots of kids, which surprised me. Perhaps they were sequestered in the Kids Club. Most kids I've seen on Cunard get the idea of the "grown-up" experience and seem to want to act the part. I especially enjoy seeing them dressed up on a gala night, usually for the sake of having a family picture taken.

[Cruise Liner Fan]

2 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

I do believethat both ladies have passed on. Bea was a real kick. You had to handle her with kid gloves but if you worked it right she was  fun for afternon tea. Particularly ifyou got to share with her AND the Opera Diva at the same small table, they had a love hate relationship. Bea's two sons had to book passage if they wished  to visit with her. The only time she left the QE2 was when it has to be drydoced. Whe the ship was taken out of seivice Cunard did offer her space on the QM2 and the Victoria but not at the seriously low bargain rate she enjoyed on the QE2. On that ship she had an inside cabin that was made up more like a studio. One of the beds had been removed and a sofa placed in the cabin along with a floor lamp.

 

The Opera Diva lived in Berkeley Heights NJ in a large mansion that has since been taken down. Her parents sent her to Europe evey summerto study opea but she never perforemed professionaly. She never married. The QE2 was her stage and she preformed at every passenger talent show. Very difficult to get her offstage and she would always carry plastic roses that she would throw into the audience.

 

Sadly,with the changes in cruising from a more traditional luxurious way to travel vs the more casual way of today, there are very few if any "Characters" left on the high seas. The QE2 had several other regular passenegrs. One of the largest share holdres in Disney would book two of the largest Queens Grill suites for the annual world cruise. and many of the gentlemen hosts over the years managed to catch a wealthy single lady while doing the world cruises. Cunard had to institute a 30 max on the hosts to stop this "love boat" set up.

I did get to see the QE2 Diva perform or sing opera during the passenger talent show aboard the QM2 in the Queens Room. The passengers enjoyed her act and applauded her at the end of her gig and I admit that I applauded also. Though I can not remember if she threw plastic roses into the audience but I did enjoy her act.

[BigMac1953]

Her name was Mary M...

 

I heard her once. That was enough.

 

She, like Bea, thought she owned the ship (QV). She would remove the rope barriers from the pianos and impersonate Les Dawson.

[exlondoner]

6 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Oh dear... does QUEEN ANNE have "pickleball" too.... I think henceforth I will make the sign of the cross everytime I see or hear of this vessel and run in the opposite direction.

 

Sometimes a little tolerance might be the answer. If I avoided ships containing activities I dislike - fitness classes, or any form of exercise, gambling, lying in direct sunlight, music composed after the 1950s, buffets, trivia games, spa treatments - I would never go anywhere. As it is, I avoid them and concentrate on the things I do enjoy, the library, fresh air in the shade, the views, excellent food, enrichment lectures, classical concerts, and it all works fine. 

[Cruise Liner Fan]

5 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

Her name was Mary M...

 

I heard her once. That was enough.

 

She, like Bea, thought she owned the ship (QV). She would remove the rope barriers from the pianos and impersonate Les Dawson.

If there are any Cunard passengers who did not like either Mary Mastony or Beatrice Muller well you won't see them aboard any of the 4 Cunard Queens anymore. Mary Mastony aka the QE2 Diva passed away on June 27,2018 and Beatrice Muller passed away on October 4,2013. And this morning with the help of Google I was able to find out the dates that both women passed away. I do not have anything bad to say about either woman so I'll leave it at that.

Edited August 1 by Cruise Liner Fan

[PORT ROYAL]

12 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

Oh dear... does QUEEN ANNE have "pickleball" too.... I think henceforth I will make the sign of the cross everytime I see or hear of this vessel and run in the opposite direction.

 

As for Cunard children, I have seldom encountered any who were not at least as well behaved (and often better dressed) than some of their adult counterparts.  Then again, you lot have probably never sailed Tourist Class on LEONARDO DA VINCI and RAFFAELLO and not have the slightest idea of bambini ferali italiani so my bar is set very low. But I was aged 16-17 when I sailed in these ships so I guess I was a demi bambino myself.  

 

You don't often see young gentlemen and young ladies in evening attire anywhere in the world except on a Cunarder. So may they continue to be welcomed aboard. 

Pickleball?  As a much loved (now passed) relative used to say… “ Oh Dear…What ever next”

[King Amo]

Paddle tennis courts have been a mainstay of a cruise ship/ocean liner sports deck for a long time, so not sure why Pickleball would raise any eyebrows. I assume this is another example of new equals bad (even if 'new' is a bit of a stretch here given the similarities), and new and popular equals even worse. 

 

 

[BigMac1953]

Padel Tennis is Europe's fastest growing sport, so surprised it would change to Pickleball.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

Padel Tennis is Europe's fastest growing sport, so surprised it would change to Pickleball.

I’m happy to say I’ve never heard of or knowingly seen either. 😀

[Pushpit]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

I’m happy to say I’ve never heard of or knowingly seen either. 😀

The Daily Programme lists the sign up times for tournaments, so you can safely avoid these events. One can't be too careful.

[zak477]

On 8/1/2024 at 3:01 AM, exlondoner said:

Sometimes a little tolerance might be the answer. If I avoided ships containing activities I dislike - fitness classes, or any form of exercise, gambling, lying in direct sunlight, music composed after the 1950s, buffets, trivia games, spa treatments - I would never go anywhere. As it is, I avoid them and concentrate on the things I do enjoy, the library, fresh air in the shade, the views, excellent food, enrichment lectures, classical concerts, and it all works fine. 

I see you always see the glass half full. Best way to enjoy life. 

[ace2542]

On 7/31/2024 at 3:07 PM, exlondoner said:

I suppose, having spent so much of my professional life in close proximity to other people’s children, I may be inured. And I’ve never really encountered badly behaved ones, well, a group of loud teenagers who were accidentally keeping me awake, a group of teenagers who took over a whirlpool, (both on QE2 years ago), and a very sulky girl in QG more recently, but then you should have seen her mother. Not bad for 25+ years.

Cunard passengers will be a different breed though. I was on Indy a few years back it could nearly have been setting for the Good Ship murder. One kid and people and staff ready to kill him and Royal did not handle it well at all.