Queen Anne - Ship’s bell

[watsonbeau]

Found builders plate but still looking for the bell.  Asked two or three officers onboard but nobody seems to know where it is ! 
 

Anyone know ? Thanks!

[3rdGenCunarder]

They had it out hanging on a sort of hook for the naming day, but then they took it back in. 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

It wasn't there the week before, just the empty hook.

 

[Pear Carr]

Another missing piece of the Cunard Queens - and I assume tradition on all the other Queens in terms of visible striking of the bell at 12 noon in the atrium - or is this in my fantasy Cunard world?

[exlondoner]

16 minutes ago, Pear Carr said:

Another missing piece of the Cunard Queens - and I assume tradition on all the other Queens in terms of visible striking of the bell at 12 noon in the atrium - or is this in my fantasy Cunard world?

I don’t think they do it on QE? But they sound the ship’s whistle, as they do on Annie.

[Bell Boy]

56 minutes ago, watsonbeau said:

Found builders plate but still looking for the bell.  Asked two or three officers onboard but nobody seems to know where it is ! 
 

Anyone know ? Thanks!

Don't know why you are surprised, this is all part of the 'New Vibe' that Annie's champions are waving their Banners about .  

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

Don't know why you are surprised, this is all part of the 'New Vibe' that Annie's champions are waving their Banners about .  

What exactly?

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, watsonbeau said:

Found builders plate but still looking for the bell.  Asked two or three officers onboard but nobody seems to know where it is ! 
 

Anyone know ? Thanks!

Probably in Storage awaiting Health & Safety to conduct a risk assessment and write the correct corporate procedure, for every gender, albeit left or right handed, as to how to ring it.  
But noting, if used, Cunard could receive multi million dollar claims for RSI, or hearing loss.  In addition, the extra salary requirements for additional duties.

Adding everything together, the bell will probably stay where it is. 

[exlondoner]

Goodness, this topic of the whereabouts of the bell is attracting lots of fantasy. First the idea that people who like QA are especially thrilled there is no bell,  and now, on the basis of no evidence, that somehow excess regulation is preventing its use. Perhaps they simply can’t decide on the best place, and it is one more thing to get round to.

[foodsvcmgr]

Never seen a ship without a bell, look at the listings from the breakers in Alang, they’re selling a bell from every ship that’s been cut up for scrap.

Not sure if it’s merely tradition or possibly statute?

[watsonbeau]

My father in law was ex RN and the bell was considered the soul of the ship.  Cunard are missing out on a photo opportunity if nothing else as it could go on deck 3 on the main lobby area opposite the mural thing which would be in the background. Am just surprised nobody knows where it is !

[WantedOnVoyage]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Goodness, this topic of the whereabouts of the bell is attracting lots of fantasy. First the idea that people who like QA are especially thrilled there is no bell,  and now, on the basis of no evidence, that somehow excess regulation is preventing its use. Perhaps they simply can’t decide on the best place, and it is one more thing to get round to.

 

My goodness... there is only on place for a ship's bell and it is at the  fo'c'sle head. For reasons that should not require explanation as to its purpose.  It is not a designer choice nor subject to "a vibe" nor is it  "on more thing to get round to."  

 

Hey guys... where's the bell?  

Edited September 18 by WantedOnVoyage

[exlondoner]

7 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

 

My goodness... there is only on place for a ship's bell and it is at the  fo'c'sle head. For reasons that should not require explanation as to its purpose.  It is not a designer choice nor subject to "a vibe" nor is it  "on more thing to get round to."  

 

Hey guys... where's the bell?  

Well, the one on QV is on a higher deck in the Lobby, I think. May be she has more than one. The AMC Alcantara on which my uncle served certainly did.

[Victoria2]

Golly, not only am I not a Cunarder, but being a bit dumb and all that, I didn't realise a ship's bell was so important.

 

We have only cruised since late eighties and mid day has always been announced with the ship's whistle, as have other announcements. As exlondoner indicated,  I am amongst the bemused as to why I should be glad it's not easily found when I didn't know it should exist! 😕

 

I also didn't realise Queen Anne has a 'vibe'. I say Queen Anne rather than ' Annie' [which was the nickname I coined with affection and not to be used in a derogatory sense by me], in order to show my serious side. She doesn't have a 'vibe', new or old any more that QM2 has a 'vibe'.

Cunard ships have an atmosphere and as QA is different from her sisters but fundamentally the same too; she will attract newbies to Cunard and thus helping to keep  Cunard alive and kicking.

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Golly, not only am I not a Cunarder, but being a bit dumb and all that, I didn't realise a ship's bell was so important.

 

We have only cruised since late eighties and mid day has always been announced with the ship's whistle, as have other announcements. As exlondoner indicated,  I am amongst the bemused as to why I should be glad it's not easily found when I didn't know it should exist! 😕

 

I also didn't realise Queen Anne has a 'vibe'. I say Queen Anne rather than ' Annie' [which was the nickname I coined with affection and not to be used in a derogatory sense by me], in order to show my serious side. She doesn't have a 'vibe', new or old any more that QM2 has a 'vibe'.

Cunard ships have an atmosphere and as QA is different from her sisters but fundamentally the same too; she will attract newbies to Cunard and thus helping to keep  Cunard alive and kicking.

I do remember on a tour of QE2 being told a ship was required to have a bell, for what reason the person wasn’t sure. One can see it might have been very useful in the days before RT, though the Mary Rose had trumpeters. We were shown QE2’s bell, but I can’t remember where it was or if it did anything.

[Victoria2]

31 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I do remember on a tour of QE2 being told a ship was required to have a bell, for what reason the person wasn’t sure. One can see it might have been very useful in the days before RT, though the Mary Rose had trumpeters. We were shown QE2’s bell, but I can’t remember where it was or if it did anything.

Hmm

I rather like the idea of trumpeters at various points in the ship, QA being slightly larger then M.R. so would need a spread [not a variation on a collective noun by the way] of trumpeters in order to reach everyone, co-ordinating their announcement of noon! 😃

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Hmm

I rather like the idea of trumpeters at various points in the ship, QA being slightly larger then M.R. so would need a spread [not a variation on a collective noun by the way] of trumpeters in order to reach everyone, co-ordinating their announcement of noon! 😃

No, defo not. The thing I love about Cunard is the quiet and serenity. Trumpeters would not enhance this. Mind you, I always go on to the balcony to hear the noon whistle. The trumpeters on MR seem to be on top of some bit of superstructure. I’m not sure how audible they would have been to those on the lower decks, especially with guns firing. 

[Victoria2]

22 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

No, defo not. The thing I love about Cunard is the quiet and serenity. Trumpeters would not enhance this. Mind you, I always go on to the balcony to hear the noon whistle. The trumpeters on MR seem to be on top of some bit of superstructure. I’m not sure how audible they would have been to those on the lower decks, especially with guns firing. 

Only for the noon announcement and we'd keep QA's guns quiet so the sound wouldn't be drowned out.

 

 

[majortom10]

The spectacle of a uniformed member of crew striking the bell at midday on TAs on QM2 is not only a lovely tradition but also very popular and a great photo opportunity.

 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

The spectacle of a uniformed member of crew striking the bell at midday on TAs on QM2 is not only a lovely tradition but also very popular and a great photo opportunity.

 

But not as haunting as the whistle over the ocean. Both are nice, though I’m not sure they do the bell thing on both Vistas.

[david63]

4 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

I didn't realise a ship's bell was so important.

I don't know if the same thing applies to merchant ships but if you are in the RN and serving on a ship when your child is born you can have your child's name engraved on the ship's bell

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, david63 said:

I don't know if the same thing applies to merchant ships but if you are in the RN and serving on a ship when your child is born you can have your child's name engraved on the ship's bell

And have it christened in the bell?

[3rdGenCunarder]

6 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I do remember on a tour of QE2 being told a ship was required to have a bell, for what reason the person wasn’t sure. One can see it might have been very useful in the days before RT, though the Mary Rose had trumpeters. We were shown QE2’s bell, but I can’t remember where it was or if it did anything.

 

I think QE2's bell had a variety of locations over the years. I have a vague memory of it being by one of the lift lobbies. They did move it to the Grand Lounge from New Years Eve and rang it at midnight.

 

[watsonbeau]

QE2’s bell was put on Queen Elizabeth and remained there several years - it was near Commodore - but was then taken off QE and so went to Dubai  back to QE2.

 

Ships’ bells were originally used for keeping time - hence term 8 bells etc as well as ceremonial stuff eg Captain arriving onboard, but were also required to provide warning sound (now more often by whistle or horn but still a maritime requirement to be able to produce a warning signal at sea).  
 

Often more than one bell on a ship, the main one being on the foc’sle, sometimes in officers mess and quite often a spare kept locked away.  
 

QE in 2022 had one on the foc’sle as we went through Panama Canal. So surprised Anne’s is nowhere to be seen.

 

Incidentally they are very collectible particularly HMS and also those from well known merchant ships.

Edited September 19 by watsonbeau

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, watsonbeau said:

QE2’s bell was put on Queen Elizabeth and remained there several years - it was near Commodore - but was then taken off QE and so went to Dubai  back to QE2.

 

Ships’ bells were originally used for keeping time - hence term 8 bells etc as well as ceremonial stuff eg Captain arriving onboard, but were also required to provide warning sound (now more often by whistle or horn but still a maritime requirement to be able to produce a warning signal at sea).  
 

Often more than one bell on a ship, the main one being on the foc’sle, sometimes in officers mess and quite often a spare kept locked away.  
 

QE in 2022 had one on the foc’sle as we went through Panama Canal. So surprised Anne’s is nowhere to be seen.

 

Incidentally they are very collectible particularly HMS and also those from well known merchant ships.

My uncle had a smaller one from the AMC HMS Alcantara, formerly a Royal Mail Lines liner.