"O Captain! My Captain! Thy Joystick Is Near" (NY Times)

[Crouton]

Interesting, fun, and short NY Times article (6/24) on QM2's 21st century technology:

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/24/technology/circuits/24howw.html

 

Crouton

[Crouton]

test

 

Dances with Lions...

[cusyl]

It was very interesting. The bridge was one place I didn't get to on the ship, but will certainly make it a priorty on my next voyage in 2005 or 2006.

[Jeanne S]

Thought the bridge was not open for passengers on QM2 as it is on other Cunard ships

[Nautical but Nice]

It took about 3 or 4 tries before I was lucky enough to find the bridge open. I would have like to take a couple photos though.

 

Christine

[Crouton]

Thought the bridge was not open for passengers on QM2 as it is on other Cunard ships

The bridge itself is not open on QM2, but there is a bridge viewing area on 12 Deck which you will not find (nor even stumble onto) unless you know where it is and/or are looking for it. You need to get to the relatively remote "A Stairwell" landing on 12 Deck, and then you'll see the entrance on the port side of the ship.

 

It is not labeled on any maps (although the empty space is shown, directly behind the bridge) nor had Cunard publicized it initially -- but by my crossing (04/25) they were putting small notices in the Daily Programme announcing it along with very scrict guidelines for using it as access was only being allowed "on a trial basis." This resulted in a fairly consistent crowd of 5-12 people up there whenever I visited. I don't know (and would like to know) if they're still doing that.

 

Some of the guidelines included: no photography, no more than 8-10 people in the viewing area at one time, no attempts to distract the officers etc etc. In general, the viewing area -- which consists of a narrow corridor and three large windows in the center back wall of the bridge -- was open at sea and closed for docking. There are also curtains which the bridge crew can close at any time.

 

I spent a total of perhaps two hours there over several visits, and found it fascinating and rewarding -- although the crowds could get a bit much. I actually brought my binoculars so that I could read the screens, dials etc (I know:rolleyes: , but I wasn't the only one!) -- and I loved finally being able to link all the different pod, thruster, stablizer etc. etc. etc. functions with their controls. Invariably there would be one or more passengers there just as intrigued as me, and we would whisper and compare notes as to what we thought stuff was and what was going on.

 

BTW, not much was going on: at sea it's mostly automated.

 

The whole thing really is more 'Star Trek' than 'Titanic'.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Crouton

 

P.S. If you want to pretend you're Master (or Mistress?) of the Queen Mary 2, it's more fun on the 11 Deck forward outdoor observation deck.:p