Messages

106

Shipping News and information / Re: QE 2 is going for drydock

« on: January 19, 2013, 10:09:32 AM »

All that I can share with you is what I have been told.
As for Equasis, I have learned from this very site that at times they aren't the most reliable source of information.

107

Shipping News and information / Re: QE 2 is going for drydock

« on: January 19, 2013, 09:10:29 AM »

She went into the dry dock in Dubai and it is my understanding that she will make her way to the Far East under her own power. She has, after all, been fully maintained and providing her own power ever since she arrived in Dubai. The dry docking is not just a hull scrape but is apparently all part of work to maintain her 'in class' - therefore as an operational ship. If as some people have speculated, she is just being made ready for a tow to the breakers yards then there would be no need for her to be maintained 'in class.'

108

Shipping News and information / Re: QE 2 is going for drydock

« on: January 18, 2013, 10:40:28 PM »

Things appear to be moving fast, the QE2 was moved from her berth and went into the dry dock yesterday, 17th January.

109

Shipping News and information / Re: QE 2 is going for drydock

« on: January 17, 2013, 11:03:56 PM »

 Some indication of their plan can be found here www.qe2hotels.com

110

Shipping News and information / Re: QE 2 is going for drydock

« on: January 17, 2013, 09:43:01 PM »

This will happen, it is the real deal. She will go to Hong Kong.
Whether or not she is a success is another story altogether...........!!

111

Shipping News and information / Re: MV Athena

« on: January 07, 2013, 12:15:44 PM »

That's a lovely photo of her. Whilst I have to agree that way back as Stockholm she was a lovely and truly a 'yacht-like' vessel she is now very distinctive-looking. It would be very disappointing to see her scrapped, as has been pointed out, she is in many respects a largely 'new' vessel. Everything inside was stripped away during her rebuild and whilst in parts she is a bit glitzy (a reflection of the tastes at the time of the rebuild)only the very highest quality materials were used - solid brass rather than thin metal coated in shiny finish, specially commissioned Murano glass light fixtures etc. No expense was spared, she was really just a 'make work' project for the ship yard. However, she has gone on to become very successful for various operators. I took a five-week long cruise on her in 2007 and it was one of the most enjoyable cruise experiences. The main thing that may condemn her to the breakers yards is the fact that by today's standards she is a very small ship and may not be seen as being economic, the same can be said of her fleet mates Princesses Daphne and Danae.
I hope these ships will sail again but I'm not holding my breath.

112

Shipping News and information / Re: Thomson Spirit leaving Thomson??

« on: November 18, 2012, 11:51:04 AM »

If she is leaving Thomson's employment then it is a very sudden decision as their website has her featured with a variety of cruises for her.

113

Shipping News and information / Re: Your favourite yachts on here?

« on: October 31, 2012, 02:59:42 PM »

My favourite yachts? These are my favourites;
Dona Amelia
Nahlin
Talitha G
Norge
Dannebrog
Marala
and just to show that as well as an appreciation of the past I also like modern yachts;
Intuition II
Steel

Clive

114

Shipping News and information / Re: "Costa Concordia" - Follow the salvage operation live on webcam!

« on: September 12, 2012, 11:50:04 AM »

It will be many months before the ship is in a condition where it can be righted. Probably not until about this time next year I'd guess.

115

Shipping News and information / Re: Most beautyfull cruiseship in service!

« on: May 25, 2012, 10:54:02 AM »

Funny that you should mention the arched windows at the stern of the Virgo and Leo, I was looking at pictures of one of those ships only a day or so ago and thinking that whilst the aft quarter of those ships is quite well-designed but the whole thing (in my view) is spoiled by those arched windows. I think they look way too fussy and a much simpler shape would have been far more pleasing.

116

Shipping News and information / Re: Most beautyfull cruiseship in service!

« on: May 24, 2012, 09:55:24 PM »

Yes, in her early days the Queen Elizabeth 2 had more than her fair share of mechanical problems but they were eventually sorted out and she sailed for a very long time, trouble free.
As for beauty, for me she never ranked that highly. She was lovely, externally, when brand new but those truly good looks did not last long and yes, there were many other liners that were more than her equal. Apart from a passing reference to Saga Rose, the ships that I mentioned are still sailing - just!

117

Shipping News and information / Re: Most beautyfull cruiseship in service!

« on: May 23, 2012, 06:03:49 PM »

A ship that has not been mentioned in this poll is the Oceanic, though sadly she is now heading towards the breakers yard. She is certainly one of the most beautiful ships that I have ever sailed. The original Sea Cloud is, in my view, far more beautiful than her rather awkward-looking fleetmate. Many of us are agreed that Saga Ruby is high in the beauty stakes though in my opinion Saga Rose was the better ship in every way.

118

Shipping News and information / Re: P&O's Adonia is broken

« on: January 07, 2012, 08:40:46 PM »

I had friends who were on Adonia for the Christmas cruise; the flew out to the Mediterranean for a Eastern Med itinerary and had then booked the next cruise, which was from the Med back to the UK. About 10 days before they flew out to join the ship they had been told that the second (homeward) cruise had been cancelled due to 'technical problems', during the cruise this was reported to be some form of oil leak. So all the passengers who had booked the second cruise had to be flown home and everyone was given a full refund as well as

119

Shipping News and information / Re: Comments on photos

« on: January 05, 2012, 04:19:57 PM »

Dear Mr Jones
Thank you for your interesting comment suggesting that I put myself forward to be part of the Admin team. As you've not put one of those smiley faces after the suggestion I'll take it that you are not winding me up. In which case, Thank you again for suggesting it and I'll consider the idea.
Though I do wonder if some members of the admin team might groan at the idea and say "oh no, not him!"
My apologies, I had not realised that there was an alternative way of asking whether a picture conforms to the required criteria. I honestly thought that what I had done was the right way.
Regards
Clive Harvey

120

Shipping News and information / Re: Comments on photos

« on: January 05, 2012, 01:46:46 PM »

Dear Mr Scott
Thank you for your reply explaining why my query regarding your picture of Canberra was deleted.
"I deleted it just because I could."
I have to confess that statement brought a smile to my face and I thought 'oh, the feeling of power!'
Now, believe it or not but I was being neither mischievous nor malicious. I have been aware of other pictures on the site where far more of the ship was visible and yet the picture has been deleted. Therefore I thought, as there is a comments box, that I could ask the question. After all there is often discussion about whether a picture should be deleted or not and such discussion/comments appear to come from all and sundry and not just Admin. I was not proposing that the picture should be deleted, after all as you may have noticed from my comment on the photo of the Saarstein, I like busy dockside photos.
Why be coy about me having removed my photos from the site. Yes, I did so because I found it tiresome when a good and interesting picture gets deleted and yet something rather more ordinary remains on the site.
Your comment regarding the accuracy of my writing was unwarranted and unnecessary and I would have thought it rather beneath you.

Clive Harvey