Rms qm2

[turquoise 6]

As A frequent sailor on the RMS QM2 ,I tend to form a certain allegence and a sense of ownership of this Ocean liner.

I am often confused ,after reading the posts on Cunard CC.

Is the QM2, RMS QM2? (the last post card I mailed from from the RMS QM2,was post marked Deutsche Post,port paye Frankfurt,ALLEMAGNE)

Is the RMS QM2 an American Ship (U.S.)? British,as per Christened by HM Queen Elizabeth? Bermudian ship,as RMS flies the Bermuda Flag(not the British)

[Salacia]

As A frequent sailor on the RMS QM2 ,I tend to form a certain allegence and a sense of ownership of this Ocean liner.

I am often confused ,after reading the posts on Cunard CC.

Is the QM2, RMS QM2? (the last post card I mailed from from the RMS QM2,was post marked Deutsche Post,port paye Frankfurt,ALLEMAGNE)

Is the RMS QM2 an American Ship (U.S.)? British,as per Christened by HM Queen Elizabeth? Bermudian ship,as RMS flies the Bermuda Flag(not the British)

 

Hi turquoise. To the best of my knowledge, she is still RMS Queen Mary 2. When I last handed a postcard to the Pursar Desk for mailing during a r/t NY Caribbean cruise, the recipient in NJ said she got in 6 weeks after I disembarked. She said it had a regular Brooklyn/USA postmark. Maybe that was just a fluke? I don't know why, but I thought RMS ships had their own postmarks. Anyway, next time I'm on board, I'll send a postcard to my home address & will report the results :) Regards, -S.

[Pennbank]

As A frequent sailor on the RMS QM2 ,I tend to form a certain allegence and a sense of ownership of this Ocean liner.

I am often confused ,after reading the posts on Cunard CC.

Is the QM2, RMS QM2? (the last post card I mailed from from the RMS QM2,was post marked Deutsche Post,port paye Frankfurt,ALLEMAGNE)

Is the RMS QM2 an American Ship (U.S.)? British,as per Christened by HM Queen Elizabeth? Bermudian ship,as RMS flies the Bermuda Flag(not the British)

 

Queen Mary 2 has the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) title conferred on her, as a gesture to Cunard's history, by Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004 on the Southampton to New York route. ( "Royal Mail employee's Courier newspaper". Royal Mail. August 2007.)

 

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2

 

In answer to your Questions

1) Correct title is RMS Queen Mary 2

 

2) RMS QM2 is owned by Carnival PLC and registered in the port of Hamilton, Bermuda. Built in Nazaire France.

Carnival is a dual listed company, with headquarters at Carnival House in Southampton, Hampshire, England and Carnival Place in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida, USA

 

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Corporation_%26_plc

[turquoise 6]

Hi turquoise. To the best of my knowledge, she is still RMS Queen Mary 2. When I last handed a postcard to the Pursar Desk for mailing during a r/t NY Caribbean cruise, the recipient in NJ said she got in 6 weeks after I disembarked. She said it had a regular Brooklyn/USA postmark. Maybe that was just a fluke? I don't know why, but I thought RMS ships had their own postmarks. Anyway, next time I'm on board, I'll send a postcard to my home address & will report the results :) Regards, -S.

HI Salacia,

Yes ,I also mailed postcards to Brooklyn on board the QM2 (I was on a cruise to Rotterdam and that area) and it took about 6 weeks. It had the Cunard Stamp,and Deutsche Post. The Internet has taken over the Mail service. The U.S. Postal service is cutting back. The RMS title is just a nice sounding name today. Good for the image

Hopefully you will be on board the QM2 sooner than expected:)

Cheers, T

[turquoise 6]

Queen Mary 2 has the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) title conferred on her, as a gesture to Cunard's history, by Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004 on the Southampton to New York route. ( "Royal Mail employee's Courier newspaper". Royal Mail. August 2007.)

 

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2

 

In answer to your Questions

1) Correct title is RMS Queen Mary 2

 

2) RMS QM2 is owned by Carnival PLC and registered in the port of Hamilton, Bermuda. Built in Nazaire France.

Carnival is a dual listed company, with headquarters at Carnival House in Southampton, Hampshire, England and Carnival Place in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida, USA

 

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Corporation_%26_plc

Thank you for your answers! Question: If the Cunard is now registered in Bermuda,does the Title RMS remain? I know that there were Cunard Ships would port in Hamilton to pick up mail.

As you know,Cunard was from Nova Scotia,He was Canadian . He received a "ROYAL MAIL CONTRACT" for his fleet from England.. the rest is history:)

[glojo]

Thank you for your answers! Question: If the Cunard is now registered in Bermuda,does the Title RMS remain? I know that there were Cunard Ships would port in Hamilton to pick up mail.

As you know,Cunard was from Nova Scotia,He was Canadian . He received a "ROYAL MAIL CONTRACT" for his fleet from England.. the rest is history:)

Hi Turquoise,

Good post,

You are asking the exact same question I am asking myself. Is the Canadian ship retaining the title because in days of old it carried the British Royal Mail? Was the Queen Mary 2 given the title partly because she was British registered and she has a heritage?

 

Why should a foreign registered ship have a British abbreviation? Why would any foreign registered ship want a British type registration?

 

I am still baffled as to why an American tug has a name beginning with HMS :) Good question

[turquoise 6]

Hi Turquoise,

Good post,

You are asking the exact same question I am asking myself. Is the Canadian ship retaining the title because in days of old it carried the British Royal Mail? Was the Queen Mary 2 given the title partly because she was British registered and she has a heritage?

 

Why should a foreign registered ship have a British abbreviation? Why would any foreign registered ship want a British type registration?

 

I am still baffled as to why an American tug has a name beginning with HMS :) Good question

Hello G, You also bring up some good ideas.

Thank you

[Salacia]

PARTIAL QUOTE

...

I am still baffled as to why an American tug has a name beginning with HMS :) ...

 

That is curious. Is it possible that the tug is owned by Harley Marine Services? I noticed that they refer to their tugs with the prefix HMS (for Harley Marine Services). Reference: http://www.harleymarine.com/equipment.asp

[zider]

A complicated set of questions.

 

She is registered in Bermuda & fly's the Bermudan flag But! Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory so she is still British. When she was reflagged Peter Shanks stated that she was still to be R.M.S Queen Mary 2 as Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. Now to call her British is really wrong as she was built in France for a British ,American, Panamanian Company, Carnival P.L.C. So if here place of birth is France that makes French.

[candle in the wind]

Hello G, You also bring up some good ideas.

Thank you

I think you are on a par on the interesting scale.

[glojo]

PARTIAL QUOTE

 

That is curious. Is it possible that the tug is owned by Harley Marine Services? I noticed that they refer to their tugs with the prefix HMS (for Harley Marine Services). Reference: http://www.harleymarine.com/equipment.asp

WELL done and that would explain everything.... :D:D

 

Top marks and to think Harley Marine Services own so many British warships all painted in battleship grey :)

 

Well done

[DDBINK1]

A complicated set of questions.

 

She is registered in Bermuda & fly's the Bermudan flag But! Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory so she is still British. When she was reflagged Peter Shanks stated that she was still to be R.M.S Queen Mary 2 as Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. Now to call her British is really wrong as she was built in France for a British ,American, Panamanian Company, Carnival P.L.C. So if here place of birth is France that makes French.

 

Hmmm, now if I remember right part of France was ruled by the British Monarch at one time. So was that where she was built? and would that make her at least part British?

[turquoise 6]

PARTIAL QUOTE

 

That is curious. Is it possible that the tug is owned by Harley Marine Services? I noticed that they refer to their tugs with the prefix HMS (for Harley Marine Services). Reference: http://www.harleymarine.com/equipment.asp

Salacia you are BRILLiANT. Harley Marine Services logo on their ships(U.S.) is HMS.

:cool:

[turquoise 6]

I think you are on a par on the interesting scale.

Thank you .. You are very kind :)

It may come from my love of ships.

T

[zider]

Hmmm, now if I remember right part of France was ruled by the British Monarch at one time. So was that where she was built? and would that make her at least part British?

That's is true but in 1066 the Duke of Normandy which loosely was part of France after invading England became William the 1st of England.

[turquoise 6]

Hmmm, now if I remember right part of France was ruled by the British Monarch at one time. So was that where she was built? and would that make her at least part British?

not really British. On the other hand, the present HM Queen Elizabeth(built in

2010) was built in Italy,so that makes her Italian

[balf]

not really British. On the other hand, the present HM Queen Elizabeth(built in

2010) was built in Italy,so that makes her Italian

 

Think you are getting your Queens mixed up. HM (Her Magesty) Queen Elizabeth was conceived and born in Great Britain.

 

David.

[turquoise 6]

Think you are getting your Queens mixed up. HM (Her Magesty) Queen Elizabeth was conceived and born in Great Britain.

 

David.

Hi David, Forget that S.... HMS Queen Elizabeth was born in Italy

thanks

[Topsham]

In an agreement between Cunard and the Royal Mail the QUEEN MARY 2 is permitted to carry the designation 'Royal Mail Ship' or R.M.S. This used to denote that the steamship line had a contract with Royal Mail to carry the mail in the line's steamers. Royal Mail paid freight to the steamship line for the fast and speedy delivery of the mail. For this reason mail was usually carried in the express steamers.

 

QUEEN MARY 2 continues to carry the prefis RMS as she is still a British registered ship. Vessels registered in Bermuda are considered to be 'Red Ensign Group One' meaning that being registered in Hamilton, Bermuda is no different from being registered in London, Southampton, Liverpool, Glasgow or whatever UK port. She still flies a plain red ensign although in some cases ships on the Bermuda register fly the defaced red ensign. This is a red ensign with the Bermuda Coat of Arms in the 'fly' of the flag.

 

Now how about this.... the Arms of Bermuda show a sailing ship being wrecked on a rocky shore... supposedly the SEA VENTURE in 1609. The wreck of SEA VENTURE was the inspiration for the play 'The Tempest' by a certain William Sheakspere. Kind of interesting now that the chap running Cunard is Mr Tempest!!!!

 

Back to the mail.....

 

If you take a postcard or letter to the Purser's Office to be posted you pay the postage and hand over the item for posting. At the next port, all of the mail and the money for posting is handed to the Port Agent who takes it along to the nearest post office for stamping and franking. This is why mail posted on board may arrive with a stamp from New York, Southampton, Sydney, Hong King etc etc.

 

To my knowledge the QM2 is not a 'PAGUEBOT'. A PAGUEBOT is a ship which has an official post office on board, not necessarily being a ship with the prefit Royal Mail Ship. In fact a PAQUEBOT can be a vessel of any nationality.

 

On a PAQUEBOT the letter or card is stamped and 'franked' or 'cancelled' on board. When the PAQUEBOT arrives in port the ship hands over all the mail to be posted to a post office... with all the necessary postal forms filled out etc. No money is handed over and the post office is required by law to forward the mail for delivery to whereever in the world it is addressed. Is QM2 was a PAQUEBOT then the only stamps she would carry on board would be Bermuda Stamps. For PAQUEBOT all of the items being handed over to be posted have to be tallied and a proper accounting of money receeived must be kept. On a large liner like QM2 it would be a full time job for someone so in this day and age unlikely they would carry a designated postman.

 

So, if your letter or card arrives and it is marked PAQUEBOT MAIL - POSTED ON THE HIGH SEAS as well as a ship's stamp or company stamp then it is genuine PAQUEBOT. If it just carries a stamp that says eg QM2 or CUNARD LINE then it is simply Cunard using your private mail for advertising purposes!

 

The above is a very simple explanation of PAQUEBOT mail. The subject is much more complicated than space or memory allows!

 

The last time I saw a cruise ship using PAQUEBOT mail was the ROYAL VIKING SUN back about 1990.

[Topsham]

A bit more history for you...

 

The connection between the Cunard family and Bermuda predates the 'Cunard Line' of 1840. The Cunard family operated a mail service between Halifax and New York from about 1815. Their first mail contract with the Admiralty dates back to 1827 and that same year started running mail to Bermuda and Maryland. In those days Bermuda was a major distribution hub for mails... particularly mail going to southern states, West Indies etc.

 

In 1833 the British and North American Royal Maail Steam Packet Company (later known as the Cunard Line) were awarded the contract to carry mail between Halifax and Bermuda. This led to the formation of the Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Bermuda Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1848 with four steamers on the mail run. One must remember that the whole reason for the formation of the Cunard Line was the carriage of mails. Carriage of passengers was a seconday purpose of the ship. The Mail was first and foremost. The Halifax - Bermuda mail contract with Cunard was cancelled in 1886 when another Halifax firm, Pickford aand Black were awarded the contract.

 

So, the Cunard-Bermuda connection goes back some 186 years... not just the past year and a bit since the fleet was re-registered.

 

Stephen

[Salacia]

Topsham, thanks, that's very interesting. Now wouldn't it be nice if QV made a few r/t runs from NY to Hamilton, just for ole' time sake! I'd buy a ticket in a New York minute!:D Cheers, -Salacia

[balf]

Hi David, Forget that S.... HMS Queen Elizabeth was born in Italy

thanks

 

We're nearly getting there. HMS is only used for British warships.

 

Not very often now admittedly, because we don't have many.

 

I stand to be corrected but I think the correct term fo Elizabeth would be MV.

 

David.

[Topsham]

Topsham, thanks, that's very interesting. Now wouldn't it be nice if QV made a few r/t runs from NY to Hamilton, just for ole' time sake! I'd buy a ticket in a New York minute!:D Cheers, -Salacia

 

 

Thanks Salacia.

 

Yes, Cunard could make a real play on the NY/Bermuda connection and I would certainly be happy to see QV or QE in Bermuda... FREQUENTLY.

 

Once the dust settles in Southampton I intend to write to Mr Tempest with several 'ideas'.

 

With me the connection with Cunard is very personal. My first time off the island was in 1967 as a 14 year-old. I signed on the FRANCONIA as a deck Boy for three weeks... Bermuda, New York, Quebec, Montreal, PE Island, Boston, Bermuda. My first 'job' on boarding was to lower a tender with a couple of the other Deck Boys, the Bosun Tom King and under the supervision of Staff captain Lee... we took the boat from No 1 Dock in Hamilton over to Paget to pick up Captain Smith and bring him to the ship in time for sailing. While on the Bermuda run Captain Smith and his wife rented a home in Paget. Now that is how to live!

 

The next year I sailed Bermuda to NY in FRANCONIA, then on to Southampton in QUEEN ELIZABETH and a month later returned in QE to NY and back home in the FRANC... but as a passenger. Good old Cunard days!

[zider]

not really British. On the other hand, the present HM Queen Elizabeth(built in

2010) was built in Italy,so that makes her Italian

H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth is or rather will be a British Aircraft carrier built in the UK when she is launched, Only problem is that currently we don't have any Aircraft to put on her, See here http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.co.uk/en/the-ships/the-queen-elizabeth-class.aspx

[pmb1]

And Wiki says:

 

HMS Queen Elizabeth could refer to one of three ships named in honour of Elizabeth I of England:

 

HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, launched in 1913 and scrapped in 1948.

HMS Queen Elizabeth was to have been the first of the planned CVA-01 class carriers, but the class was never constructed.

HMS Queen Elizabeth will be the first ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, and is currently under construction.