MY FIRST CRUISE -- THE QE 1

[dag144]

Sitting home when I should be on a 15 day round trip Hawaii cruise, cancelled alas, i got to thinking.  With all the talk of restrictions on geezers over 70 like me, I got to remembering my first experience at sea.  It was the fall of 1968.  I was returning to the states from my banking post in Geneva, and I had no money for a vacation.  I'd spent it all on European adventures. It was a great investment.  One loophole occurred to me.  My bank was paying for my return to the USA.  Why take Pan Am when Cunard was available.

 

So -- after a brief stop in Paris I caught the boat train to either Cherbourg or Le Havre (I can't remember which) I boarded the Queen Elizabeth 1 on her second to last west bound transatlantic sailing.  I traveled second class but had a tux and good manners so I could sneak into first class in the evenings.  I will never forget the wonderful journey on that beautiful ship.  Were any of you lucky enough to sail that Queen of the Seas?

[sfred]

That must have been a great experience!  Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to take a voyage on QE-1, but I remember going aboard when she was briefly docked as a tourist attraction in Port Everglades FL, before her last ever voyage to Hong Kong.  My family had some photos, but they got thrown away one year in a too-thorough spring cleaning.  Sad that she could not have been saved like QM-1.

Edited April 22, 2020 by sfred

[canoncruiser]

Alas! Never got to sail on QE1 but saw many friends off to Europe in the ‘50s and 60’s .  She was so grand and gorgeous; I did pick up some menus from the First Class restaurant-they were laid out for visitors ( easy marketing tactic); also  got some from QM1 during bon voyage visits. Between those two and the glorious Liberte, my resolve was confirmed and I  booked my first crossing right after beginning my first job. The rest they say is a very happy history!😁😁😁

[Host Hattie]

Not me, thanks for sharing your story. I'd love to read more about your journey.

[bluemarble]

I never sailed on the original Queen Elizabeth. But I can claim to have been on the original Queen Elizabeth once as a young boy during a family vacation when she was in port in New York in 1960. Back then they sold tickets to tour the ship while she was in port and my parents thought that would be a fun thing to do. Indeed it was, but alas that was a long time ago and I was pretty young at the time so I'm afraid I can't remember too many of the details.

[safarigal]

Yes! I did an eastbound crossing with my parents in October 1962. It was a totally magical trip. My parents dressed up every night in their formal gear with the assistance of their cabin stewardess and steward, and I loved just watching them look fabulous. Mind you, I thought that I looked just fine in the new party frocks my parents bought me in New York before the trip,

 

I won the fancy dress prize, and part of the prize was being able to steer the ship and blow the whistle.  My mother didn't like flying so I had been on many ships before, but Queen Elizabeth was a totally different experience, and I fell in love with Cunard back then.

 

I have done several voyages since then, from inside to Queens Grill cabins, but although they were all wonderful, those 5 days will always be the best :)

Edited April 22, 2020 by safarigal

[alc13]

Sounds like we just missed each other, Safarigal!  July 1962, from Cherbourg to New York.  My parents, my sister, and I shared an inside cabin that I remember hazily as being paneled in dark wood.  I remember hearing the sounds of gongs in the hallways, and sipping bouillon on deck with my mom in the late morning, huddled under blankets.  And the movie theater!  As I recall we saw West Side Story.  Somewhere I have an official QE photo of my sister and me playing Scrabble, grinning at the camera, and if you look at the board you see that none of the words actually intersected.  We had a great time.

 

 

 

 

[Essiesmom]

7 hours ago, dag144 said:

Sitting home when I should be on a 15 day round trip Hawaii cruise, cancelled alas, i got to thinking.  With all the talk of restrictions on geezers over 70 like me, I got to remembering my first experience at sea.  It was the fall of 1968.  I was returning to the states from my banking post in Geneva, and I had no money for a vacation.  I'd spent it all on European adventures. It was a great investment.  One loophole occurred to me.  My bank was paying for my return to the USA.  Why take Pan Am when Cunard was available.

 

So -- after a brief stop in Paris I caught the boat train to either Cherbourg or Le Havre (I can't remember which) I boarded the Queen Elizabeth 1 on her second to last west bound transatlantic sailing.  I traveled second class but had a tux and good manners so I could sneak into first class in the evenings.  I will never forget the wonderful journey on that beautiful ship.  Were any of you lucky enough to sail that Queen of the Seas?

I see you live in Palm Springs...have you ever made it over to Long Beach to visit the Queen Mary (Hotel) ?  I wonder how similar the decor is/was...  EM

[dag144]

 

The public rooms on the Queen Mary are grand.  Equally grand to her younger sister!  I wish I had sailed on her.  In my opinion she is the more glamorous of the two.  BUT the Normandie most have been the ultimate.  It's late and I will reminisce about some wonderful times on that eight day voyage long ago.

[sfred]

There's a great Youtube video documenting a QE-1 westbound transatlantic crossing in the 1950s.  I liked the evening "horse race" entertainment at around 29 minutes in.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er9wOadvvCY

 

 

[BlueRiband]

They sound like beautiful memories.  If I could time travel the two ships that I would like to sail are the original Queen Elizabeth and the SS America as both represented art deco design and the pinnacle of pre-WWII engineering.   Sadly neither had a dignified end to their existance.  There are worse things that can happen to a ship than the scrap's torch. 

[seacruise9]

Hi, 

 

I enjoy reading about your memories of the original Queen Elizabeth. I am a big ocean liner fan and would have loved to travel aboard this great ship. Of course, it held the title of the largest passenger ship ever built for many years. My first transatlantic crossing was on the QE2 in 1984. I also had the privilege of sailing on other classic ships such as the Sagafjord, Vistafjord, SS Norway, and Rotterdam (of 1959).  

 

The original Queen Elizabeth is the only Cunard Queen that I never boarded. I have sailed aboard all three Queens of the current Cunard fleet as well as the QE2. Also, I have visited (and stayed aboard) the original Queen Mary in Long Beach multiple times. I am always impressed by this ship and the extensive use of wood in the staterooms and public areas.

 

Chuck

[norm2002]

My first ever cruise was also on the Queen Elizabeth. I think it was about 1968 and, even though I'm not sure about the year, it was definitely in November. It was a cruise to the Canaries.

 

Oddly, there are two things I particularly remember. The first was my getting to Waterloo for the boat train and handing over my suitcase at the station. The next time I saw it was in the cabin at Southampton. I wasn't expecting that small luxury. No airport hassles! The second thing I still remember was the Dixieland band playing as I boarded the ship. It was a wonderful experience and gave me the taste for cruising - particularly from Southampton.

[norm2002]

59 minutes ago, norm2002 said:

My first ever cruise was also on the Queen Elizabeth. I think it was about 1968 and, even though I'm not sure about the year, it was definitely in November. It was a cruise to the Canaries.

 

Oddly, there are two things I particularly remember. The first was my getting to Waterloo for the boat train and handing over my suitcase at the station. The next time I saw it was in the cabin at Southampton. I wasn't expecting that small luxury. No airport hassles! The second thing I still remember was the Dixieland band playing as I boarded the ship. It was a wonderful experience and gave me the taste for cruising - particularly from Southampton.

 

I'm sorry, I'm talking nonsense. It must be old age combined with a long lockdown. Of course, I was on the QE2. Silly me! And it wouldn't let me edit or delete my post. Sorry!

[safarigal]

1 hour ago, norm2002 said:

 

I'm sorry, I'm talking nonsense. It must be old age combined with a long lockdown. Of course, I was on the QE2. Silly me! And it wouldn't let me edit or delete my post. Sorry!

Hey, they were both fabulous ships, and I know many of us were inspired to travel by sea because of our experiences on them :).

[john watson]

My first cruise was on RMS Queen Elizabeth, May 1964.  I was only seven at the time so my memories are somewhat disjointed.  We went down to Southampton on the Boat Train which I believe was steam hauled and took you right to the quayside.  In those days there was not a cruise terminal as such but "Passenger Sheds" and everyone had a place to stand based on your passenger class and the first letter of your surname.  The ship could not be seen in any sensible way it was just a big black wall with portholes in it too close to make sense.

 

We were in Economy or Tourist Class, mainly because my father worked at a travel agents and the trip was an educational tour costing nothing but employees could take young families if the trip was long enough.  He had arranged Southampton New York - Queen Elizabeth.New York Stay in Plaza?  overlooking Central Park. Visit to New York's World Fair Greyhound Trip to Niagra Falls New York Southampton SS France French Line.  

 

Being young I tended to nose about the ship to find things out.  There were actually crew who acted as lift operators, they were like the goods lifts with a slide across metal frame and the operator asked where you wanted to go and advised on what was on the different decks.  We had a porthole which opened whereas on lower decks they did not open because they were too low to the waterline. Sometimes stewards would lock your porthole because of sea conditions.  As you descended to lower decks the corridors seemed to be narrower and stepping though thresholds seemed to be necessary.  This is why higher decks are more expensive.  The suites etc. were in the white parts of the ship and those people had windows not portholes.  When the sea got rough the level of water in the pools would be reduced to stop it slopping out.  The class segregation system kept us out of the superior areas of the ship and notices would tell you where your limits were, first class passengers could go anywhere on the ship but naturally stayed in the better areas.  Attractive young ladies from the cheaper classes could slip through easily to the first class areas.  We did not have to dress up every night in our class business suits was maximum for us anyway but special nights were announced.  I think first class dressed up every night which is where the common misconception comes from in my opinion. Two exciting thing happened for me, going up on the rear deck we were greeted by lots of spotty people coming below.  When we got out on open deck it was clear that a significant amount of smutty soot lumps were being blasted out the funnel.  The other exciting thing was sailing into New York and seeing SS United States in the distance and the Statue of Liberty.  We ascended the latter right inside the crown view area later in the week.

 

Regards John