What would Sir Samuel think?

[ladymacwilly]

Hate to morph this thread so..but..yes I loved being asked, "So when would you like to be knocked up in the morning?" :eek:

 

Also loved when my sister was in London being asked to check in with the manager of their sister company. She went dutifully to the receptionist desk and was told: "Oh, I'm sorry, he's out blowing a fag right now, he shouldn't be gone more than a moment!" :rolleyes:

[guernseyguy]

Hate to morph this thread so..but..yes I loved being asked, "So when would you like to be knocked up in the morning?"

 

Not long after WWII a GI returned to a small English village looking for his bride-to-be, but wasn't sure which house she lived in, so proceeded to knock on all the doors.....leading to the local press headline 'GI Knocks Up Whole Village'........

 

Peter

 

Who remembers moving as a schoolboy from Scotland to England, where there was some mirth when I enquired 'when are we getting off'? (meaning when does the school break for summer holidays...or vacations....or.....)

[ladymacwilly]

LOL! :D

 

Knew a GI who went to Ireland and chatted up a lady who was impressed. She asked him; "So, would you like to go out for a screw?"

 

Boy, was he interested...

 

I know we're alll talking English here...but... :rolleyes:

 

Now REALLY morphing this thread in a different direction.... Ah, at least it's been fun...

 

(Ever so sorry about my terse response last night. Please forgive. This is the first leg of our honeymoon and I've been defiantly defendant of our choice on the QM2 crossing...guess I won't be spending ALL of our time in the pub!) ;)

 

Cheers, Slante, and here's to all of you!

[CaptainStubing]

Look, I may be a little biased carrying the same name as the Love Boat (AKA Princess Cruises) Captain, but here's my take on it.

 

Do I like the huge mega-ships - not really. Do I like that a lot of the fun perks have been taken away - not really. Do I like the Carnival approach where you can buy cruises off of Wal-mart.com - not really.

 

But face it, this is life. It's about maximizing proft with a minimum expense.

 

What would I say if i were Sir Samuel - I'd say thank you. The fact is that Sir Samuel's Cunard disappeared years and years ago - but his name - Cunard - lives on. If it weren't for a company like Carnival, the QE2 and Cunard name would have been retired years ago.

 

So, if you dislike the modern Cunard so much, I say - stop cruising on her. Why continue to sail with a company that you apparently have no respect for?

 

For everyone else who wants a glimpse of a bygone era of cruising, I say try Cunard. She may not be what she used to be, but at least she is still around. And the fact is, how many of us would look half as good as she does after 165+ years?

[patwell]

Well said CaptainStubing....I have a sneaking suspicion that Sir Samuel would be thrilled to see how his name is being carried on. I'm sure that many of us sail Cunard for a taste of what the "Golden Age of Sail" used to be like...at least as interpreted by today's standards, wants and needs. And perhaps there is enough of the romantic in all of us who wish to return to a gentler time if only by virtue of a trip on an ocean liner surrounded by the kind of luxury we' ve read about. Yes, she is a mega-ship, but a mega-ship with tradition and history behind her and as CaptainStubing said, why sail with a company that you have no respect for?

 

Ladymacwilly.....Please don't feel that you have to be "defiantly defensive" about your choice of a honeymoon crossing on the QM2. I can think of nothing more romantic...imagine dancing to the music in your heart late at night on deck in the moonlight. I know that even after 33 years together that's what DH and I will be doing come Dec on our Caribbean cruise on QM2. Hmmm, I wonder what the moon phases will be on Dec 2nd. Well if's it's not there I'll just imagine it. I'm sure we'll all pass time in the pub but I'll be willing to bet you'll find a whole lot of other romantic things to entice you. I know that I will!! So go enjoy and ignore the whiners and complainers....make your own music and have "an Affair To Remember"....ahhh, now there's a classic! Cheers, Penny

[guernseyguy]

So go enjoy and ignore the whiners and complainers....make your own music and have "an Affair To Remember"....

 

You could even have 'A Night to Remember'......or perhaps better not.....

 

Peter

[dougnewmanatsea]

I'm sure that many of us sail Cunard for a taste of what the "Golden Age of Sail" used to be like...

I think you want Star Clippers or Sea Cloud if you're looking for sails ;) !

 

But seriously, the "Golden Age of Sail" usually refers to the era Cunard ended. What Cunard gives us a taste of is the Golden Age of Steam - never mind that our current Cunarders aren't steamers either, at least the "feel" is similar :) ...

[Bramcruiser]

Thanks to Captain Stubing and Patwell for their honesty. I would think that Sir Samuel Cunard would have done the same today if he were in Carnival's position. But since he's dead we'll never know for sure!

 

Today's Cunard is definitely not the Cunard of the turn of the century or even the Cunard of the 1960's when the QE2 was first launched. Its not even a full fledged company anymore. There were two choices - fold up forever or at least keep the name alive as part of a new entity. At least Cunard's name is applied to what ever is left of transatlantic service and the only true ocean liners are under the umbrella. At least for another while longer we can dream of a voyage on an ocean liner - whether the modern mega-liner or the old classic! I count myself one of the lucky ones who will have a chance this year to say the are travelling on Cunard!

 

There are still romantics out there ladymacwhilly so enjoy your honeymoon.