Missing QE2 & QM2 in Southampton 4/23/06

[Winchester]

Southern Daily Echo (Southampton)

Date Published: Friday 21 April 2006

 

Five liners will provide a right royal spectacle

by Keith Hamilton

 

THE fleet's in! Southampton will have a grandstand view when five liners and cruise ships, including Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2, are in port together on Sunday (April 23).

 

Sightseers gathered at Mayflower Park, Town Quay or Hythe will have a front row view of the ships, which also includes the two sister ships, Saga Rose, Saga Ruby together with Oceana.

 

There will also be free tours by bus to both the Eastern and Western Docks in the city to have a close-up view of the ships.

 

Crowds are expected to line the waterfront to watch the spectacle, the first time five passenger ships have been together in the port since the mid 1960s.

 

The last time the two Cunard liners were together in Southampton a flotilla of yachts, motor cruises and pleasure boats were also out on the water as the vessels saluted each other.

 

A spokesman for Cunard said: "Whenever Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 are in port together it is always a special day and one we like to mark with some ceremony.

 

"We hope as many people as possible will come out, either on land or out on the water, to watch the sail past and take part in the event.''

 

Sunday is also the first time the two Saga ships, that specialise in cruises for people aged 50 and over, will be side by side in Southampton.

 

Between 11.30am and 12.30pm QE2, the world's most famous ship, will slip her mooring at 105 berth in the Western Docks and make her way down Southampton Water to pass the Cunard flagship, Queen Mary 2 alongside 38/9 berth in the Eastern Docks.

 

The two liners will greet each other with a series of blasts on their whistles as QE2 leaves Southampton for a period of refit in Bremerhaven, Germany, before returning on May 8.

 

P&O Cruises' vessel, Oceana is scheduled to depart the Mayflower Cruise Terminal at 106 berth in the Western Docks at 5pm for a 13-night voyage to the Canary Islands. At around the same time Saga Rose, formerly named Sagafjord, will also be manoeuvred away from the City Cruise Terminal, close to Mayflower Park, for her departure on a 23-night voyage to Egypt.

 

An hour later, at 6pm QM2, is due to set sail at 6pm at the start of her 2006 season of transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York and then at 6.30pm Saga Ruby, previously named Vistafjord and Caronia, is set to leave the City Cruise Terminal on a two-week cruise to the Atlantic Islands.

 

Solent Blue Line, working in conjunction with Associated British Ports, owners and operators of Southampton docks, will provide commentated bus tours throughout the summer every weekend from April 29-September 1 and daily from May 30 to June 2 and July 24-September 1.

 

Free tours will be offered this Sunday and run every hour from 10am until 5pm from Mayflower Park, in addition to this, the council will be hosting its free walking tour `Pirates, Perils and Plots' at 11.15am, 12.15, 2.15pm and 3.15pm.

 

From Saturday, April 29, the tours will be running hourly, six times a day, from the railway station, Civic Centre and Bargate Street, offering a behind the scenes look at one of the UK's busiest working ports. Costs are £5 per adult, £3 per child and £15 per group of five people.

 

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