Home at last!

Its all over! My six month stint aboard the worlds most famous ship has come to an end. It was a great experience and something that I will never forget. The places I have seen and the people I have met where amazing.

I'm back home now enjoying not having to work everyday and looking through all the pictures I have taken. However I'm not here for long as I move on to my new job at the start of the new year. It seems my traveling days are far from over . . . Arkansas or bust!

- t

::haven't decided what will happen to the blog yet but we shall see::

The End is Near

Well after traveling the seas for the last few months my time is almost up, as is the QE2's. Later tonight we will embark on the historic final voyage of the 'last great ocean liner.'

Coming into port early this morning high winds caused the ship to drift off course and get stuck in a sand bar. A 30 minute delay that required five tug boats to pull us out. Some say its the ships way of saying that it knows its on its final leg.

Later this evening will be a grand celebration as we set sail for the final time from our home port. Scottish guard band, fireworks, and a live broadcast from the captain will culminate into a farewell worthy of a great ship.

I will be out front on the decks of the ship with most of the crew waving goodbye to Southampton as the thousands of people shore side take one last look at the ship.

If time permits I will try and post once more from Dubai airport. My flight is direct to JFK and although it is 14 hours long because of the time difference I leave at 2am and arrive 730am in NY.

Time to set sail once more, but this time on a one way trip. Wish me luck!

See everyone soon.

- t

2 Cruises left!!!

Greetings all,

We just got back from a short 5 day cruise (not very exciting) and that means we are down to our final two cruises!!

We have a 16 day cruise to the med and after that is our one way trip to Dubai. Only 33 more days from now and the QE2 crew will say goodbye to the famous ocean liner.

Be sure to check back in 16 days because it might just be one of my lasts posts. I'll be sure to have a good amount of pics and video for everyone to enjoy.

- t

Tandem time

Today we set sail for the last transatlantic cruise ever for the QE2 and to make it a bit more special the QM2 will be traveling in tandem with us round trip. I got the chance to meet up with both printers from the QM2, Shiva and Berk who I went to school with.

As we take the next five days to sail across the Atlantic the ships will be next to each other the whole time while swapping sides each day just for fun. Once again I plan to wake up bright and early on the sixth day to watch us sail into NYC up the Hudson river and past the statue of liberty.

In other news the technician came aboard today to do a bit of a checkup on the printing press. There have been a few issues lately that have caused me some trouble. After a diagnosis he found there to be a major problem and will spend all of today fixing it so it will be ready to make it through the next month and a half. Hopefully no more problems will occur but you can never be to sure especially because of the abuse this press has gone through over the years.

Well time to head back to the ship and finish up with the technician.

- t

British Isles

We just completed the British Isles cruise which was one of the busiest ever. Since the QE2 is a HUGE (emphasis on huge) British icon, everyone wanted to catch one last glimpse of the ship before she is retired. Almost every port we went to had fireworks as we sailed away and thousands of people came out to see us off. Below is a video from Greenock, Scotland of some fireworks as we were about to pull away.

Recap

So last time I was online I was having trouble posting pictures. To make up for it here is the New York skyline at sunrise as we sailed in.

[insert clever title here]

Well after a successful 3 week cruise we are back in Southampton. It was great to be on American soil and catch up with friends and family. It was also very nice to use my cell phone for once.

Unfortunately I am having some technical difficulties and therefore I won't be posting any pics or videos this time. I will be sure to get things sorted for the next time.

We are now headed off on what will be one of our most extravagant voyages. The "British Isles" cruise will bring us all around the UK as a final send off to the QE2. There are plenty of special events scheduled including lots of firework displays and such for each port.

Lastly this marks the fourth month of being aboard the QE2. A lot has happened in these past months and yet there is still plenty left in the remaining two. So time to get things going again and look for lots of pics and videos the next time I post.

- t

Transatlantic What!?

Well ladies and gents the time has finally come . . . a transatlantic voyage! Yes, that is correct the QE2 will set sail today for New England on what will be our longest cruise yet. A total of 19 days, 8 of which will be in port including an overnight in Quebec City, Canada. However, first comes the transatlantic part. The ship spends 5 complete days at sea crossing the Atlantic and each day is 25 hours long. Every night at 2am our clocks retard one hour so that by the time we get to NY we will be on the correct time. It may sound cool now but that means 23 hour days on the trip back.

We will hit NY on the 16th and work our way up the coast to Rhode Island, Boston, Maine, Canada and Halifax. The next few days are going to be very interesting as the Atlantic can be a bit rough at times. To make things even more fun the navigator on the ship has already issued a heavy weather warning for the first two days at sea. That means hold on tight!

Well time to go. Next stop AMERICA!

- t

Public Service Announcement #1

Reasons not to build your house at the base of a Volcano:

- Lava
- Ash
- Duh!

Well to sum this one up we took a tour to the ancient city of Pompeii. Pompeii and its sister city, Herculaneum were completely buried during the eruption of mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum was covered in lava while hot ash rained down on Pompeii. Today Pompeii is still one of the most active archaeological sites in the world.

Of course when you visit Pompeii everyone wants to see the plaster cast of the dead people. So in order to not disappoint here you go . . .

Just because . . .

Zakynthos, Greece

Athens, Greece

So we were in Athens last week and the number one stop for most tourists is non other than the Acropolis.

A quick taxi ride from the port and a 12 euro entrance fee and you are smack-dab in the middle of ancient Greece. To carefully see all the sights takes a good two hours, which by then you will either be dehydrated from the 95 degree weather or your camera will have run out of space to hold pictures. It is some pretty amazing stuff to see and thats why I have attached the video below of a panorama while at the top of the Acropolis.

Party Cruise

Off again for a few days on a party cruise. This one takes us to Spain and France for five days.

So until next time. . .

- t

Paella anyone?

While in Barcelona for the last time I wanted to experience the culture as best I could and there is no other way to do that than through food . . .



Tasty of course.

Cannes, France

Part of the French Riviera, and home to one of the largest Film Festivals, Cannes (pronounced Kan) is pretty damn nice. Due to some bad weather earlier in the day we arrived in port late and did not have much time ashore so we decided to hit the beaches and just catch some sun.

and the ship never stops . . .

Like usual I only get a few hours to post to my blog because we have to be back aboard at 4:oopm every Southampton. Once again we are off to the med for a 10 day cruise. So until next time . . .

- t

Life on a ship . . .

I have gotten a bunch of emails with people saying they enjoy the pictures of the ports and all but they want to know what it’s like to actually live and work on a ship. So here are the basics.

Life on a ship mainly depends on your number of stripes (rank). You can break it down into three main categories:

Crew: waiters, bar staff, technicians, janitors, room stewards etc.

Staff: Entertainers, cruise staff, shop employees, salon employees, printer etc.

Officers: head of departments and anyone who works on the bridge.

Your rank limits you to certain privileges. These privileges include everything from where you live and eat, and access to passenger areas/activities.

As a printer I have 1.5 stripes. I get to live in a passenger area with my own room. I am allowed in the somewhat nicer cafeteria and I am allowed to go into certain passenger areas as long as I am dressed in the appropriate clothing (i.e. uniform or dressed up). Your life revolves around these rules and you always have to follow them as they are pretty strict about them on the ship. Other random bits are things like not walking in passenger areas with civilian clothing and having to greet a passenger whenever you see one in the hallway.

Also I took a video yesterday of the print shop. It’s not much to see but it gives you a look into my world and where I spend a lot of my time. Down in the shop is just my boss and I, we each have our own computers and fridges. We also have a TV, coffee maker and a sound system that is constantly playing music. Not too shabby . . .

Flaam, Norway

Flaam has got to be one of the smallest towns I have yet to see on this trip. I’m pretty sure that the ship has a bigger population than this town. Located at the end of a Fjord in Norway this little getaway is quite picturesque. Enjoy the pictures below.

Return from Norway

We are back from the “Lands of Fire & Ice” and I have some video’s and pictures to show. First off we got a chance to go the famous Blue Lagoon in Iceland. It is supposed to be this natural hot spring but it’s not as natural as you think. The Lagoon itself is not natural at all and is in fact man made. The heated mineral water is real but is pumped into the lagoon through a series of pipes from the geothermal power plant next door. Overall it was still a good time and something that not many people can say they have done. Below is a video of the lagoon. I did not take many pictures because water and digital cameras don’t mix, so right before leaving I pulled out my camera and shot a few clips.

Lands of Fire & Ice

Our next cruise we are off to Iceland and then to Norway (which is why this cruise is called "lands of fire and ice") for the last time! In Iceland we are going to the famous blue lagoon for a crew tour, so that should be the chance of a lifetime. This is another 13 day cruise so the update wont be for a while.

- t

TLF Graphics goes to Gibraltar!

I was wearing my TLF t-shirt when I had this picture taken and there is probably no better photo opportunity than this. The picture below was taken at the tip of the rock. It is hard to make out the background because of the fog but on the left is part of the African coastline and the Mediterranean Sea, on the right is Spain and the Atlantic ocean. Two continents and two bodies of water in the same picture!

Gibraltar, UK

After every Mediterranean cruise the last stop the ship makes is Gibraltar. A small peninsula off the coast of Spain the city is part of the UK. Its famous for its “Rock of Gibraltar” and the monkeys that live on it. After my third trip to Gibraltar I finally decided it was time to take a tour of the rock and go see these monkeys.



Just past the airport is Spain.

Monte Carlo

Located on the coast of France and part of the French Riviera, Monte Carlo is home to the Grand Prix, and playground to the rich and famous. After looking at the pictures you will understand exactly how much money flows through this place.




(yes you can actually test drive a ferrari around the grand prix track)

Vatican City

We were back in Rome for the first time since I picked up the ship there exactly two months ago. This time I got a chance to actually go into the city. A bunch of us went to Vatican City and saw the Sistine Chapel along with St. Peters square. Here is a video of the square and the long line to get into the Basilica.

Late Update

The last post I had was right before the party cruise. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to post after the short two day trip but here it is anyway.

Although very short, the party cruise did have its moments such as the meeting of the Queen Victoria (the newest Cunard ship) and the QE2 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. The two ships were both docked nose to nose and crews from each ship were allowed to visit the other one. I brought aboard the Chief printer from the QV for a tour of the QE2 then she took me aboard the QV and showed me around. The two of us had trained at school together before leaving for our stint aboard the ships. Here is a video of the QV sailing away, you can hear both ships horns blowing in the background.

Party Cruise

Our next cruise is what they refer to as a party cruise. It involves a two day trip to very close ports and then back to Southampton. We leave today and then tomorrow will be in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Then the next day we will be in Brussels, Belgium, and on the third day back to Southampton. Apparently it’s a party cruise because the passengers who sign up for this type are usually a bit younger and mainly just eat and drink lots for two days straight (at least that’s what I’m told). Anyway Rotterdam is the biggest port in the world which should be interesting and when we hit Belgium the Queen Victoria will be in port with us as well, so we are making arrangements to visit the ship.

Back in a few days . . .

-t

Pictures of Malta

Malta is a small island off the coast of Italy, way at the bottom. The ancient ruins found in Malta date back 1000 years before the pyramids of Giza. However at one point in time the entire race of Malta disappeared and no one knows why. Then in the 14^th century it was inhabited again by Great Britain. We went to the city of Valletta in Malta which is the oldest part of the island. The film Gladiator was shot on scene in Malta. Below are some pictures.

Return from the Med

The Mediterranean is without a doubt kick ass. Good food, great weather, and beautiful cities. Dubrovnik, Italy, and Malta were my favorite stops along this trip, mostly because the cities themselves looked like a small little paradise. Below are some shots from Trieste, Italy.

Mediterranean Splendor

We are on our way to the Mediterranean, which means Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Good food and warm weather! This next cruise will be 14 days long so the update won’t be for a while.

Laterz,

-t

Video

Here is a cool video of us sailing away from the ship on a tender headed for our tour.

Norway Recap

We have returned from our week long cruise in Norway and after being there twice in the same month I have formed some opinions.

Great scenery, (both the women and nature) and . . . oh wait there is not much more. Norway is cold, expensive and has very little to do. We have been to all the major ports in Norway except Oslo and they are all pretty much the same. They do have beautiful scenery and the fjords are pretty sweet. But Norway is one of the most expensive European countries. It costs about $8 USD for a can of soda. If you go for lunch then a cheeseburger and a drink will run you about $50 USD.

I did however get to go on the tour of a lifetime this past week. I escorted a day long tour that started in a village called Hellesylt then we took a bus through the fjords and across a frozen lake to the village of Geiranger where the ship met back up with us. Below are just some of the amazing pictures I got from the trip.

Is june almost over already?

As we leave Southampton we head off on another trip to Norway. This one will only be a few days long and but I promise to get some sweet pictures from it.

Cheers,

Tom

Last Call to Tenerife

This was the last time the QE2 was in the Canary Islands so as we left Tenerife they celebrated by shooting off some fireworks. We decided to watch them from the very top of the ship right next to the huge red funnel. Only crew are allowed all the way on top and it is a pretty sweet view.

Sunburn Anyone?

Palm trees, ocean, and lots of sand = one hell of a time. Just make sure to put on your sun block otherwise you will be looking like a lobster as most of the QE2 crew did after our stay in the Canary Islands. These pictures need no explaining, enjoy . . .

QE2 Crew

Lenny, Me, James in Las Palmas

Atlantic Idyll Isles

For the past week we have been on the “Atlantic Idyll Isles” cruise and hit Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands. All of which were nice and warm and the Canary’s had lots of beaches. While on the island of Madeira I escorted a tour. Madeira is owned by Portugal and has a population just under 300,000. The island is known for its botanical gardens, hand embroidered linens, and wine. Here are some pictures from a tour I escorted while on the island.

Lights, Camera, Action!

For the past 2 weeks there has been a film crew on the ship making a documentary about the QE2. The documentary will be played in the QE2 museum in Dubai. While on the ship the film crews first stop was the print shop, and none other than yours truly was the star of the show. The whole film shoot took about two hours and involved me fiddling with the press and then doing a short interview as well. So eventually I will be a part of history in Dubai!

New email

Ok so if you want to email me here is my new address. I can check it on the ship for free!

Make sure to put my name "Thomas" in the subject line otherwise it wont get through.

qehaprtr@cunard.com


-t

I see sand!

So we just ended the cruise "Land of the midnight sun" (the whole 24 hours of daylight thing) and we are about to set sail on our "Atlantic Isles Idyll" cruise. We are off to spain, portugal and the canary islands, which means sun and beaches!

So until next time . . .

Cheers,
Tom

I thought it was summer?

So here are some pictures from Longyearbyen, Norway. Apparently it is the northern most town in the world! A bunch of us crew went ashore and hit up the one and only pub in town (population 1700 people) and we had a drink outside the 36 degree weather . . .

Greetings from across the globe

Alright so here goes the first post . . .

Sorry for the delay but the only time I can get good internet connection is when we head back to home port in southampton and I go to the internet cafe. Anyways, life here takes a lot to get used to but once you get the hang of things is pretty cool. Basically I wake up every day in a new country or city, go ashore for a few hours and get some local food and see the sights. Then I head back on the ship to work and do it all over again the next day.

To answer some of the basic questions:

Food: Ship food is horrible (unless your a passenger of course).
Cabin: I get my own room in a passenger area, pretty sweet!
Work: not very hard but can be some long hours when we are at sea all day.
People: Americans on the ship are a minority. out of 1001 crew members there are only 14 of us and i only know about 9 of them including me. However everyone i've met so far is good.