The Queen Victoria World Cruise officially ended in Southampton, but for 225 others who sailed on to New York on the Queen Mary 2, it actually ended a week later on April 26, 2009. For our final QM2 leg click HERE; the QM2 six days are also under pages, at right.
Disembarking the Victoria (and while waiting to board the QM2) we found Southampton both a new port, and a very old one.
The Mayflower sailed from here in the 1620s. The Titanic sailed from here in 1912 on its first, last and only journey (it met its iceberg end a mere two days after leaving Southampton).
The port of Southampton is reached by navigating from the English Channel past the Isle of Wight and then sailing half a hour northward. This is not an easy approach because tides and currents are formidable, as the officers of the Queen Elizabeth 2 (now out of service and docked in Dubai, UAE) were reminded last year.
On her final departure from Southampton last fall, the Queen Elizabeth II ran aground because of tides. Unlike ships today, which need tugboats only in certain conditions (modern ships have bow thrusters), the QE2 needed tugs nearly every time she went to sea. The QE2 also brushed a Japanese warship in docking in New York when a tug lost power and she drifted in the current of the East River earlier in her career.
Southampton was the 41st and final port of the Queen Victoria’s 2009 World Tour. She started from Southampton on January 3rd crossing first to New York. We boarded her at her third stop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 13, more than three months before.
As the Victoria proceeded up river to Southampton, the Queen Mary 2 trailed her. The QM2 would be our ride home to the United States, along with 225 others on the world cruise. The QM2 had also cruised the world, ending her world tour in Southampton two weeks before our arrival. The Mary 2 was returning the day we arrived from her first of more than twenty 2009 trans-Atlantic roundtrips to New York City.
This was the first time the two ships had been in port together since Fort Lauderdale three months ago.
Initially we had planned to spend our day in Southampton touring Windsor Castle, but Cunard canceled that tour due to lack of interest. We remain interested in seeing Windsor because we are friends with the architect who had overseen reconstruction of Windsor Castle after the fire in 1988. With that tour cancelled we then hoped to putter around Southampton for the better part of the day. Unfortunately, disembarkation lengthened and lengthened erasing most of our time ashore.
Southampton was mostly leveled in 1940 during two nights of Nazi bombing. We walked the old town wall and had a look at what was left of the 14th century Catchcold Tower once used to store arms. The Catchcold was last used to defend Southampton in World War II. The name Catchcold made no sense to me – when you figure it out, please tell me.
As has often been the case in many other ports, time had grown short. We retreated to the Queen Mary 2 to have a look around at our new digs. The Queen Victoria was wooded, comfortable and tasteful. After three months she really had become our home.
The Queen Mary 2 was stunning, magnificent and grand. We had not expected to like the Queen Mary 2. We loved her immediately.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Queen Victoria anchored off Caines (Yorkeys Knob), Australia, February 23, 2009
Taxi and car passenger drop-off at the Queen Elizabeth 2 Terminal
Carol Anne in front of Southampton’s Bargate
The Catchcold Tower
Map, approach to Southampton (below)
Map, approach to Southampton (below)
Copyright 2009 by, Seine-Harbour Productions LLC, Studio City, California
Tags: atlantic ocean, catchcold tower, cunard, dubai, east river, england, isle of wight, japanese war ship, mayflower, mediterranean sea, nazi bombing, new york, nicholl fellowships, pete crow, petecrow, peter m crow, pier 90, qe2, queen elizabeth 2, queen elizabeth 2 term, queen elizabeth II terminal, queen mary 2, queen victoria, run aground, southampton, titantic, tugboats, uae, uk, united kingdom, where sail from, windsor castle, world cruise, world war II
