January, 2008 Steamship Historical Society of America; Southern California Chapter Volume 12.1 Chapter Notes the venerable former Cunard Liner Southern California Chapter of the Send yours in today if you haven’t already. QUEEN MARY, permanently moored in Steamship Historical Society of America Here’s to the New Year! Now, lets go! Long Beach, California. Rumors swirled Bruce Vancil, Chairman that the ship was for sale, when in fact it was only the lease to operate the Happy New Year to all members NEXT MEETING: Saturday, February 2, 2008 ship that was up for grabs. In and friends! With the new year, we 1:00 - 3:00pm aboard the RMS QUEEN MARY March of 2005, the ship’s former have announcements of board Featuring operator QSDI (Queens Seaport members, meetings and speakers Development, Inc.) went into and local happenings. John Christopher Butler bankruptcy after a dispute with “A California Astronomer in Queen Mary’s Court ” the City Of Long Beach over rent First, thanks to everyone who voted ------------------------------------------------------------ credits. The long, convoluted in the Board of Directors elections. rd proceedings took two and a half Congratulations to the 2008 Board Caronia Room (former 3 class cinema) "B" Dk Fwd . years to sort out, but with most of Directors who are: Chairman, = = = = RSVP to (562) 499-1696 = = = = issues resolved the lease was Bruce Vancil; Vice Chair, Chris finally sold at auction to a consortium called Save the Butler; Treasurer, Bill Keene; Queen. A variety of unspecified lenders Secretary, Lovetta Kramer and members at large, Bruce Lyons, Daniel and investors came up with $43 million Crosswell, Tom Nicolai, Shawn Dake, CRUISE SHIPS 2007 to buy the lease for the QUEEN MARY Laurel Howat. And welcome to our and development rights for the 55 acres THE YEAR IN REVIEW newest Board of Directors member, of land around the ship. Many issues By Shawn J. Dake Everett Hoard. will still need to be resolved, but importantly for the 71-year-old ocean Paradigm shift may be a term most often Also, the presentations and meeting dates liner the new operators have pledged to applied to physics, but in 2007 it seemed to be are as follows: contribute $6 million toward her appropriate for the cruise industry as well. The maintenance, which is desperately big shift was away from the American cruise February 2, 2008; Chris Butler – A needed. Day to day operations continue market, and the weak U.S. Dollar, in favor of a California Astronomer in Queen Mary’s as normal. larger emphasis on Europe and other foreign Court: destinations. As the year ended, nearly half of With this annual recap of the most the 42 new ships on order were destined for May 3, 2008 ; Nelson Arnstein – Holland important events in the cruise industry, I European operators. At the world’s largest America’s Grand Dame, ss ROTTERDAM will begin, as usual, with the biggest cruise conglomerate, Carnival Corporation, 13 news, which in 2007 came from Cunard out of 22 new orders were going to their August 2, 2008 ; Merle Thomsen - Ocean Line . Most surprising was their press European brands with Aida and Costa Cruises th release of June 18 announcing the Liner Silver and China being the biggest beneficiaries. By the year sale of their aging, but still popular liner 2010, 4.5 million Europeans will cruise each QUEEN ELIZABETH 2. The 38 year old November 1, 2008 ; Annual Fall Semi- year. Half will be carried on Carnival owned ship was purchased for $100 million Formal Tea and Awards ships. Already, 30% of Carnival Corporation’s U.S. dollars by Istithmar, a division of entire revenue is derived from Europe. Dubai World, to be permanently docked It promises to be an exciting year of great Another part of this year, unfortunately, was at their Palm Jumeirah development in lectures so mark your calendar and save the shift away from customer service, to Dubai. A series of “Farewell Voyages” the dates. squeezing the highest level of profits out of went on sale at 6:00am Pacific time, passengers above all else. Whether it was nine days after the announcement and Local events are shaping up to be quite adding excessive fuel surcharges, introducing within 36 minutes the last cruise was amazing – you won’t want to miss out. new fees for everything under the sun, cutting sold out. The QE2 will depart January 30, 2008 Cunard’s new QUEEN commissions to travel agencies which Southampton a final time on November VICTORIA makes her maiden call in Los represent their main source of passengers, or 11, 2008, cruising for 16-days to her Angeles at the San Pedro docks with a charging for onboard services that were new home in the desert. The QUEEN 5pm sailing time. Also, QE2 will make her formerly expected pleasures of a cruise ELIZABETH 2 is the longest serving last call in Los Angeles at the San Pedro voyage, the consumer came out the loser, liner in Cunard history, first entering docks on March 30, 2008. April 12, 2008 in while the major cruise lines once again raked regular service in 1969. Just as she set for the Queen Mary’s annual Titanic in record breaking profits. replaced the original QUEEN MARY Remembrance Dinner. It is promised that and QUEEN ELIZABETH, the QE2 is it will truly be a night to remember. Look Before getting to the major events of the herself being replaced with a new and forward to the spring edition of Ocean contemporary cruise industry, much of the vastly different Queen. Times to see the results of our “Ship of the world’s interest was focused on the plight of Year” ballots. The stories have been great. 2 SSHSA QUEEN VICTORIA was first floated in her deal announced last year for a joint venture PARADISE. The eight “Fantasy class” building dock on January 15, 2007. By with German operator TUI fell through, but on ships were all rebranded with the December 10 th the new ship was ready for the same day Carnival Corp. announced a Carnival prefix before their given her christening, which would mark the first new agreement with Spanish tour operator names, such as FANTASY becoming time a Cunard Queen liner would not be Iberojet. The new cruise brand will be known CARNIVAL FANTASY. Those vessels sponsored by the reigning Queen. This as Iberocruceros which will be 75% owned by are also undergoing a $250 million time Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall was Carnival and 25% by Iberojet. Initially, the refurbishment program known as given the honor. As she said the words, “I Spanish fleet will consist of three ships, the “Evolutions Of Fun.” This includes name this ship QUEEN VICTORIA. May 1,244 passenger GRAND MISTRAL (ex. “resort-style pools,“ a “Serenity” area God bless her and all who sail in her,” she MISTRAL), the 834 passenger GRAND for adults, and “Waterworks” aqua pressed the button, the giant champagne VOYAGER (ex. OLYMPIC VOYAGER, parks for kids. A 300 foot long, blue bottle hesitated, then swung against the OLYMPIA VOYAGER, VOYAGER), and plastic tube waterslide will overhang ship’s bow with a thud, failing to shatter. A Carnival’s 1,486 passenger CELEBRATION. the side of the ships along with three man then ran out on the bow with a In addition to Iberocruceros, Carnival additional 82 foot slides on board. second bottle and smashed it over the Corporation & plc, also operates P&O Cruises, Adults will need some serenity, as side, as confetti rained and fireworks went P&O Australia Cruises, Ocean Village, Aida Carnival ships carried 600,000 children off while the lavish spectacle continued. Cruises, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, during the previous year. Just as every The following day, QUEEN VICTORIA Cunard Line, The Yachts Of Seabourn, theme park has characters that are officially entered service with a 10-day Holland America Line and of course Carnival identified with it, Carnival has Fun Ship maiden voyage to ports in Northern Cruise Lines. In 2007, they discontinued Freddy as their mascot. He seems to Europe. The second voyage, a 16-day ownership of Windstar Cruises and Swan be a slightly creepy man-creature with Christmas and New Year’s cruise, was Hellenic. a winged-funnel for a head, but marred by an outbreak of Norovirus which somehow he’s managed to sell 50,000 affected 78 passengers. The QUEEN Carnival Cruise Lines continued to be the plush toys in the gift shops. Freddy VICTORIA measures 90,049 gross pace-setter for all others to follow. Perhaps also appears in the welcome videos at registered tons, with a Panamax length of their biggest news came not from aboard the Carnival’s new terminals D and E in 964.5 and width of 106 feet. While not an ships but within the executive offices. Bob Miami, which are able to process 4,000 identical sister ship, she is certainly a Dickinson, one of the true pioneers of the embarking and disembarking close relative of Holland America’s “Vista cruise business retired as President and CEO passengers. Class” vessels and similar ships of other of Carnival. He joined the company in 1972 Carnival Corporation brands. In 2008, the and coined the slogan “Fun Ships.” His place Princess Cruises was an active newest Queen will embark on her first will be taken by Gerry Cahill, most recently the participant in the annual Carnival ship cruise Around The World, while the Chief Financial Officer of the line. Bob shuffle. They added one newly built QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 begins her last Dickinson gave his farewell address aboard ship with the addition of the EMERALD long voyage.