MS Queen Victoria Makes History On the Mersey.

[Jim Brady]

This could be of interest to some.
Regards.
Jim.B.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/...cruise-7196169

[Captain Kong]

Excellent pictures Jim, Thanks.
Brian.

[John Gill]

Look forward to seeing the Three Queens next year Jim- thanks for the info.

[happy daze john in oz]

Look forward to seeing the Three Queens next year Jim- thanks for the info.

You hoping to go back to UCL then?

[Jim Brady]

Here she is leaving Liverpool,some of the lads at the meet up had a look at her yesterday.
Regards.
jim.B.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats...rewell-7198575

[Captain Kong]

\Liverpool must have one of the best Liner terminals in the world. right into the city with that magnificent waterfront of the 3 graces.
.
I sailed on her sister Queen Elizabeth two years ago to Sydney, just after she went foreign flag. Not impressed by the Catering staff of eastern europeans, Ignorant, Arrogant and Unhygenic. dirty berstereds. Not sailed Cunard since ..
Cheers
Brian

[Colin Hawken]

#5 Like I told you yesterday Jim,We don't mind you borrowing her but you can't keep her.She's ours,as are Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth.

[Captain Kong]

5 Like I told you yesterday Jim,We don't mind you borrowing her but you can't keep her.She's ours, as are Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth
.
. Where do you live Colin?? in Hamilton, Bermuda?.
Did you notice the name HAMILTON underneath QUEEN VICTORIA on the Back end.
They are now FOC ships.
Three years ago Cunard announced that Weddings on board ships was a Multi Million Dollar Business.
So according to British Law, it is illegal to have weddings on British flag ships, so they flagged out to Bermuda so they could cash in on this Multy Million Dollar Business.
On QE I asked the Purser, How many weddings have you had, since flagging out, he said, None.
I said , How many weddings have you got on order, he said , None.
It was just a big Tax fiddle.
Now there was a Wedding on the QE2 in Boston in 2001, when the Captain, married his daughter to her new husband. I have the photos. She was registered in Liverpool and under the British Red Ensign.
So that proved that Cunard were operating some kind of Tax saving sheme.
I havent sailed Cunard since. I had previously sailed Cunard, world wide, for 12 years.
I now preferr Holland America ships, much better service and itineries.
Also their ships are Not flagged out, still registered in Rotterdam and fly the Dutch flag.
.
So Colin I think you can have the three foreign flag ships.
.
Hope I have not upset you. just setting the picture straight.
Cheers
Brian.



,

[happy daze john in oz]

Most of the major cruise lines are registered somewhere in the Bahamas or similar. Something to do with tax no doubt as well as shipping regulations. Competitions between them is now so high that they have to fin wasy to reduce costs
and no doubt this is one.

[John Arton]

Isn't Cunard now just part of the Carnival Corporation?
The guy who started Carnival, Mickey Arison, was renowned as being the most hard nosed businessman going. At one time cabin staff were being paid $1 per day but Mr. Arison had a system whereby passengers had to give minimum $200 per head on boarding to pay for all crew gratuities so when interviewed the Filipino cabin steward although only officially being paid $1 per day in reality was earning $4000 per month, though this did entail her working around 16 hours per day, 7 days a week for the length of her contract, months or a year if I recall.
As to having Hamilton Bermuda on the stern, the majority of C.P. ships after 1976 had Hamilton on the Stern, yet all B.O.T., later MCA, regulations etc. applied as Bermuda was a Crown Colony and all surveys etc. were carried out either by Lloyds surveyors or a D.O.T. surveyor so there was no real difference in standards between being flagged in the U.K. or in Bermuda.
The advantage, as Brian correctly states, is purely financial and as to crewing, well that has always been up to the owner to decide where he draws his crews from. Even the old established liner companies in the U.K. used foreign crews. Blue Star with Chinese, Brocks with Indians etc. and Brians comment regarding the standards of the Eastern European crews is most likely correct but again its down to the Head of Department to ensure that standards are maintained and I would hazard a guess that even in Cunard a lot of the H.O.D's were European or British.
rgds
JA