Thread: Manhattan West Side & Cunard say their final goodbye's

An era will end tomorrow at the West Side Piers, Manhattan when Queen Mary 2 departs on her voyage around Cape Horn. She will be the last Cunarder to berth there. QE 2 left there on her World Cruise last Monday for the last time. Cunard has had a long standing relationship with the West Side Piers and their departure will inevitably bring sadness to those on the front line who handled the ships and passengers through the generations.

When QM 2 returns in April, she will be berthing at the new cruise terminal at Brooklyn, where it is said the standard of facilities are far higher than the West Side.

So another chapter in cruising now closes for Cunard and Manhattan and the sight of a Cunarder infront of the Manhattan skyline will be no more.

I was on Queen Elizabeth 2 as she made her final departure from the West Side piers. I had extended my Atlantic crossing on her by another two nights, to dismebark in Fort Lauderdale, just so that I could be a part of history.

After a too-quick visit to NYC, seeing friends off and a stop at my favorite NYC pub, McSorely's Ale House in the East Village, and a leisurely stroll back to QE2 from Grand Central Station, I wondered if our departure would be something special, owing to it's place in Cunard and New York shipping history. I was also looking forward to one last full day at sea on this crossing's extension to Fort Lauderdale.

Would our departure be special? I wasn't disappointed. Nothing in comparison to the frenzied and historic tandem departure of the QE2 and QM2 last year, but special and memorable it was.
Sailing an hour late, of course, at 6.00 pm, being on deck as this magnificent vessel is backed out of her berth into the North River, is always memorable enough.

When that awesome instrument, QE2's whistle, blows, the heart stirs and a lump forms in the throat. Three times, four times, and then all over again, the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Cunard Line, the Cunard Steamship Company, Cunard White Star, is saying farewell to Manhattan and New York's historic Luxury Liner Row.

I couldn't help but stand there on that foward deck under the bridge and recall stories I have read by Cunard captains past, and other crew and on other Lines, about what is for us ship geeks, hallowed ground, hallowed waters. This is where the world's most celebrated and magnificent vessels of their day began and ended their storied crossings. This is where, at this very dock where we are departing now, the Normandie's short life ended. This is where, at these docks, hundreds of thousands of service men embarked on the two previous Queens to go off to war.
This is what was on my mind. I am here, witnessing the end of an era.

Am I a sentimental ship geek? Yes.

When the QE2 was out in the river and pointing down stream, we were met by the sight of the historic fireboat, the John J, Harvey, waiting to accompany us out to the harbor. As her water jets shot upwards, fully illuminated in the night, I was couldn't stop thinking how thankful I was to be there on QE2. As the John J. Harvey sailed with us downriver, and salutes continue to be exchanged, we realize that our tugs are staying with us as well.
More vessels, more salutes. Helicopters buzz us saluting us by flashing their lights.

The escorts and the salutes taper off as we pass the Battery, and Manhattan has seen the QE2 and heard her great whistle for the last time.

One final bit of fun as one of the Statin Island Ferries crossing from Manhattan to Statin Island stays with us, very close to us off our stern, for the short trip across the harbor.

The atmosphere on board has changed, as the crossing is over and the crossers replaced by world cruisers.
The next day was gorgeous, and it was nice to see the decks packed with passengers enjoying the blue skies and warm sun, unlike the Altantic crossing, while the decks were busy, we were all bundled up in coats and scarves. There is no sight like a lady promenading the teak decks in a full-length fur!
We are racing along at 28.6 knots, in calm seas, and the great QE2 isn't even straining or shuddering. That night, we are told, we reached 30.1 knots. Only on QE2.

Sometimes, although I know things have to change and therefore evolve, I am not entirely convinced that all changes are good ones. Its the same with the loss of so many classic liners, its sad cos they carried the dreams and expectations of so many generations before us and those ships literally did pave the way to the leviathans we have now...again not always a good thing IMO.

And I agree, there really isn't anything like teak decking underfoot and the classic style and elegance that they bring. NCL Crown has some of the nicest teak decking around and she looks superb and has the feel and atmosphere of those classic old liners rarely found thesedays.

Although the Hudson River has been called the North River,
I haven't heard it called that in a very long time.

Manhattan Island is surrounded by
the Hudson River, East River, Harlem River
and the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The Spuyten Duyvel creek
was dredged and widened to form a barge canal
and actually cut off a part of the Borough of Manhattan,
leaving it in the Borough of the Bronx.

The East river is actually a tidal strait and
not really a river.



Popeye & the Pirate - Oct. 15, 2006 - Rhapsody of the Seas

WYWH Cruisers-Bearly Conscious in Alaska 07

Originally Posted by reggierail

Although the Hudson River has been called the North River,
I haven't heard it called that in a very long time.

"North River" is the traditional name for the Hudson used in shipping; used by pilots, masters, navigators etc., and printed on charts. Even the shipping press, when reporting on arrivals and departures would commonly use North River instead of Hudson. Shipping lines as well used "North River", such as "Pier 88, North River" to indentify where a ship is or will be berthed.
As there is now very little actual shipping (ships, rather than ferries and boats) on the river, compared to just a few decades ago, one wouldn't come across "North River" so often. But it was once in very common usage. Newspapers no longer have a shipping page such as in the past, and so "North River", amongst the general public, has gone the way of the great ships which once crowded the New York waterways.

I don't remember the exact date, but I was there when the SS France
made it's first trans Atlantic cruise.
My Dad brought me down to the waterfront to see this
magnificent ship sail into NY Harbor.

I did an inspection of the ship, renamed the SS Norway
in November of 2002 and also watched it sail out from the
Port of Miami that afternoon. It cut an impressive figure as
she sailed past the breakwater into the open sea.
Although no where near the size of the Voyager class
ships, it was just as long and really still looked,
the Grand Dame that she was.

Popeye

Reggie, the France/Norway was still the longest liner afloat right up until QM2 came along, which for a ship of her age, was quite some feat really considering how cruises and cruising has evolved.

She left Le Havre for her maiden Transatlantic on February 3rd 1962. (Which probably makes you feel a little old, sorry )

Kyle what a wonderful review of your experience........thank you for sharing that with our board! Kudo's to you!

Originally Posted by PagodaSwan

Reggie, the France/Norway was still the longest liner afloat right up until QM2 came along, which for a ship of her age, was quite some feat really considering how cruises and cruising has evolved.

She left Le Havre for her maiden Transatlantic on February 3rd 1962. (Which probably makes you feel a little old, sorry )

I know she was just a few feet different than the Voyager class ships,
over a thousand feet anyway.

I was 15 when I saw the SS France in NY Harbor.


Reggie