Thread: Date Change for the two Queen's First Meeting

The date has been put back for the historic first meeting of Queen Mary and Queen Mary 2

The ‘royal rendezvous’ between Queen Mary 2 and her namesake will now take place on Feb. 23 in Long Beach, Calif., a day later than originally announced. After passing through ‘Queen's Gate,’ the same breakwater gate the Queen Mary used on her arrival to Long Beach in 1967, the Queen Mary 2 will maneuver as close as possible in the harbor to the Queen Mary for a photo opportunity. Then the two ships will sound a whistle salute and the Queen Mary 2 will proceed on her itinerary to Ensenada.

Cunard Line, the R.M.S. Queen Mary and the Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a website (www.thequeenmarysmeet.com) to promote the occasion, with details on best viewing points, driving directions, ship histories, fun facts and comparisons of the two ocean liners.

Thousands of spectators and numerous ships and boats are expected to sail out to greet QM2 as she approaches the Long Beach coastline at approximately noon. The liner will be on a three-day inaugural sailing from Los Angeles after completing a 38-day voyage around South America.

Thanks for the heads up Ally!

Early morning and evening fog can be a real issue along SoCal's coastal areas.

Although the change means that I will miss out on photographing QM2 from the decks of the Queen Mary, if the two ships are barely visible to each other in the fog, then the whole thing would have been a dissapointment.

The change in schedule virtually guarantees beautiful blue skies. (one can count on it not raining around here) Lately the weather here has been perfect. Yes, I said perfect.

But now that QM2 is actually cruising into Long Beach harbor, (there is now plenty of time to do this) even if it does rain, the photo opp will be breathtaking, stunning, seeing the two Mary's adjacent to each other.

KYLE!!!!! I will miss this by one day (I fly into LA for Long Beach on the 24th!) and I'm heartbroken. I would have loved to have seen this! (Room at the Hyatt LB too! would have been a perfect view!) Please take as many pix as you can! Thanks!

Originally Posted by TerilynnS

KYLE!!!!! I will miss this by one day (I fly into LA for Long Beach on the 24th!) and I'm heartbroken. I would have loved to have seen this! (Room at the Hyatt LB too! would have been a perfect view!) Please take as many pix as you can! Thanks!

You bet I'll take tons of photos. You might see me on the news!
Shame you'll miss it!

myself and some friends doing things we have no right doing:
standing at the base of the Queen Mary's third funnel, and me squatting on Queen Mary's inner starboard propeller shaft.
The shaft could use a good cleaning. Back in the day, these four shafts were bright, shiney, pristine, and turned at 240rpm!

Originally Posted by stowaway2k

The change in schedule virtually guarantees beautiful blue skies. (one can count on it not raining around here) Lately the weather here has been perfect. Yes, I said perfect.

Don't jinx it. Some of us have been doing a rain dance in our backyards trying to get rain for our lawns. Our ever browning lawns.

Kyle............we all look forward to your pictures

Udated info from
www.thequeensmeet.com :

Schedule of Events for Thursday , February 23, 200612:00 NoonThe Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest and most elegant ocean liner of today, will sail into the Port of Long Beach through Queen’s Gate, the same entrance used by the RMS Queen Mary when she arrived in Long Beach in 1967.

Led by Long Beach fireboats shooting fountains of seawater high into the air from their water cannons, and escorted by a flotilla of smaller ships, yachts and boats of all types, the Queen Mary 2 will maneuver as close to the Queen Mary’s stern as water depth will allow (approximately 1/3 mile from the Queen Mary)

12:30 p.m.The two great Queens will greet each other for this historic first meeting with a “whistle salute” using their 2,000 pound, 7-foot long signaling horns that will be heard for 10 miles. The Queen Mary 2 will remain in place for approximately one hour.

A squadron of 5 from Skytypers, Inc. will print a 5-mile long, 1,200 foot high welcome message 10,000 feet above the two Queen Marys.
1:30 p.m.
Queen Mary 2 will bid Bon Voyage” to Long Beach and the Queen Mary as she continues on her cruise to Mexico.

Originally Posted by stowaway2k

Udated info from
the Queen Mary 2 will maneuver as close to the Queen Mary’s stern as water depth will allow (approximately 1/3 mile from the Queen Mary)

Ohhh......geez.....watch those pods!!!