About the QE2

"I was a first class steward on the QE2 and recall lots of passengers, mostly rich, some very rich and some famous," a Queens Grill waiter told me back in 1996. "I recall serving Elizabeth Taylor, Elton John and Rod Stewart. I especially remember Mr & Mrs Rosenberg, who were fantastically rich and who came on for every world cruise. They were 100-day trips. The Rosenbergs were great Cunard customers --- they take the two penthouses and some if not all the adjoining suites. They used one penthouse to sleep in, one to entertain, some suites just for clothes & other pieces and some suites for the friends they'd invite to join them on those 3-month-long cruises. It was estimated at that they would spend $1 1/2 million each year for their voyage. It was also said that amount by itself paid the QE2's fuel bill for 3 months. Needless to say, the Rosenbergs were well looked after. Mrs Rosenberg would bring hundreds of dresses onboard, along with shoes and accessories, and they'd always bring part of their huge Disney collection as well. Mrs Rosenberg was, and it was well known, very indecisive. When ashore, she could never quite decide on her purchases and instead would buy out entire shops, sometimes for furniture, and have it sent to the QE2. This would be stored in the hold. The Rosenbergs had a Rolls Royce greet them in every port and there were as many as 40 stops on a world cruise. They even had the very last and only smoking table in the Queens Grill. Unchangeable, Mr Rosenberg was a chain smoker!"

This photo of mine was taken of the then quite new QE2 in the fall of 1970 at New York's Pier 92.

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright Bill Miller. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia