Then and Now

 

It’s interesting to compare our experience on the QM2 in 2024 with our experience on the Empress of England way back in 1968.  Both trips were in the North Atlantic if at different times of year and in different directions.

The main difference is size.  The QM2 is absolutely huge at 1,132 feet long and 134 feet wide.  The EofE was a mere 640 feet long and 85 feet wide.  The QM2 can carry 2,695 passengers versus only 1,058 on the EofE.  Every cabin on the QM2 has its own ensuite with a shower, etc.  

I’m not sure if any of the cabins on the EofE had their own bathrooms; perhaps in First Class.  On the EofE, we shared the bathroom with other passengers in our part of the ship.  No shower but there was a bathtub! Actually, I think there was a washbasin in the cabin - hard to remember.

(p.s. The Titanic was 882 feet long and 92 feet wide so not much larger than the EofE)

Another difference is Class.  The EofE had First Class and Tourist Class. First Class was generally segregated from Tourist with its own restaurant, lounges, etc, that were off-limits to the unwashed Tourist class.  The QM2 does have what they call ‘grills’ but these are really just separate restaurants/menus that are available to people with higher priced cabins.  Otherwise, everything seems to be available to all including room service!

On the EofE, one of the first things we had to do was the lifeboat drill.  This involved actually putting on lifejackets and assembling at the assigned muster station.  All good fun with lots of friendly banter between passengers.  But we knew exactly what to do if there was an emergency!  By contrast, the equivalent on the QM2 was a video that all passengers have to watch on the TV in their cabins. The information went in one ear and out the other.  In this respect, things had regressed.  In fairness, the video was available in multiple languages.  A lot of the passengers were German-speaking as the ship continued to Hamburg after stopping at Southampton.

The promenade deck on the QM2 is almost entirely open to the elements except at the bow. So it can be quite windy and wet.  By contrast, I seem to remember that the promenade deck on the EofE was mostly enclosed.  Most of the cabins on the QM2 have some sort of balcony.  Ours did not as we opted for an inside cabin - not a lot to see on a transatlantic crossing anyway.  I don't think any of the cabins on the EofE had balconies.  Ours had a porthole and I remember there was a sign warning passengers not to open the porthole while the ship was under way. 

The EofE was probably faster than the QM2 as it did the trip from Liverpool to Montreal in 7 days, a distance of about 5,000 km which included an overnight stop in Greenock, Scotland and Quebec City.  The QM2 takes 7 days to travel a slightly longer distance of 5,508 km from New York to Southampton.

The QM2 is very, very smooth.  There’s almost no sensation of movement until you look out at the sea rushing by.  By comparison, the EofE was quite rough with lots of people being seasick and the swimming pool was closed because of the motion.

Cunard is part of the Carnival group of companies.  Curiously, Carnival got started in 1972 with ships called the Mardi Gras and the Carnivale.  These had previously been the Empress of Canada and Empress of Britain which were the EofE's sister ships.  The EofE was sold to a different company and became the Ocean Monarch.