Lisbon - The Three Queens

Tuesday 6th May

I have been to Lisbon several times and still feel that I do not know the place. On the first occasion I tried to work out the tram system and failed. On the second occasion I simply wandered around. Last time I went on a tour to Sintra and Cascais. One day I hope to get on a HoHo bus and really explore it, but that will need to wait until I have more energy.

The big event for this day was the fact that the three Queens were together in Lisbon for the first time. Cunard has publicised it well and the people of Cunard were pleased to have it and turned it into an event. There was a band playing and an official marquee for the welcome. By the time I got out of the ship at 12.30, the band was playing its last number and packing up, and the marquee was empty by the time I arrived.

It was great to wander the dock and look at the three ships. I have been on Queen Mary 2 but have never yet been on the Queen Elizabeth. One day ...

New passengers must have been embarking the Queen Elizabeth in Lisbon, as I saw a gangway being hauled into position. I presume it was for luggage.

I spent a brief time in Lisbon, getting there by shuttle bus and being stuck in bad traffic on the way. The traffic was so bad that several excursions did not make it to all the advertised places, and one coach was an hour late back to the QM2, which delayed our departure.

At 5pm, the time we were meant to leave, the celebrations began. The sailaway party was out the back. The band played; we waved union jacks. We waited … and waited. At last we set sail at 6pm and I rushed to the front of the ship to try to see the other ships, as I could not see them from the back of the ship; we were the last in line. We had been told that they would line up at 7:30 so I had a quick dinner in the Lido and went to my room to photograph them from the balcony as I dressed for dancing. I could see the ships going under the bridge in a staggered line but that was all.

I gave up and went off to the dancing. At the end of it, at 8.15, we noticed QM2 out of the ballroom window, in line with us. I rushed to deck 3 to go outside to take photos. I could not see QE as she was on the other side of QM2. During that time the other ships fell back and from there we proceeded in line, with our ship in front. That seemed only fitting, seeing we have Commodore Rynd aboard. During the line-up, a helicopter had been taking photos and had done a sweep-through between the ships. I’m sorry I missed that.

I left the dancing at 11.30 because it was the Chocolate special and Ice Fantasia in the Lido between 10 and 12pm. The chefs had done a splendid job. There was an incredible variety of chocolate dishes, and the ice statues were wonderful. I would have liked to be there with a few friends so I could have tried bits of the sliced cakes. They all looked too big, so I tried some of the tiny cakes instead.