John Honeywell, Author at Captain Greybeard

Golden moment for QM2’s designer

Genesis of a Queen: It's a talk that Dr Stephen Payne has delivered countless times since he designed Cunard's flagship, Queen Mary 2. He must have given it to gatherings of schoolchildren and students, industrialists and Rotarians, around the UK and across the world. Today, however, was very special. He was addressing 1,000 passengers on board the ship during the 214th Transatlantic crossing which has been chosen to mark its 10th anniversary. Undeterred by a momentary microphone malfunction, he stood on the stage of the vessel's magnificent Royal Court Theatre, beaming under the spotlights' glare. It was, he revealed, the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 14 May 2014|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

All together now for Cunard’s QM2

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 13 May 2014|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Eats, Shoots and Dances on QM2

The sea has calmed a little; the north Atlantic is no millpond and in racing parlance the "going" is officially described as moderate, but waves are no longer licking at the over-sized porthole windows of the Golden Lion pub. Queen Mary 2, entering Day 3 of her 10th anniversary crossing, is bowling along at a steady 21.2 knots. That's still just a little over two-thirds of her design speed, but it's enough to keep the forward decks closed to protect passengers from the 30-knot sou'westerly. We are not, after all, on a leisurely cruise of the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 12 May 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Moving moment for birthday girl QM2

There have been thousands of words and hundreds of pictures of the momentous day when Cunard's Three Queens assembled in Southampton to celebrate the 10th anniversary year of Cunard's Queen Mary 2. Time now for a couple of videos of the day's events. Guest of honour, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, toured the ship and visited several crew-only areas before sitting down to lunch in the Britannia dining room.

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 10 May 2014|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

QM2’s anniversary crossing: Day 1

The sky is the palest shade of duck-egg blue, sitting above a soft roll of cotton wool clouds on the horizon. Beneath them the grey sea boils angrily, wind-streaked and flecked with white horses. No wonder. A westerly gale is blowing at a steady 40 knots. Queen Mary 2, on the first full day at sea on her 214th Transatlantic crossing, is heading straight into it. A message from the bridge announces that for safety reasons the open areas of the forward decks have been closed to passengers. The weather and the sea want to toss QM2's massive bulk around [...]

By John Honeywell| 2015-04-10T14:23:24+00:00 10 May 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Kimberley Coast on the screen

Pleasantly surprised to discover that Australia's Kimberley - which I have just visited on Silver Discoverer - is about to feature on BBC television. Its spectacular scenery will be displayed in the latest season of Coast. Historian and archaeologist Neil Oliver leads a local team of presenters to discover the spectacular coastline - its people, their history, and its many natural wonders. In the Kimberley of Western Australia, according to the BBC's publicity, Neil "wrestles the southern hemisphere's biggest tides at the surging Horizontal Falls, so I'm guessing he wasn't there at the tame neap tides, as I was. Tim [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-05-07T08:56:01+00:00 7 May 2014|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Cruising to victory in the IoM TT

The murderously expensive Monaco Grand Prix aside, there are not many opportunities to combine cruising with motorsport. So hats off (or should that be crash helmets?) to Fred Olsen, who have put together a voyage which ties in with the Isle of Man TT in May next year. The Superbikes and Scenic Hikes itinerary on Balmoral, leaves Southampton on May 31, 2015, and visits Guernsey, Tobermory and Kirkwall before putting into Douglas, on the Isle of Man. There's also a stop in Dublin. Julie Colquitt, the island's business development manager, said: ""We are thrilled that Fred Olsen Cruise Lines have [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 2 May 2014|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Through Gorgeous George Gorge to climb the falls and swim a billabong

Many of the rivers bays, headlands and other topographical features in the Kimberley are named after various members of European royalty from the 19th century, the time when the region was being mapped for the first time. The fact that one of the first explorers of this remote part of Western Australia was a chap called King adds confusion to the regal connection. It's a shame that young Prince George could not have been with us today on Silver Discoverer's visit to the King George River to wrap up the Royal Visit to Australia. I'm pretty sure he would have [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 28 April 2014|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Muddied but unbowed, Silversea’s explorers discover the Kimberley

It's been a week of firsts, visiting Australia's Kimberley region on board Silver Discoverer, and there were plenty more of them yesterday. On a five-hour excursion by Zodiac up the Prince Regent River, I saw my first saltwater crocodile, and a pod of rare snub-nosed dolphins. The croc was basking in the sun on a rock ledge at the side of the wide, arrow-straight river. Its fearsome array of pointed teeth could not have been whiter if it had a regular regime of dental care. They glistened in the sun as the menacing creature remained unconcerned by the flotilla of [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 26 April 2014|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Spectacular start for Regal Princess

Regal Princess, which left the shipyard this week for her first sea trials, will be christened at the end of next month. It's going to be a relatively low-key affair compared with the stunning success of last year's ceremony in Southampton, where a heavily pregnant Kate Middleton was godmother and grabbed headlines and topped television news bulletins around the world. The ship is still going to be a spectacular vessel, with entertainment to match - as you can see from this video.

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 19 April 2014|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments