The bow of the RMS Titanic lies on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada…

THE RMS TIANTIC…

A high-tech expedition that aims to create a detailed map of the wreckage of the Titanic has begun exploring the ocean floor where the ship sank nearly one hundred years ago, the crew said Thursday.

Sonar onboard an automated submersible vehicle combined with high-resolution video will be used to create three dimensional images of the fabled ocean-liner.

The expedition, organized by the American group RMS Titanic, which holds exploration rights for the wreck, arrived on Wednesday aboard the scientific vessel Jean Charcot and started by laying flowers on the water’s surface to commemorate the 1,500 victims of the shipwreck.

Transponders were then deployed at the bottom of the Atlantic to determine, with the help of sonar pings from an automated underwater vehicle (AUV), the exact position of the Titanic.

Finally, the AUV “Mary Ann” was deployed at 0647 GMT. She reached the bottom after diving for an hour and 40 minutes.

“Surveying of the Titanic wreck site has begun,” said the expedition on its website.

Another robotic submersible equipped with a video camera will be deployed next.

Christopher Davino, president of RMS Titanic, said in a statement that the goal is to “create the most detailed portrait of Titanic’s wreck site to date.”

The team of experts, he said, “will be using some of the most advanced technology available to create a portrait of the ship unlike any that has been created before — virtually raising Titanic and sealing her current state forever in the minds and hearts of humanity.”

The mission, which set sail from St John’s, Newfoundland, will provide real-time video and photo updates on Facebook and Twitter during a more than 20-day expedition.

Other images and information will be found on the mission’s website, www.expeditiontitanic.com.

The Titanic, a luxury passenger ship once thought to be unsinkable, hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank in the early morning of April 15, 1912, killing 1,500 people.

After decades of searching, the wreckage of the Titanic was discovered in 1985 some four kilometers (2.5 miles) beneath the surface of the sea.

Video on the Titanic.

Liner and Cruise History: Raise the Titanic! Virtually, that is.

On Aug. 18, an expedition will begin exploring the lost ship, some 2.5 miles down on the floor of the Atlantic.

“Ultimately our mission is to preserve the legacy of this monument to human history,” says David Gallo of the Woods Hole (Mass.) Oceanographic Institution. Gallo is co-leader of the expedition with P.H. Nargeolet of RMS Titanic Inc., which has rights to explore the wreck, first located in 1985.

In a pair of two-week voyages, underwater robots will take three-dimensional sonar and video images of the bow, stern and debris field from the wreck. Then, teams will return to take samples from the decaying iron of its hull, aimed at answering questions about the mechanism of its demise.

Researchers from the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, the Maritime Heritage Program of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Submerged Resources Center of the National Park Service will join the expedition. “We commend RMS Titanic for their approach to the site and for their leadership for this mission and look forward to working with all our partners on this significant project that will not only help map the site but also suggest a blueprint for its future,” says INA’s James Delgado, in a statement.

Exhibitions are planned following completion of the three-dimensional mapping of the complete debris field, including items lodged beneath the muddy seafloor. “We do think the debris field will tell us a lot about what happened that night,” says WHOI’s Bill Lange. “I’m looking forward to having another look.”

PATHE NEWSREEL OF QE 2 ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK ON MAIDEN VOYAGE

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the ‘QE2′, is a former Cunard ocean liner, now owned by Nakheel (a division of Dubai World). She was designed to primarily run a transatlantic service from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, and was named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth, and served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Built in Clydebank, Scotland, she was considered the last of the great transatlantic ocean liners built for over four decades before the construction of the QM2.

Before she was refitted with a diesel power plant in 1986/87, QE2 was also the last oil fired passenger steamship to cross the Atlantic in scheduled liner service. During almost forty years of service, the QE2 undertook regular world cruises and latterly operated predominantly as a cruise ship, sailing out of Southampton, England. QE2 had no identical sister ship or running mate and never ran a year round weekly transatlantic express service to New York. QE2 did, however, continue the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life.
QE2 retired from active Cunard service on 27 November 2008, where it was planned for her to begin conversion to a floating hotel which would have seen her eventually moored at the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. However, as of March 2010 she remains moored at Port Rashid awaiting an uncertain future.

Cunard Line was the only company to continue regular transatlantic ocean crossings by liners after the 1970s.  The French Line, Italian Line, the United States Line had gone out of business.  Swedish America Line, Holland America Line along with Home Lines continued but only operating cruise ships.  Liner service between New York and Europe was only offered by Cunard.   The QE 2 made numerous crossings into the 21st Century – making Cunard Line the only way to cross the pond and continuing the tradition of “getting there is half the fun.”

Of all the cruise lines in the market of today, perhaps the most venerable would be the Cunard line. A name that is synonymous with transatlantic crossing, the Cunard Cruise Ship Line is known in some capacity to just about everybody who knows anything about ships. The famous old brand is of course most famous for its White Star Line ships of the early part of the last century, and in particular the tragic and ill-fated liner Titanic, which even those who care nothing for travel of any sort know at least something about. Even if it is only in connection with Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet, surely there is no-one reading this who does not know what happened, ultimately, to this most ambitious of passenger liners.

Today, the Cunard line still sails the sea, though today it is owned by the Carnival Corporation and has just two active ships – the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria. There are also plans afoot to build a third ship, which will be named for Britain’s current monarch Queen Elizabeth, after the old Queen Elizabeth II (or QE2) was retired from active service pending its conversion to a hotel ship, which will be moored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The current fleet is used principally for world cruises, and mixes the stately grandeur of its forebears with the inescapable touch of modernity – no cruise liner of the present day can afford to be without a spa complex, after all.

The ships of the present day notwithstanding, those who know the name Cunard will most likely know it through its impact on history. The sinking of the Titanic is as inextricably linked with the Cunard name as any company can be with a past event. No-one who has heard the story of the Titanic can possibly forget it. Spoken of before its launch in such glowing terms as to become legendary, the Titanic’s end was all the more shattering to the Cunard brand. The very moment the word “unsinkable” was uttered in connection with the ship, it was as though its fate were sealed. We all know what happened next – inevitably, tragically, the ship sank to a watery grave after a huge collision with an iceberg holed it beneath the water line.

It is, then, to Cunard’s credit that it is still in operation today, regardless of its status as part of the Carnival Cruises portfolio. On the Cunard Cruise Ship Line website there are still references to the company’s renowned “White Star Service”, even though two of the three White Star Line ships ended up sinking. The present day ships, although possessed of the same grandeur for which Cunard became a watchword, have made a seamless fit for the present-day requirements of the cruise liner. As indeed they must, for any ship that undertakes a world cruise taking up to three months at a time will need to lay on the very best in comforts for its passengers. In years to come, people will still remember the Titanic – but anyone who has sailed aboard the current Cunard fleet agrees that there is far more to the famous name of Cunard than that.

Cunard continues to be the gold standard for transatlantic ocean liner service.  It is really a point to point crossing.  Not a cruise – since you are going from New York to Southampton.  It is a passenger service in the sense that you can enjoy transportation at a comparable price to a Business Class or many times full fare Economy Class airline ticket.  You get six nights lodging, meals and the perks of a resort hotel.  It is an ideal way to come back from Europe – because the time change is gradual.  You don’t return exhausted from a long horrendous airline flight.

Cunard’s current success rests upon a rich heritage of 170 years of building and operating ocean liners on transatlantic voyages. From its earliest days, the Cunard name has been synonymous with leadership in ocean liners and transatlantic travel, a tradition that continues to this day.

Lord and Lady Astor arriving aboard a Cunard Line ship at Southampton

Significance

As its current company tag-line conveys, throughout history, Cunard has operated “The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World™.” The first company to take passengers on regularly scheduled transatlantic departures, Cunard has built and continuously reinforced a reputation as an ocean liner pioneer. Today, it remains a transatlantic cruise leader, operating the world-famous Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 vessels.

Founder: Sir Samuel Cunard

Canadian entrepreneur Sir Samuel Cunard (1787-1865) founded the British and North American Steam Packet Company (later named Cunard Line) in 1839, when he and several colleagues won a bid to carry the British Royal Mail to the U.S. and Canada. Cunard, who had a reputation for being a savvy and diplomatic businessman, was inducted into the American Society of Travel Agents Travel Hall of Fame for his role in helping to develop transatlantic travel.

The Evolution of Cruising

In 1840, Cunard Line introduced four steamships making weekly transatlantic voyages with passengers and cargo. By 1881, the company introduced its first ocean liner intended solely for passenger travel. In the late 1940s, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth began transatlantic voyages and in 1949, Cunard introduced the first vessel akin to modern cruise ships. By the 1950s, Cunard had 12 ocean liners in service. In the following decades, Cunard continued to add features and enhance the luxury of its liners, leading to today’s top-of-the-line cruising experience.

Cunard Firsts

Cunard built its legacy in part through many famous firsts. For example, in 1881, Cunard introduced the first ship to be lighted by electricity. Cunard’s Mauretania, in 1907, was the first ship to offer multiroom suites.

In 1934, the Queen Mary became the first merchant ship to be launched by a member of the Royal family. And the Queen Elizabeth 2 was the first (and still is the only) ship to sail 5 million nautical miles.

Recent History

Cunard has continued to build upon its history of excellence into recent times. In 2003, the Queen Elizabeth 2 won a maritime Oscar above all other vessels in the large-ship category. In early 2009, tickets for the Queen Elizabeth’s October 2010 maiden voyage sold out in a record 29 minutes—beating the Cunard’s previous sellout record of 36 minutes for the Queen Elizabeth 2’s final voyage. Cunard continues to draw passengers with its strong reputation and growing array of on-board luxuries, such as Canyon Ranch Spas and five-star restaurants.

The Queen Elizabeth 2, or QE2 as she is commonly known was the flagship of the Cunard Line for nearly 40 years. QE2 made her maiden voyage in 1969 and was one of the last great Transatlantic liners. At 70,327 tons and 963 feet long with a top speed of 32.5 knots she is also one of the fastest and grandest passenger vessels ever built. QE2 is arguably the most famous liner in the world. QE2 is currently docked permanently in Dubai. QE2 is the world’s most loved ocean liner. She spent 35 years as the Cunard flagship and has traveled over 5.6 million nautical miles, more than any other ship; has carried over 2.5 million guests; has completed 25 World Cruises; and has crossed the Atlantic 803 times. QE2 leaves the Cunard fleet in November 2008 to begin her new life in Dubai as a first class hotel and entertainment destination.

The QE2 on her final visit to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Link here to visit a terrific website covering everything about this great ship. For complete information visit the QE2 website by clicking here.

A brief history follows of the Cunard Liner QUEEN ELIZABETH 2.

Excellent photos of the TITANIC from this youtube video.

The City of Belfast once again is commemorating and celebrating the world’s most famous ocean liner, the RMS Titanic. The 98th Anniversary of the Sinking – April 15th…

Be sure to visit this excellent website – THE ENCYCLOPEDIA TITANIC – one of the best websites dedicated to the RMS TITANIC and famous tragedy.

The ninth annual ‘Titanic Made in Belfast’ festival, organised by Belfast City Council, begins today , and continues until Sunday 11 April, with tickets for various events now at the Belfast Welcome Centre.

This year’s festival is centred around a variety of events at the City Hall, while special Titanic themed tours, on both land and water, will give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the Titanic story.

“The Titanic story is probably one of the most fascinating, amazing, poignant, thought provoking and absorbing tales from the last century, if not the last millennium,” commented the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Naomi Long, who will join John Andrews – a descendant of Titanic’s designer, Thomas Andrews, and President of the Belfast Titanic Society – to officially open the eight day festival at the City Hall tomorrow morning.

“For too long, Belfast’s part in the Titanic story, and the role of the people of Belfast in bringing Titanic to life, has been neglected. Over the past few years, the city that gave birth to the ship, and many others, finally and rightfully acknowledged her part in the tale, and Belfast City Council once again is proud to celebrate the achievement, commemorate the tragedy and educate the world about our city’s role in the Titanic story,” concluded the Lord Mayor.

A wealth of activities have been organised by Belfast City Council throughout the month of April, and specifically during the week of 3 – 11 April, including:

* the return to the City Hall of the acclaimed ‘Titanic – Past and Present’ exhibition, which traces the ship’s story from her inception to her portrayal in the 21st century;
* a display of more than 250 museum-quality artefacts and memorabilia connected to Titanic and the White Star Line, by leading auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son;
* special children’s activities tomorrow, Sunday 4, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April, including ‘Tea And Tales’ storytelling sessions, badge making and face painting;
* a series of daily ‘Titanic Talks’ by leading experts in their fields, looking at many different aspects of the Titanic story, from Edwardian fashion to Lord Pirrie’s Surrey estate, from Titanic’s children to the marketing phenomena which has surrounded the ship for the past century;
* the story of ‘Titanic on Film’ with a series of special screenings at City Hall throughout the week, including James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ and ‘Ghosts Of The Abyss’, BBC Newsline’s ‘A Journey To Remember’ and Robert Ballard’s ‘Secrets Of The Titanic’, Roy Ward Baker’s 1958 classic ‘A Night To Remember’ and ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’, from 1964;
* ‘All Aboard The Titanic’, a play by students from Dominican College, being staged in the City Hall tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 3 April), and the story of the Titanic told in dance by the Ballynafeigh School of Irish Dancing, on Sunday 11 April;
* the ‘Titanic: Designed and Built in Belfast’ exhibition, which takes visitors on a journey into the past through the photography of RJ Welch, the official photographer of Harland and Wolff, currently on show at W5 and continuing until Sunday 11 April, during normal W5 opening hours;
* daily boat tours from Donegall Quay, bus tours of Queen’s Island and walking tours of the Belfast known by Thomas Andrews, designer of Titanic and her sister ships – and a chance to try out the award-winning interactive ‘Titanic Trail’, using the latest handheld GPS technology;
* tours of the Thompson Dry Dock and Pump House, as are personalised ‘Titanic Tours’ conducted by Susie Millar, the great-granddaughter of a Titanic crew member.

On Thursday 15 April – the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic – Belfast City Council and the Belfast Titanic Society will hold the annual ceremony commemorating everyone, and especially the local people, who lost their lives that fateful night.

Full details of all the events being staged to celebrate ‘Titanic Made in Belfast’ are available in the April edition of ‘Whatabout’, available from outlets throughout the city.

The QE2.  Will she end up as a hotel or sent to India to be scrapped?  As Dubai goes broke – we look at more steamship history.

When Cunard began operating the Queen Mary 2, the venerable Queen Elizabeth II (known as the QE2 which operated from 1969-2008) which hosted the world’s elite was supposed to have an illustrious future after begin converted to a floating hotel which would have seen the ship eventually be moored at Palm Jumeirah, Dubai known for its palm tree-shaped islands. Those plans may be in jeopardy.

The QE2 was purchased by Istithmar, a private equity firm operated by Dubai World. Istithmar bought the QE2, once the largest passenger ship in existence, in 2007 for an estimated $100 million.

The RMS Queen Elizabeth (number 1) never made it to hotel status like the RMS Queen Mary.   The “Elizabeth” ended up burning in Hong Kong harbor.

It is no secret Dubai World is in trouble with $22 billion in debts racked up during their global investment acquisition activity during the past decade. Dubai was one of the first nations to publicly admit their financial issues due to the worldwide recession. The announcements from Dubai rattled the financial markets during the fall of 2009.

The potential sale of the QE2 is not unprecedented. Istithmar has already shed some assets at a reported loss. In December 2009, the firm sold the The W Hotel Union Suqare (one of the few buildings in Manhattan grandfathered for a roof-top sign) in New York for only $2 million in a foreclosure auction. Istithmar reportedly paid $285 million for the boutique.

QE 2 on a world cruise – Video.

Questions remain including how do you value a historic luxury cruise ship with a storied past no longer in service? And, who are the potential buyers? Queen Mary in Long Beach; she may have some new competition.

Cunard Line History: RMS QUEEN MARY AND THE BLUE RIBBON

RMS QUEEN MARY – Edges Up in Race For Blue Ribbon, POV plane Queen Mary sailing on ocean. We see inside the bridge, operating signal to engine room, officers at map table, tugboats pushing it into dock and MS ship’s commander. A glimpse of John D. Rockefeller Jr. as passenger. Transferred from original 35mm nitrate print. Footage from this subject is available for licensing from www.globalimageworks.com

RMS Queen Mary arriving 1936 in Southampton, England. Painting from the British Maritime Museum.

Famous film star CLARK GABLE seen aboard the RMS QUEEN MARY in the 1950s.

RMS QUEEN MARY (HOTEL) in Long Beach with Cunard Line’s new rms QUEEN MARY seen arriving last year in harbor.

Actor BURT LANCASTER seen in the first class smoking room of the RMS QUEEN MARY.

CLICK HERE to check out this excellent website to view the comparisons between Ttitanic the Movie and the historic RMS Titanic.

Titanic youTube video History – One of many interviews recorded in 1970s and 1980s of survivors of the RMS TITANIC tragedy.

VIDEO PREVIEW OF THE GREAT LINER SERIES

Producer/writer Des Cox has searched the world for over ten years to find the rare archive film necessary to make this most brilliant production.

Now, using only moving film, most of which has never been made available to the public before, you can now step back in time to an age when our nation had pride in its achievements, and experience just what it was like to have sailed aboard the world’s most famous ocean liner, – Feel the excitement as you arrive in Southampton to join her for her maiden voyage and a little later, on the voyage she captured the prized Blue Riband for Cunard White Star and for a whole rejoicing nation.

You will share the joy and pride of those most momentous of maritime occasions if you were actually there in person, and see the ship as never been seen on video before: The bridge – decks – public rooms – restaurants – cabins – even crew working areas never seen before such as her secluded yet productive print- shop and her massive, cavernous engine rooms.

Sadly, there will never be another great ocean liner quite like the “Queen Mary” and there will never be another video made about her to equal the content and quality of this one. This video doesn’t contain any still pictures – footage of her in California today – or unnecessary interviews, only sensational, rare archive film, all shot professionally on 1 6mm film during her undisputed heyday as the Queen of the North Atlantic.

Produced to British Broadcast Standards it has a running time of approximately 59 mins and is widely accepted as being the only video ever made to do justice to the glorious “Queen Mary”.