Queens a Pair: Two-toot Salute

The Queen Mary 2 salutes the original Queen Mary at an historic meeting on Thursday, Feburary 23, 2006.

Here's something you don't see every day! "A Royal Rendezvous" they call it on the little flags the street vendors were hawking. The good ship Queen Mary, a long-time resident in retirement at Long Beach harbor, has deigned to receive its 70-year junior Queen Mary 2.

Now that's worth a picture! Well, maybe a couple of pictures . . . and a half-dozen television helicopters . . . and fireboats spraying celebratory fronds of glistening seawater . . . and a brace of buxom blimps groaning overhead . . . and thousands and thousands of people playing hooky from school and jobs, clinging to the soggy rocks of the breakwater.

We all awaited the grand damme finale: The new Queen, standing a respectful distance off in the crowded turning basin, floats a billowing steam-powered blast of its deep bass whistle across the waters in homage to her elder namesake. After a decorous pause, the dowager Queen responds with a blast of her own, equally as powerful and three octaves lower.

The Queen and Queen 2 -- a two-toot salute. You should have been there!

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Queen
• Mary
• cruise
• ship
• long
• beach
• harbor
• horn
• whistle

[ThePrimeSpotcom]

I was diappointed the honks weren't louder. I had rearranged my mail route so I could be "there" in time. The pier was pretty crowded that day. Maybe if it wasn't so overcast the horn would have sounded clearer?

[FlyingFoxOne]

I agree. Louder would have been better . . . but it was still a "sound seldom heard," and I treasure the memory for that fact alone.

[ronnykmarshall]

QM 1: Hey girl, what up?

QM 2: Chillin, momma!

[BamBogleBlaster]

Well in the past, Queens have been ocean liners (as opposed to cruise ships), and have been launched as new flagships to the Cunard line. That makes the QM2, which is both a flagship and a true ocean liner, the last true queen.

[TheZoomerica]

That is as close as they could get due to the shallow water...QM2 needs 30+ feet of water to be safe.

[halofanboylol101]

why didnt the QM2 go closer to the QM1

[N617A]

so are the queen marys sisters or mom and daughter????? there both freaking beautiful!!!!!!!! (even tho i may have enjoyed 1 a little more because i kinda find the older engeneering interesting.)

[gingerbobawsomepants]

It would be awsome if the queen mary 2 came next to the original showing the queens side by side!

[paulcheall]

Awesome sight! My Dad sailed on the QM1 during the war on a three week journey round the Cape of Good Hope to North Africa. Very poignant reminiscence in his memoirs, being published by Pen and Sword. Visit fightingthrough.co.uk to learn more. Paul

[Peter43John]

QM2 does not look as nice as QM, but ALOT better than QE(3) and Queen Victoria! God those 2 ships are ugly! NO stern what so ever-like someone just broke the ship in 2 like the Titanic!!

[shanksblade]

I remember the first time I heard the QM2's horn. I was sitting staring at the ship knowing what was coming then BOOM. Made me jump xD It was the most awesome thing I ever heard in my life!!!

[GoVNO1998]

the old one looks much more better,...reminds of titanic a little bit

[GrandCanyonRailfan]

Theirs 2 Queen Mary

[skot66]

I was there...on the stern of the Queen Mary. Then in Oct. I went to Europe on the QM2