Queen Mary 2 Visits Honolulu

The Queen Mary 2 is one very, very large ship . . . the largest passenger ship in history! This photograph, that graced the front page of today's Honolulu Advertiser, is one that I wish that I had taken myself. (click on photo to enlarge it)

One local measure of its size is that it is as long as six Aloha Towers (for many years the tallest building in the state) laid end to end.

It even has a planetarium for "heavens" sake! (pun intended).

Well, it didn't stay long, just overnight.

Only two years age the Queen Elizabeth 2 passed through Honolulu on her last cruise before returning to England.

Way back in 1966 I sailed into Southampton harbor after crossing the Atlantic on the SS Rotterdam, at that time the largest passenger liner engaged in world cruises.

There was a dock strike in England that week so shipping was all tied up (literally). As we passed through the harbor (or should I spell it "harbour?") it turned out that the original Queen Elizabeth (with two stacks) and Queen Mary (with three) were docked end to end. It seemed like it took forever for us to pass these two mammoth passenger liners, staring straight up from what we had thought was a large ship!

So, now I have personally seen all four of these great ships and I am content.

Big isn't always beautiful but, when it comes to a passenger ship that is 24-stories tall, it can be awesome!