A Royal Rendezvous of Cunard’s Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth cruise ships
The first night of our Panama Canal cruise aboard the Queen Elizabeth was a special one. On September 25, 1967, as the Queen Mary was about to make her final transatlantic voyage en route to Long Beach, she passed her sister ship, the original Queen Elizabeth. Their captains stood on deck while the ships’ horns sounded.
In a Royal Rendezvous, the namesake Queen Elizabeth stopped to pay tribute to the legendary Queen Mary. It had been forty-five years since these two regal names crossed paths. This time, the Goodyear blimp circled above, sending congratulatory electronic messages and photographing the festivities.
Crowds cheered, bands played from the shore and the ships’ horns blared salutes. Camera flashes sparkled like diamonds, and the sky and sea were ablaze with the colors of dazzling fireworks.