Bloody P&O

[Headgardener]

Today they had all seven of their ships berthed in Southampton at the same time. When they left they went in a procession down Southampton Water and every man and his dog turned out to see this happen. As a result Shore Road was blocked with parked cars on both sides (and sometimes in the middle) and wandering peds who didn't think that anybody would still be useing the road. I nearly ran into at least three people who just wandered out onto the road to get back to their cars without looking . Think an Airzound might be on my list of purchases soon.

 

[snorri]

It is an interesting fact that Joe Public loves to see passenger cruise ships for some reason or other.
We get a variety of ships in here, state of the art vessels on their first contract and some impressive tugs and heavy lift ships transporting heavy oil related equipment to and from the far east, but few people show any interest. However when a cruise ship arrives from along the coast people wave at it, what's that all about?
I have only ever once been shouted at angrily by the occupant of a motor vehicle and that was the first day the QE2 was in port. Hundreds turned up in cars to look at it. Unfortunately the oncoming traffic was so heavy that some driver behind me could not overtake and the passenger shouted angrily at me as they eventually passed. I was so shocked I just couldn't understand the anger and laughed.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

It is to do with the sheer size and also they have so much history and prestige attached to them that it sometimes can feel like an honour just to see one, a bit like Concorde used to be. Living beside the Clyde, I felt a little bit of pride whenever the QE2 came back, knowing she was built just up the road and went to see it at Greenock several times. I was even there when she left for the final time and, being stood next to a Raynet guy, got to hear what was being said over the radios amid a hail of blasts from ships horns and fireworks. Fantastic stuff!

A dirty great big tanker or whatever, although interesting, doesn't quite have the same appeal to the average person. It is a bit like the difference between a diesel freight loco and The Flying Scotsman (AKA The Flying Money Pit).