Cruising On The Queen E

Having come to Canada aboard the first Queen E in 1956, a family cruise decades later on the latest edition of ‘The Liner’ seemed fitting

- Kenneth G. Thomas

My wife, Margaret, was born in Scotland and I, in Canada. Our first son, Bill, was born in Britain on July 30, 1956, and immigrated with us to Canada when he was six months old. Travelling from Southampton to New York on the Cunard liner, Queen Elizabeth 1, was a rough crossing, but Bill was an ideal sailor.

Most of the passengers were seasick just crossing the English Channel to Cherbourg, France. The day before our departure, a fishing vessel was almost sunk when it was hit by a wave 60 feet high, off the southwest coast of Britain. Its aftermath was still travelling east up the channel as we departed.

We soon learned that water can indeed be piled that high when we got out onto the grey Atlantic—our five-day journey was extended to six, and all open decks were posted “off limits,” due to the waves. We were also cautioned about a potential need to divert to Halifax, as tug boat operators were on strike in New York. As it turned out, we sailed serenely by the Statue of Liberty and tied up at the dock without even a bump.