Home | People | Architecture | Landscape | Documentary | Travel | Events | Shop/Donate | Artist
Queen Mary 2 Visits San Francisco - Feb 4, 2007
|
The Grand Dame Meets The Iron Horse San Francisco Bay - Feb 4, 2007 At 4 pm today, the Queen Mary 2, the Grand Dame of the luxury liners, made its entrance into the San Francisco Bay as the largest ship ever to pass through the Golden Gate Bridge, nicknnamed the Iron Horse. Thousands of people from all over the Bay Area and beyond came to witness the historical moment on this sunny Sunday afternoon.  Historical Entrance The Queen Mary 2 made its historical entrance into the San Francisco Bay as the largest ship ever to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge. (This photo essay is vetted by CNN on 
and was on the front page of CNN iReport on July 5-8, 2007.)Cruising on a westward around-the-world voyage with 2,638 guests aboard, the QM2 sailed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida for 13,880 nautical miles around Cape Horn of South America as it is too larges to pass through the Panama Canal. Everybody tried to seek a vantage point to have a good look of the mega luxury liners that measures 1,311 feet long and displaces 151,000 tons. By 2 pm, parking at the prime waterfront viewing area from Fort Point, Crissy Field to Fort Mason and Aquatic Park was almost impossible to find and the park rangers had to close some of the access roads. The bay was crowded with vessels of all sizes from tour boats, sailing yachts to row boats and a kayak or two. The pedestrian walkway on the Bridge was lined with people eager for a glimpse. A few helicopters were hovering above. By 3 pm, the scheduled arrival time, some people become impatient when the cruise ship was nowhere to be seen. Fortunate for many who still looking for parking space, the mega ship was running late. When the QM2 finally appeared, the crowd cheered and clapped and traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge stopped cold when the mega ship sailed majestically under the Bridge blowing its deep whistle, an hour late. Bottles of champagne were popped both on-board and ashore. It was a memorable balmy Sunday afternoon for both the passengers and the spectectors. Please note that images displayed on the Internet are of low resolution and cannot do justice to the quality of a professionally printed high resolution photograph. Go see the actual prints in all their glory. To order photos, please email us at info@phyang.org  Traffic Jam The majestic entrance of the Queen Mary 2 causes a small traffic jam in the San Francisco Bay.  Stylish The prevailing aesthetic on board is reminiscent of the lavish, stylish luxury liners of yester-years.  Grand Spectacle The bay was crowded with spectators on vessels large and small, including a row boat on the right and helicoptors hovering above.  The Grand Dames 83 year old Phyllis Gomez of San Francisco stands at the Fort Point waterfront to witness the historical entrance of the Queen Mary 2 - Grand Dame of the luxury liners.  Peace Returns Christina and Robert enjoy the the waterfront after the peace and quiet return. (This photo essay is vetted by CNN on
and was on the front page of CNN iReport on July 5-8, 2007.) Homepage of CNN iReport on July 5-8, 2007 |
|