Topic: Over 200,000 welcome Queen Mary 2 on her 20th visit to Hamburg

From Peter Shanks;"At Cunard we are blessed with a very special relationship with the people of Hamburg in Germany. Along with Southampton, Liverpool, Halifax and New York – Hamburg has a special place in our hearts. So today we have a very special blog of the event that transpired last week on the river in Hamburg as Queen Mary 2 made her 20th call to the city. We had planned a ‘flag parade’ – a chance for all of our guests on board and many thousands in Hamburg to celebrate this joyous event together. And as you will read – enjoy it they did with over 200,000 people coming down to wave flags at Queen Mary 2. "



Personally, my first voyage on QM2 was to Hamburg and even at midnight there were bands playing as we navigated up the Elbe River and fireworks and crowds on the quayside. Restaurants and bars were having garden parties to see her pass and the horn blasted as we pulled alongside. A truly amazing experience and wonderful that QM2 still holds a special place for many in the City of Hamburg.

Some more videos and pictures from the event:

QUOTE:

From Peter Shanks;"At Cunard we are blessed with a very special relationship with the people of Hamburg in Germany. Along with Southampton, Liverpool, Halifax and New York – Hamburg has a special place in our hearts. So today we have a very special blog of the event that transpired last week on the river in Hamburg as Queen Mary 2 made her 20th call to the city. We had planned a ‘flag parade’ – a chance for all of our guests on board and many thousands in Hamburg to celebrate this joyous event together. And as you will read – enjoy it they did with over 200,000 people coming down to wave flags at Queen Mary 2. "



Personally, my first voyage on QM2 was to Hamburg and even at midnight there were bands playing as we navigated up the Elbe River and fireworks and crowds on the quayside. Restaurants and bars were having garden parties to see her pass and the horn blasted as we pulled alongside. A truly amazing experience and wonderful that QM2 still holds a special place for many in the City of Hamburg.

Some more videos and pictures from the event:

The magic of Cunard Grant. Countdown in progress.

That looks a wonderful sight.

Great to see such a fantastic site. Reminds me of her Maiden Voyage, when everyone turned up to see her for the first time.
EDNA

What great pictures; wish I had been there.

I feel really emotional looking at the pictures and seeing so many people welcoming QM2 into Hamburg, as I was there the year before last and was amazed at the welcome then. En route up the Elbe people cheered and waved flags from the banks even late into the night, and flashed their car headlights and sang Rule Britannia as we passed pubs and bars.
The city shops and stalls were full of cruise memorabilia with welcoming notices everywhere to passengers, and thousands of people arrived at the quayside that evening to watch the firework display, the 'dancing' river boats and to have fun which was wonderful.
Even as QM2 slipped her moorings and sailed before dawn the next morning I watched from my balcony so many people wave her off for mile after mile back down the river, and call "auf widersien" ( sorry can't spell ) and "good bye". What a very special city and wonderful people.