Oliver, 13, of Jill Dando News exclusively receives signature from the captain of the world’s last Ocean Liner

By Oliver, 13, Jill Dando News

World To Worle! Jill Dando News receives signature from the captain of the world’s last Ocean Liner

The Signature of Captain Andrew Hall, the Captain of the R.M.S. Queen Mary 2, The world’s last great Ocean Liner, has been exclusively given to Jill Dando News on board its Mediterranean cruise, which stopped in various locations such as Càdiz, Barcelona, Alghero, Rome, Valencia, and Lisbon. 

Oliver, 13, of Worle Community School Academy, part of The Priory Learning Trust, in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset was the reporter who managed to secure the achievement.

The Queen Mary 2 set sail in 2004, after a ceremony conducted by Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth. 

Next year she will be celebrating her 20th birthday, so will be having a break from services this year to be refurbished. 

She is a member of the Cunard’s red-funnelled fleet, which will also be releasing a new cruise ship, the Queen Anne next year, restoring the fleet to four ships for the first time in over 50 years. 

Founded by Samuel Cunard, a war veteran and timber merchant from Canada in 1840, the line has been running for over 180 years, which is regarded as the longest running cruise line in the world. 

As well as introducing the first flushing toilets at sea and the first electric lighting on a steel ship, 

Cunard has been recognised by many famous people like Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and President Eisenhower, as well as many hollywood celebrities and members of the royal family, in fact, The Greatest Showman aired in the Royal Court Theatre on board Queen Mary 2. In addition, Cunard never fails to help out in times of crisis, with many ships helping out as troop carriers in war and of course the Carpathia responded to the famous incident on the Titanic, rescuing 706 people after the call was put out: “SOS SOS CQD CQD Titanic. 

We are sinking fast. Passengers are being put into boats. Titanic.” Proudly serving as a troop carrier in World War One, the first Queen Mary became the symbol of the great depression, and is now a floating hotel in California, where you can still observe the distinct appearance of the front today!

Recently, a new novel set on the Queen Mary has been published, which is a thrilling historical mystery. It is called Mysteries at sea: Peril on the Atlantic, and I would recommend this for all ages. 

Now, it’s successor, the Queen Mary 2, carries the honour of being Cunard’s flagship, with the largest library, ballroom and planetarium at sea, and is driven by a unique system of four rotating azipods, allowing maximum mobility rather than the traditional propeller and rudder. 

Of course, the captain operates the giant boat himself, he captains a crew of 1500 to offer as much luxury and safety as possible employing everything from aerial ballet dancers to trusty waiters.

Oliver, 13, is a brilliant Jill Dando News news reporter based out of WCSA.

For more stories from Jill Dando News visit: http://www.goodnewspost.co.uk