From its 6am arrival to its 7.30pm departure from Durban, the Queen Mary II held crowds spellbound. People flocked to the harbour in droves, lining the North Pier, standing along Wilson’s Wharf and on jetties near the yacht basin, all waiting patiently for the ship to sail.
Although the ship was held up for nearly an hour and a half as it waited for 28 passengers delayed on a flight from Nelspruit to Durban, the excitement never let up. No one was going home until it left.
On the water, yachts of all shapes and sizes buzzed round the ship, hooting while their passengers waved and sipped glasses of pink champagne. This was Durban at its best. When the ship finally departed, the shipping channel was as crowded as the N2.
While yachts, fishing boats and pleasure cruisers jockeyed for position as they escorted the ship out of the harbour, passengers on the Queen Mary II danced on the decks as the ship’s band played rock ’n roll classic Johnny B Good.
Suddenly a large inbound container ship heading for its berth at the container terminal cut through the midst of the small craft, scattering them in its wake. This was a a sober reminder of who had right of way.
Then the Queen Mary II blew its horn as a final goodbye to Durban, gathering speed as the majestic ship headed into the night and its next port of call, Mauritius.
From there the ship goes to Australia, Singapore, India, Dubai and through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and, finally, Southampton. Most of the passengers were Australian – 1 550 – followed by 473 Britons, 251 Americans, 64 South Africans and some Malaysian passengers. - Sunday Tribune