| CBP sees largest ship to ever sail into port of San Francisco
Queen Mary II graces San Francisco |
The largest ship ever to sail to the Port of San Francisco came calling on February 4, 2007. Cunard Shipping Lines’ ocean liner Queen Mary 2, at a length of 1,131 feet and weighing 151,000 tons, had fewer than 30 feet separating it and the Golden Gate Bridge’s underside from the ship’s tallest point, as the vessel sailed beneath the archway—giving many spectators a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the ship. The QM2 got a reception fit for royalty, as it passed under the bridge and entered the port. Traffic came to a halt on the bridge to view the spectacle, and no wonder. It is the largest ship ever to sail to San Francisco, since the first European vessel 233 years ago.The ship flies the British flag, and most of the deck and engineering officers are British. The rest of the crew comes from 52 different countries—many from the Philippines and India. There were 2638 guests aboard with the majority of those passengers disembarking in San Francisco. Director of Field Operations Nat Aycox said, “We accommodated the QM2 with officers boarding at sea to make sure that our enforcement efforts were met, but this historic moment is a once in a lifetime event for this port.” Several CBP officers completed a stream boarding at sea and rode the ship into port while processing passengers and crew for debarkation. “CBP’s early inspection (at sea) of the two thousand passengers that were departing at the Port of San Francisco went quite smoothly. This port is one of the best stops we’ve made on our around-the-world voyage,” said Captain Christopher Rynd. | | Photo Credit: Roxanne Hercules |
| The Queen Mary II, owned by Cunard, is the largest ship to ever grace the port of San Francisco.
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The ship arrived from Acapulco, Mexico on Super Bowl Sunday. The crowds waiting to greet the ship were so large that many wondered if anyone was at home watching the game. When the ocean liner appeared, smaller boats sounded their horns and the waiting masses cheered. Aboard the ship, many passengers celebrated with champagne. The complex operation of this huge ship is astounding. Just feeding the passengers and crew takes strategic maneuvers. Daily, the ship uses 87,000 pieces of china and glassware. There are 14,000 meals, 120 pizzas, 700 English scones during afternoon tea, 9,500 canapés during the Captain’s cocktail parties, and 5,000-6,000 eggs are used. Every six days, 50 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables are eaten, 8 tons of poultry and 13 tons of seafood along with 20 kilograms of Russian caviar. The ship takes on 150 tons of food every 10 days.The ship was making a scheduled stop in San Francisco for approximately two days. It would then depart for Honolulu, Hawaii and venture on to Australia as it completed its world tour. |
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