Amidst fireworks and much fanfare yesterday (March 12), Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth met Queen Mary for an historic Cunard Royal Rendezvous. Cunarders and maritime enthusiasts alike gathered along the shores of California’s Long Beach Harbour and more than 2,000 people were aboard Queen Mary for a celebration that began with a series of whistle salutes between the two ships. Joining these maritime icons high above was the famed Goodyear blimp, the Spirit of America. Spectators were treated to a commemorative fireworks show, which lit up the skies above the harbour during the first-time meeting between the two ships. The Royal Rendezvous marks Queen Mary’s first meeting with a Queen Elizabeth since 1967 when Queen Mary, during its final transatlantic crossing in Cunard service, passed by the original Queen Elizabeth.