Trivia

At around 24.44 as Poirot sleeps, the song 'love is the sweetest thing' is played. This also is played and sung in 'Death on the Nile'

Poirot is to sail to the United States on the Queen Mary. There were a number of ships with that name, but it is clear from the context and information given that this was the British ocean liner operating mainly on the North Atlantic. Its era lasted from the year 1936 until 1967, and it was run by the Cunard Line, which was one of the main rivals of the White Star Line that owned the Titanic. This Queen Mary, named after Her Majesty Queen Mary of Teck, Consort to King George V, had been laid together by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. Its maiden voyage, as shown here, was on Wednesday the 27th of May, 1936, by which time David, Prince of Wales, was now King Edward VIII, but as yet uncrowned (and never was). The ship is named after his mother. The price of tickets went from thirty seven pounds five shillings. On this first occasion, it did not win the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing, which the Normandie had achieved in just over four days, but the Queen Mary only made it in four and a half days. It did win it eventually, but the Riband changed hands over the years.