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Queen Elizabeth 2

October 03, 2023

"QE2" redirects here. For the monarch, see Elizabeth II. For other uses, see QE2 (disambiguation).

Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, the second one officially named Queen Elizabeth, was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was then laid up until converted and since 18 April 2018 has been operating as a floating hotel in Dubai.[3]

Queen Elizabeth 2 docked in Dubai in March 2020
History
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
RouteNorth Atlantic and cruising during Cunard service
Ordered1964
BuilderJohn Brown and Company (Upper Clyde Shipbuilders), Clydebank, Scotland
Cost£29,091,000
Yard number736
Laid down5 July 1965
Launched20 September 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II
Completed26 November 1968 (Sea trials commenced)
Maiden voyage2 May 1969
In service1969–2008
Out of service27 November 2008
Identification
  • IMO number: 6725418
  • 1968–2009: Callsign: GBTT, British ON 336703
  • 2009–present: Callsign: YJVW6,MMSI number: 576059000
StatusFloating hotel and museum at Mina Rashid, Dubai
General characteristics
Tonnage70,327 GT
Displacement49,738[2]
Length963 ft (293.5 m)
Beam105 ft (32.0 m)
Height171 ft (52.1 m)
Draft32 ft (9.8 m)
Decks10
Installed power
  • 3 × Foster Wheeler ESD II Boilers (original design)
  • 9 × MAN B&W 9L58/64 (1987 refit)
Propulsion
  • Two Brown-Pametrada Steam Turbines (original design)
  • Two GEC propulsion motors (2 × 44 MW) (1987 refit)
  • Two five-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Speed
  • 34 knots (63 km/h) max
  • 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h) service
  • 20 knots (37 km/h) astern
Capacity
  • 1,777 passengers
  • 1,892 (all berths) passengers
Crew1,040

Queen Elizabeth 2 was designed for the transatlantic service from her home port of Southampton, UK, to New York, United States[4] and was named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. She served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Queen Elizabeth 2 was designed in Cunard's offices in Liverpool and Southampton and built in Clydebank, Scotland. She was considered the last of the transatlantic ocean liners until "Project Genesis" was announced by Cunard Line in 1995 after the business purchase of Cunard by Mickey Arison; chairman of Carnival and Carnival UK. Project Genesis was intended to create new life in the ocean liner saga, and in 1998, Cunard revealed the name: Queen Mary 2.

Queen Elizabeth 2 was refitted with a modern diesel powerplant in 1986–87. She undertook regular world cruises during almost 40 years of service, and later operated predominantly as a cruise ship, sailing out of Southampton, England. Queen Elizabeth 2 had no running mate and never ran a year-round weekly transatlantic express service to New York. She did, however, continue the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life.

Queen Elizabeth 2 retired from active Cunard service on 27 November 2008. She had been acquired by the private equity arm of Dubai World, which planned to begin conversion of the vessel to a 500-room floating hotel moored at the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.[5][6] The 2008 financial crisis intervened, however, and the ship was laid up at Dubai Drydocks and later Mina Rashid.[7] Subsequent conversion plans were announced in 2012[8] and then again by the Oceanic Group in 2013,[9] but both plans stalled. In November 2015, Cruise Arabia & Africa quoted DP World chairman Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem as saying that QE2 would not be scrapped[10] and a Dubai-based construction company announced in March 2017 that it had been contracted to refurbish the ship.[11] The restored QE2 opened to visitors on 18 April 2018,[12] with a soft opening.

Development Edit

 
QE2's hull at Number 736 on the slipway, 1967

By 1957, transatlantic travel was becoming dominated by air travel due to its speed and low cost relative to sea routes, with passenger numbers split 50:50 between sea and air transport.[13] The increase in market share by air showed no signs of slowing down, especially once the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC8 entered service in 1958.[14] Conversely, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were becoming increasingly expensive to operate, and both internally and externally were relics of the pre-war years and needed to be retired by the mid-1960s.

Despite falling passenger revenues, Cunard did not want to give up its traditional role as a provider of a North Atlantic passenger service, and so decided to replace the existing ageing Queens with a new ocean liner designated "Q3", as it would be the third Cunard Queen.[15]

The Q3 was projected to measure 75,000 gross register tons, have berths for 2,270 passengers, and cost about £30 million.[14][16]

Work had proceeded as far as the preparation of submissions from six shipyards and applying for government financial assistance with the construction when misgivings among some executives and directors, coupled with a shareholder revolt, led to the benefits of the project being reappraised and ultimately cancelled on 19 October 1961.[14][17]

Cunard decided to continue with a replacement "Queen" but with an altered operating regime and more flexible design. Realising the decline of transatlantic trade, it was visualised that she would be a three-class (First, Cabin and Tourist) dual-purpose ship operating for eight months of the year on the transatlantic route, and during the winter months would operate as a cruise ship in warmer climates.[14][18]

Compared with the older Queens, which had two engine rooms and four propellers, the newly designated Q4 would be smaller with one boiler room, one engine room and two propellers, which combined with automation would allow a smaller engineering complement.[19] Despite producing 110,000 shp, the new ship was to have the same service speed of 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h) as the two previous Queens. This would require an engine output of 160,000 shp[clarification needed] compared to the older Queens 200,000 shp, whilst the fuel consumption would be halved to 520 tons per 24 hours,[20] this was expected to save £1 million a year in fuel bills.[19] The Q4 would also be able to transit the Panama Canal and Suez Canal and the shallower draught of 32 feet (9.8 m), which was seven feet (2.1 m) less than her predecessors, and which would allow her to enter ports that the old Queens could not.[15]

Design Edit

 
Queen Elizabeth 2's long bow was typical of regular service ocean liners, which sailed at high speed to keep a schedule in any weather.
 
Queen Elizabeth 2 back on the River Clyde for her 40th birthday in 2007

The interior and superstructure for the QE2 was designed by James Gardner. His design for the ocean liner was described by The Council of Industrial Design as that of a "very big yacht" and with a "look [that was] sleek, modern and purposeful".[21]

Characteristics Edit

At the time of retirement, the ship had a gross tonnage of 70,327 and was 963 ft (294 m) long. QE2 had a top speed of 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) with her original steam turbines; this was increased to 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) when the vessel was re-engined with a diesel-electric powerplant.[22][23][24]

Hull Edit

The hull was of welded construction, which avoided the weight penalty of over ten million rivets and overlapped steel plates compared with the previous Queens,[19] unlike the two previous ships the QE2 also had a bulbous bow.

Superstructure Edit

Like both Normandie and France, QE2 had a flared stem and clean forecastle.

What was controversial at the time, was that Cunard decided not to paint the funnel with the line's distinctive colour and pattern, something that had been done on all merchant vessels since the first Cunard ship, RMS Britannia, sailed in 1840. Instead, the funnel was painted white and black, with the Cunard orange-red appearing only on the inside of the wind scoop. This practice ended in 1983 when QE2 returned from service in the Falklands War, and the funnel has been repainted in Cunard traditional colours (orange and black), with black horizontal bands (known as "hands") ever since.

The original pencil-like funnel was rebuilt in 1986 as an enlarged version using metal from the original, when the ship was converted from steam to diesel power.

Large quantities of aluminium were used in the framing and cladding of QE2's superstructure. This decision was designed to save weight, reducing the draft of the ship and lowering the fuel consumption, but it also posed the possibility of corrosion problems that can occur with joining the dissimilar metals together, so a jointing compound was coated between the steel and aluminium surfaces to prevent this happening. The low melting point of aluminium caused concern when QE2 was serving as a troopship during the Falklands War: some feared that if the ship were struck by a missile her upper decks would collapse quickly due to fire, thereby causing greater casualties.

In 1972, the first penthouse suites were added in an aluminium structure on Signal Deck and Sports Deck (now "Sun Deck"), behind the ship's bridge, and in 1977 this structure was expanded to include more suites with balconies, making QE2 one of the first ships to offer private terraces to passengers since Normandie in the 1930s.

QE2's balcony accommodation was expanded for the final time during QE2's 1986/87 refurbishment in Bremerhaven. During this refit, the ship was given a new wider funnel built using panels from the original. It retained the traditional Cunard colours.

QE2's final structural changes included the reworking of the aft decks during the 1994 refit (following the removal of the magrodome), and the addition of an undercover area on Sun Deck during her 2005 refit, creating a space known as Funnel Bar.

Interiors Edit

Queen Elizabeth 2's interior configuration was laid out in a horizontal fashion, similar to France, where the spaces dedicated to the two classes were spread horizontally on specific decks, in contrast to the vertical class divisions of older liners. Where QE2 differed from France was that the first-class deck (Quarter Deck) was below the deck dedicated to tourist class (Upper Deck). Originally there were to be main lounges serving three classes, layered one atop the other, but when Cunard decided to make the ship a two-class vessel, only two main lounges were needed.

Instead of completely reconfiguring the Boat Deck, the ship's architects simply opened a well in the deck between what were to have been the second and third class lounges, creating a double-height space known as the Double Room (now the Grand Lounge). This too was unconventional in that it designated a grander two-storey space for tourist class passengers, while first-class passengers gathered in the standard height Queen's Room. The configuration for segregated Atlantic crossings gave first-class passengers the theatre balcony on Boat Deck, while tourist class used the orchestra level on Upper Deck.

Over the span of her thirty-nine-year seagoing career, QE2 received a number of interior refits and alterations.

The year she came into service, 1969, was also the year of the Apollo 11 mission, when the Concorde's prototype was unveiled, and the previous year Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered. In keeping with those times, originally Cunard broke from the traditional interiors of their previous liners for QE2, especially the Art Deco style of the previous Queens. Instead modern materials like decorative laminates, aluminium and Perspex were used. The public rooms featured glass, stainless steel, dark carpeting and sea green leather.[25] Furniture was modular and abstract art was used throughout public rooms and cabins.

Dennis Lennon was responsible for co-ordinating the interior design, and his team included Jon Bannenberg and Gaby Schreiber, although Lennon's original designs only remained intact for three years.[26]

The Midships Lobby on Two Deck, where first-class passengers boarded for transatlantic journeys and all passengers boarded for cruises, was a circular room with a sunken seating area in the centre with green leather-clad banquettes and surrounded by a chrome railing. As a kingpin to this was a flared, white, trumpet-shaped, up lit column.

Another room, designed by Michael Inchbald, where QE2's advanced interior design was demonstrated was the first class lounge, the Queen's Room on Quarter Deck. This space, in colours of white and tan, featured a lowered ceiling with large indirectly lit slots, which, despite reducing the ceiling height, created an impression of airy openness above to deal with the otherwise oppressive dimensions of the single-storey room (c. 30m x 30m x 2.4m). In addition, the structural columns were flared at the top to blend into the ceiling and to lose the visual indication of low ceiling height that straight columns would have given. (The Midships Lobby copied these features but without achieving the airiness.) Inchbald repeated the flaring of the columns in the bases of his tables and leather shell chairs. The indirect lighting from above could be switched from a cool hue for summer to a warm hue for winter.[27]

The Theatre Bar on Upper Deck featured red chairs, red drapes, a red egg crate fibreglass screen, and even a red baby grand piano. Some more traditional materials like wood veneer were used as highlights throughout the ship, especially in passenger corridors and staterooms. There was also an Observation Bar on Quarter Deck, a successor to its namesake, located in a similar location, on both previous Queens, which offered views through large windows over the ship's bow. This room was lost in QE2's 1972 refit, becoming galley space with the forward-facing windows plated over.

In the 1994 refit, almost all of the remaining original decor was replaced, with Cunard opting to reverse the original design direction of QE2's designers and use the line's traditional ocean liners as inspiration. The green velvet and leather Midships Bar became the Art Deco inspired Chart Room, receiving an original, custom-designed piano from Queen Mary. The (by now) blue dominated Theatre Bar was transformed into the Golden Lion Pub, which mimics a traditional Edwardian pub.

Some original elements were retained including the flared columns in the Queen's Room and Mid-Ships Lobby which were incorporated into the reworked designs. The Queen's Room's indirect lighting from above was replaced with uplighters which reversed the original light airy effect by illuminating the lowered ceiling and leaving shadows in the ceiling's slot. The furniture and carpet which replaced Michael Inchbald's designs were incongruous next to the flared columns and slotted ceiling.

By the time of her retirement, the synagogue was the only room that had remained unaltered since 1969.[28] However it was reported that during QE2's 22 October five-night voyage, the synagogue was dismantled and removed from the ship before her final sailing to Dubai.[29]

Artwork and artefacts Edit

 
QE2 bell on display on MS Queen Elizabeth

The designers included numerous pieces of artwork within the public rooms of the ship, as well as maritime artefacts drawn from Cunard's long history of operating merchant vessels.

Althea Wynne's sculpture of the White Horses of the Atlantic Ocean was installed in the Mauretania Restaurant.[30] Two bronze busts were installed—one of Sir Samuel Cunard outside the Yacht Club, and one of Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen's Room. Four life-size statues of human forms—created by sculptor Janine Janet in marine materials like shell and coral, representing the four elements—were installed in the Princess Grill. A frieze designed by Brody Nevenshwander, depicting the words of T. S. Eliot, Sir Francis Drake, and John Masefield, was in the Chart Room. The Midships Lobby housed a solid silver model of Queen Elizabeth 2 made by Asprey of Bond Street in 1975, which was lost until a photograph found in 1997 led to the discovery of the model itself. It was placed on Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1999.

Three custom-designed tapestries were commissioned from Helena Hernmarck for the ship's launch, depicting the Queen as well as the launch of the ship. These tapestries were originally hung in the Quarter Deck "D" Stairway, outside the Columbia Restaurant. They were originally made with golden threads, but much of this was lost when they were incorrectly cleaned during the 1987 refit. They were subsequently hung in the "E" stairway and later damaged in 2005.

There are numerous photographs, oils, and pastels of members of the Royal Family throughout the vessel.

The ship also housed items from previous Cunard ships, including both a brass relief plaque with a fish motif from the first RMS Mauretania (1906) and an Art-Deco bas-relief titled Winged Horse and Clouds by Norman Foster from RMS Queen Elizabeth. There were also a vast array of Cunard postcards, porcelain, flatware, boxes, linen, and Lines Bros Tri-ang Minic model ships. One of the key pieces was a replica of the figurehead from Cunard's first ship RMS Britannia, carved from Quebec yellow pine by Cornish sculptor Charles Moore and presented to the ship by Lloyd's of London.

On the Upper Deck sits the silver Boston Commemorative Cup, presented to Britannia by the City of Boston in 1840. This cup was lost for decades until it was found in a pawn shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On "2" Deck was a bronze entitled Spirit of the Atlantic that was designed by Barney Seale for the second RMS Mauretania (1938). A large wooden plaque was presented to Queen Elizabeth 2 by First Sea Lord Sir John Fieldhouse to commemorate the ship's service as a Hired Military Transport (HMT) in the Falklands War.

There was also an extensive collection of large-scale models of Cunard ships located throughout Queen Elizabeth 2.[31]

Over the years the ship's collection was added to. Among those items was a set of antique Japanese armour presented to Queen Elizabeth 2 by the Governor of Kagoshima, Japan, during her 1979 world cruise, as was a Wedgwood vase presented to the ship by Lord Wedgwood.

Throughout the public areas were also silver plaques commemorating the visits of every member of the Royal Family, as well as other dignitaries such as South African president Nelson Mandela.

Istithmar bought most of these items from Cunard when it purchased QE2.[32]

Crew accommodation Edit

The majority of the crew were accommodated in two- or four-berth cabins, with showers and toilets at the end of each alleyway.[citation needed] These were located forward and aft on decks three to six.[citation needed] At the time she entered service, the crew areas were a significant improvement over those aboard RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth; however the ship's age and the lack of renovation of the crew area during her 40 years of service, in contrast to passenger areas, which were updated periodically, meant that this accommodation was considered basic by the end of her career. Officers were accommodated in single cabins with private in-suite bathrooms located on Sun Deck.[17]

There were six crew bars, the main four were split into the Senior Rates Recreation Rooms on Deck 2 and the Junior Rates on Deck 3, with Deck and Engine Departments on the port side and Hotel on the starboard side of the ship. The Female crew recreation room was on Deck 1 next to their dedicated mess room. Over time the Deck & Engine Ratings Room became The Petty Officers Club and then the Fo'c'sle Club when the British Deck and Engine crew were changed to Filipino crew. The Hotel Senior Rates room became a crew gym. The Junior Rates Rooms on Deck 3 were the main crew bars and were called The Pig & Whistle.[33] ("The 2 deck Pig" and three deck pig, for short and a tradition aboard Cunard ships) and Castaways on the starboard side. After the expansion of female crew following the conversion to diesel power, the female-only recreation and mess room became a crew library and later the crew services office. The final bar on Deck 6 aft was small and in a former crew launderette so it was called the Dhobi Arms, a hang out for the Liverpool crew but was closed in the late '80s. A bar, dedicated for the officers, is located at the forward end of Boat Deck. Named The Officers Wardroom, this area enjoyed forward-facing views and was often opened to passengers for cocktail parties hosted by the senior officers.[34] The crew mess was situated at the forward end of One Deck,[33] adjacent to the crew services office.

Machinery Edit

 
Queen Elizabeth 2 being re-engined at Bremerhaven, November 1986
 
Queen Elizabeth 2's original funnel, removed while being re-engined; her old fixed-pitch propellers are lying to the bottom left-hand side on the photo. They were later recycled to cast QE2's new funnel.[citation needed]

Queen Elizabeth 2 was originally fitted out with a steam turbine propulsion system utilising three Foster Wheeler E.S.D II boilers, which provided steam for the two Brown-Pametrada turbines. The turbines were rated with a maximum power output figure of 110,000 shaft horsepower (82,000 kW) (normally operating at 94,000 hp or 70,000 kW) and coupled via double-reduction gearing to two six-bladed fixed-pitch propellers.

The steam turbines were plagued with problems[citation needed] from the time the ship first entered service and, despite being technically advanced and fuel-efficient in 1968, her consumption of 600 tons of fuel oil every twenty-four hours was more than expected for such a ship by the 1980s. After seventeen years of service, the availability of spare parts was becoming difficult due to the outdated design of the boilers and turbines and the constant use of the machinery which was mainly due to the deletion of the originally planned 4th boiler as a cost-saving measure while on the drawing board by Cunard.

The shipping company decided that the options were to either do nothing for the remainder of the ship's life, re-configure the existing engines, or completely re-engine the vessel with a modern, more efficient and more reliable diesel-electric powerplant. Ultimately it was decided to replace the engines, as it was calculated that the savings in fuel costs and maintenance would pay for themselves over four years whilst giving the vessel a minimum of another twenty years of service, whereas the other options would only provide short-term relief.[35] Her steam turbines had taken her to a record-breaking total of 2,622,858 miles[clarification needed] in 18 years.[36]

During the ship's 1986 to 1987 refit, the steam turbines were removed and replaced with nine German MAN 9L58/64 nine-cylinder, medium-speed diesel engines, each weighing approximately 120 tons. Using a diesel-electric configuration, each engine drives a generator, each developing 10.5 MW of electrical power at 10,000 volts. This electrical plant, in addition to powering the ship's auxiliary and hotel services through transformers, drives the two main propulsion motors, one on each propeller shaft. These motors produce 44 MW each and are of synchronised salient-pole construction, nine metres in diameter and weighing more than 400 tons each.

The ship's service speed of 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h) was now maintained using only seven of the diesel-electric sets. The maximum power output with the new engine configuration running increased to 130,000 hp, which was greater than the previous system's 110,000 hp. Using the same IBF-380 (Bunker C) fuel, the new configuration yielded a 35% fuel saving over the previous system. During the re-engining process, her funnel was replaced by a wider one to accommodate the exhaust pipes for the nine MAN diesel engines.

During the refit, the original fixed-pitch propellers were replaced with variable-pitch propellers. The old steam propulsion system required astern turbines to move the ship backwards or stop her moving forward. The pitch of the new variable pitch blades could simply be reversed, causing a reversal of propeller thrust while maintaining the same direction of propeller rotation, allowing the ship shorter stopping times and improved handling characteristics.

The new propellers were originally fitted with "Grim Wheels", named after their inventor, Dr. Ing Otto Grim.[35] These were free-spinning propeller blades fitted behind the main propellers, with long vanes protruding from the centre hub. The Grim Wheels were designed to recover lost propeller thrust and reduce fuel consumption by 2.5 to 3%. After the trial of these wheels, when the ship was drydocked, the majority of the vanes on each wheel were discovered to have broken off. The wheels were removed and the project was abandoned.

Other machinery includes nine heat recovery boilers, coupled with two oil-fired boilers to produce steam for heating fuel, domestic water, swimming pools, laundry equipment, and galleys. Four flash evaporators and a reverse-osmosis unit desalinate seawater to produce 1000 tons of freshwater daily. There is also a sanitation system and sewage disposal plant, air conditioning plant, and an electro-hydraulic steering system.[37]

Construction Edit

On 30 December 1964, Cunard placed an order for construction of the new ship with John Brown and Company, who would build it at their shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. The agreed price was £25,427,000 with provision for escalation of labour and materials increases, with an agreed delivery date of May 1968.[38] To assist with its construction the British government provided financial assistance to Cunard in the form of a £17.6 million loan at 4.5% interest.[38]

The keel was laid down on 5 July 1965, as hull number 736 on the same slipway where previous Cunard liners such as Lusitania, Aquitania, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth had been constructed.

The ship was launched and named on 20 September 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II, using the same pair of gold scissors her mother and grandmother used to launch Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, respectively.[18] After the bottle of champagne was smashed the QE2 stayed put on the slipway for 90 seconds before being let free.

Name Edit

Authorities disagree over whether the ship's namesake is the monarch Elizabeth II or the liner Queen Elizabeth.

Form of name Edit

 
QE2 stern name, October 2008
 
QE2 bow name, October 2008

The name of the liner as it appears on the bow and stern is Queen Elizabeth 2, with upper- and lower-case lettering and an Arabic numeral 2 as opposed to the Roman numeral II, distinguishing her from the monarch, Elizabeth II; it is commonly pronounced in speech as Queen Elizabeth Two.[39] Soon after launching, the name was shortened in common use as QE2.[40]

Background Edit

Queen Mary, in 1934, and Queen Elizabeth, in 1938, were both named by and for contemporary spouses of reigning monarchs: Mary of Teck and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, respectively.[41] These two previous Cunarders both had capitalised bow names, as QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Cunard practice at the time of naming QE2 was to re-use the existing name of its former ships, for example, launching Mauretania (1938) in 1938 after the previous Mauretania (1906) was scrapped in 1935.

The original Queen Elizabeth was still in service with Cunard when QE2 was launched in 1967, although she was retired and sold before QE2 entered revenue service with Cunard in 1969.

The addition of a "2" in this manner was unknown at the time, but it was not unknown for Roman numerals to denote ships in service with the same name. Two non-Cunard ships were named Queen Mary II: a Clyde steamer, and Mauretania II, a Southampton steamer of Red Funnel, since the Cunard ships already had the names without Roman numerals.

Launch Edit

As was Cunard practice at the time, the name of the liner was not to be publicly revealed until the launch.[42] Dignitaries were invited to the "Launch of Cunard Liner No. 736",[43] as no name had yet been painted on the bow.[44]

The Queen launched the ship with the words "I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second,"[45] the normal short form of address of the monarch, Elizabeth II herself. The following day, the New York Times[46] and The Times of London printed the name as Queen Elizabeth II, the short form of written style of the monarch. However, when the liner left the shipyard in 1968 she bore the name Queen Elizabeth 2 on her bow, and has continued to do so ever since.[47]

1969 authorised history Edit

In an authorised history of Queen Elizabeth 2 published in 1969,[48] various explanations of events occur.

These state that, as at the launch ceremony, an envelope and card were also held in New York in case of transmission failure, and when opened the card was found to read the name Queen Elizabeth, and that the decision to add "The Second" to the name was an alteration by the Queen. The book quotes the Cunard chairman Sir Basil Smallpeice as saying "The Queen Mary [named] after her Grandmother, the Queen Elizabeth after her mother, and now this magnificent ship after herself."

Following the unexpected addition of the Second by the Queen, the book attributes the use of upper and lower case lettering and a numeric 2 – rather than a Roman II – to the decision by Cunard to use a more modern typeface to suit the style of the 1960s. The book also surmises that the naming of the liner after the reigning monarch, in the form Queen Elizabeth II, was potentially offensive to some Scots, as the title of Queen Elizabeth II (of the United Kingdom) relates to the lineage of the throne of England and Ireland (the Tudor monarch Elizabeth I having reigned only in England and Ireland).

Ron Warwick, former captain Edit

In a later account by Ronald Warwick, who was the son of William "Bil" Warwick and the first master of QE2, Warwick junior (himself later in his Cunard career a master of the QE2 and latterly the first captain of QM2) supports the account that the Queen initiated the surprise move of naming the liner after herself rather than simply Queen Elizabeth as had originally been planned (the name having been made vacant by the retirement of the current liner before the new one was commissioned).[49] The name had been given to the Queen in a sealed envelope which she didn't open. The book, referencing his autobiography, states that the Cunard chairman Sir Basil Smallpeice was delighted with this development, it being in keeping with the previous Queen liners, and the 2 was added by Cunard for differentiation of the ship while still denoting it was named after the Queen.

Cunard website Edit

From at least 2002 the official Cunard website stated that "The new ship is not named after the Queen but is simply the second ship to bear the name – hence the use of the Arabic 2 in her name, rather than the Roman II used by the Queen",[50][51] however, in late 2008 this information had been removed due to the ship's retirement.[52]

Other accounts Edit

Other later accounts repeat the position that Cunard originally intended to name the ship Queen Elizabeth and the addition of a 2 by the Queen was a surprise to Cunard, in 1990[53] and 2008,[41] although two books by William H. Miller state that Queen Elizabeth 2 was the name agreed on before the launch[42] between Cunard officials and the Queen.[54]

Accounts that repeat the position that QE2 was not named after the reigning monarch have been published in 1991,[55] 1999,[56] 2004,[54] 2005,[40] and 2008.[57][58][59] In 2008, The Telegraph goes further to state the ship is named not only as the second ship named Queen Elizabeth, but is specifically named after the wife of King George VI.[60] In contradiction however, some modern accounts continue to publish that the QE2 was named after the reigning monarch, in 2001[61] and 2008.[41] There is a gilded bust that stands in the ship's queen's room depicting Queen Elizabeth II, not her mother.[62]

Delivery Edit

As construction continued on the new ship, Cunard found itself in increasing financial difficulties as increased competition from airlines resulted in the company's passenger ships losing money. With profits from its cargo ships eventually unable to offset the losses, Cunard was forced to sell Mauretania, Sylvania, Carinthia, Caronia, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth between 1965 and 1968. Income also fell due to a seven-week-long seamens' strike in 1966.[38] Then John Brown advised that the delivery would be delayed by six months, which meant the ship would miss the 1968 peak summer transatlantic season. Following market research, Cunard decided to take advantage of the delay to change the original three-class configuration of the ship to a more flexible two-class arrangement of First and Tourist.[38]

On 20 September 1967 with the launch date approaching, Cunard (having lost £7.5 million the previous year) approached the government with a request for an additional £3 million loan to complete the ship.[38] Eventually the government agreed to increase the original £17.6 million loan up to £24 million.[63]

On 19 November 1968, she left John Brown's fitting-out berth. Several industrial disputes with the Clydebank workers, with their resultant delays and quality issues, forced Cunard to transfer the ship to Southampton, where Vosper Thorneycroft completed the installation and commissioning work, prior to the sea trials.[64][65]

Sea trials began on 26 November 1968 in the Irish Sea, proceeding to speed trials off the Isle of Arran.[66]

Cunard initially refused to accept the ship, as the sea trials identified that the ship suffered from a resonant vibration which was traced to a design flaw in the blades of the steam turbines.[67] This delayed her being handed over to her new owners until 18 April 1969.[67] She then departed on a "shakedown cruise" to Las Palmas on 22 April 1969.[68]

Service Edit

Early career Edit

 
Queen Elizabeth 2 in Cuxhaven, West Germany, in 1973

Queen Elizabeth 2's maiden voyage, from Southampton to New York, commenced on 2 May 1969,[68] taking 4 days, 16 hours, and 35 minutes.[69]

In 1971, she participated in the rescue of some 500 passengers from the burning French Line ship Antilles.[22][68] Later that year on 5 March QE2 was disabled for four hours when jellyfish were sucked into and blocked her seawater intakes.[67]

On 17 May 1972, while travelling from New York to Southampton, she was the subject of a bomb threat.[17] She was searched by her crew, and a combined Special Air Service and Special Boat Service team which parachuted into the sea to conduct a search of the ship. No bomb was found, but the hoaxer was arrested by the FBI.[22]

The following year QE2 undertook two chartered cruises through the Mediterranean to Israel in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the state's founding. The ship's Columbia Restaurant was koshered for Passover, and Jewish passengers were able to celebrate Passover on the ship. According to the book "The Angel" by Uri Bar-Joseph, Muammar Gaddafi ordered a submarine to torpedo her during one of the chartered cruises in retaliation for Israel's downing of Libyan Flight 114, but Anwar Sadat intervened secretly to foil the attack.

She continued the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life, crossing on an opposite and symbiotic summer schedule with the CGT's famous SS France (1960) between 1961 and 1974. Upon the withdrawal of competing SS France from service in 1974, QE2 became the largest operational passenger ship in the world for a few years, until the France was returned to service as SS Norway in 1980.[citation needed]

 
QE2 in Southampton, 1976

On 23 July 1976 while the ship was 80 miles off the Scilly Isles on a transatlantic voyage, a flexible coupling drive connecting the starboard main engine high-pressure rotor and the reduction gearbox ruptured. This allowed lubricating oil under pressure to enter into the main engine room where it ignited, creating a severe fire. It took 20 minutes to bring the fire under control. Reduced to two boilers, QE2 limped back to Southampton. Damage from the fire resulted in a replacement boiler having to be fitted by dry-docking the ship and cutting an access hole in her side.[67]

By 1978 she was breaking even with an occupancy of 65%, generating revenues of greater than £30 million per year against which had to be deducted an annual fuel cost of £5 million and a monthly crew cost of £225,000. With it costing £80,000 a day for her to sit idle in port, her owners made every attempt to keep her at sea and full of passengers. As a result, as much maintenance as possible was undertaken while at sea. However, she needed all three of her boilers to be in service if she was to maintain her transatlantic schedule. With limited ability to maintain her boilers, reliability was becoming a serious issue.[70]

Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, the ship was testing a new ablative anti-fouling type paint for the Admiralty which was only available in blue. When they finally made the paint available in different colours they returned QE2 anti-fouling paint to the traditional red colour.[71]

Falklands War Edit

 
Berthed in Málaga, Spain, 1982, with her original white funnel repainted red. Her hull is painted grey, a short-lived decision.

On 3 May 1982, she was requisitioned by the British government for service as a troop carrier in the Falklands War.[67]

In preparation for war service, Vosper Thornycroft commenced in Southampton on 5 May 1982 the installation of two helicopter pads,[72] the transformation of public lounges into dormitories, the installation of fuel pipes that ran through the ship down to the engine room to allow for refuelling at sea, and the covering of carpets with 2,000 sheets of hardboard. A quarter of the ship's length was reinforced with steel plating, and an anti-magnetic coil was fitted to combat naval mines. Over 650 Cunard crew members volunteered for the voyage, to look after the 3,000 members of the Fifth Infantry Brigade, which the ship transported to South Georgia.

On 12 May 1982,[67] with only one of her three boilers in operation, the ship departed Southampton for the South Atlantic, carrying 3,000 troops and 650 volunteer crew. The remaining boilers were brought back into service as she steamed south.[73]

During the voyage, the ship was blacked out and the radar switched off to avoid detection, steaming on without modern aids.[22][74]

QE2 returned to the UK on 11 June 1982, where she was greeted in Southampton Water by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on board HMY Britannia. Peter Jackson, the captain of the ocean liner, responded to the Queen Mother's welcome: "Please convey to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth our thanks for her kind message. Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 is proud to have been of service to Her Majesty's Forces."[74] The ship underwent conversion back to passenger service, with her funnel being painted in the traditional Cunard orange with black stripes, which are known as "hands," for the first time, during the refit the hull's exterior was repainted an unconventional light pebble grey.[17] She returned to service on 7 August 1982.[67]

The new colour scheme proved unpopular with passengers,[17] as well as difficult to maintain and so the hull reverted to traditional colours in 1983.[22] Later that year, QE2 was fitted with a magrodome over her quarter-deck pool.[75]

Diesel era and Project Lifestyle Edit

 
A new and wider funnel was installed in her 1986-87 refit to handle conversion from steam to diesel power.

QE2 once again experienced mechanical problems following her annual overhaul in November 1983. Boiler problems caused Cunard to cancel a cruise, and, in October 1984, an electrical fire caused a complete loss of power. The ship was delayed for several days before power could be restored. Instead of replacing the QE2 with a newer vessel, Cunard decided that it was more prudent to simply make improvements to her. Therefore, from 27 October 1986 to 25 April 1987,[67] QE2 underwent one of her most significant refurbishments when she was converted by Lloyd Werft at their shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany from steam power to diesel.[22][73] Nine MAN B&W diesel-electric engines, new propellers and a heat recovery system (to utilise heat expelled by the engines) were fitted, which halved the fuel consumption. With this new propulsion system, QE2 was expected to serve another 20 years with Cunard. The passenger accommodation was also modernised.[22] The refurbishment cost over £100 million.[73]

On 7 August 1992, the underside of the hull was extensively damaged when she ran aground south of Cuttyhunk Island near Martha's Vineyard, while returning from a five-day cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia along the east coast of the United States and Canada. A combination of her speed, an uncharted shoal and underestimating the increase in the ship's draft due to the effect of squat led to the ship's hull scraping rocks on the ocean floor.[76] The accident resulted in the passengers disembarking earlier than scheduled at nearby Newport, Rhode Island and the ship being taken out of service while temporary repairs were made in drydock at Boston. Several days later, divers found the red paint from the keel on previously uncharted rocks where the ship struck the bottom.[77][78]

By the mid-1990s, it was decided that QE2 was due for a new look and in 1994 the ship was given a multimillion-pound refurbishment in Hamburg[22] code-named Project Lifestyle.

On 11 September 1995, QE2 encountered a rogue wave, estimated at 90 ft (27 m), caused by Hurricane Luis in the North Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles (320 km) south of eastern Newfoundland.[79] One year later, during her twentieth world cruise, she completed her four millionth mile. The ship had sailed the equivalent of 185 times around the planet.[80]

QE2 celebrated the 30th anniversary of her maiden voyage in Southampton in 1999. In three decades she had 1,159 voyages, sailed 4,648,050 nautical miles (5,348,880 mi; 8,608,190 km) and carried over two million passengers.[81]

Later years Edit

 
Leaving Sydney 18 February 2004
 
QE2 near the Cunard Building in Liverpool in 2004
 
The interior Queens Room in 2006

Following the 1998 acquisition of the Cunard Line by Carnival Corporation, in 1999 QE2 was given a US$30 million refurbishment which included refreshing various public rooms,[17] and a new colour palette in the passenger cabins. The Royal Promenade, which formerly housed upscale shops such as Burberry, H. Stern and Aquascutum, were replaced by boutiques typical of cruise ships, selling perfumes, watches and logo items. During this refit, the hull was stripped to bare metal, and the ship repainted in the traditional Cunard colours of matte black (Federal Grey) with a white superstructure.[22]

On 29 August 2002, Queen Elizabeth 2 became the first merchant ship to sail more than 5 million nautical miles at sea.[67]

In 2004, the vessel stopped plying the traditional transatlantic route and began full-time cruising, the transatlantic route having been assigned to Cunard's new flagship, Queen Mary 2. However, Queen Elizabeth 2 still undertook an annual world cruise and regular trips around the Mediterranean. By this time, she lacked the amenities to rival newer, larger cruise ships, but she still had unique features such as her ballrooms, hospital,[82] and 6,000-book library.[83] QE2 remained the fastest cruise ship afloat (28.5 knots[84]), with fuel economy at this speed[84] at 49.5 ft[85][86][87] to the gallon (4 m/L).[88] While cruising at slower speeds efficiency was improved to 125 ft per gallon (10 m/L).[84]

On 5 November 2004, Queen Elizabeth 2 became Cunard's longest serving express liner, surpassing RMS Aquitania's 35 years,[80] while on 4 September 2005, during a call to the port of Sydney, Nova Scotia, QE2 became the longest serving Cunarder, surpassing RMS Scythia's record.[89]

At the end of her 2005 world cruise, some pieces of her artwork were damaged when some crew members who had become inebriated at an on-board crew party, went on a vandalism rampage through the public areas of the ship. A unique tapestry of Queen Elizabeth 2, commissioned for the launch of the ship, was thrown overboard by a drunken crewman. An oil painting of Queen Elizabeth II and two other tapestries were also damaged, along with a part of the entertainment area and a lifeboat. The crew members involved were dismissed from service.[90]

On 20 February 2007 Queen Elizabeth 2, while on her annual world cruise, met her running mate and successor flagship QM2 (herself on her maiden world cruise) in Sydney Harbour, Australia.[91][92][93] This was the first time two Cunard Queens had been together in Sydney since the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth served as troop ships in 1941.[94]

Retirement Announcement Edit

On 18 June 2007, Cunard announced that QE2 had been purchased by the Dubai investment company Istithmar for $100 million.[95][96] Her retirement, in part, was forced by the oncoming June 2010 implementation of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations, which would have forced large and expensive structural changes to the ship.[97]

Retirement and final Cunard voyage Edit

 
QM2 (left) next to QE2 (right) with QV in the foreground
 
QE2 berthed in Osaka on 19 March 2008

In a ceremonial display before her retirement, Queen Elizabeth 2 met Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on 13 January 2008, with a celebratory fireworks display; Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria had made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic for the meet. This marked the first time three Cunard Queens had been present in the same location. (Cunard stated this would be the last time these three particular ships would meet, due to the impending retirement of Queen Elizabeth 2.[98] However, due to a change in QE2's schedule, the three ships met again in Southampton on 22 April 2008.)

QE2 shared the harbour at Zeebrugge with Queen Victoria on 19 July 2008, where the two Cunarders exchanged whistle blasts.[99]

On 3 October 2008, QE2 set off from Cork for Douglas Bay on her farewell tour of Ireland and Britain, before heading for Liverpool. She left Liverpool and arrived in Belfast on 4 October 2008, before moving to Greenock the next day (the ship's height with funnel makes it impossible to pass under the Erskine Bridge so Clydebank is not reachable).[100] There she was escorted by Royal Navy destroyer HMS Manchester and visited by MV Balmoral. The farewell was viewed by large crowds and concluded with a firework display.[65][101][102] QE2 then sailed around Scotland to the Firth of Forth on 7 October 2008, where she anchored in the shadow of the Forth Bridge. The next day, following an RAF flypast, she left amidst a flotilla of small craft to head to Newcastle upon Tyne, before returning to Southampton.

Final Westbound & Eastbound Transatlantic Crossings Edit

 
Farewell to the Clyde

QE2 completed her final Atlantic crossings in tandem with her successor, QM2. The ships departed for the final westbound crossing from Southampton on 10 October, sailing tandem and arriving in New York City one final time on 16 October. The Queen Mary 2 docked at the Brooklyn cruise terminal, while the QE2 docked in Manhattan. The two liners departed New York on 16 October for the final eastbound crossing, arriving in Southampton on 22 October. This marked the end of QE2's transatlantic voyages.[103]

Final Voyage Edit

On her final arrival into Southampton, QE2 (on 11 November 2008, with 1,700 passengers and 1,000 crew on board) ran aground in the Solent near the Southampton Water entrance at 5.26 am, on a triangular sandbank roughly equidistant between the mouth of Southampton Water and East Cowes named Bramble Bank. BBC reported "Cunard has confirmed it touched the bottom at the Brambles Turn sandbank (sandback) near Calshot, Southampton Water, with three tugs attached to her stern (0530 GMT). A fourth tug secured a line to the ship's bow."[104] Solent Coastguard stated: "Five tugs were sent out to assist her getting off the sandbank, and she was pulled off just before 6.10 am. She had been refloated and was under way under her own power and heading back to her berth in Southampton. She had only partially gone aground, and the tugs pulled her off."[105][106]

Once safely back at her berth, preparations continued for her farewell celebrations. These were led by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who toured the ship at great length. He visited areas of interest including the Engine Control Room. He also met with current and former crew members.[107] During this time, divers were sent down to inspect the hull for any possible damage caused by the vessel's earlier mishap – none was found.

 
Southampton, 11 November 2008

Queen Elizabeth 2 left Southampton Docks for the final time at 1915 GMT on 11 November 2008, to begin her farewell voyage by the name of "QE2's Final Voyage".[33] After purchasing her for US$100 million her ownership passed to Nakheel Properties, a company of Dubai World, on 26 November.[108][109][110] The decommissioning of the ship was particularly poignant for Queen Elizabeth 2's only permanent resident, Beatrice Muller, aged 89, who lived on board in retirement for nine years, at a cost of some £3,500 (~€4,300, ~$5,400) per month.[111]

At the time of her retirement, QE2 had sailed 5.6 million miles, carried 2.5 million passengers and completed 806 transatlantic crossings.[112]

Layup Edit

Istithmar, Nakheel, QE2 in Dubai and Cape Town hotel proposal Edit

 
QE2 with her paying-off pennant flying

Her final voyage from Southampton to Dubai under the command of Captain Ian McNaught began on 11 November 2008, arriving on 26 November in a flotilla of 60 smaller vessels,[113] led by MY Dubai, the personal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed, ruler of Dubai,[114] in time for her official handover the following day.[115]

She was greeted with a fly-past from an Emirates Airbus A380 jet and a huge fireworks display, while thousands of people gathered at the Mina Rashid, waving the flags of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Since her arrival in Dubai QE2 remained moored at Port Rashid. Shortly after her final passengers were disembarked, she was moved forward to the cargo area of the port, to free up the passenger terminal for other cruise vessels.

She was expected to be refurbished and berthed permanently at Nakheel's Palm Jumeirah as "a luxury floating hotel, retail, museum and entertainment destination."[6] The refurbishment planned to see Queen Elizabeth 2 transformed into a tourist destination in Dubai;[116] however, due to the Global Economic Crisis, QE2 remained moored at Port Rashid awaiting a decision about her future.

QE2 remained an oceangoing vessel at this time, and as such, former Captain Ronald Warwick of QE2 and Queen Mary 2 (QM2) and retired commodore of the Cunard Line was initially employed by V-Ships, who managed QE2 post the Cunard handed her over as the vessel's legal master,[117] but was replaced by other V-Ships captains over time as the ship remained idle.[118]

It was anticipated that QE2 would be moved to the Dubai Drydocks sometime in 2009 to begin a series of far-reaching refurbishments which would result in a conversion into a floating hotel.

Due to the 2008 global recession, it was rumoured that QE2's refurbishment and hotel conversion would not take place and that the ship would be resold.[119][120] These rumours resulted in the owners, Istithmar, issuing a series of press releases stating that plans for QE2's conversion were ongoing, with no intention to sell.[121][122] However, since arriving in Dubai the only visible exterior change to QE2 was the painting out of the Cunard titles from the ship's superstructure.

QE2 was joined in Mina Rashid by QM2 on 21 March 2009 while QM2 visited Dubai as part of her 2009 World Cruise.[123] She was joined once again by Queen Victoria (QV) on 29 March 2009 as a part of her 2009 World Cruise. QM2 and QV again visited QE2 in 2010 and on 31 March 2011 the new Queen Elizabeth (QE) called at Dubai during her maiden world cruise – photos were arranged by Cunard to capture the occasion.[124] QM2 called in Dubai two days after QE left.[115]

In April 2009, an alleged concept model of the post refurbished Hotel QE2 was shown for sale on an online auction website.[125] The model depicts a much altered QE2.[126]

In June 2009, the Southampton Daily Echo reported that Queen Elizabeth 2 would return to the UK[127] as an operating cruise ship. However, on 20 July 2009 the owners Nakheel confirmed rumours that QE2 would re position to Cape Town for use as a floating hotel. On 24 June 2009, QE2 made her first journey after nearly eight months of inactivity since the liner arrived in Dubai. She manoeuvred under her own power into the Dubai Drydocks for inspection and hull repainting before the then planned voyage to Cape Town's V&A Waterfront to serve there as a floating hotel for the FIFA World Cup 2010 and beyond.[128]

On 10 July 2009, it was revealed that QE2 might sail to Cape Town, South Africa, to become a floating hotel for use primarily during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in a Dubai World sponsored venture at the V&A Waterfront.[129][130] This was confirmed by Nakheel on 20 July 2009.[131] In preparation for this expected voyage the ship was placed into the Dubai Drydock and underwent an extensive exterior refurbishment. During this refit, the ship's underwater hull was repainted and inspected.[115][127][132] Shortly after the refit, QE2 was registered under the flag of Vanuatu, and Port Vila was painted on her stern, replacing Southampton.[133]

QE2 returned to Port Rashid, where it was anticipated she would soon sail for Cape Town.[134] The arrival of QE2 in Cape Town was expected to create many local jobs[135] including hotel staff, restaurant staff, chefs, cleaners and shop attendants, all being sourced from the local workforce.[136] But, in January 2010, it was confirmed that QE2 would not be moved to Cape Town.[137]

2010 sale and relocation speculation Edit

 
At Drydock World Dubai in 2012
 
Anchor from Queen Elizabeth 2 donated to the city of Southampton by Cunard in March 2010

In early 2010, due to the continued poor financial performance of Dubai World, there was much media speculation that QE2, along with other assets owned by Istithmar, Dubai World's private-equity arm, would be sold to raise capital. Despite this sale speculation, a number of alternative locations for QE2 have been cited including London, Singapore, Clydebank,[138] Japan[138] and Fremantle,[138][139] the latter showing interest in using QE2 as a hotel for the ISAF Sailing World Championships to be held in December 2011.[139] However, as at June 2010 Nakheel's official statement regarding QE2 was that "a number of options being considered for QE2".[115][138][139]

2011 drifting Edit

On 28 January 2011 during a heavy dust storm, QE2 broke loose from her moorings and drifted out into the channel at Port Rashid. She was attended by pilots and tugs and safely returned to berth at Port Rashid. Images of QE2's unexpected movements appeared on-line after being taken by an observer on the ship in front of QE2.[140]

Warm layup Edit

Throughout 2011 and 2012, QE2 remained berthed at Port Mina Rashid in Dubai in 2011.[34] She was maintained in a seaworthy condition and generated her own power. Each of her nine diesel generators were turned over and used to power the ship. A live-in crew of approximately 50 people maintained QE2 to a high standard.[141] Activities include painting, maintenance, cabin checks, and overhauls of machinery. Istithmar were considering plans for QE2 which could have involved the ship sailing to an alternative location under her own power.[115][34]

On 21 March 2011, QM2 called in Dubai and docked close to QE2. During the departure, the two ships sounded their horns.[115][142]

2011 move to Liverpool plan, Port Rashid and QE2 development plans Edit

On 28 September 2011 news circulated that a plan was being formulated to return QE2 to the United Kingdom by berthing her in Liverpool.[143] Liverpool has a historic connection with Cunard Line being the first British home for the line as well as housing the iconic Cunard Building.[115]

It was revealed that Liverpool Vision, the economic development company responsible for Liverpool's regeneration,[144] has been involved in confidential discussions with Out of Time Concepts, a company headed by a former Chief Engineer on the ship, who recently advised its current owners[115] on plans to turn it into a luxury hotel in Dubai.[143]

In a letter from Out of Time Concepts to Liverpool Vision, it was explained that "The free global media attention derived from bringing home Queen Elizabeth 2 will without question promote Liverpool's new waterfront developments, its amazing architecture, its maritime and world heritage sites, its museums, its culture and its history".[115][143]

On the same week that the Liverpool Vision plans were revealed, Nakheel stated that plans for QE2 to be berthed at The Palm had been dropped because they now planned to build 102 houses on the site which was once intended to be named the QE2 Precinct.[115][145][146][147]

Nakheel suggested that Queen Elizabeth 2, under the ownership of Istithmar, would remain at Port Rashid to become an integral part of the growing cruise terminal. "The QE2 would be placed in a much better location", Ali Rashid Lootah, the chairman of Nakheel, told Dubai's The National newspaper "The Government of Dubai is developing an up-to-date modern cruise terminal which will mean a better environment", confirming the ship would remain in Dubai for the foreseeable future.

2011–2012 New Year's party aboard QE2 Edit

On 31 December 2011, Queen Elizabeth 2 was the location of a lavish New Year's Eve party in Dubai.[148] The black tie event[149] was run by Global Event Management and included over 1,000 guests.[150][151] In early 2011 Global Event Management were offering events aboard QE2 in Dubai for 2012 and 2013.[115][149]

July 2012: Hotel announcement Edit

On 2 July 2012 in a coordinated press release, the ship's owner, operator and Port Rashid operator, DP Ports, jointly announced QE2 would re-open as a 300-bed hotel after an 18-month refit. The release claims the ship was to be refitted to restore original features, including her 1994–2008 'Heritage Trail' of classic Cunard artefacts. The ship was to be berthed alongside a redeveloped Port Rashid cruise terminal which would double as a maritime museum.[115][152]

Scrapping in China, QE2 London and QE2 Asia Edit

On 23 December 2012, it was reported that QE2 had been sold for scrapping in China for £20 million, after a bid to return her to the UK was rejected. With monthly berthing and maintenance charges of £650,000, it was reported that a Chinese salvage crew arrived at the vessel on 21 December, to replace a crew of 40 which has been maintaining the vessel since it arrived at Port Rashid.[97] However, Cunard dismissed the reports as "pure speculation".[153] When the ship was sold in 2007, a clause in the contract which started from her retirement in 2009 stipulated a ten-year "no onward sale" clause, without payment of a full purchase price default penalty.[97][115]

The "QE2 London" Plan had included a £20 million bid for QE2 and a further £40 million refurbishment that was supposed to create more than 2,000 jobs in London, with Queen Elizabeth 2 docked near the O2 Arena. It had reportedly obtained the support of the then London Mayor Boris Johnson.[115]

 
QE2 in Dubai with Cunard titles removed from her superstructure

On 17 January 2013, the Dubai Drydocks World announced that Queen Elizabeth 2 would be sent to an unknown location in Asia to serve as a floating luxury hotel, shopping mall, and museum.[154] Despite this move, the QE2 London team stated on the same day that "We believe our investors can show Dubai that QE2 London is still the best proposal".[155]

"Bring QE2 Home" proposals Edit

Cunard's 175th anniversary celebrations on 25 May 2015 led to renewed interest in Queen Elizabeth 2. John Chillingworth secured the backing of London mayor Boris Johnson for a plan to anchor the ship opposite The O2 Arena at Greenwich.[156] A move to London however would require the ship to pass through the Thames Barrier. In late 2015 there was disagreement between ship preservation advocates and harbour authorities on whether a dead ship of her size could safely manoeuvre through the barrier.[157] John Houston suggested returning the ship to Greenock as a maritime attraction, hotel and events space.[158]

Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe has called on the UK and Scottish governments to campaign to buy the ship, saying that "Bringing the QE2 home is a Herculean task, one that requires national support in Scotland and perhaps across the UK, if it has any chance of happening."[159] In January 2016 Aubrey Fawcett, the chair of the working group to regenerate the Clyde, admitted defeat in this effort as QE2's owners refused to respond to any requests regarding her condition or sale. "Consequently, we must conclude that it is highly unlikely that Scotland features in the future plans for the vessel."[7]

2015–2016 Edit

 
QE2 moored at Port Rashid, Dubai, in late October 2015

On 12 August 2015, the QE2 was observed to have been moved from her berth within Dubai Dry Docks, where she had been since January 2013, to a more open location within Port Rashid. On 17 November 2015, QE2 was again moved within Port Rashid, to the former cruise terminal. It was not known whether these recent moves are connected with any of the publicly known plans regarding the ship's fate.[160]

Between May and August 2016, observers noted that the ship's lifeboats were lowered and stored on a nearby car park. Following this, the lifeboat davits were removed in September, giving the ship an altered profile on her boat deck. Subsequently, the wooden decking was removed from the deck and replaced by synthetic block flooring.[161][162]

50th anniversary celebration Edit

September 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of QE2's launch.[163] To mark the occasion, Cunard Line, the ship's former owners, arranged a commemorative voyage aboard MS Queen Elizabeth – a 17-night cruise, with special activities and theme days.[164] Meanwhile, in Glasgow, the QE2 Story Forum hosted a 50th anniversary conference with Captain Nick Bates as a speaker.[165] Several books were released for the anniversary, including Building the Queen Elizabeth 2 by Cunard historian Michael Gallagher, and QE2: A 50th Anniversary Celebration by Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross.[166]

Hotel and tourist attraction Edit

Queen Elizabeth 2 reopened in Dubai as a floating hotel on 18 April 2018 following an extensive refurbishment.[167][168] Over 2.7 million man-hours were committed to the work to upgrade and rebuild the ship to meet hotel standards.[169] This included a full hull repaint and the replacing of Port Vila registry with Dubai on her stern.[170] It is a 'soft opening', while remaining work continues.[171]

On board is a new QE2 Heritage Exhibition, adjacent to the lobby, detailing the vessel's history.[169] The ship was operated by PCFC Hotels, a division of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, which is owned by the Dubai government.[172] French hospitality group Accor took over operation of the hotel and attraction in May 2022.[173] Accor has announced plans to further renovate the vessel; following completion there will be 447 hotel rooms.[174]

The theatre regularly has shows including comedians such as Jack Whitehall,[175] tribute acts and family shows. Details of upcoming shows can be found at the Theatre website.[176]

See also Edit

References Edit

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  2. ^ Maritime Information Exchange, search for Queen Elizabeth 2
  3. ^ Frame, Chris (10 April 2018). "QE2 reopens as a Hotel in Dubai on 18 April after 9 ½ years of retirement". chrisframe.com.au. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  4. ^ Frame, Chris (2 May 2019). "QE2 50th Anniversary". chrisframe.com.au. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  5. ^ Fitch, Asa (19 January 2013). "QE II Ocean Liner Heads to Asia to Become Floating Hotel". Zawya.
  6. ^ a b . Cunard.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
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  8. ^ . HT Media Limited. 3 July 2012. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
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  14. ^ a b c d Payne. Page 31.
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  17. ^ a b c d e f Cross.
  18. ^ a b "Queen Elizabeth 2: History". Members.tripod.com. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
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  20. ^ Glen. Page 303.
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  23. ^ "QE2's Major 1986–1987 re-engining refit". Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  24. ^ Chris Frame & Rachelle Cross (2009). The QE2 Story. The History Press, Stroud. ISBN 978-0-7524-5094-0.
  25. ^ Schwerdtner, Nils (2008). The New Cunard Queens: Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth 2. Seaforth Publishing. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-1-84832-010-9.
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  27. ^ Explained to the author by his father, Michael Inchbald
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  32. ^ "QE2 Heritage Trail". 28 October 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  33. ^ a b c Chris Frame & Rachelle Cross (2008). . The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-4803-9. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  34. ^ a b c "QE2, 2010 News". Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  35. ^ a b "QE2's Major 1986–1987 re-engining refit". Rob Lightbody. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
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  39. ^ Leitch, Neil. "Ship number 736". Queen Elizabeth Two (QE2) 40 years on. University of Glasgow, Archive Services exhibitions. Retrieved 14 November 2008. The name of the ship was kept secret and as the day of the launch approached ... Queen Elizabeth stepped forward and named the ship, Queen Elizabeth the Second, being the second ship called Queen Elizabeth ... As Roman numerals are always used for monarchs, the Arabic numeral 2 is used in the ship's name to distinguish her from the monarch, and she has always been referred to as, Queen Elizabeth Two, or most often as the QE2
  40. ^ a b . ShipsandCruises.com. Travel-Scope.com Communications. Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. This year on 4 September, the QE2 becomes the longest serving Cunarder ever when she passes the 36 years, four months, and two days' record of the Scythia ... She is also probably the most misnamed ship in the world. She is Queen Elizabeth 2 (not Queen Elizabeth II) indicating she is the second Cunard liner named Queen Elizabeth. ... Christened by: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1967 (The Queen did not name the ship after herself; and so in time the ship became known as the QE 2)
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  49. ^ Warwick junior is currently involved with QE2 in Dubai and Cape Town on behalf of Nakheel. Warwick, Ronald W. (1999). QE2 – The Cunard Line Flagship, Queen Elizabeth 2 (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton and Company. ISBN 978-0-393-04772-1. OL 7451640M. There was no question what Sir Basil and the Cunard board desired. The name was discussed with Lord Adeane, the queen's private secretary, and it was decided simply to ask that the new ship be named Queen Elizabeth, because by the time of her commissioning, both of the earlier Queens would be withdrawn from service and she could assume the name vacated by one of her predecessors ... Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II moved to the front of the launching platform and was handed an envelope by John Rannie with the name of the ship inside. This was a tradition because many years before someone purportedly had forgotten the name of a ship about to be launched. The envelope remained unopened as the queen stepped forward and uttered the words, "I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth the Second. May God Bless her and all who sail in her" ... Sir Basil Smallpeice was overjoyed at the sovereign's alteration of the name. (paragraph reference his autobiography ISBN 0-906393-10-8) He could not have been more delighted with having the third of the great royal Cunarders named in this manner. The decision promptly was made to style the giant liner Queen Elizabeth 2 using the numeral two to differentiate the ship from the sovereign.
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Sources Edit

  • Frame, Chris; Cross, Rachelle (2008). QE2 A Photographic Journey. UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-07524-4803-9.
  • Frame, Chris; Cross, Rachelle (2009). The QE2 Story. UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-5094-0.
  • Frame, Chris; Cross, Rachelle (2017). QE2: A 50th Anniversary Celebration. UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-07509-7029-7.
  • Glen, Francis E. (1975). Cunard and the North Atlantic 1840–1973: A History of Shipping and Financial Management (Softback). London: The Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02392-9.
  • Payne, Stephen (December 2017), "Queen Elizabeth 2 : Cunard's Q4 Project", Ships Monthly: 31–38

External links Edit

Queen Elizabeth 2 official websites Edit

  • Queen Elizabeth 2 official website

QE2 history websites Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Elizabeth 2 (ship, 1969).
  • Sam Warwick's QE2 homepage - since 1996
  • BBC Hampshire – QE2 One Year On
  • Bomb threats, champagne and dead whales – 50 remarkable facts about the QE2 Daily Telegraph

October 03, 2023
queen, elizabeth, redirects, here, monarch, elizabeth, other, uses, disambiguation, retired, british, ocean, liner, converted, into, floating, hotel, originally, built, cunard, line, ship, second, officially, named, queen, elizabeth, operated, cunard, both, tr. QE2 redirects here For the monarch see Elizabeth II For other uses see QE2 disambiguation Queen Elizabeth 2 QE2 is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel Originally built for the Cunard Line the ship the second one officially named Queen Elizabeth was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008 She was then laid up until converted and since 18 April 2018 has been operating as a floating hotel in Dubai 3 Queen Elizabeth 2 docked in Dubai in March 2020HistoryOwner1969 1971 Cunard Steamship Company Ltd 1971 1998 Trafalgar House 1998 2008 Carnival Corporation amp plc Since 2008 Istithmar World DubaiOperator1969 2008 Cunard Line 2018 2022 PCFC Hotels 2022 Accor 1 Port of registry1969 2008 Southampton United Kingdom 2008 2018 Port Vila Vanuatu Since 2018 Dubai UAERouteNorth Atlantic and cruising during Cunard serviceOrdered1964BuilderJohn Brown and Company Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Clydebank ScotlandCost 29 091 000Yard number736Laid down5 July 1965Launched20 September 1967 by Queen Elizabeth IICompleted26 November 1968 Sea trials commenced Maiden voyage2 May 1969In service1969 2008Out of service27 November 2008IdentificationIMO number 6725418 1968 2009 Callsign GBTT British ON 336703 2009 present Callsign YJVW6 MMSI number 576059000StatusFloating hotel and museum at Mina Rashid DubaiGeneral characteristicsTonnage70 327 GTDisplacement49 738 2 Length963 ft 293 5 m Beam105 ft 32 0 m Height171 ft 52 1 m Draft32 ft 9 8 m Decks10Installed power3 Foster Wheeler ESD II Boilers original design 9 MAN B amp W 9L58 64 1987 refit PropulsionTwo Brown Pametrada Steam Turbines original design Two GEC propulsion motors 2 44 MW 1987 refit Two five bladed variable pitch propellersSpeed34 knots 63 km h max 28 5 knots 52 8 km h service 20 knots 37 km h asternCapacity1 777 passengers 1 892 all berths passengersCrew1 040Queen Elizabeth 2 was designed for the transatlantic service from her home port of Southampton UK to New York United States 4 and was named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth She served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by Queen Mary 2 in 2004 Queen Elizabeth 2 was designed in Cunard s offices in Liverpool and Southampton and built in Clydebank Scotland She was considered the last of the transatlantic ocean liners until Project Genesis was announced by Cunard Line in 1995 after the business purchase of Cunard by Mickey Arison chairman of Carnival and Carnival UK Project Genesis was intended to create new life in the ocean liner saga and in 1998 Cunard revealed the name Queen Mary 2 Queen Elizabeth 2 was refitted with a modern diesel powerplant in 1986 87 She undertook regular world cruises during almost 40 years of service and later operated predominantly as a cruise ship sailing out of Southampton England Queen Elizabeth 2 had no running mate and never ran a year round weekly transatlantic express service to New York She did however continue the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life Queen Elizabeth 2 retired from active Cunard service on 27 November 2008 She had been acquired by the private equity arm of Dubai World which planned to begin conversion of the vessel to a 500 room floating hotel moored at the Palm Jumeirah Dubai 5 6 The 2008 financial crisis intervened however and the ship was laid up at Dubai Drydocks and later Mina Rashid 7 Subsequent conversion plans were announced in 2012 8 and then again by the Oceanic Group in 2013 9 but both plans stalled In November 2015 Cruise Arabia amp Africa quoted DP World chairman Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem as saying that QE2 would not be scrapped 10 and a Dubai based construction company announced in March 2017 that it had been contracted to refurbish the ship 11 The restored QE2 opened to visitors on 18 April 2018 12 with a soft opening Contents 1 Development 2 Design 2 1 Characteristics 2 2 Hull 2 3 Superstructure 2 4 Interiors 2 5 Artwork and artefacts 2 6 Crew accommodation 2 7 Machinery 3 Construction 3 1 Name 3 1 1 Form of name 3 1 2 Background 3 1 3 Launch 3 1 4 1969 authorised history 3 1 5 Ron Warwick former captain 3 1 6 Cunard website 3 1 7 Other accounts 3 2 Delivery 4 Service 4 1 Early career 4 2 Falklands War 4 3 Diesel era and Project Lifestyle 4 4 Later years 4 4 1 Retirement Announcement 4 5 Retirement and final Cunard voyage 4 5 1 Final Westbound amp Eastbound Transatlantic Crossings 4 5 2 Final Voyage 5 Layup 5 1 Istithmar Nakheel QE2 in Dubai and Cape Town hotel proposal 5 2 2010 sale and relocation speculation 5 3 2011 drifting 5 4 Warm layup 5 5 2011 move to Liverpool plan Port Rashid and QE2 development plans 5 6 2011 2012 New Year s party aboard QE2 5 7 July 2012 Hotel announcement 5 8 Scrapping in China QE2 London and QE2 Asia 5 9 Bring QE2 Home proposals 5 10 2015 2016 5 11 50th anniversary celebration 6 Hotel and tourist attraction 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Sources 9 External links 9 1 Queen Elizabeth 2 official websites 9 2 QE2 history websitesDevelopment Edit nbsp QE2 s hull at Number 736 on the slipway 1967By 1957 transatlantic travel was becoming dominated by air travel due to its speed and low cost relative to sea routes with passenger numbers split 50 50 between sea and air transport 13 The increase in market share by air showed no signs of slowing down especially once the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC8 entered service in 1958 14 Conversely Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were becoming increasingly expensive to operate and both internally and externally were relics of the pre war years and needed to be retired by the mid 1960s Despite falling passenger revenues Cunard did not want to give up its traditional role as a provider of a North Atlantic passenger service and so decided to replace the existing ageing Queens with a new ocean liner designated Q3 as it would be the third Cunard Queen 15 The Q3 was projected to measure 75 000 gross register tons have berths for 2 270 passengers and cost about 30 million 14 16 Work had proceeded as far as the preparation of submissions from six shipyards and applying for government financial assistance with the construction when misgivings among some executives and directors coupled with a shareholder revolt led to the benefits of the project being reappraised and ultimately cancelled on 19 October 1961 14 17 Cunard decided to continue with a replacement Queen but with an altered operating regime and more flexible design Realising the decline of transatlantic trade it was visualised that she would be a three class First Cabin and Tourist dual purpose ship operating for eight months of the year on the transatlantic route and during the winter months would operate as a cruise ship in warmer climates 14 18 Compared with the older Queens which had two engine rooms and four propellers the newly designated Q4 would be smaller with one boiler room one engine room and two propellers which combined with automation would allow a smaller engineering complement 19 Despite producing 110 000 shp the new ship was to have the same service speed of 28 5 knots 52 8 km h as the two previous Queens This would require an engine output of 160 000 shp clarification needed compared to the older Queens 200 000 shp whilst the fuel consumption would be halved to 520 tons per 24 hours 20 this was expected to save 1 million a year in fuel bills 19 The Q4 would also be able to transit the Panama Canal and Suez Canal and the shallower draught of 32 feet 9 8 m which was seven feet 2 1 m less than her predecessors and which would allow her to enter ports that the old Queens could not 15 Design Edit nbsp Queen Elizabeth 2 s long bow was typical of regular service ocean liners which sailed at high speed to keep a schedule in any weather nbsp Queen Elizabeth 2 back on the River Clyde for her 40th birthday in 2007This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed April 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message The interior and superstructure for the QE2 was designed by James Gardner His design for the ocean liner was described by The Council of Industrial Design as that of a very big yacht and with a look that was sleek modern and purposeful 21 Characteristics Edit At the time of retirement the ship had a gross tonnage of 70 327 and was 963 ft 294 m long QE2 had a top speed of 32 5 knots 60 2 km h 37 4 mph with her original steam turbines this was increased to 34 knots 63 km h 39 mph when the vessel was re engined with a diesel electric powerplant 22 23 24 Hull Edit The hull was of welded construction which avoided the weight penalty of over ten million rivets and overlapped steel plates compared with the previous Queens 19 unlike the two previous ships the QE2 also had a bulbous bow Superstructure Edit Like both Normandie and France QE2 had a flared stem and clean forecastle What was controversial at the time was that Cunard decided not to paint the funnel with the line s distinctive colour and pattern something that had been done on all merchant vessels since the first Cunard ship RMS Britannia sailed in 1840 Instead the funnel was painted white and black with the Cunard orange red appearing only on the inside of the wind scoop This practice ended in 1983 when QE2 returned from service in the Falklands War and the funnel has been repainted in Cunard traditional colours orange and black with black horizontal bands known as hands ever since The original pencil like funnel was rebuilt in 1986 as an enlarged version using metal from the original when the ship was converted from steam to diesel power Large quantities of aluminium were used in the framing and cladding of QE2 s superstructure This decision was designed to save weight reducing the draft of the ship and lowering the fuel consumption but it also posed the possibility of corrosion problems that can occur with joining the dissimilar metals together so a jointing compound was coated between the steel and aluminium surfaces to prevent this happening The low melting point of aluminium caused concern when QE2 was serving as a troopship during the Falklands War some feared that if the ship were struck by a missile her upper decks would collapse quickly due to fire thereby causing greater casualties In 1972 the first penthouse suites were added in an aluminium structure on Signal Deck and Sports Deck now Sun Deck behind the ship s bridge and in 1977 this structure was expanded to include more suites with balconies making QE2 one of the first ships to offer private terraces to passengers since Normandie in the 1930s QE2 s balcony accommodation was expanded for the final time during QE2 s 1986 87 refurbishment in Bremerhaven During this refit the ship was given a new wider funnel built using panels from the original It retained the traditional Cunard colours QE2 s final structural changes included the reworking of the aft decks during the 1994 refit following the removal of the magrodome and the addition of an undercover area on Sun Deck during her 2005 refit creating a space known as Funnel Bar Interiors Edit Queen Elizabeth 2 s interior configuration was laid out in a horizontal fashion similar to France where the spaces dedicated to the two classes were spread horizontally on specific decks in contrast to the vertical class divisions of older liners Where QE2 differed from France was that the first class deck Quarter Deck was below the deck dedicated to tourist class Upper Deck Originally there were to be main lounges serving three classes layered one atop the other but when Cunard decided to make the ship a two class vessel only two main lounges were needed Instead of completely reconfiguring the Boat Deck the ship s architects simply opened a well in the deck between what were to have been the second and third class lounges creating a double height space known as the Double Room now the Grand Lounge This too was unconventional in that it designated a grander two storey space for tourist class passengers while first class passengers gathered in the standard height Queen s Room The configuration for segregated Atlantic crossings gave first class passengers the theatre balcony on Boat Deck while tourist class used the orchestra level on Upper Deck Over the span of her thirty nine year seagoing career QE2 received a number of interior refits and alterations The year she came into service 1969 was also the year of the Apollo 11 mission when the Concorde s prototype was unveiled and the previous year Stanley Kubrick s film 2001 A Space Odyssey premiered In keeping with those times originally Cunard broke from the traditional interiors of their previous liners for QE2 especially the Art Deco style of the previous Queens Instead modern materials like decorative laminates aluminium and Perspex were used The public rooms featured glass stainless steel dark carpeting and sea green leather 25 Furniture was modular and abstract art was used throughout public rooms and cabins Dennis Lennon was responsible for co ordinating the interior design and his team included Jon Bannenberg and Gaby Schreiber although Lennon s original designs only remained intact for three years 26 The Midships Lobby on Two Deck where first class passengers boarded for transatlantic journeys and all passengers boarded for cruises was a circular room with a sunken seating area in the centre with green leather clad banquettes and surrounded by a chrome railing As a kingpin to this was a flared white trumpet shaped up lit column Another room designed by Michael Inchbald where QE2 s advanced interior design was demonstrated was the first class lounge the Queen s Room on Quarter Deck This space in colours of white and tan featured a lowered ceiling with large indirectly lit slots which despite reducing the ceiling height created an impression of airy openness above to deal with the otherwise oppressive dimensions of the single storey room c 30m x 30m x 2 4m In addition the structural columns were flared at the top to blend into the ceiling and to lose the visual indication of low ceiling height that straight columns would have given The Midships Lobby copied these features but without achieving the airiness Inchbald repeated the flaring of the columns in the bases of his tables and leather shell chairs The indirect lighting from above could be switched from a cool hue for summer to a warm hue for winter 27 The Theatre Bar on Upper Deck featured red chairs red drapes a red egg crate fibreglass screen and even a red baby grand piano Some more traditional materials like wood veneer were used as highlights throughout the ship especially in passenger corridors and staterooms There was also an Observation Bar on Quarter Deck a successor to its namesake located in a similar location on both previous Queens which offered views through large windows over the ship s bow This room was lost in QE2 s 1972 refit becoming galley space with the forward facing windows plated over In the 1994 refit almost all of the remaining original decor was replaced with Cunard opting to reverse the original design direction of QE2 s designers and use the line s traditional ocean liners as inspiration The green velvet and leather Midships Bar became the Art Deco inspired Chart Room receiving an original custom designed piano from Queen Mary The by now blue dominated Theatre Bar was transformed into the Golden Lion Pub which mimics a traditional Edwardian pub Some original elements were retained including the flared columns in the Queen s Room and Mid Ships Lobby which were incorporated into the reworked designs The Queen s Room s indirect lighting from above was replaced with uplighters which reversed the original light airy effect by illuminating the lowered ceiling and leaving shadows in the ceiling s slot The furniture and carpet which replaced Michael Inchbald s designs were incongruous next to the flared columns and slotted ceiling By the time of her retirement the synagogue was the only room that had remained unaltered since 1969 28 However it was reported that during QE2 s 22 October five night voyage the synagogue was dismantled and removed from the ship before her final sailing to Dubai 29 Artwork and artefacts Edit nbsp QE2 bell on display on MS Queen ElizabethThe designers included numerous pieces of artwork within the public rooms of the ship as well as maritime artefacts drawn from Cunard s long history of operating merchant vessels Althea Wynne s sculpture of the White Horses of the Atlantic Ocean was installed in the Mauretania Restaurant 30 Two bronze busts were installed one of Sir Samuel Cunard outside the Yacht Club and one of Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen s Room Four life size statues of human forms created by sculptor Janine Janet in marine materials like shell and coral representing the four elements were installed in the Princess Grill A frieze designed by Brody Nevenshwander depicting the words of T S Eliot Sir Francis Drake and John Masefield was in the Chart Room The Midships Lobby housed a solid silver model of Queen Elizabeth 2 made by Asprey of Bond Street in 1975 which was lost until a photograph found in 1997 led to the discovery of the model itself It was placed on Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1999 Three custom designed tapestries were commissioned from Helena Hernmarck for the ship s launch depicting the Queen as well as the launch of the ship These tapestries were originally hung in the Quarter Deck D Stairway outside the Columbia Restaurant They were originally made with golden threads but much of this was lost when they were incorrectly cleaned during the 1987 refit They were subsequently hung in the E stairway and later damaged in 2005 There are numerous photographs oils and pastels of members of the Royal Family throughout the vessel The ship also housed items from previous Cunard ships including both a brass relief plaque with a fish motif from the first RMS Mauretania 1906 and an Art Deco bas relief titled Winged Horse and Clouds by Norman Foster from RMS Queen Elizabeth There were also a vast array of Cunard postcards porcelain flatware boxes linen and Lines Bros Tri ang Minic model ships One of the key pieces was a replica of the figurehead from Cunard s first ship RMS Britannia carved from Quebec yellow pine by Cornish sculptor Charles Moore and presented to the ship by Lloyd s of London On the Upper Deck sits the silver Boston Commemorative Cup presented to Britannia by the City of Boston in 1840 This cup was lost for decades until it was found in a pawn shop in Halifax Nova Scotia On 2 Deck was a bronze entitled Spirit of the Atlantic that was designed by Barney Seale for the second RMS Mauretania 1938 A large wooden plaque was presented to Queen Elizabeth 2 by First Sea Lord Sir John Fieldhouse to commemorate the ship s service as a Hired Military Transport HMT in the Falklands War There was also an extensive collection of large scale models of Cunard ships located throughout Queen Elizabeth 2 31 Over the years the ship s collection was added to Among those items was a set of antique Japanese armour presented to Queen Elizabeth 2 by the Governor of Kagoshima Japan during her 1979 world cruise as was a Wedgwood vase presented to the ship by Lord Wedgwood Throughout the public areas were also silver plaques commemorating the visits of every member of the Royal Family as well as other dignitaries such as South African president Nelson Mandela Istithmar bought most of these items from Cunard when it purchased QE2 32 Crew accommodation Edit The majority of the crew were accommodated in two or four berth cabins with showers and toilets at the end of each alleyway citation needed These were located forward and aft on decks three to six citation needed At the time she entered service the crew areas were a significant improvement over those aboard RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth however the ship s age and the lack of renovation of the crew area during her 40 years of service in contrast to passenger areas which were updated periodically meant that this accommodation was considered basic by the end of her career Officers were accommodated in single cabins with private in suite bathrooms located on Sun Deck 17 There were six crew bars the main four were split into the Senior Rates Recreation Rooms on Deck 2 and the Junior Rates on Deck 3 with Deck and Engine Departments on the port side and Hotel on the starboard side of the ship The Female crew recreation room was on Deck 1 next to their dedicated mess room Over time the Deck amp Engine Ratings Room became The Petty Officers Club and then the Fo c sle Club when the British Deck and Engine crew were changed to Filipino crew The Hotel Senior Rates room became a crew gym The Junior Rates Rooms on Deck 3 were the main crew bars and were called The Pig amp Whistle 33 The 2 deck Pig and three deck pig for short and a tradition aboard Cunard ships and Castaways on the starboard side After the expansion of female crew following the conversion to diesel power the female only recreation and mess room became a crew library and later the crew services office The final bar on Deck 6 aft was small and in a former crew launderette so it was called the Dhobi Arms a hang out for the Liverpool crew but was closed in the late 80s A bar dedicated for the officers is located at the forward end of Boat Deck Named The Officers Wardroom this area enjoyed forward facing views and was often opened to passengers for cocktail parties hosted by the senior officers 34 The crew mess was situated at the forward end of One Deck 33 adjacent to the crew services office Machinery Edit nbsp Queen Elizabeth 2 being re engined at Bremerhaven November 1986 nbsp Queen Elizabeth 2 s original funnel removed while being re engined her old fixed pitch propellers are lying to the bottom left hand side on the photo They were later recycled to cast QE2 s new funnel citation needed Queen Elizabeth 2 was originally fitted out with a steam turbine propulsion system utilising three Foster Wheeler E S D II boilers which provided steam for the two Brown Pametrada turbines The turbines were rated with a maximum power output figure of 110 000 shaft horsepower 82 000 kW normally operating at 94 000 hp or 70 000 kW and coupled via double reduction gearing to two six bladed fixed pitch propellers The steam turbines were plagued with problems citation needed from the time the ship first entered service and despite being technically advanced and fuel efficient in 1968 her consumption of 600 tons of fuel oil every twenty four hours was more than expected for such a ship by the 1980s After seventeen years of service the availability of spare parts was becoming difficult due to the outdated design of the boilers and turbines and the constant use of the machinery which was mainly due to the deletion of the originally planned 4th boiler as a cost saving measure while on the drawing board by Cunard The shipping company decided that the options were to either do nothing for the remainder of the ship s life re configure the existing engines or completely re engine the vessel with a modern more efficient and more reliable diesel electric powerplant Ultimately it was decided to replace the engines as it was calculated that the savings in fuel costs and maintenance would pay for themselves over four years whilst giving the vessel a minimum of another twenty years of service whereas the other options would only provide short term relief 35 Her steam turbines had taken her to a record breaking total of 2 622 858 miles clarification needed in 18 years 36 During the ship s 1986 to 1987 refit the steam turbines were removed and replaced with nine German MAN 9L58 64 nine cylinder medium speed diesel engines each weighing approximately 120 tons Using a diesel electric configuration each engine drives a generator each developing 10 5 MW of electrical power at 10 000 volts This electrical plant in addition to powering the ship s auxiliary and hotel services through transformers drives the two main propulsion motors one on each propeller shaft These motors produce 44 MW each and are of synchronised salient pole construction nine metres in diameter and weighing more than 400 tons each The ship s service speed of 28 5 knots 52 8 km h was now maintained using only seven of the diesel electric sets The maximum power output with the new engine configuration running increased to 130 000 hp which was greater than the previous system s 110 000 hp Using the same IBF 380 Bunker C fuel the new configuration yielded a 35 fuel saving over the previous system During the re engining process her funnel was replaced by a wider one to accommodate the exhaust pipes for the nine MAN diesel engines During the refit the original fixed pitch propellers were replaced with variable pitch propellers The old steam propulsion system required astern turbines to move the ship backwards or stop her moving forward The pitch of the new variable pitch blades could simply be reversed causing a reversal of propeller thrust while maintaining the same direction of propeller rotation allowing the ship shorter stopping times and improved handling characteristics The new propellers were originally fitted with Grim Wheels named after their inventor Dr Ing Otto Grim 35 These were free spinning propeller blades fitted behind the main propellers with long vanes protruding from the centre hub The Grim Wheels were designed to recover lost propeller thrust and reduce fuel consumption by 2 5 to 3 After the trial of these wheels when the ship was drydocked the majority of the vanes on each wheel were discovered to have broken off The wheels were removed and the project was abandoned Other machinery includes nine heat recovery boilers coupled with two oil fired boilers to produce steam for heating fuel domestic water swimming pools laundry equipment and galleys Four flash evaporators and a reverse osmosis unit desalinate seawater to produce 1000 tons of freshwater daily There is also a sanitation system and sewage disposal plant air conditioning plant and an electro hydraulic steering system 37 Construction EditOn 30 December 1964 Cunard placed an order for construction of the new ship with John Brown and Company who would build it at their shipyard in Clydebank Scotland The agreed price was 25 427 000 with provision for escalation of labour and materials increases with an agreed delivery date of May 1968 38 To assist with its construction the British government provided financial assistance to Cunard in the form of a 17 6 million loan at 4 5 interest 38 The keel was laid down on 5 July 1965 as hull number 736 on the same slipway where previous Cunard liners such as Lusitania Aquitania Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth had been constructed The ship was launched and named on 20 September 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II using the same pair of gold scissors her mother and grandmother used to launch Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary respectively 18 After the bottle of champagne was smashed the QE2 stayed put on the slipway for 90 seconds before being let free Name Edit Authorities disagree over whether the ship s namesake is the monarch Elizabeth II or the liner Queen Elizabeth Form of name Edit nbsp QE2 stern name October 2008 nbsp QE2 bow name October 2008The name of the liner as it appears on the bow and stern is Queen Elizabeth 2 with upper and lower case lettering and an Arabic numeral 2 as opposed to the Roman numeral II distinguishing her from the monarch Elizabeth II it is commonly pronounced in speech as Queen Elizabeth Two 39 Soon after launching the name was shortened in common use as QE2 40 Background Edit Queen Mary in 1934 and Queen Elizabeth in 1938 were both named by and for contemporary spouses of reigning monarchs Mary of Teck and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon respectively 41 These two previous Cunarders both had capitalised bow names as QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH Cunard practice at the time of naming QE2 was to re use the existing name of its former ships for example launching Mauretania 1938 in 1938 after the previous Mauretania 1906 was scrapped in 1935 The original Queen Elizabeth was still in service with Cunard when QE2 was launched in 1967 although she was retired and sold before QE2 entered revenue service with Cunard in 1969 The addition of a 2 in this manner was unknown at the time but it was not unknown for Roman numerals to denote ships in service with the same name Two non Cunard ships were named Queen Mary II a Clyde steamer and Mauretania II a Southampton steamer of Red Funnel since the Cunard ships already had the names without Roman numerals Launch Edit As was Cunard practice at the time the name of the liner was not to be publicly revealed until the launch 42 Dignitaries were invited to the Launch of Cunard Liner No 736 43 as no name had yet been painted on the bow 44 The Queen launched the ship with the words I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second 45 the normal short form of address of the monarch Elizabeth II herself The following day the New York Times 46 and The Times of London printed the name as Queen Elizabeth II the short form of written style of the monarch However when the liner left the shipyard in 1968 she bore the name Queen Elizabeth 2 on her bow and has continued to do so ever since 47 1969 authorised history Edit In an authorised history of Queen Elizabeth 2 published in 1969 48 various explanations of events occur These state that as at the launch ceremony an envelope and card were also held in New York in case of transmission failure and when opened the card was found to read the name Queen Elizabeth and that the decision to add The Second to the name was an alteration by the Queen The book quotes the Cunard chairman Sir Basil Smallpeice as saying The Queen Mary named after her Grandmother the Queen Elizabeth after her mother and now this magnificent ship after herself Following the unexpected addition of the Second by the Queen the book attributes the use of upper and lower case lettering and a numeric 2 rather than a Roman II to the decision by Cunard to use a more modern typeface to suit the style of the 1960s The book also surmises that the naming of the liner after the reigning monarch in the form Queen Elizabeth II was potentially offensive to some Scots as the title of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom relates to the lineage of the throne of England and Ireland the Tudor monarch Elizabeth I having reigned only in England and Ireland Ron Warwick former captain Edit In a later account by Ronald Warwick who was the son of William Bil Warwick and the first master of QE2 Warwick junior himself later in his Cunard career a master of the QE2 and latterly the first captain of QM2 supports the account that the Queen initiated the surprise move of naming the liner after herself rather than simply Queen Elizabeth as had originally been planned the name having been made vacant by the retirement of the current liner before the new one was commissioned 49 The name had been given to the Queen in a sealed envelope which she didn t open The book referencing his autobiography states that the Cunard chairman Sir Basil Smallpeice was delighted with this development it being in keeping with the previous Queen liners and the 2 was added by Cunard for differentiation of the ship while still denoting it was named after the Queen Cunard website Edit From at least 2002 the official Cunard website stated that The new ship is not named after the Queen but is simply the second ship to bear the name hence the use of the Arabic 2 in her name rather than the Roman II used by the Queen 50 51 however in late 2008 this information had been removed due to the ship s retirement 52 Other accounts Edit Other later accounts repeat the position that Cunard originally intended to name the ship Queen Elizabeth and the addition of a 2 by the Queen was a surprise to Cunard in 1990 53 and 2008 41 although two books by William H Miller state that Queen Elizabeth 2 was the name agreed on before the launch 42 between Cunard officials and the Queen 54 Accounts that repeat the position that QE2 was not named after the reigning monarch have been published in 1991 55 1999 56 2004 54 2005 40 and 2008 57 58 59 In 2008 The Telegraph goes further to state the ship is named not only as the second ship named Queen Elizabeth but is specifically named after the wife of King George VI 60 In contradiction however some modern accounts continue to publish that the QE2 was named after the reigning monarch in 2001 61 and 2008 41 There is a gilded bust that stands in the ship s queen s room depicting Queen Elizabeth II not her mother 62 Delivery Edit As construction continued on the new ship Cunard found itself in increasing financial difficulties as increased competition from airlines resulted in the company s passenger ships losing money With profits from its cargo ships eventually unable to offset the losses Cunard was forced to sell Mauretania Sylvania Carinthia Caronia Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth between 1965 and 1968 Income also fell due to a seven week long seamens strike in 1966 38 Then John Brown advised that the delivery would be delayed by six months which meant the ship would miss the 1968 peak summer transatlantic season Following market research Cunard decided to take advantage of the delay to change the original three class configuration of the ship to a more flexible two class arrangement of First and Tourist 38 On 20 September 1967 with the launch date approaching Cunard having lost 7 5 million the previous year approached the government with a request for an additional 3 million loan to complete the ship 38 Eventually the government agreed to increase the original 17 6 million loan up to 24 million 63 On 19 November 1968 she left John Brown s fitting out berth Several industrial disputes with the Clydebank workers with their resultant delays and quality issues forced Cunard to transfer the ship to Southampton where Vosper Thorneycroft completed the installation and commissioning work prior to the sea trials 64 65 Sea trials began on 26 November 1968 in the Irish Sea proceeding to speed trials off the Isle of Arran 66 Cunard initially refused to accept the ship as the sea trials identified that the ship suffered from a resonant vibration which was traced to a design flaw in the blades of the steam turbines 67 This delayed her being handed over to her new owners until 18 April 1969 67 She then departed on a shakedown cruise to Las Palmas on 22 April 1969 68 Service EditEarly career Edit nbsp Queen Elizabeth 2 in Cuxhaven West Germany in 1973Queen Elizabeth 2 s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York commenced on 2 May 1969 68 taking 4 days 16 hours and 35 minutes 69 In 1971 she participated in the rescue of some 500 passengers from the burning French Line ship Antilles 22 68 Later that year on 5 March QE2 was disabled for four hours when jellyfish were sucked into and blocked her seawater intakes 67 On 17 May 1972 while travelling from New York to Southampton she was the subject of a bomb threat 17 She was searched by her crew and a combined Special Air Service and Special Boat Service team which parachuted into the sea to conduct a search of the ship No bomb was found but the hoaxer was arrested by the FBI 22 The following year QE2 undertook two chartered cruises through the Mediterranean to Israel in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the state s founding The ship s Columbia Restaurant was koshered for Passover and Jewish passengers were able to celebrate Passover on the ship According to the book The Angel by Uri Bar Joseph Muammar Gaddafi ordered a submarine to torpedo her during one of the chartered cruises in retaliation for Israel s downing of Libyan Flight 114 but Anwar Sadat intervened secretly to foil the attack She continued the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life crossing on an opposite and symbiotic summer schedule with the CGT s famous SS France 1960 between 1961 and 1974 Upon the withdrawal of competing SS France from service in 1974 QE2 became the largest operational passenger ship in the world for a few years until the France was returned to service as SS Norway in 1980 citation needed nbsp QE2 in Southampton 1976On 23 July 1976 while the ship was 80 miles off the Scilly Isles on a transatlantic voyage a flexible coupling drive connecting the starboard main engine high pressure rotor and the reduction gearbox ruptured This allowed lubricating oil under pressure to enter into the main engine room where it ignited creating a severe fire It took 20 minutes to bring the fire under control Reduced to two boilers QE2 limped back to Southampton Damage from the fire resulted in a replacement boiler having to be fitted by dry docking the ship and cutting an access hole in her side 67 By 1978 she was breaking even with an occupancy of 65 generating revenues of greater than 30 million per year against which had to be deducted an annual fuel cost of 5 million and a monthly crew cost of 225 000 With it costing 80 000 a day for her to sit idle in port her owners made every attempt to keep her at sea and full of passengers As a result as much maintenance as possible was undertaken while at sea However she needed all three of her boilers to be in service if she was to maintain her transatlantic schedule With limited ability to maintain her boilers reliability was becoming a serious issue 70 Between the late 1970s and early 1980s the ship was testing a new ablative anti fouling type paint for the Admiralty which was only available in blue When they finally made the paint available in different colours they returned QE2 anti fouling paint to the traditional red colour 71 Falklands War Edit nbsp Berthed in Malaga Spain 1982 with her original white funnel repainted red Her hull is painted grey a short lived decision On 3 May 1982 she was requisitioned by the British government for service as a troop carrier in the Falklands War 67 In preparation for war service Vosper Thornycroft commenced in Southampton on 5 May 1982 the installation of two helicopter pads 72 the transformation of public lounges into dormitories the installation of fuel pipes that ran through the ship down to the engine room to allow for refuelling at sea and the covering of carpets with 2 000 sheets of hardboard A quarter of the ship s length was reinforced with steel plating and an anti magnetic coil was fitted to combat naval mines Over 650 Cunard crew members volunteered for the voyage to look after the 3 000 members of the Fifth Infantry Brigade which the ship transported to South Georgia On 12 May 1982 67 with only one of her three boilers in operation the ship departed Southampton for the South Atlantic carrying 3 000 troops and 650 volunteer crew The remaining boilers were brought back into service as she steamed south 73 During the voyage the ship was blacked out and the radar switched off to avoid detection steaming on without modern aids 22 74 QE2 returned to the UK on 11 June 1982 where she was greeted in Southampton Water by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on board HMY Britannia Peter Jackson the captain of the ocean liner responded to the Queen Mother s welcome Please convey to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth our thanks for her kind message Cunard s Queen Elizabeth 2 is proud to have been of service to Her Majesty s Forces 74 The ship underwent conversion back to passenger service with her funnel being painted in the traditional Cunard orange with black stripes which are known as hands for the first time during the refit the hull s exterior was repainted an unconventional light pebble grey 17 She returned to service on 7 August 1982 67 The new colour scheme proved unpopular with passengers 17 as well as difficult to maintain and so the hull reverted to traditional colours in 1983 22 Later that year QE2 was fitted with a magrodome over her quarter deck pool 75 Diesel era and Project Lifestyle Edit nbsp A new and wider funnel was installed in her 1986 87 refit to handle conversion from steam to diesel power QE2 once again experienced mechanical problems following her annual overhaul in November 1983 Boiler problems caused Cunard to cancel a cruise and in October 1984 an electrical fire caused a complete loss of power The ship was delayed for several days before power could be restored Instead of replacing the QE2 with a newer vessel Cunard decided that it was more prudent to simply make improvements to her Therefore from 27 October 1986 to 25 April 1987 67 QE2 underwent one of her most significant refurbishments when she was converted by Lloyd Werft at their shipyard in Bremerhaven Germany from steam power to diesel 22 73 Nine MAN B amp W diesel electric engines new propellers and a heat recovery system to utilise heat expelled by the engines were fitted which halved the fuel consumption With this new propulsion system QE2 was expected to serve another 20 years with Cunard The passenger accommodation was also modernised 22 The refurbishment cost over 100 million 73 On 7 August 1992 the underside of the hull was extensively damaged when she ran aground south of Cuttyhunk Island near Martha s Vineyard while returning from a five day cruise to Halifax Nova Scotia along the east coast of the United States and Canada A combination of her speed an uncharted shoal and underestimating the increase in the ship s draft due to the effect of squat led to the ship s hull scraping rocks on the ocean floor 76 The accident resulted in the passengers disembarking earlier than scheduled at nearby Newport Rhode Island and the ship being taken out of service while temporary repairs were made in drydock at Boston Several days later divers found the red paint from the keel on previously uncharted rocks where the ship struck the bottom 77 78 By the mid 1990s it was decided that QE2 was due for a new look and in 1994 the ship was given a multimillion pound refurbishment in Hamburg 22 code named Project Lifestyle On 11 September 1995 QE2 encountered a rogue wave estimated at 90 ft 27 m caused by Hurricane Luis in the North Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles 320 km south of eastern Newfoundland 79 One year later during her twentieth world cruise she completed her four millionth mile The ship had sailed the equivalent of 185 times around the planet 80 QE2 celebrated the 30th anniversary of her maiden voyage in Southampton in 1999 In three decades she had 1 159 voyages sailed 4 648 050 nautical miles 5 348 880 mi 8 608 190 km and carried over two million passengers 81 Later years Edit nbsp Leaving Sydney 18 February 2004 nbsp QE2 near the Cunard Building in Liverpool in 2004 nbsp The interior Queens Room in 2006Following the 1998 acquisition of the Cunard Line by Carnival Corporation in 1999 QE2 was given a US 30 million refurbishment which included refreshing various public rooms 17 and a new colour palette in the passenger cabins The Royal Promenade which formerly housed upscale shops such as Burberry H Stern and Aquascutum were replaced by boutiques typical of cruise ships selling perfumes watches and logo items During this refit the hull was stripped to bare metal and the ship repainted in the traditional Cunard colours of matte black Federal Grey with a white superstructure 22 On 29 August 2002 Queen Elizabeth 2 became the first merchant ship to sail more than 5 million nautical miles at sea 67 In 2004 the vessel stopped plying the traditional transatlantic route and began full time cruising the transatlantic route having been assigned to Cunard s new flagship Queen Mary 2 However Queen Elizabeth 2 still undertook an annual world cruise and regular trips around the Mediterranean By this time she lacked the amenities to rival newer larger cruise ships but she still had unique features such as her ballrooms hospital 82 and 6 000 book library 83 QE2 remained the fastest cruise ship afloat 28 5 knots 84 with fuel economy at this speed 84 at 49 5 ft 85 86 87 to the gallon 4 m L 88 While cruising at slower speeds efficiency was improved to 125 ft per gallon 10 m L 84 On 5 November 2004 Queen Elizabeth 2 became Cunard s longest serving express liner surpassing RMS Aquitania s 35 years 80 while on 4 September 2005 during a call to the port of Sydney Nova Scotia QE2 became the longest serving Cunarder surpassing RMS Scythia s record 89 At the end of her 2005 world cruise some pieces of her artwork were damaged when some crew members who had become inebriated at an on board crew party went on a vandalism rampage through the public areas of the ship A unique tapestry of Queen Elizabeth 2 commissioned for the launch of the ship was thrown overboard by a drunken crewman An oil painting of Queen Elizabeth II and two other tapestries were also damaged along with a part of the entertainment area and a lifeboat The crew members involved were dismissed from service 90 On 20 February 2007 Queen Elizabeth 2 while on her annual world cruise met her running mate and successor flagship QM2 herself on her maiden world cruise in Sydney Harbour Australia 91 92 93 This was the first time two Cunard Queens had been together in Sydney since the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth served as troop ships in 1941 94 Retirement Announcement Edit On 18 June 2007 Cunard announced that QE2 had been purchased by the Dubai investment company Istithmar for 100 million 95 96 Her retirement in part was forced by the oncoming June 2010 implementation of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS regulations which would have forced large and expensive structural changes to the ship 97 Retirement and final Cunard voyage Edit nbsp QM2 left next to QE2 right with QV in the foreground nbsp QE2 berthed in Osaka on 19 March 2008In a ceremonial display before her retirement Queen Elizabeth 2 met Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on 13 January 2008 with a celebratory fireworks display Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria had made a tandem crossing of the Atlantic for the meet This marked the first time three Cunard Queens had been present in the same location Cunard stated this would be the last time these three particular ships would meet due to the impending retirement of Queen Elizabeth 2 98 However due to a change in QE2 s schedule the three ships met again in Southampton on 22 April 2008 QE2 shared the harbour at Zeebrugge with Queen Victoria on 19 July 2008 where the two Cunarders exchanged whistle blasts 99 On 3 October 2008 QE2 set off from Cork for Douglas Bay on her farewell tour of Ireland and Britain before heading for Liverpool She left Liverpool and arrived in Belfast on 4 October 2008 before moving to Greenock the next day the ship s height with funnel makes it impossible to pass under the Erskine Bridge so Clydebank is not reachable 100 There she was escorted by Royal Navy destroyer HMS Manchester and visited by MV Balmoral The farewell was viewed by large crowds and concluded with a firework display 65 101 102 QE2 then sailed around Scotland to the Firth of Forth on 7 October 2008 where she anchored in the shadow of the Forth Bridge The next day following an RAF flypast she left amidst a flotilla of small craft to head to Newcastle upon Tyne before returning to Southampton Final Westbound amp Eastbound Transatlantic Crossings Edit nbsp Farewell to the ClydeQE2 completed her final Atlantic crossings in tandem with her successor QM2 The ships departed for the final westbound crossing from Southampton on 10 October sailing tandem and arriving in New York City one final time on 16 October The Queen Mary 2 docked at the Brooklyn cruise terminal while the QE2 docked in Manhattan The two liners departed New York on 16 October for the final eastbound crossing arriving in Southampton on 22 October This marked the end of QE2 s transatlantic voyages 103 Final Voyage Edit On her final arrival into Southampton QE2 on 11 November 2008 with 1 700 passengers and 1 000 crew on board ran aground in the Solent near the Southampton Water entrance at 5 26 am on a triangular sandbank roughly equidistant between the mouth of Southampton Water and East Cowes named Bramble Bank BBC reported Cunard has confirmed it touched the bottom at the Brambles Turn sandbank sandback near Calshot Southampton Water with three tugs attached to her stern 0530 GMT A fourth tug secured a line to the ship s bow 104 Solent Coastguard stated Five tugs were sent out to assist her getting off the sandbank and she was pulled off just before 6 10 am She had been refloated and was under way under her own power and heading back to her berth in Southampton She had only partially gone aground and the tugs pulled her off 105 106 Once safely back at her berth preparations continued for her farewell celebrations These were led by Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh who toured the ship at great length He visited areas of interest including the Engine Control Room He also met with current and former crew members 107 During this time divers were sent down to inspect the hull for any possible damage caused by the vessel s earlier mishap none was found nbsp Southampton 11 November 2008Queen Elizabeth 2 left Southampton Docks for the final time at 1915 GMT on 11 November 2008 to begin her farewell voyage by the name of QE2 s Final Voyage 33 After purchasing her for US 100 million her ownership passed to Nakheel Properties a company of Dubai World on 26 November 108 109 110 The decommissioning of the ship was particularly poignant for Queen Elizabeth 2 s only permanent resident Beatrice Muller aged 89 who lived on board in retirement for nine years at a cost of some 3 500 4 300 5 400 per month 111 At the time of her retirement QE2 had sailed 5 6 million miles carried 2 5 million passengers and completed 806 transatlantic crossings 112 Layup EditIstithmar Nakheel QE2 in Dubai and Cape Town hotel proposal Edit nbsp QE2 with her paying off pennant flyingHer final voyage from Southampton to Dubai under the command of Captain Ian McNaught began on 11 November 2008 arriving on 26 November in a flotilla of 60 smaller vessels 113 led by MY Dubai the personal yacht of Sheikh Mohammed ruler of Dubai 114 in time for her official handover the following day 115 She was greeted with a fly past from an Emirates Airbus A380 jet and a huge fireworks display while thousands of people gathered at the Mina Rashid waving the flags of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates Since her arrival in Dubai QE2 remained moored at Port Rashid Shortly after her final passengers were disembarked she was moved forward to the cargo area of the port to free up the passenger terminal for other cruise vessels She was expected to be refurbished and berthed permanently at Nakheel s Palm Jumeirah as a luxury floating hotel retail museum and entertainment destination 6 The refurbishment planned to see Queen Elizabeth 2 transformed into a tourist destination in Dubai 116 however due to the Global Economic Crisis QE2 remained moored at Port Rashid awaiting a decision about her future QE2 remained an oceangoing vessel at this time and as such former Captain Ronald Warwick of QE2 and Queen Mary 2 QM2 and retired commodore of the Cunard Line was initially employed by V Ships who managed QE2 post the Cunard handed her over as the vessel s legal master 117 but was replaced by other V Ships captains over time as the ship remained idle 118 It was anticipated that QE2 would be moved to the Dubai Drydocks sometime in 2009 to begin a series of far reaching refurbishments which would result in a conversion into a floating hotel Due to the 2008 global recession it was rumoured that QE2 s refurbishment and hotel conversion would not take place and that the ship would be resold 119 120 These rumours resulted in the owners Istithmar issuing a series of press releases stating that plans for QE2 s conversion were ongoing with no intention to sell 121 122 However since arriving in Dubai the only visible exterior change to QE2 was the painting out of the Cunard titles from the ship s superstructure QE2 was joined in Mina Rashid by QM2 on 21 March 2009 while QM2 visited Dubai as part of her 2009 World Cruise 123 She was joined once again by Queen Victoria QV on 29 March 2009 as a part of her 2009 World Cruise QM2 and QV again visited QE2 in 2010 and on 31 March 2011 the new Queen Elizabeth QE called at Dubai during her maiden world cruise photos were arranged by Cunard to capture the occasion 124 QM2 called in Dubai two days after QE left 115 In April 2009 an alleged concept model of the post refurbished Hotel QE2 was shown for sale on an online auction website 125 The model depicts a much altered QE2 126 In June 2009 the Southampton Daily Echo reported that Queen Elizabeth 2 would return to the UK 127 as an operating cruise ship However on 20 July 2009 the owners Nakheel confirmed rumours that QE2 would re position to Cape Town for use as a floating hotel On 24 June 2009 QE2 made her first journey after nearly eight months of inactivity since the liner arrived in Dubai She manoeuvred under her own power into the Dubai Drydocks for inspection and hull repainting before the then planned voyage to Cape Town s V amp A Waterfront to serve there as a floating hotel for the FIFA World Cup 2010 and beyond 128 On 10 July 2009 it was revealed that QE2 might sail to Cape Town South Africa to become a floating hotel for use primarily during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in a Dubai World sponsored venture at the V amp A Waterfront 129 130 This was confirmed by Nakheel on 20 July 2009 131 In preparation for this expected voyage the ship was placed into the Dubai Drydock and underwent an extensive exterior refurbishment During this refit the ship s underwater hull was repainted and inspected 115 127 132 Shortly after the refit QE2 was registered under the flag of Vanuatu and Port Vila was painted on her stern replacing Southampton 133 QE2 returned to Port Rashid where it was anticipated she would soon sail for Cape Town 134 The arrival of QE2 in Cape Town was expected to create many local jobs 135 including hotel staff restaurant staff chefs cleaners and shop attendants all being sourced from the local workforce 136 But in January 2010 it was confirmed that QE2 would not be moved to Cape Town 137 2010 sale and relocation speculation Edit nbsp At Drydock World Dubai in 2012 nbsp Anchor from Queen Elizabeth 2 donated to the city of Southampton by Cunard in March 2010In early 2010 due to the continued poor financial performance of Dubai World there was much media speculation that QE2 along with other assets owned by Istithmar Dubai World s private equity arm would be sold to raise capital Despite this sale speculation a number of alternative locations for QE2 have been cited including London Singapore Clydebank 138 Japan 138 and Fremantle 138 139 the latter showing interest in using QE2 as a hotel for the ISAF Sailing World Championships to be held in December 2011 139 However as at June 2010 Nakheel s official statement regarding QE2 was that a number of options being considered for QE2 115 138 139 2011 drifting Edit On 28 January 2011 during a heavy dust storm QE2 broke loose from her moorings and drifted out into the channel at Port Rashid She was attended by pilots and tugs and safely returned to berth at Port Rashid Images of QE2 s unexpected movements appeared on line after being taken by an observer on the ship in front of QE2 140 Warm layup Edit Throughout 2011 and 2012 QE2 remained berthed at Port Mina Rashid in Dubai in 2011 update 34 She was maintained in a seaworthy condition and generated her own power Each of her nine diesel generators were turned over and used to power the ship A live in crew of approximately 50 people maintained QE2 to a high standard 141 Activities include painting maintenance cabin checks and overhauls of machinery Istithmar were considering plans for QE2 which could have involved the ship sailing to an alternative location under her own power 115 34 On 21 March 2011 QM2 called in Dubai and docked close to QE2 During the departure the two ships sounded their horns 115 142 2011 move to Liverpool plan Port Rashid and QE2 development plans Edit On 28 September 2011 news circulated that a plan was being formulated to return QE2 to the United Kingdom by berthing her in Liverpool 143 Liverpool has a historic connection with Cunard Line being the first British home for the line as well as housing the iconic Cunard Building 115 It was revealed that Liverpool Vision the economic development company responsible for Liverpool s regeneration 144 has been involved in confidential discussions with Out of Time Concepts a company headed by a former Chief Engineer on the ship who recently advised its current owners 115 on plans to turn it into a luxury hotel in Dubai 143 In a letter from Out of Time Concepts to Liverpool Vision it was explained that The free global media attention derived from bringing home Queen Elizabeth 2 will without question promote Liverpool s new waterfront developments its amazing architecture its maritime and world heritage sites its museums its culture and its history 115 143 On the same week that the Liverpool Vision plans were revealed Nakheel stated that plans for QE2 to be berthed at The Palm had been dropped because they now planned to build 102 houses on the site which was once intended to be named the QE2 Precinct 115 145 146 147 Nakheel suggested that Queen Elizabeth 2 under the ownership of Istithmar would remain at Port Rashid to become an integral part of the growing cruise terminal The QE2 would be placed in a much better location Ali Rashid Lootah the chairman of Nakheel told Dubai s The National newspaper The Government of Dubai is developing an up to date modern cruise terminal which will mean a better environment confirming the ship would remain in Dubai for the foreseeable future 2011 2012 New Year s party aboard QE2 Edit On 31 December 2011 Queen Elizabeth 2 was the location of a lavish New Year s Eve party in Dubai 148 The black tie event 149 was run by Global Event Management and included over 1 000 guests 150 151 In early 2011 update Global Event Management were offering events aboard QE2 in Dubai for 2012 and 2013 115 149 July 2012 Hotel announcement Edit On 2 July 2012 in a coordinated press release the ship s owner operator and Port Rashid operator DP Ports jointly announced QE2 would re open as a 300 bed hotel after an 18 month refit The release claims the ship was to be refitted to restore original features including her 1994 2008 Heritage Trail of classic Cunard artefacts The ship was to be berthed alongside a redeveloped Port Rashid cruise terminal which would double as a maritime museum 115 152 Scrapping in China QE2 London and QE2 Asia Edit On 23 December 2012 it was reported that QE2 had been sold for scrapping in China for 20 million after a bid to return her to the UK was rejected With monthly berthing and maintenance charges of 650 000 it was reported that a Chinese salvage crew arrived at the vessel on 21 December to replace a crew of 40 which has been maintaining the vessel since it arrived at Port Rashid 97 However Cunard dismissed the reports as pure speculation 153 When the ship was sold in 2007 a clause in the contract which started from her retirement in 2009 stipulated a ten year no onward sale clause without payment of a full purchase price default penalty 97 115 The QE2 London Plan had included a 20 million bid for QE2 and a further 40 million refurbishment that was supposed to create more than 2 000 jobs in London with Queen Elizabeth 2 docked near the O2 Arena It had reportedly obtained the support of the then London Mayor Boris Johnson 115 nbsp QE2 in Dubai with Cunard titles removed from her superstructureOn 17 January 2013 the Dubai Drydocks World announced that Queen Elizabeth 2 would be sent to an unknown location in Asia to serve as a floating luxury hotel shopping mall and museum 154 Despite this move the QE2 London team stated on the same day that We believe our investors can show Dubai that QE2 London is still the best proposal 155 Bring QE2 Home proposals Edit Cunard s 175th anniversary celebrations on 25 May 2015 led to renewed interest in Queen Elizabeth 2 John Chillingworth secured the backing of London mayor Boris Johnson for a plan to anchor the ship opposite The O2 Arena at Greenwich 156 A move to London however would require the ship to pass through the Thames Barrier In late 2015 there was disagreement between ship preservation advocates and harbour authorities on whether a dead ship of her size could safely manoeuvre through the barrier 157 John Houston suggested returning the ship to Greenock as a maritime attraction hotel and events space 158 Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe has called on the UK and Scottish governments to campaign to buy the ship saying that Bringing the QE2 home is a Herculean task one that requires national support in Scotland and perhaps across the UK if it has any chance of happening 159 In January 2016 Aubrey Fawcett the chair of the working group to regenerate the Clyde admitted defeat in this effort as QE2 s owners refused to respond to any requests regarding her condition or sale Consequently we must conclude that it is highly unlikely that Scotland features in the future plans for the vessel 7 2015 2016 Edit nbsp QE2 moored at Port Rashid Dubai in late October 2015On 12 August 2015 the QE2 was observed to have been moved from her berth within Dubai Dry Docks where she had been since January 2013 to a more open location within Port Rashid On 17 November 2015 QE2 was again moved within Port Rashid to the former cruise terminal It was not known whether these recent moves are connected with any of the publicly known plans regarding the ship s fate 160 Between May and August 2016 observers noted that the ship s lifeboats were lowered and stored on a nearby car park Following this the lifeboat davits were removed in September giving the ship an altered profile on her boat deck Subsequently the wooden decking was removed from the deck and replaced by synthetic block flooring 161 162 50th anniversary celebration Edit September 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of QE2 s launch 163 To mark the occasion Cunard Line the ship s former owners arranged a commemorative voyage aboard MS Queen Elizabeth a 17 night cruise with special activities and theme days 164 Meanwhile in Glasgow the QE2 Story Forum hosted a 50th anniversary conference with Captain Nick Bates as a speaker 165 Several books were released for the anniversary including Building the Queen Elizabeth 2 by Cunard historian Michael Gallagher and QE2 A 50th Anniversary Celebration by Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross 166 Hotel and tourist attraction EditQueen Elizabeth 2 reopened in Dubai as a floating hotel on 18 April 2018 following an extensive refurbishment 167 168 Over 2 7 million man hours were committed to the work to upgrade and rebuild the ship to meet hotel standards 169 This included a full hull repaint and the replacing of Port Vila registry with Dubai on her stern 170 It is a soft opening while remaining work continues 171 On board is a new QE2 Heritage Exhibition adjacent to the lobby detailing the vessel s history 169 The ship was operated by PCFC Hotels a division of the Ports Customs and Free Zone Corporation which is owned by the Dubai government 172 French hospitality group Accor took over operation of the hotel and attraction in May 2022 173 Accor has announced plans to further renovate the vessel following completion there will be 447 hotel rooms 174 The theatre regularly has shows including comedians such as Jack Whitehall 175 tribute acts and family shows Details of upcoming shows can be found at the Theatre website 176 See also EditRMS Queen Elizabeth RMS Queen Mary RMS Queen Mary 2 MS Queen ElizabethReferences Edit Rouquayrol Gautier 9 May 2022 Accor adds legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 to its portfolio in Dubai Press release Paris Accor Newsroom Maritime Information Exchange search for Queen Elizabeth 2 Frame Chris 10 April 2018 QE2 reopens as a Hotel in Dubai on 18 April after 9 years of retirement chrisframe com au Retrieved 15 September 2022 Frame Chris 2 May 2019 QE2 50th Anniversary chrisframe com au Retrieved 15 September 2022 Fitch Asa 19 January 2013 QE II Ocean Liner Heads to Asia to Become Floating Hotel Zawya a b QE2 To Leave Cunard Fleet And Be Sold To Dubai World To Begin A New Life at the Palm Cunard com 2007 Archived from the original on 6 July 2007 Retrieved 20 June 2007 a b Morris Hugh 13 January 2016 Forlorn QE2 is not coming home from Dubai campaigners concede Telegraph Media Group Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 18 January 2016 Cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 to be converted into hotel HT Media Limited 3 July 2012 Archived from the original on 4 September 2015 Retrieved 29 August 2015 New home for Queen Elizabeth 2 CNN International 18 January 2013 Retrieved 18 January 2016 There is a new plan for former Cunard liner QE2 she will not be scrapped insists DP World Chairman 10 November 2015 Retrieved 6 February 2018 Queen Elizabeth 2 Refurbishment Works Shafa Al Nahda Retrieved 6 February 2018 Queen Mary 2 Guests to be First to Board the QE2 Hotel in Dubai Glen Page 296 a b c d Payne Page 31 a b QE2 Facts Chris Cunard Page 2010 Retrieved 13 May 2010 A new Cunard Liner University of Glasgow Archived from the original on 3 February 2018 Retrieved 5 September 2022 a b c d e f Cross a b Queen Elizabeth 2 History Members tripod com Retrieved 5 September 2022 a b c Payne Page 32 Glen Page 303 QE2 Engineering and Design a b c d e f g h i QE2 History Chris Cunard Page Retrieved 5 January 2010 QE2 s Major 1986 1987 re engining refit Retrieved 5 January 2010 Chris Frame amp Rachelle Cross 2009 The QE2 Story The History Press Stroud ISBN 978 0 7524 5094 0 Schwerdtner Nils 2008 The New Cunard Queens Queen Mary 2 Queen Victoria Queen Elizabeth 2 Seaforth Publishing pp 27 28 ISBN 978 1 84832 010 9 Sixties splendour revived as exhibition celebrates QE2 Formica fest www scotsman com 11 February 2018 Retrieved 5 March 2019 Explained to the author by his father Michael Inchbald Queen Elizabeth 2 Today Members tripod com Retrieved 14 July 2010 Cruise Talk Topic QE2 s Synagogue dismantled Travelserver net Retrieved 14 July 2010 Althea Wynne obituary in The Daily Telegraph dated 14 February 2012 online at telegraph co uk Retrieved 3 June 2012 Interiors of QE2 following The Cunard Heritage Trail in part Magwa co uk Retrieved 10 May 2012 QE2 Heritage Trail 28 October 2008 Retrieved 25 May 2010 a b c Chris Frame amp Rachelle Cross 2008 QE2 A Photographic Journey The History Press ISBN 978 0 7524 4803 9 Archived from the original on 21 August 2017 Retrieved 19 June 2020 a b c QE2 2010 News Retrieved 10 May 2010 a b QE2 s Major 1986 1987 re engining refit Rob Lightbody Retrieved 8 February 2011 QE2 History The Cunarders Archived from the original on 13 December 2010 Retrieved 23 March 2011 The engine room QE2 Retrieved 14 July 2010 a b c d e Payne Page 33 Leitch Neil Ship number 736 Queen Elizabeth Two QE2 40 years on University of Glasgow Archive Services exhibitions Retrieved 14 November 2008 The name of the ship was kept secret and as the day of the launch approached Queen Elizabeth stepped forward and named the ship Queen Elizabeth the Second being the second ship called Queen Elizabeth As Roman numerals are always used for monarchs the Arabic numeral 2 is used in the ship s name to distinguish her from the monarch and she has always been referred to as Queen Elizabeth Two or most often as the QE2 a b Happy Birthday To Cunard s Longest Serving Vessel ShipsandCruises com Travel Scope com Communications Archived from the original on 13 August 2007 This year on 4 September the QE2 becomes the longest serving Cunarder ever when she passes the 36 years four months and two days record of the Scythia She is also probably the most misnamed ship in the world She is Queen Elizabeth 2 not Queen Elizabeth II indicating she is the second Cunard liner named Queen Elizabeth Christened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1967 The Queen did not name the ship after herself and so in time the ship became known as the QE 2 a b c John Honeywell 10 November 2008 The QE2 s last voyage Daily Mirror Retrieved 14 November 2008 The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied the Queen at the launching ceremony in 1967 when she surprised everyone by naming her Queen Elizabeth 2 Cunard had intended to name her simply Queen Elizabeth which was a 14 1 outsider because no British ship had until then been named after a reigning monarch They were taken aback when Her Majesty pronounced I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second a b Henrik Ljungstrom Daniel Othfors Queen Elizabeth 2 1969 Present Day Ship Histories The Great Ocean Liners Archived from the original on 9 June 2013 Retrieved 14 November 2008 And like the Queen Mary this new ship did not get a name until the day of her launch In the end a decision was finally made The new ship would be christened the Queen Elizabeth 2 to honour the previous Queen Elizabeth Neil Leitch Glasgow University Archive Services n d Tickets for the launch of Ship No 736 University of Glasgow Archive Services exhibitions Retrieved 14 November 2008 William H Miller In Picture history of the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth Courier Dover Publications 2004 ISBN 0 486 43509 1 OL 3303843M p97 Google Books search partial preview Picture showing the QE2 hull being launched without a bow name caption p96 Right The joyous launch of the Queen Elizabeth 2 on 20 September 1967 Retrieved 14 November 2008 BBC News On This Day 20 September 1967 Queen Elizabeth 2 takes to the waves Retrieved 14 November 2008 In clear tones she pronounced I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second May God bless her and all who sail in her Alvin Schuster 21 September 1967 Name of Cunarder Is a Surprise but Has Precedent QUEEN LAUNCHES THE ELIZABETH II New York Times Retrieved 14 November 2008 CLYDEBANK Scotland Sept 20 Queen Elizabeth II launched Britain s newest luxury liner today and named her Queen Elizabeth II William H Miller In Picture history of the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth Courier Dover Publications 2004 ISBN 0 486 43509 1 OL 3303843M p98 Google Books search partial preview Picture showing the QE2 bow wearing the name Queen Elizabeth 2 while having the bridge lowered into place caption p99 this 1968 photo opposite top shows the wheelhouse and bridge sections being lifted aboard Retrieved 14 November 2008 Potter Neil Jack Frost 1969 Queen Elizabeth 2 The Authorised Story Harrap ISBN 978 0 245 59444 1 OL 4616734M Warwick junior is currently involved with QE2 in Dubai and Cape Town on behalf of Nakheel Warwick Ronald W 1999 QE2 The Cunard Line Flagship Queen Elizabeth 2 3rd ed W W Norton and Company ISBN 978 0 393 04772 1 OL 7451640M There was no question what Sir Basil and the Cunard board desired The name was discussed with Lord Adeane the queen s private secretary and it was decided simply to ask that the new ship be named Queen Elizabeth because by the time of her commissioning both of the earlier Queens would be withdrawn from service and she could assume the name vacated by one of her predecessors Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II moved to the front of the launching platform and was handed an envelope by John Rannie with the name of the ship inside This was a tradition because many years before someone purportedly had forgotten the name of a ship about to be launched The envelope remained unopened as the queen stepped forward and uttered the words I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth the Second May God Bless her and all who sail in her Sir Basil Smallpeice was overjoyed at the sovereign s alteration of the name paragraph reference his autobiography ISBN 0 906393 10 8 He could not have been more delighted with having the third of the great royal Cunarders named in this manner The decision promptly was made to style the giant liner Queen Elizabeth 2 using the numeral two to differentiate the ship from the sovereign Queen Elizabeth II The First 30 Years Cunard Official Website www cunard com Archived from the original on 16 June 2002 Retrieved 14 November 2008 1967 Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Princess Margaret The new ship is not named after the Queen but is simply the second ship to bear the name hence the use of the Arabic 2 in her name rather than the Roman II used by the Queen The First 30 Years Queen Elizabeth II Cunard Official Website www cunard com Archived from the original on 20 October 2006 Retrieved 14 November 2008 1967 Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Princess Margaret The new ship is not named after the Queen but is simply the second ship to bear the name hence the use of the Arabic 2 in her name rather than the Roman II used by the Queen Sail into History Queen Elizabeth II History Cunard Official Website www cunard com Archived from the original on 11 March 2007 Retrieved 14 November 2008 20 September 1967 Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II QE2 The most famous ship in the world Cruise Ships Seaview Network Ltd Retrieved 14 November 2008 a b William H Miller In Picture history of the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth Courier Dover Publications 2004 ISBN 0 486 43509 1 OL 3303843M p99 Google Books search partial preview Queen Elizabeth II had agreed to do the naming at the ship s launch on 20 September 1967 and in discussion with Cunard officials agreed on Queen Elizabeth 2 The new ship was named after the previous liner not the current queen Retrieved 14 November 2008 William H Miller Frank O Braynard In Picture History of the Cunard Line 1840 1990 Courier Dover Publications 1991 ISBN 0 486 26550 1 OL 1886775M p127 Google Books search partial preview But it was left to Queen Elizabeth herself who like her grandmother in 1934 and her mother in 1938 consented to name the liner at her launching And so on 20 September 1967 Queen Elizabeth named the new Cunarder Queen Elizabeth 2 honouring the original Queen Elizabeth not as many had thought the Queen herself Evidently it had been decided to let the name Queen Mary remain with the majestic old three stacker Retrieved 14 November 2008 BBC 14 April 1999 QE2 30 years of cruising BBC News Retrieved 14 November 2008 QE2 Facts Contrary to popular belief the vessel is not named after Queen Elizabeth II but is the second ship to be named Queen Elizabeth hence the use of the Arabic figure 2 rather than the Roman II BBC 2 June 2008 Coronation farewell to QE2 liner BBC News Retrieved 14 November 2008 Although named QE2 the ship was not named after the present Queen but rather the 2 shows that it denoted the fact the liner was the second ship named Queen Elizabeth Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross August 2008 QE2 A Photographic Journey Book The History Press ISBN 978 0 7524 4803 9 Cunard agreed to name ship Queen Elizabeth after the elder Cunard Liner Alan Hamilton 2 June 2008 QE2 Queen bids farewell to a sovereign of the seas The Times London Retrieved 14 November 2008 There is one common misconception about the QE2 that she is named after the Queen In fact she is simply the second Cunarder of that name the ship takes the Arabic 2 the Queen the Roman II Jolyon Attwooll 12 November 2008 Fifty fascinating QE2 facts The Daily Telegraph London Retrieved 14 November 2008 Fact 10 The QE2 was not named after the current Queen but rather after the wife of King George VI This explains the convention of using the actual number i e Queen Elizabeth 2 rather than the Roman numerals of Queen Elizabeth II Matt Richardson In The Royal Book of Lists Dundurn Press 2001 ISBN 0 88882 238 3 OL 8211792M p70 71 Google Books search partial preview During the twentieth century the Cunard Shipping Line launched three famous luxury liners each named for a different English Queen 1 The Queen Mary 2 The Queen Elizabeth 3 The Queen Elizabeth 2 Retrieved 14 November 2008 Bust of HM Queen Elizabeth II Dreamstime 30 December 2020 Retrieved 30 December 2020 Glen Page 305 brumcarrier commissioning engineer for Carrier a b Alf Young 5 May 2002 High hopes for a return of the Clyde s glory days Sunday Herald Find Articles at BNET Archived from the original on 4 September 2015 Retrieved 7 October 2008 Payne Page 34 a b c d e f g h i Payne Page 36 a b c QE2 History Retrieved 7 October 2008 Horne George 8 May 1969 Harbor Whistles Greet a Stately Queen Designed for the Modern Age 150 Vessels in Harbor Greet the Queen Elizabeth 2 PDF The New York Times Retrieved 26 October 2011 Payne Page 37 QE2 Refit and Repairs 3 November to 14 December 1978 www theqe2story com QE2 HIstory Chris Cunard Page Chris Frame 4 February 2015 Retrieved 29 August 2015 a b c Payne Page 38 a b Cunard s QE2 Hosts Falklands Reunion Cunard Archived from the original on 25 February 2011 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Ronald W Warwick 1999 QE2 The Cunard Line Flagship Queen Elizabeth 2 W W Norton amp Company p 191 ISBN 978 0 393 04772 1 Marine Accident Report Grounding of the United Kingdom Passenger Vessel RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 Near Cuttyhunk Island Vineyard Sound Massachusetts August 7 1992 NTSB MAR 93 01 pp 26 30 National Transportation Safety Board 25 May 1993 Marine Surveyors Find Uncharted Rock That May Have Damaged Hull of the QE2 The New York Times 15 August 1992 Retrieved 20 June 2008 Marine Accident Report Grounding of the United Kingdom Passenger Vessel RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 Near Cuttyhunk Island Vineyard Sound Massachusetts August 7 1992 NTSB MAR 93 01 pp 21 26 National Transportation Safety Board 25 May 1993 Hurricane Luis Passenger Certificate Qe2 org uk Retrieved 14 July 2010 a b Cunard History at a Glance Cunard co uk Retrieved 14 July 2010 Queen Elizabeth 2 The first 30 years Cunard com Archived from the original on 11 February 2011 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Queen Elizabeth 2 QE2 Cunard Cruisecritic com Archived from the original on 1 May 2010 Retrieved 14 July 2010 QE2 Deckplans Retrieved 2 July 2010 a b c QE2 Fuel Efficiency Retrieved 12 July 2010 The Cunarders QE2 Statistics Archived from the original on 26 March 2010 Retrieved 12 July 2010 QE2 Fuel Usage Retrieved 12 July 2010 Trip Atlas QE2 Fuel Retrieved 12 July 2010 permanent dead link Clifton Paul 10 October 2008 UK England Hampshire QE2 s funnel to be sliced off BBC News Retrieved 14 July 2010 QE2 Daily Programme 04 09 05 Cruise Critic News QE2 Winds Up World Cruise With a Whimper Cruisecritic com 20 April 2005 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Queen Mary 2 world cruise itinerary Cunard com Archived from the original on 25 February 2011 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Queen Elizabeth 2 world cruise itinerary Cunard com Archived from the original on 25 February 2011 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Royal liners in Sydney rendezvous BBC News 20 February 2007 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Queen Elizabeth 1940 1973 Thegreatoceanliners com Archived from the original on 26 August 2010 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Cunard Istithmar 18 June 2007 Official QE2 Cunard Istithmar Press Release Rob Lightbody Retrieved 21 March 2011 Shakir Husain 18 June 2007 Istithmar buys QE2 for 100m GulfNews com Archived from the original on 18 November 2010 Retrieved 21 March 2011 a b c Doug Wright 31 December 2012 Reported sale of QE2 to ship breakers sad news Otago Daily Times Retrieved 8 January 2012 Royal Rendezvous Sunday 13 January 2008 New York Harbor Cunard 13 January 2010 Archived from the original on 13 January 2008 Retrieved 14 July 2010 Three Queens in final meeting 22 April 2008 BBC News 22 April 2008 Retrieved 14 July 2010 QE2 makes last stop on the Clyde 5 October 2008 Retrieved 17 November 2022 Susan Swarbrick 6 October 2008 Tearful Clyde Says Goodbye To QE2 The Herald Archived from the original on 9 October 2008 Retrieved 7 October 2008 The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society Scottish Branch Balmoral Salutes a Retiring Legend 6 October 2008 Retrieved 7 October 2008 QE2 Hotel Dubai 4 February 2015 ukpress google com QE2 runs aground on final tour permanent dead link timesonline co uk QE2 runs aground on farewell call to Southampton dead link ukpress google com QE2 runs aground permanent dead link QE2 sails away on tide of emotion Southern Daily Echo 11 November 2008 Archived from the original on 30 June 2012 Palm Jumeirah confirmed as QE2 s final stop The National 27 July 2008 Retrieved 30 January 2018 news bbc co uk QE2 liner runs aground near port BBC 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