Where next for QE2?
Iconic cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2 will be upgraded into a luxury floating hotel with 500 rooms and will be moored in an Asian harbour, according to its Dubai owners.
The ship has been moved to drydock for classification checks prior to her renovation.
Drydocks World, a maritime holding company belonging to the Dubai government, said QE2 would be converted into "a five-star hotel with 500 rooms managed by a prestigious international hotel as an operator" in partnership with the Oceanic Group, which has operations in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The refurbished QE2 will include a shopping mall, restaurants and an onboard maritime museum, the statement said, without specifying where the ship would be based in Asia.
Dubai World bought the QE2 for about USD81 million from Cunard in 2007, but she languished in the emirate during the global financial crisis and became something of an embarrassment for her Arab owners.
QE2 Timeline
2008 Final journey to Dubai where QE2 was earmarked to become a five-star hotel
2007 The 40th anniversary cruise from Southampton to the Clyde.
2004 New 150,000 tonne Queen Mary 2 takes over as Cunard’s flagship.
2002 Competes five million miles, a world first
1995 Leaves New York for Southampton on her 1,000th voyage.
1992 Undergoes extensive repairs after hitting rocks off the US state of Massaehusetts.
1990 QE2 sets diesel-engined record for fastest Atlantic crossing, four days, six hours and 57 minutes.
1986 Steam turbine engines replaced with diesel engines.
1982 Sets out for the South Atlantic carrying 3,000 troops and 650 volunteer crew to the Falklands War.
1975 Sails from Southampton on her first world cruise.
1971 Rescues 500 passengers from burning French-ship Antillies.
1970 She crosses the Atlantic in a record time of three days, 20 hours and 42 minutes.
1967 QE2 is launched on Scotland’s River Clyde by Queen Elizabeth II.
Ian Jarrett
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