QE2 To Depart Dubai? – Updated*
Reports in maritime circles indicate that the former Cunard liner QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 will depart Dubai on October 18. A festive send off, according to a few reports, will accompany the fabled ship as she departs for her transformation in to an hotel ship in a Chinese shipyard, possibly first calling at Singapore and Hong Kong. The QE2 will sail under her own power.
The QE2 has been moored at Dubai’s Port Rashid since October 2011 after retiring in 2008.
Plans for the hotel project were first announced in January 2013, when Dubai-based Drydocks World took over management of QE2 from Dubai World’s investment arm Istithmar.
The plan for her future still appears very murky with no specific destination for her placement, and descriptions of the hotel make over vary between 300 to 500 suite hotel, and no specific shipyard identified.
According to financial press the new company, QE2 Holding, made up in international investors involved in the project’s operations, while the ship will continue to be owned by the Dubai government, Drydocks World LLC . The hotel ship rebuild is expected to be finished in 2014 and the operation is expected to become profitable within a decade of opening.
*Rob Lightbody of www.theqe2story.com (An independent internet site and discussion forum for enthusiasts of the legendary QE2 Ocean Liner) remains skeptical of the latest announcement, based largely on press releases from QE2 Shipping LLC, Dubai & QE2 Holding Pte Limited.
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How many more failed ventures, does this vessel has to suffer?
Another month, another QE2-related press release from Dubai with their plans…
And its not “Reports in maritime circles” – its simply a press release on the Drydocks World website.
http://www.drydocks.gov.ae/en/news/qe.aspx
Many companies around the world would wish to have their press releases so widely reported in the media!!
But good luck to them. QE2 deserves to be saved.
Well – on a positive note it will be nice to see her at sea again and under her own power – something which would have never happened under the original plans for her at Dubai. A date to look forward to!
I was on her for her last round-trip transatlantic. There will never be a ship quite as graceful. Even the QM2 falls a little short. If the Rotterdam can be saved, so can this legendary british icon.
I don’t think I like what I’m reading.
That grand old lady deserves a better end than to be forced to march on her own power to the place where it will be tortuously gutted of machinery and turned into what I see as a fancy boarding house.
In the end, it will fail financially and it’ll be towed to Alang.
I’m not a pessimist, I just see this whole thing for what it is.
Mark D.
I waited to see what others had to say on this sore topic. I can only shake my head at what allegedly could happen. There is no rational to agree or disagree with, the omens have been out for months, the die is waiting to be cast. Sad we all have our own disparaging thoughts.
True, it will be nice to know that she, QE2, will probably sail under her own power, although not her original engines. It is nice to think of her being “saved”, although to what end we can not know for sure. It is also nice to think of her as being someplace special and in a special role. Leave those thoughts for another time.
Sure, if she is deemed a failure, her lot in ships life will be compromised. The ultimate end anyone’s guess, too early to tell, to vague to suggest.
Maybe, just one small maybe, if the QE2 does fail to please in her new role, just possibly then she may find a new home with a buyer that will actually sail her for real, would that not be nice?
When you look back at history, strange how the two Queen Elizabeth’s have so far gone along on the same course. ??
QE1 Went to war as a troop ship,WW2, as did
QE2 with the Fauklands War.
QE1 Sold to a group of buisiness men in Florida, Failed. Idol there for four years, Sold, to Chinese C.Y.Tung, Hong Kong.
QE2 Sold to Dubai, Idol for Four years. Failed, Now to be moved to Hong Kong ?
QE1, Destroyed by a fire bug, in Hong Kong Harbour………
Let’s hope history doesent repeat it’s self.
a lot of guys goes to Dubai dry dock so it must be easy to obtain informations or to have a look on the ship?
As someone who lives in Greenock, not far from where she was built I too have reservations but then sitting at Port Rashid for indefinitely wasnt the answer either.
I’d rather see something rather than nothing happen to her.
If she does sail away under her own power that will be something none of us ever thought would happen again.
Lets hope that this is a postive move for the old lady – and not the end that my other fave liner, France/Norway met.
Gav
Plans for the Norway, after sale of the SS FRANCE, were probably not as obvious as any plans can be today.
Plans for the QE2 in some circles of publication have been reported to be from sublime to some rather obnoxious rebuilding. Que sera it is up to the owners.
And, if all fails, let us hope the ship may actually be sold for use as intended, sailing, with passengers and crew, and not a tin salver in the breakers.
Under the terms and conditions of her sale from Cunard ( Carnival )to Dubai World in 2007 was that one of the clauses in the deal meant that she would not be sold for further service as a passenger vessel especially trading under the Queen Elizabeth 2 name plus she would have to be totally rebuilt anyway to satisfy the SOLAS 2010 requirements.
Queen Elizabeth 2 ‘maybe’ sailing under her own steam to Singaporre and onto Hong Kong and ‘maybe’ back to Dubai once the conversion has been done but she will NEVER be used as a passenger liner ever again for lots of reasons.
Hopefully the consortium behind the QE2London project are keeping a close eye on the situation and might even have a chance of bringing her back to the UK if the current plans fall through, I would prefer to see her on the River Thames opposite the O2 Arena as they had orgionally planned to do.
What happened to the plan to bring the poor old girl to be moored in London as part of a redevelopment of the east end of town ?
QE2 probably the last Great ship built in Britain and she should be saved for the Nation the idea of a floating Hotel on the Thames is a great idea or maybe Southampton Plymouth saved like the Queen Mary (Thank God for the Yanks)we as a Country have thrown away most of our Great ships and with them our Heritage it is to the shame of generations of our low life post war politicians that the Warspite Rodney Renown and Vanguard were sent to the breakers yard sheer vandalism
A vessel tracking site has changed her destination from Singapore on March 25th to Odessa on July 7th. Any know if the ship has changed hands again?