QE2 To Macau?
Charles Greco, President & CEO of Universal Event Management (Macau) Ltd. announced yesterday in a press release, “that Universal Event Management has received the rights to represent the QE2 in a number of locations, two of which include the SAR Macau and Atlantic City New Jersey.”
The release goes on to say the QE2 could become Macau’s most unique tourist attraction as a hotel and convention facility.
“We are thrilled that UEM has an opportunity to bring this ‘Legend of the Seas’ to Macau as a 926 room hotel and convention facility,” said Greco.” Macau is in need to diversify its reputation of a Gaming Epicenter,” he continued. “We have struggled to build a community that includes a respectable amount of business to business meetings and conventions (MICE) and to attract non-gaming tourism, and leisure business. Our aim is to make Macau the permanent home of the QE2.”
“Interested parties both in Macau and Atlantic City who agree that such an attraction would be extremely beneficial and would be a big boost to the local economy in the non-gaming sector, have encouraged UEM’s involvement and to lead this initiative. The vessel has always been recognized as a ‘magnate’ for International Royalty, Dignitaries, Celebrities and Business VIP’s. It is now up to each of the local governments and municipalities to make an effort to help bring this ‘Incredible Lady’ to Macau.”
UEM has indicated that it will hold a press conference in the coming days to lay out more details and to answer questions about this unique opportunity.
Following her retirement and sale, QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 has been laid up in Dubai since the end of November 2008 and is now registered at Port Villa.
See also: Mr Lightbody of TheQE2story.com was granted full access to the QE2, posted March 2011:
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I’m sure everyone is rooting for a productive use for QE2, so if this is it, God Bless. This does sound, however, like a promoter’s fishing expedition trying to smoke out local investors and governmental entities willing to finance the re-location and re-use of the ship rather than an announcement of an investor willing to finance the venture. We’ll see…
This guy looks so much like my late grandfather that I got spooked for a second, of course my pom pom would never be caught without a tie. Good luck to QE2. Macau is a stone’s throw from where her predecessor was incinerated.
I’m confused. Does this mean that the QE2 would be possibly coming to Atlantic City? Am I correct in understanding that eith Macau & Atlantic City now have to make a bid to get it, just like cities to host the Olympic’s?
Since QE 2 is at Dubai,do you know if she is laid up in hot conditions??I say with everythings in good running order….
She’s laid up “luke warm” with one of her 9 diesels supplying hotel service power and with a crew of 30 or so doing what needs to be done. The A/C is running, she looks good overall (she was drydocked and painted two years or so ago) but most of the plumbing has been drained and much would have to be done if she were to sail under her own power from what I’m told. As I said above, this appears to be a situation where this group has negotiated the right to attempt to find a city/investor/user willing to pay what’s needed to put her to use, but clearly it can best be described as an invitation to bid rather than an announcement of any specific deal, i.e. they aren’t proposing to write checks themselves!
Is the SS United States group looking at Atlantic City also?
With waters so shallow, I’d like to see what the Macau government suggest they do to accomodate a ship with a draught as deep as the QE2’s. Continual dredging hardly seems worth it for a single vessel, even if it is permanently docked.
Someone is missing the -err- boat – here.
Macau is THE casino gambling mecca of Asia. Quite a deviation from the communist manifestos and dogma that run Macau, make no mistake, the glitz and glamour of Macau, Bejing and China are very well and obviously promoted for the Westerns to see.
Secondly, Atlantic City, a former haven for Jewsih New Yorkers to spend their summers in Victorian splendor, is THE casino gambling mecca for the east coast of the USA. Get it? QE2 will become a casino, if not entirely, then in great part in either location.
What irks and peeves me is the way casino ships are treated. Second rate, and lastly, seedy and shoddy, when the newness wears off, off they go to some backwater or the scrapper. Seen many, many die off in the Florida casino gambit.
Long live the queen, or should it be god save the queeen?
The retirement of the Queen Elizabeth 2 from the Cunard fleet seems to reflect the final days of her predecessor. As has already been pointed out, Macau is but a stone’s throw from where the Queen Elizabeth was burned.
Kenneth, was your comment directed at me?
Political discussion of the practice of autonomy in Macau’s government as a Special Administrative Region under the principle ‘one country, two systems’ aside, my intention was to point out that I find the notion of bringing the QE2 to Macau unfeasible.
That is not to say I want to see it turned into a casino-cum-hotel or some second rate floating hotel. I find the proposal quite frightening to say the least. I say this thinking of the Oriana as an example of what may befall the ship.
I’m with you in the call for a more respectable use for the QE2. At the very least bring the ship to a port with some connection to her!
Susan
I agree wholeheartedly that the Maccau home for QE2 is probably unfeasable, however, what I wanted to convey was that the ultimate end for the ship would be in the form of a gabling outlet.
The ORIANA is a not often thought of disgrace,and there are others, as I noted we have had our share in Florida, poor old dears that were sold for gambler-junkets, and when they became so rusted they looked unsafe to sail, owners strapped of cash, the only loser was the poor ship.
One marvelous thought, and one never to happen, take the QE2 to Las Vegas – she would be a sensation, as the London Bridge has become and build a resort in the desert around the ship. Sound silly, yet, who ever thought Walt Disney, building a mega resort in the fetid swamps of central Florida would earn billions on billions of $$$. BUt, my favoite saying is “Never say never”. Dreamers and romantics, we be.
I think maybe it is time to retire this old girl and let her move on with her spirit. As P&O did with the Canberra after her faithful service shall we also do with the retirement of the QE2. Yes we remember the sad drawn our Saga of the Oriana in Asia, and the malingering United States which will never said again – let these grand old ladies be and let them pass into the night leaving the memories they have all given us during their lives. RIP!!