QE2 in Lisbon in 2001

The QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 leaving Lisbon on a cruise in 2001, when she was still the Cunard flagship and the true queen of the passenger ship's fleet...
Copyright photo by Luís Miguel Correia

QE2 in the Daily Mail 7 June 2009

What's happening to the QE2? No work carried out to transform the liner into a floating hotel eight months after leaving the UK
• By Katy Hastings
Article published by the Daily Mail on-line on 7 June 2009. Link kindly sent by Michael Sutcliffe
It's a sad end for the ship that was once the pride of Britain.
A birds-eye view shows the QE2 docked at in Dubai - but eight months after the iconic liner arrived in her final resting place no work appears to have been carried out to transform her into a luxury floating hotel.
The solitary ship stands alone against the backdrop of Dubai's dramatic skyline in a remote dockyard.
But the lack of work is fuelling speculation she could be sold off instead of becoming a hotel.
There is no sign of activity on the liner, which was bought for £50m by real estate developer Nakheel in the United Arab Emirates.
The only movement is the occasional wisp of smoke from the funnel where the engines are kept turning over to keep air circulating.
The owners have denied speculation that the cruise ship will be sold on instead of becoming a hotel.
The company has told the BBC the ship is not up for sale, even though work on the refurbishment has not begun.
Nakheel has said it will make the QE2 the centrepiece of the Palm Jumeirah development on the Dubai waterfront.
Last year, Nakheel said the QE2's giant red funnel would be sliced off and placed on the waterfront.
It said a glass penthouse - the most exclusive hotel room in Dubai - would be built in its place.
Every cabin was to be replaced with new, larger bedrooms and the engine space filled with a theatre, ahead of a scheduled opening next year.
The new-look vessel was also set to have a heritage museum displaying artefacts from the ship and from maritime history.
The cruise ship, which was Southampton-based during its life, reached Dubai on November 26.
Tens of thousands of people lined Southampton Water on 11 November to see the 70,000-tonne ship leave UK waters for the last time.
During her lifetime she acted as a troop ship in the Falklands Conflict in 1982, sailed more than five million nautical miles and completed 25 world cruises.
Her library, the largest still afloat, and grand ballroom have been transcended by new liners which boast everything from skating rinks to rock-climbing walls.

QUEEN MARY 2 off Carcavelos beach 2009-05-23

QUEEN MARY 2 underway in the Tagus bar south channel on her departure from Lisbon on 23 May 2009 passing off Carcavelos beach.
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia - 2009

QUEEN MARY 2 in Lisbon

The Cunard flagship QUEEN MARY 2 paid another visit to Lisbon, on 23 May 2009.
The adjoining two images show the ship at sea after her 5.05 PM departure from the Alcântara Cruise Terminal and the 48-minute cruise down the river Tagus back to the Eastern Atlantic.
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia - 2009

QE2 docking in Lisbon

The QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 docking in the Alcântara Cruise Terminal, Lisbon, early in the morning in the late 1980s.
Veteran 1922-built tug PIONEIRO can be seen at the stern...
Copyright photograph by Luís Miguel Correia

QUEEN VICTORIA in Lisbon 2009-05-09

Cunard's QUEEN VICTORIA arriving Lisbon early in the morning of 2009-05-09 for the Company first visit to Lisbon since the farewell of QE2 in November 2008.
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia

QUEEN MARY of 1936

The first Cunard QUEEN photographed by Skyfotos in Southampton water in the 1960s.
Like QE2, she was withdrawn after a successful career (in 1967) and purchased by the city of Long Beach, California, where she arrived in December 1967 after a final cruise around South America. She is still in Long Beach as a tourist attraction and as such helped put the city on the world maps. On the other side she has been costly to run and her static career has been marked by financial trouble.
Skyfotos photograph - Luís Miguel Correia collection

QE2 in Funchal 30-12-2006

Copyright photo by Luís Miguel Correia

QE2 mast

The iconic QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 signals mast photographed in Funchal, Madeira Island during QE2 final overnight call on 30 December 2006.
Copyright photograph by Luís Miguel Correia

QE2 in Durban March 1984

The RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 photographed arriving Durban on 14 March 1984 by Trevor Jones.
The funnel is still the original one although painted in Cunard red since the return from the Falklands in 1982.

QE2 in Durban March 1984

Two fine views of the
QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
steaming out of Durban
early in the morning of
15 March 1984 while doing the
1984 World Cruise.
Photographs taken by Trevor Jones a very good ship photographer based in Durban, South Africa,
who sent the images to be shared with fellow QE2 enthusiasts.
Thanks a lot, Trevor...

QE2 IN DUBAI

Just over five years since he left QE2 to take command of Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2, Commodore Ron Warwick, who retired in 2006 after 36 years of Cunard service, finds himself again in charge of the most famous ship in the world. Seatrade Insider has learnt Commodore Warwick is spending the Christmas holidays as master of QE2, berthed in her new home Dubai, in charge of a 38-man crew. Although she won’t be leaving her Port Rashid berth the ship continues to run on her own power, providing electricity and heating, and the bridge is manned 24 hours. Warwick was invited to take the role of master for a short-term contract when the liner was handed over to new owners QE2 Enterprises, Nakheel Hotels in Dubai on November 27. He will remain in charge until the ship moves to the nearby Drydocks World repair yard for the start of her major refurbishment. The last serving Cunard crew member left the ship on December 16. ‘I am thrilled to bits that the ship has come to Dubai,’ Warwick told Seatrade Insider last week. Speaking about QE2’s retirement from the Cunard fleet and prospect of a new life as an entertainment and leisure destination, he said, ‘I will shed only one tear, for any ship has only a limited life and this project will give her a new life.’ Warwick, whose father William E Warwick was appointed the QE2’s first master designate in the mid-1960s, hopes to return to see the liner in her new guise (reported on Seatrade Insider December 15) and bring his granddaughter to show her where her grandfather and great grandfather spent the bulk of their sea-going careers.(From Setrade News Inside 24-12-2008)

QE2 in Boston 1971-11-13

The brand new RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 photographed in Boston, Mass., on 13 November 1971 by William Schell.
Photograph from a very beautiful negative exchanged many years ago with Bill.
The young Queen of the Atlantic still looks original and in my opinion at her very best contrasting with the photograph below which represents her with the less interesting profile of her career.
Copyright photograph Luís Miguel Correia photograph

QE2 still in steam

The QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 on her 1984 world cruise departing Lisbon still in steam on 6 April 2004.
The funnel is still the original as well as the cranes at the bow.
Copyright photograph by Luís Miguel Correia

QE2 Final Profits

"Lower fuel costs, stronger than expected yields on close-in bookings and a gain of $31m on the sale of Cunard’s QE2 helped push Carnival Corp. & plc past Wall Street expectations and its year-ago earnings by posting a fourth quarter profit of 47 cents per share."

So the QE2 made lots of money to the very end of her sailing days as stated above. (extract from CarnivalCorporation 4Q 2008 results...
Photograph of the QE2 leaving Lisbon on 29 October 2008. Copyright Luís Miguel Correia

QE2 DUBAI REFIT

Some 200 hotel rooms, 110 luxury apartments, a 500-seat West End theatre, a 5,000sq mtr spa, fiv e restaurants and a maritime heritage trail are just some of the refurbishment plans for QE2 in her new life as a floating iconic destination on the Dubai waterfront unveiled by Manfred Ursprunger, ceo of new owner QE2 Enterprises, Nakheel Hotels at today’s opening session of the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference.
‘QE2’s arrival in Dubai is not the end for the most famous liner in the world but a new beginning,’ remarked Ursprunger. Currently berthed in Port Rashid where she arrived on November 26, QE2 will eventually be moved to the nearby Drydocks World repair yard to undergo an extensive refurbishment estimated to take two to three years, Ursprunger revealed.
All public areas will be rebuilt as will all cabins and suites. The makeover will take the philosophy of the original design combined with modern standards, said Ursprunger. This will result in 200 hotel rooms of 50sq mtr plus 110 apartments ranging from 80 to 250sq mtr. The engine room will be stripped out and a 500-seat theatre created staging West End shows and film premieres. Leisure facilities will also include a 5,000sq mtr indoor/outdoor health and wellness centre. Celebrity chef Michel Roux will mastermind the menus of the five restaurants on board and others shoreside. The bridge, captain’s cabin and Princess Grill will be kept as is, forming part of a heritage trail that visitors can follow. ‘I am sorry to be vague about the completion date but this is a complicated project which also needs major complementary land-based infrastructure alongside where the liner will be finally accommodated, none of which is built today,' Ursprunger said.
The QE2 Precinct, as the Nakheel executive referred to it, will be the flagship attraction at Palm Jumeriah and will comprise the ship itself moored at a berth accessible via a 40ft gangway, ‘giving visitors the feel of entering an ocean-going passenger liner’. Shoreside facilities will include luxury restaurants, retail outlets, a cultural and heritage centre, a maritime museum with large display of Cunard memorabilia taken from on board, an art gallery and amphitheatre for outdoor concerts.
Ursprunger told Seatrade Insider he was unable to disclose more information about plans on the hotel and leisure side as ‘this is a ship we are using and we first need to see if our visions can actually be realised’. Repair yard engineers are now conducting structural surveys. ‘It is difficult to accurately predict the cost of the project until substantial assessment has taken place. What we are going to do will ensure the ship is functional for another 50 years and will involve replacing all plumbing, accommodation, wiring, etc.,’ Ursprunger added.
The funnel will be removed from the ship and restored to become the central display of a new maritime museum located at the QE2 Precinct. An exact replica will be built to go on the liner. A luxury apartment will be created inside the replica making the funnel the most famous address in the Middle East, said Ursprunger. ‘They say a soul of a ship is represented by the people who sail in her. We hope under her new look QE2 will continue to provide experiences for many more years to come,’ he concluded.(Published by Seatrade on 15 December 2008)

QE2 Memorabilia

Memorabilia of the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 from my collection picked up here and there over all those years...

QE2 Accommodation-plan issued 1976

The QE2 in Post-Falklands Grey

Post-Falklands 1983-1984 brochure (Luís Miguel Correia collection)

QE2 10th Anniversary World Cruise brochure

QE2 Maiden Voyages 1969

One of my earliest brochures of the then still fitting out QE2, picked up from a Travel
Agent somewhere. She never did these cruises due to her late delivery following turbine trouble in December 1968. Click on the image to enlarge it.
(Collection of Luis Miguel Correia)

QE2 Europe to USA Timetable and fares 1970

Cover and interior double page of QE2 timetable and fares 1970 (Collection of Luís Miguel Correia)

QE2 on North Atlantic 15-10-2008

Two magnificent photographs of the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 taken at sea on 15 October 2008 by Andreas Busecke when the veteran Cunarder was doing her final North Atlantic westbound crossing

QE2 in Dubai 11-2008

The QE2 photographed alongside in Port Rashid, Dubai following delivery by Cunard to local interests on 27 November 2008.
Photos by Craig Leader to whom I thank the courtesy

QE2 in Lisbon 2008-08-29

Another couple of details of the QE2 exterior taken on 29 August 2008. We must thank SVITZER in Lisbon for making available a tug...
Copyright photos by Luís Miguel Correia - 2008

QE2 in Lisbon 2008-08-29

Close up views of the RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 taken in Lisbon on 29 August 2008. The QE2 was very popular in Lisbon and it is hard to realize she is no longer going to visit our port in the future...
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia - 2008

QE2 in Lisbon 2008-08-29

Close up of QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 photographed in Lisbon on 29 August 2008 by Luís Miguel Correia
Copyright L. M. Correia - 2008

QE2 in Lisbon 29-10-2008

The QE2 leaving Lisbon on 29 October 2008 on her pre final call
Text and photos by L. M. Correia

Her Majesty the Queen paid farewell visit to the QE2

June 2, 2008 – In recognition of Cunard’s longest-serving ocean liner leaving the fleet in November, Her Majesty The Queen made her farewell visit to Queen Elizabeth 2 in Southampton today.
The Queen began by touring the vessel and meeting many crew members, some of whom have served on board since QE2 entered service in 1969 and others who went with the ship when she was requisitioned as a troop carrier in the Falklands Conflict. Later she attended a reception and lunch on board with 300 guests, including former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher.
Both the newest and longest-serving female crewmembers played a role in the visit. While on the bridge, The Queen gave a signal to Cadet Jennifer Haynes, who joined QE2 in April 2008, to sound QE2’s whistle to salute Cunard’s current flagship Queen Mary 2, which was also in port today and was named by The Queen in January 2004. Queen Mary 2 responded by sounding her whistle in salute of Her Majesty’s visit. After disembarking, Her Majesty was presented with 55 red roses by QE2’s Executive Housekeeper Roz Price Evans who is the longest-serving female member of crew; the gesture marked 55 years to the day since The Queen’s Coronation.
The Queen also met nine QE2 Captains including Captain Peter Jackson who became Master of QE2 in 1973 and who took the ship to the Falklands in 1982.
Her Majesty The Queen has visited QE2 twice since the launch – on May 1, 1969, immediately prior the Maiden Voyage, and on July 27, 1990 to mark Cunard Line’s 150th anniversary.
“We are delighted and honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to visit QE2 to wish her farewell. Her Majesty has taken a close interest in the ship over the last forty years, having launched the ship, visited twice and reviewed the ship four times, including during the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of D Day. I am certain this final visit will be a memorable occasion for all involved,” said Carol Marlow, president and managing director of Cunard Line.
QE2, the most famous ship in the world, and for 35 years the flagship of the Cunard fleet, was launched by The Queen at Clydebank on September 20, 1967 – forty years ago last year.
Since then the ship has travelled over 5.6 million nautical miles, more than any other ship; has carried over 2.5 million guests; has completed 25 World Cruises; and has crossed the Atlantic 803 times. She leaves Cunard service in November 2008 prior to starting a new life in Dubai as a first class hotel and entertainment destination.

QE2 IN LISBON 30-04-2008

Two detail images of the QE2 at lisbon April 2008 by Luís Miguel Correia

QE2 departure from Lisbon 30 April 2008

The QE2 leaving the Alcântara Cruise Terminal in Lisbon on 30 April 2008 after another call...
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia - 2008

QE2 IN LISBON 30-04-2008

Now that the great Lady is on her final countdown relative to Cunard service, the QE2 calls in Lisbon are even more special moments. Here she is on her first call at Lisbon in 2008, on 30th April, fresh from her final refit...
Copyright photographs by Luís Miguel Correia - 2008