QE2 departs on final world trip
The world-famous QE2 passenger liner has departed on her final world trip before being decommissioned and turned into a floating hotel in Dubai.
A firework display marked the departure of the Cunard vessel from her home port of Southampton.
The 40-year-old liner left in tandem with the firm’s latest addition, Queen Victoria, which was departing on her maiden world cruise.
The ships will travel together across the Atlantic to New York.
It will be QE2’s 802nd transatlantic trip, before she travels on to South America, the Pacific region and the Far East.
Some passengers have paid up to £48,000 for the full three-month voyage.
Check out the website for the ship.
Dubai gets all of the best stuff.
Alas, they don’t make ships like that anymore. It’s replacement has no style, no grace, as it plows through the swells looking like a giant warehouse:
http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/Cunard/QueenVictoria.gif
I was 9 in 1970 when I took it from NY to Southhampton. Great ship, a very memorable 5 days. Being 9, the crew gives you a very cool tour of the ship, engine room, bridge etc 🙂 All very impressive at that age. We paid for cheap seats so I was on a low deck, every morning at 5 or 6 am they would test the watertight doors, bell rings (get out of the way etc) clunk, you are sealed in. In general, I recommend an ocean crossing, there is something quite amazing looking out at the north atlantic and seing those big rolling green waves stretching out for miles, very humbling. In an interesting bookend, I was in hong kong 6 years ago and there was the QE2 in HK harbour. Its funny as I had aged but the ship looked basically the same 🙂
Good riddence!
The thing should have been retired in 1985!
Yeah its great having a ship that is gerry-rigged to just try and accomodate modern needs.
In fact it should be a reef by now. What a tub.
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At one time it was state of the art.
Travelled on Q E 2 for her last transatlantic crossing opening the World Cruise 2008.
This gracious lady will be sorely missed. Her staff and ambience gave an insight into a bygone age of elegance and quality.
The QE2 will be sorely missed and has not been replaced by the present offering of Queens.