Farewell to RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 :o(

Construction in Dubai has slowed significantly, however unlike the UK all construction is value add..e.g. Buy the plans, sell it on, do the concrete sell it on, do the framework sell it on etc.. the average apartment block is sold seven times before it actually goes to the person buying it... however all these middle men have frozen up, stopped working, returned / dumped their Indian labourers and are sitting on their assets waiting the next move.

Nakheel is a huge multi billion Dhr developer in Dubai, however the recession has secretly hit Dubai extremely hard, and the government has even been at pains to prevent many stories coming out.
Whilst in Abu Dhabi in January I understand many of the ruling family in AD are taking up the oppourtunities of it's neighbours recent downfall.

Whilst I dont doubt Nakheels credibility, or it's owners tremdous wealth, it's ultimate owners (who also are facing 50% less oil prices than a year ago) are just not spending, I very much doubt the QE2 will return to the UK or even become a sailing ship again, but I dont doubt one of the richer Emirates or their citizens will buy in if the oppourtunity rose.

I'm back in AD in a few weeks time maybe i'll take a car up to Dubai and see if I can see it.

 

If you don't we'll arrange for you to be modded - comprende

 

Apparently not speculation this time...

The owners of the QE2 have confirmed the ship will be moved to Cape Town in South Africa to become a hotel in time for next year's football World Cup.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hamp ... 160146.stm

 

:-# I have a bad feeling about all of this

 

Not as 'certain' as it first appeared?

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/2009/09/red-card-for-qe2-world-cup-pla.html

 

I can hear Alang calling before too long . . .

 

That or the same fate as her predecessor - God forbid.

 

My brother who lives near Dubai, sent me this news last january.:-

We are in Sharjah, just a few miles up the coast from Dubai, hundreds of Brits turned up at the Dock waving Union Jacks to welcome the QE2, they were all quite emotional, there were many who had previously worked on her but now work and live in Dubai.

Of course I know its supposed to go to south africa, because of the recession, any news on whats happening to it now.

the other thing is that our dear country has said goodbye to a large percentage of its fairly indigenous population over the years, due to the loss over the last 20 or so years, of its manufacturing base, Yes, I'm guessing, but first there was Australia, since then I know of a few disenchanted people who've abandoned ship, not necessarily the political climate the cause, the climate for some.

 

I've been searching for recent news, could only find this

http://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,183.0/prev_next,next.html#new

some work seems to have been done, but 'the future' does not seem assured by any means.

 

According to this press release, she is fully maintained and looking for a new home ?????

http://www.theqe2story.com/TheQE2StoryPressReleaseJune2010.pdf

 

If only! - American travel agents of our acquaintance on board her confirm that they could only get bookings at substantial discounts, because Americans will only travel on new, shiny, and, has it got balconies? in search of history over there in Yourup!

You couldn't write it could you!

In the meantime their USS United States sits and rots in Philadelphia and the QE2 sits idle in Dubai

When will travellers appreciate heritage afloat - even if it means ripping out everything below C Deck and modernising the accommodation on board her.

She is far too good for Alang - but disturbingly close

Please can we avoid another Indy who now lies broken backed a distance offshore

 

Frank, you know as well as I do, she has far too much combustable material in her and the superstructure is so corroded she can never really have a future carrying passengers again. QE2 as a static building is her only viable commercial future.......unless someone turns her into razor blades or there is a similar incident in Dubai to the one in Hong Kong in January 1972 (perish the thought).

I'm all for sentiment - but sometimes it is erased by reality and finance that will never come.

 

Disturbing news regarding this iconic ship if this story is in fact true: End of an era for the QE2: Iconic cruise liner sold as scrap to Chinese for £20m | Mail Online

 

So the UK consortium bid was less than the scrap man and wanted the owners to wait for a year for their money (whilst the owners fork out £650k a month ! for rent), and they whinge when the scrap man wins ?

Sounds like Bransonomics to me... that or bad journalism.

Now if the chinese scrap man has won it... I wonder if it will go for scrap.. or end up in a glamourous setting within China, bought at a bargain price.. (the Chinese aren't stupid either).

 

Reading through the report, Cunard's comment and other web pages it is not quite sure if this is true or the Mail latching onto a paper selling rummor.

 

Well, the word in the shipping world is that tenders were being invited for a tow of a large passenger vessel to the Far East from the Gulf in the New Year, so couple that with the Mail's article and it doesn't look good. Another thing that's come to light is that it seems that her aluminium superstructure was never fitted with decent connection to the steelwork to allow for differential expansion/contraction, & over the years that's caused cracking problems. (That and galvanic corrosion, of course). The MCA had been monitoring it, but there comes a point where there would have had to be serious expenditure in order to maintain her seaworthiness. I am not in a position to confirm or deny that, but it's been discussed elsewhere without anyone disparaging it, so one can draw one's own conclusions...

Also, I suspect that she would have had to have expensive modifications to bring her up to the latest SOLAS requirements, in much the same way as the last set of new regulations led to several older vessels being withdrawn.

Bottom line; she's an old lady, and the costs of maintaining such a ship are immense - look at how the operators of 'Shieldhall' and 'Balmoral' are in difficulties, & they're tiny compared to QE2.

She may yet end up as a hotel out in the Far East - time will tell.

Mark

 

Bottom line; she's an old lady, and the costs of maintaining such a ship are immense - look at how the operators of 'Shieldhall' and 'Balmoral' are in difficulties, & they're tiny compared to QE2.

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Mark[/QUOTE]

Mark, you are quite right in what you say. It will happen sooner or later the only wish is that it is done quietly and we don't have to see the demise of the ship. QE2 has so many supporters but unfortunatly they can't see that a, as a seafaring nation we find it difficult to preserve ships, b, there are many ships that need preserving & c, there is no money about.
The Shieldhall and MV Balmoral are having difficuties. Part of the Bal's problem is the position she finds herself in with her Waverley conection, not the richest ship in the country.
RMS Queen Mary is a beautiful ship but has had so many problems over the decades you could write several books. Millions have been poured into Cutty Sark so nothing left for any other projects. If a ship isn't sailing she is just as much a liability.
I would like to keep my memories of the QE2 in my heart, mind, the friends I made and the photo album.

 

You are spot on there Mark. Regardless of her enduring popularity, she was rotting from the main deck up and would have needed a huge expenditure on top of the removal of combustibles to keep her sailing. I think the current owners had good intentions. to convert her to a building...indeed, she has been quite well maintained in Dubai. A couple of my Cunard 'connections' have been on board in the last couple of years and state she is in pretty good nick internally. She was 'saved' at the wrong time in terms finance available.

If this all turns out to be fact I'd rather see her cut up than die a slow, rotting and undignified death as a casino or accomodation ship. Like so many others, the memories remain and I'm so glad I managed to sail in her on the final Atlantic crossing.

 

Spotted this article in SeaNews Turkey.
It seems the QE2 is off to China for scrapping and a Chinese crew are already in possession..

SeaNews Turkey - The QE2 to be 'sold for scrap' to Chinese

 

There might be some hope.
BBC News - QE2 to be renovated as 'floating hotel'