Home > Ocean Liners > QE2 > Me & QE2 > My final thoughts on QE2 as she leaves service
My final thoughts on QE2, as she starts her final voyage.
When Cunard announced the sale of QE2 to Dubai, they announced it as a restoration, a preservation. Loyal QE2 fans, of which there are very many indeed, were upset, but happy the ship was to be saved.
It has become clearer recently that her fate is to be rather different and I'm really quite annoyed by it. All her lovely original cabins will be destroyed. Her appearance will be destroyed by additional decks. Her lovely funnel will be removed and replaced with a penthouse. Her epic engines will be gone. Cunard would not have got such an easy ride from the press if this had come out to start with, rather than dribbled out.
Many "liner buffs", myself included, would rather see the ship scuttled or scrapped.
Cunard is trying to steer the media by describing just how "past it" their 39 year old ship is and how she couldn't possibly go on but she could have, or could have been saved properly ...
Anyway, I've not managed to keep up with all the last news releases and articles about QE2, because I don't have the energy and it upsets me.
My long QE2 story ended on October the 5th on the River Clyde along with many tens of thousands of people who came out to see the most beautiful ship they'd ever seen and wonder why it was going to a strange land to be chopped up.
Goodbye QE2... I will never forget you, but will never visit your remains in Dubai. Thank you for the memories.
- Rob Lightbody, 22nd October 2008
It has become clearer recently that her fate is to be rather different and I'm really quite annoyed by it. All her lovely original cabins will be destroyed. Her appearance will be destroyed by additional decks. Her lovely funnel will be removed and replaced with a penthouse. Her epic engines will be gone. Cunard would not have got such an easy ride from the press if this had come out to start with, rather than dribbled out.
Many "liner buffs", myself included, would rather see the ship scuttled or scrapped.
Cunard is trying to steer the media by describing just how "past it" their 39 year old ship is and how she couldn't possibly go on but she could have, or could have been saved properly ...
- They jumped at the first offer they got.
- They didn't advertise the ship for sale, and didn't give people time to put bids together.
- The ship could have gone on for a long time with another big refit (like she had in 1987). She could have been a famous classic historic liner - the fastest in the world - just imagine...
- Her powerplant is still modern and efficient, and her hull is strong. She could even have gone on for another few years without a major refit at all.
- The Rotterdam was saved and sympathetically preserved while providing modern hotel and entertainment accommodation. This could have been a model for QE2. Have a look here - http://ssrotterdam.com/
- The engines are not needed any more, but they're the first thing anyone interested in the ship would want to see. Imagine standing next to one of the 9 engines - each bigger than a double-decker bus?
- The Queen Mary in Long Beach suddenly looks like a text book preservation project, whereas before it looked like a cock-up.
- Contrary to what some people may tell you, there was still *a lot* of original QE2 to save in 2008.
Anyway, I've not managed to keep up with all the last news releases and articles about QE2, because I don't have the energy and it upsets me.
My long QE2 story ended on October the 5th on the River Clyde along with many tens of thousands of people who came out to see the most beautiful ship they'd ever seen and wonder why it was going to a strange land to be chopped up.
Goodbye QE2... I will never forget you, but will never visit your remains in Dubai. Thank you for the memories.
- Rob Lightbody, 22nd October 2008
