Facts About the Queen Elizabeth 2 Cruise Ship

The QE2 sailed from 1967 to 2008.

The Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) was the pride of the Cunard line and one of the last trans-Atlantic passenger liners. She had a crew of 1,015 and could carry 1,900 passengers.

History

The ship was christened by Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 20, 1968, and made her official maiden voyage after completing trials on May 2, 1969. The QE2 was involved in rescuing the French liner Antilles' passengers in 1971 after the Antilles caught fire and ran aground. The QE2 was sold to Dubai investment company, Nakheel, in 2007 for approximately UK£65 million.

Service

The QE2 performed trans-Atlantic crossings, though Cunard shifted her emphasis to cruising during the 1970s as air transport dominated intercontinental travel. The ship offered cruises from Southampton, UK and New York City with a hiatus in 1982 when the British government pressed her into service as a troop ship during the Falklands War.

Retirement

Nakheel took possession of the QE2 in 2008, intending to convert it into a floating hotel. Since then, financial troubles have put that project on indefinite hold and, as of 2010, the ship remains in dry dock, showing signs of interior mold and leaks.

References

• QE2: Facts and Figures
• Monsters of the Sea: RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
• "Mail Online"; QE2, Britain's Most Famous Cruise Ship, Stands Abandoned Just 15 Months After She Was Taken Out of Service; Mail Foreign Service; March, 2010

Resources

• "Telegraph"; QE2: A Ship Full of Memories; David Humphreys; November, 2008