I thought this could be a good hypothetical conversation and am generally curious about what people will say when I ask the following question. What are your biggest fears about the future of QM2? Or of the future of Cunard in general?
With all the talk lately of Carnival being in the red post Covid and cutting costs across all of its brands, I can't help but wonder if the original plan/life expectancy of our beloved QM2 will ultimately be altered. She is now, safe to say, at her mid-life point, with a service life expectancy of ~40 years. So hopefully that gives us another 20 years to look forward to, but what will those 20 years look like? We've all seen the posts on here about deferred maintenance, slipping standards (in some people's opinions), and dated looks on parts of her interior (The dreaded shower curtains, need I say more?) In my view, that leaves two options in the coming years. A major, mid-life refit to overhaul a good portion of the ship (similar to QE2 in 1986) OR smaller, less intense (therefore less expensive) refits over the years with the ship continuing to slowly age.
So, all of that being said, what are some of your fears? I personally would hate to see her service life cut short in any way. I also would hate to see her beautiful lines/profile altered, ala Queen Victoria. Imagine seeing QM2's terraced stern be cluttered with new cabins in the future to make some extra revenue?
