QE 2 a sad end

[southwestie]

a sad end to beautiful ship. to finally be . scrapped by the Chinese :mad:

[matdark]

Very, very sad day indeed...

 

"The QE2 is set to be sold as scrap to the Chinese for £20m.

The move follows the failure of a after a last minute bid to bring it back to the famous cruise liner back to Britain as a five-star floating hotel"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2252580/End-era-QE2-Iconic-cruise-liner-sold-scrap-Chinese-20m.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

How on earth couldn't the London bid go through??

[Jim Avery]

At least the article has a beautiful picture of her. RIP QE2.

[Topsham]

Why RIP?

It is not too late at all. If the ship is to be saved then it is necessary to build enough support for the UK plan and convince Dubai that scrapping should be the last choice for the ship. Once she is gone that is the end. While she is still in Dubai there is hope.

 

So... get the word out there and quickly. Hopefully someone from Dubai might be willing to listen. They wanted the ship because they said that they had respect for the ship. Well, the time has come to show some of that respect and at least wait to see what happens with planning permission in the UK. Surely someone will appreciate the urgency of the matter.

 

So, RIP? Not bloody yet!!!!

Stephen Card

Bermuda

[Jim Avery]

Stephen,

I share your love of that beautiful ship. Wish I had your talent. Sadly, after over 4 years and many schemes floated, it seems that Dubai has little real respect for the ship or its history. They do own her and will do what they feel best regardless of what they might tell us. Al-Takeyya I believe it is called.

[Lanky Lad]

I would like this to be confirmed before I believe it. Also what about the contents?

 

Anyone remember this story? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1600839&highlight=macau http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1599211 Could this explain the Chinese being on board?

[Topsham]

I would like this to be confirmed before I believe it. Also what about the contents?

 

Anyone remember this story? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1600839&highlight=macau Could this explain the Chinese being on board?

 

 

The story is true. There was a British deliver crew on board last week ready to start working up the ship ready to move. They have been taken off the vessel and there is now a Chinese delivery crew on board. The Chinese are paying Dubai the same as what was offered by the UK... 20 million pounds..

 

Sadly time is running out.

 

Stephen

[loubetti]

I just got the call, from one of the men who were trying to save her (he is also one trying to save the SS United States).

 

This is blasphemy! This is unbelievable!

 

I'm at a loss for words!

 

I'm crying, I have to compose myself.

[loubetti]

I would like this to be confirmed before I believe it. Also what about the contents?

 

Anyone remember this story? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1600839&highlight=macau http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1599211 Could this explain the Chinese being on board?

 

It's a done deal, unless you want to make a better offer.

 

She's gone. :(

[worldspan]

Gosh, the very first of, taken in 1971, of my 131 cruises.

 

So very hard to believe!

 

 

Worldspan

131 cruises strong

[Ray66]

The possible scrapping of the QE2 was mentioned on here back in October. Some thought it a fitting end.

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1722708

[jenno10388]

I am disgusted in them for doing this...

I thought other people had made offers for her but got turned down and now they do this... Disgusting. No respect for the icon. It was a joke for them to ever purchase it in the first place. Dubai is nothing a but a failure of wealth and greed.

 

Where's Palmer to step in and save the day!?

[keithm]

a sad end to beautiful ship. to finally be . scrapped by the Chinese :mad:

Surely some Russian Oligarch can buy the ship & make it his personal yacht. It sounds far fetched, but some of those guys have the money & ego to do it.

[stowaway2k]

The inevitable end for all ships that don't sink.

 

I'm more at ease with this news than the initional Dubai plans for her to be "converted" into a garish waterside Vegas-style freakshow.

This is actually a relief, and infinitely more dignified than the early plans that included the funnel to be replaced by a glass tower of penthouse suites.

 

It's sad news indeed, but it's what was coming sooner rather than later once word of the Dubai failure became known.

 

On a sidenote, why are people compelled to add "by the Chinese?" What difference does it make what company is doing the deed, as if the fact that she may be scrapped in China makes the situation even worse?

[PennyAgain]

When I sailed on the QE2 in 1978 when fuel prices were so high (for that time) we were told that the QE2 was doomed and wouldn't last another year do to loss of business to airplanes and rising costs of operations.

 

She has outlived several predictions of doom.

 

The Queen Elizabeth is long gone and the Queen Mary lingers in Long Beach.

 

We have our memories.

 

Still to say, it is sad news.

[loubetti]

I am disgusted in them for doing this...

I thought other people had made offers for her but got turned down and now they do this... Disgusting. No respect for the icon. It was a joke for them to ever purchase it in the first place. Dubai is nothing a but a failure of wealth and greed.

 

Where's Palmer to step in and save the day!?

 

Agreed!

 

QE2, one of the most amazing ships ever built. Her loss to the scrappers, regardless of where they be located, is not just a shame, but it should be a crime!

 

Well, at least I have my memories of her, but this is just incomprehensible.

[jenno10388]

Isn't there a British national trust or anything for heritage things? We have one here in Australia which has allowed us to keep many of the old grand estates and other historically seginificant places alive, so that future generations can enjoy them.

If you ask me, Carnival is the blame here.. They should never have sold her to the 'highest bidder' without a care for her future..

Now I know a lot of people are now going to say 'but the financial crisis, profits, MONEY! Blah blah blah..' please don't, these massive company's such as carnival make more than enough money and will continue to make more than enough money for many years... There is no excuse for letting such a historical icon just be scrapped.. Greed clearly overshadows All when it comes to the historically important and I for one am ashamed that this has happened even in 2012.. Our future ocean liner loving generations should also be ashamed of this 'generation' of money hungry world of business we live in.

20 million pounds is parking changes to these people.

If I had 20 million, I would have bought her and donated her to an organization that would give her a good home.

 

I'm disgusted at both carnival and who ever owned her in Dubai.. They both have blood on their hands. But I guess the later now has 20 mill to wipe them clean.

[JollyJackTar52]

Really, really saddened to hear about this and I hope something can be done to save her.

[glojo]

I hate to say this but whenever I think of the QE2 I immediately have visions of a ship that was forever showing oodles of exhaust smoke from her funnel.

 

Yes she has a history but has anyone seriously considered the maintenance costs of just keeping any large retired ship looking ship-shape? I hear that it costs millions of dollars a year just to keep a retired US carrier looking presentable. To maintain a cruise ship in the conditions she would be in if operational must be scary expensive.

 

Once a ship becomes too expensive to operate then should it be disposed of in the most economical way?

 

I would love to see a warship preserved from the Falklands era but if we cannot afford that then what chance has a large cruise ship?

[Slow Foxtrot]

To put the whole issue into perspective it's probably not known in America that each and every day our wonderful Prime Minister David Cameron sends a cheque to the European Union to the value of around fifty million pounds. Yes, around seventy-five million dollars each and every day. This of course is taxpayers' money and taxpayers have no say in the matter. The E.U. then uses this money to build palatial offices and to fund astronomical salaries for the E.U. bureaucrats.

So, if dear Mr Cameron were so inclined he could finance the return of the QE2 to the UK by cancelling one day's contribution to the E.U.

But patriotism, pragmatism and national heritage are alien concepts to British politicians and consequently the demise of QE2 will mean absolutely nothing to them.

[Whitemarsh]

To put the whole issue into perspective it's probably not known in America that each and every day our wonderful Prime Minister David Cameron sends a cheque to the European Union to the value of around fifty million pounds. Yes, around seventy-five million dollars each and every day. This of course is taxpayers' money and taxpayers have no say in the matter. The E.U. then uses this money to build palatial offices and to fund astronomical salaries for the E.U. bureaucrats.

So, if dear Mr Cameron were so inclined he could finance the return of the QE2 to the UK by cancelling one day's contribution to the E.U.

But patriotism, pragmatism and national heritage are alien concepts to British politicians and consequently the demise of QE2 will mean absolutely nothing to them.

 

To be honest, I think many of them are actively hostile to those concepts.

[Topsham]

I had a message from Stephen Payne this morning. The information he has been told is that the ship is going to Singapore as a hotel, not for scrap. I'd rather see her there than Dubai!

 

What has Dubai done with the art collection?

 

Stephen

[JollyJackTar52]

 

I would love to see a warship preserved from the Falklands era but if we cannot afford that then what chance has a large cruise ship?

 

I think I read that one of the Invincible Class Aircraft Carriers. I think probably HMS Illustrious is going to be preserved as a Museum.

 

Not a Falklands Vet I know, but better than all 3 Vinces going for coke cans.

 

I hope Stephen Payne is right in what he said to Topsham. I know we can't save every old ship, but Ships such as the Queen Elizabeth 2 and HMS Illustrious are part of our country's history just as much as a Stately Home, a Concorde or a Spitfire.

[balf]

Isn't there a British national trust or anything for heritage things? We have one here in Australia

 

Yes we do, but I don't think there would be much support from the members.

 

She would look fabulous fully restored in Sydney Harbour though. And Australia has got more money than bankrupt UK.

 

David.

[balf]

It's worth noting that this news was in The Mail!!!!!

 

David.