What to do with QE2

[Cunard Cruiser]

Your correct - QE2 doesn't belong to the land - I would like to see her docked (in the water) in Southampton as a learning center/hotel or something to that extent. And that is my opinion as you can have yours.

[victor meld]

I did hear QE2 was to be paid off in 2009

[Bramcruiser]

Well if I had my fantasy I'd probably buy it and use it for my private yacht. But since I haven't won the lottery.........................

 

I really don't have a problem with it being scrapped even though its a unique piece of maritime history - the only one of its kind. Still, if it is to be saved I only hope it is for a dignified purpose.

 

David

[victor meld]

Concorde will never fly again, not because they have been plundered but because air France withdrew the Type certificate. Without that they can not fly. Also due to being on the ground for so long corrosion has set in along with other problems. British Concorde was making Mega Money. Air France not so. It was all down to Air France flotation on the stock market. I do not agree with the way the French handled the entire Concorde thing but one thing about the French they are utterly patriotic and preserve France for the French. We should do the same over here in UK. Sorry to get on a soap box but I loved Concorde . One up on our American cousins for a change.

[KenC]

I did hear QE2 was to be paid off in 2009

 

Come on Victor ... spill those beans

[transat_jon]

Hi David

 

Would be nice to use the QE2 as your own private yacht.

 

You will need to win the lottery once a year to ever travel anywhere on her. My guess cost starting point will be £20,000,000 purchase plus the same amount a year to run. And of course take these figures as a starting point.

 

All that is to have hardly any crew and minimum of everything. If you tied her up somewhere you could get the annual cost down to £500,000. Any less than that and she will just rot on her moorings like SS-United States.

 

It will be a shame if she is cut up. The Rotterdam has a similar style and is from a design point of view the superior vessel. The France now sits off the coast of Bujarat, India, awaiting the breakers. If a ship that great, which is largely in her original condition has met this fate, it does not bode well for QE2.

 

It would be great if the Queens Room and a number of the cabins are saved and incorporated in another building (or even new ship!). It would be great to get a number of the France's cabin's too. Anyone planning on building a new house in the next few years?

[victor meld]

Air France held the Type Certificate for Concorde. This is the certificate needed by any aircraft flying. Basically it is a company which undertakes to manufacture or obtain all the parts of that particular aircraft. Or anything needed to keep it flying. That's putting it simply. Air France held the type cert as part of the Anglo French consortium that built Concorde. BA under the original contract could not take over the type cert. Very political. Air France on the whole and not just the Concorde side were loosing shed loads of money a lot of it Government or taxpayers money. The only way out was to float Air France on the stock market. In order to do that they needed to make the company look viable. In other words get rid of some of the less profitable bits. Bear in mind that when Concorde was grounded for mods after the crash ( and there was a big cover up by France in that) the French did diddly squat to there Concorde other than compulsory mods. BA did major revamp to the interior to make it even more luxurious. BA sold loads of tickets . BA had full aircraft going to New York and back. Air France did no marketing and used to carry on average 10 passengers in their Concorde making it totally uneconomical.. The Brit Concorde was leagues ahead of the French version in maintenance , interior and marketing. The French shot it in the foot so that they could sell Air France. Dont ask me why did not the Brits take over the type cert. There was no chance as the French had it all sown up under the original contract so Concorde will never fly again. Has an after thought when Virgin made a bid for it say they would fly it that was a bit of clever cheap publicity. Richard B new the type cert had been withdrawn and Concorde would never fly but sounded good on TV. This is the short version.

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

 

For Victor M.

 

Mr Branson has be hinting at entering the cruise market.

 

The QE2 to become a Virgin. ?

 

yours Shogun

[Kindlychap]

Concorde will never fly again, not because they have been plundered but because air France withdrew the Type certificate. Without that they can not fly. Also due to being on the ground for so long corrosion has set in along with other problems. British Concorde was making Mega Money. Air France not so. It was all down to Air France flotation on the stock market. I do not agree with the way the French handled the entire Concorde thing but one thing about the French they are utterly patriotic and preserve France for the French. We should do the same over here in UK. Sorry to get on a soap box but I loved Concorde . One up on our American cousins for a change.

 

I had heard that the French wanted to get theirs flying again. And that they weren't that far from getting it done - Airworthiness certificate issues aside.

 

Unfortunately I can't recall where I read it.

[Kindlychap]

Hi There,

 

 

For Victor M.

 

Mr Branson has be hinting at entering the cruise market.

 

The QE2 to become a Virgin. ?

 

yours Shogun

 

It can't be.

 

The Virgin Queen was the first Queen Elizabeth! :D

[bobby1119]

It can't be.

 

The Virgin Queen was the first Queen Elizabeth! :D

 

Brilliant!:cool:

[victor meld]

Believe me the French will never fly Concorde. They are to far gone and the French do not have the expertise to do it. A bit of metal on the runway did not bring Concorde down, incompetence did.

[merecat]

Perhaps our home secretary ,John Reid ,will look at her for one of his prison ships,so if you have,nt been on her before she,s retired ,just do the crime and you can do the time. " What an awful thought". Merecat:(

[KenC]

Perhaps our home secretary ,John Reid ,will look at her for one of his prison ships,so if you have,nt been on her before she,s retired ,just do the crime and you can do the time. " What an awful thought". Merecat:(

 

Wow ... even I wouldn't dare suggesting that

[rjms74]

Well the Labour Government have ruined everthing else so lets hope they never get their hands on the QE2!!!!!!!!!!

 

I hope & think QE2 will still be with us for a bit longer yet!!!

 

Regards,

 

 

RJMS74

[pnhmrk]

Wow ... even I wouldn't dare suggesting that

 

No:mad: You would dare to suggest that she's one already!:D :D :D (definitely said tongue in cheek as a joke)

[highcbob]

I'm sure many of you remember the beloved P&O liner 'Canberra'. The P&O line withheld her final fate until the last minute when she was sent off to beach at 'Gadani'. Here is a link to her final chapter:

 

 

http://www.sscanberra.com/hist6fweek.htm

[guernseyguy]

The P&O line withheld her final fate until the last minute when she was sent off to beach at 'Gadani'.

 

Thanks for the link. Another thing P&O did was to design the ORIANA to appeal to the (many) Canberra regulars. I wonder when Cunard will start bombarding the QE2 fans, trying to sell (I guess) the Queen Victoria as her successor....

 

Peter

[KenC]

No:mad: You would dare to suggest that she's one already!:D :D :D (definitely said tongue in cheek as a joke)

 

No I wouldn't ...... there are more facilities in HM Prisons (definitely said tongue in cheek as a joke)

[RAL72]

Without a shadow of a doubt, in my mind, QE2 should go home to the place of her birth - Clydebank in Scotland. Devastated during World War 2 in the Clydebank Blitz, and then again in the 70s/80s through huge unemployment and the loss of all traditional industry, this sad little town needs some of its magnificent history to come back home and to give people a reason to visit.

 

Queen Mary may have been gutted and had many treasures lost, but she's still an amazing thing to go and visit.

 

QE2 - for British people - has a completely unique place in their hearts. She was THE superliner of the 70s and 80s - the world's most famous ship by miles, in my view.

 

Hoping I win the Euromillions lottery on Friday - how far would $200m get me?

 

Oh - and regards Concorde - read this : http://www.concorde-spirit-tours.com/concorde.htm

[jgsmuzzy]

As long as she does not go the same way as the Carinthia, I will be happy. What a way to end a liners life.

[travel-to-go]

HighCBob posted the Canberra link

http://www.sscanberra.com/index.htm

 

I have already spent two days exploring the site. I have gone through all of the ship's images. Amongst those images are drydock pics which are phenomenal. There are also detailed pics of the workings of the ship- The belly of the beast, and working shots of all sorts of things that passengers never get to see. I would love to see such comprehensive pictures of either of the Cunard ships. Crew areas- (don't tell me none of you have ever wondered- those of you who haven't had the opportunity to see for yourselves, as I know some have) the real workings of the ship's stores (not just the gleaming kitchen shots) and the engine parts (a couple of drydock shots are of the INSIDES of one of the alternators, most of which was fixed at sea, while underway!) I found the entire thing simply amazing and comprehensive. Seeing them working the anchor chain, and realizing that a person could not lift a single LINK of that chain, seeing folks on ladders working with the propellers and realizing how massive these things really are (yeah, I know- the spares on QM2, but we are talking the entire assemply here, ON the ship!)

 

I can't say enough about this website. (so I'll shut up!) but if you are a ship or cruise loever who has not visited before, you must go there.

One caveat. The original page that Bob posted, about her final journey, both with and without passengers. There will not be a dry eye if you are breathing and have a heart. It was poignant.

 

Cudos to whoever created that living breathing site (and it announces a 2007 crew reunion, so it is not static!)

 

Karie,

who is MOST impressed with this site and wishes there were more like it!

[guernseyguy]

I can't say enough about this website. !

 

Karie,

 

Thanks for pointing out how much else is on that site - I'd only looked at the last section. For those who worry about 'Class' on Cunard, here's what the deck plan of a real two class ship looks like:

 

http://www.sscanberra.com/files/plans/deck-provisional_first.jpg

 

http://www.sscanberra.com/files/plans/deck-provisional_tourist.jpg

 

Peter

[lexxity]

I've heard on the grapvine that 2008 will be her last season. Heard from staff on the QM2 last week.

 

Why don't Cunard keep her and use her as a training vessel for their "White Star Academy"?

[victor meld]

She is already a training ship. All new cadets etc go to QE2 first i believe. That way they get the very best of training.

I have heard 2009 to 2010 for being paid off