QE2 on the Move

[michaellangley]

Hi guys,

 

Just signed up and good to be amongst other QE2 fans. Never had the privilege to sail her though, but I have seen her coming into the port of Amsterdam or Rotterdam several times.

 

The ship in front of Costa Victoria today is the second Costa ship deployed in this region, the Costa Classica. So, look up the webcam page on costacruises.com, select the Costa Classica and her aft webcam. You'll see QE2 hasn't moved yet.

 

By the way, it looks to me as if they have removed the 'Southampton' title from the stern.

[RAL72]

QE2 is still there today

 

 

 

I don't think they have removed Southampton, if you compare it to photos taken earlier its the same - the Southampton is just a smudge on these images anyway, so its hard to tell, but i think its the smudgy white line under her name!

[Cruising Ken]

Has anyone else noticed what looks like a hole cut in her starboard quarter?

 

On the night pictures it does seem to be lit, as though a light is shining through.:(

[RAL72]

Has anyone else noticed what looks like a hole cut in her starboard quarter?

 

On the night pictures it does seem to be lit, as though a light is shining through.:(

 

I see what you mean, but I think its just one of her stern anchors.

[The Real PM]

I see what you mean, but I think its just one of her stern anchors.

 

 

RAL72,

 

Do you write poetry? You seem so impassioned about the QE2, that if you do write poetry, it would be very nice to contribute to "A Final Tribute to the QE2". Other ships have been saved by poems. Perhaps if you wrote from your heart, you could do the same thing. Just a thought!!!:)

 

Gail

[Mauretania1907]

will come back in a day or two to see what's happening to my most favourite ship.

[guernseyguy]

From Liners List:

 

QE2 was still tied up in Port Rashid when my plane to Damascus took

off from Dubai Airport yesterday afternoon. She'll be there for

another two months or so while her new owners give her a full

technical audit. She will not move into the Dubai Drydocks yard until

it is absolutely necessary because space there is at a premium

 

So, no 'rush to refit'.......unlike the 'rush to judgement'........

[Host Sharon]

Just found this thread. Not sure however I want to continue reading some of the awful things that seem to be going to happen to my favourite ship. I had an awful pang a couple of days ago, when the Chart Room was mentioned and I realised I would never again be there :( Stupid I know - but it felt like a bereavement. She looks so lonely stuck at that container port.

[RAL72]

From Liners List

So, no 'rush to refit'.......unlike the 'rush to judgement'........

 

Based purely on what Nakheel have said in statements, I'm horrified. Thats not a judgement, its my opinion of what the new owners have said they'll do.

 

Its especially hard to take after the statements Cunard made when they announced the sale using words such as 'restoration'.

[Mauretania1907]

hopefully the plans for her may be scaled back and the ship is not so hacked up as we fear. Still life, still hope:( but bear in mind she has been 'sold foreign'. I would hate to see her go to Alang, but there are things worse than death.

I am another fan who is really upset at the bizare plans Nakheel have put out after Carni-cunard said she would be preserved!!!:mad:

[bepsf]

I would hate to see her go to Alang, but there are things worse than death.

 

I'd frankly rather see her go to Alang and be done with it than end up as some tarted up showboat, or sad and neglected like United States, Oriana(1) or Raffaello and Michaelangelo.

[QM1]

I still cant believe what the new owners apparently want to do with my second favorite ship (the original QM is my no.1!). Thats barbaric. I thought they would turn her into a museum/hotel, and now they are going to rape her. Scrapping would be better than this humiliation. The most famous ship of the last 40 years, a highly regarded cultural heritage fell into the hands of vandals.

I can only hope that the yard in Bremerhaven, which reportedly shall do the lengthening, shows backbone and taste and doesnt sign such a contract.

 

Btw, who has the address or email of the Nakheel Group? QE2 lovers should protest and tell them Dubai isnt worth a visit anymore once they really do what they have in mind.

[bepsf]

I can only hope that the yard in Bremerhaven, which reportedly shall do the lengthening, shows backbone and taste and doesnt sign such a contract.

 

Btw, who has the address or email of the Nakheel Group? QE2 lovers should protest and tell them Dubai isnt worth a visit anymore once they really do what they have in mind.

 

I don't like what is proposed any more than you - but you'd honestly propose that a company turn away business to keep its workers employed during a severe economic recession???

 

It's clear that the folks in Dubai don't really care what you and I think - We're not their target market.

[Mauretania1907]

not too harsh words, but I advise to wait and see. Despite some not wanting to know the sordid details (nor do I, i have to say) I do care enough to wish for a less drastic transmogrification for her. Those that say the new owners do not care for what we think may be right, but a few politely-worded letters may give them pause for thought. Or not, but could be worth doing. I have seen pix of Canberra being torn apart at Alang (so NOT a sight for sore eyes) and have a series of pix of the old Mauretania being scrapped at Rosyth, (so not my favourite pix of her, either) Hopefully, the QE2 will share the fate of another favourite ship of mine, the Queen Mary, which, after all the silly things that were done to her, still looks majestic and is available for everyone to view a ship of her time.

[hollihedge]

I think the letter writing idea is a really good one. It wouldn't harm and best case scenario is that it might help if enough people did it. I will definitely do this.

 

Walked past a travel agent at the weekend who was displaying a poster in window displaying QM2 and QV proclaiming "the most famous ships in the world". It is the QE2 and those who went before her that made them famous and they have just cast her aside.

 

Will get on with the letter writing pronto.

[ovccruiser]

I just don't support or approve, at all, of what is to happen to this most historic of ships, and don't want to be seen to, or help publicise it. Its a disaster, and Carnival-Cunard should be ashamed. I'm holding on to the hope that the huge global financial depression that we're all suffering, including Dubai, means work gets stuck and/or they rethink their plans ... it saved QE1, maybe it can save QE2 too.

 

It saved QE1 for what, a later cremation ceremony, give us a break, QE2 is well past her sell by date and Cunard/Carnival were lucky to be offered what they were for her.

[guernseyguy]

Will get on with the letter writing pronto.

 

Do let us know what reply you get.......

[cunardqueen]

I have seen pix of Canberra being torn apart at Alang (so NOT a sight for sore eyes)

 

Mauretania1907

Do you have any idea how rare such things are! l gather not many photos exist, and being pre digital age, lm not sure if any actually exist online .

[Mauretania1907]

or google Canberra. You will find a site dedicated to her, one section entitled 'the end' or similar name will give you a slide show of her slowly being demolished. Not to be looked at by anyone who remembers her with fondness.:eek:

[Mauretania1907]

I have a book called METAL INDUSTRIES - shipbreaking at Rosyth and Charlestown by Ian Buxton, published 1992 by the World Ship Society. Poor Maury has several photos, taken, I think by a Mr Wilkenson, who gave a lecture entitled The demolition of the Mauretania to the Manchester Association of Engineers in 1940. He was a manager of Metal Industries. Also Peter Knego of Maritime Matters sometimes has news of ships being broken. Pix and/or accounts are Not so rare as you might think, let us hope QE2 escapes this dire fate. Although I think the Maury's fame did lead to many more pix being taken at the time, I have seen photos of Olympic and Aquitania being demolished also. As I say, not pix you would want on the lounge wall. And ships can have funerals as well - the Maury had one in Winchester Cathedral and the Ile de France had a Shinto ceremony so that her spirit would rise unsullied to the gods.When Rainbow Warrior was sunk as a reef, a Maori ceremony was held for her.

[Avariel]

And ships can have funerals as well - the Maury had one in Winchester Cathedral and the Ile de France had a Shinto ceremony so that her spirit would rise unsullied to the gods.When Rainbow Warrior was sunk as a reef, a Maori ceremony was held for her.

 

The fact that ships can have funerals interest me greatly. Would you care to share more info?

 

Thanks.

 

(I'm also interested in the concept of ships having spirits but that's another discussion altogether.)

[garigoun]

IAnd ships can have funerals as well - the Maury had one in Winchester Cathedral and the Ile de France had a Shinto ceremony so that her spirit would rise unsullied to the gods.When Rainbow Warrior was sunk as a reef, a Maori ceremony was held for her.

 

 

 

Oh Good Grief! Is there no limit to people’s capacity for self-deception. Ships cannot have funerals, they are not sentient beings. You might just as well say you can have a funeral for a car-jack or a skate board. Ships do not die.! They are junked! What actually happens is that the Provisional Wing of the Ships Fanatics Liberation Front or the marketing department of the shipping line or a coalition, whip up a frenzy of sentimental and sometimes nationalistic feeling when one of their favourite toys is getting the chop. This in turn influences a lot of people who have had a holiday on that particular boat and quite liked it. Et Voilá before you can say ‘Super Soar-away Sun’ some trendy prelate, who has had enough education to know better, is offering the services of an 11th century cathedral for some kind of faux religious ceremony. The dean and chapter ought to have had more sense. Having said that what can you expect of a cathedral authority that allows an ice rink to be built in the close. (Money, Money, Money, sends you funny.) The same nonsense was perpetrated in Liverpool last year. No, not the ice-rink but the daft quasi-religious ceremony with the bugles and pipes, free Kleenex and all the rest of the fol de rols.

Gari

[Cruachan]

Ships cannot have funerals, they are not sentient beings.

 

Well, I gave my old slippers a very nice funeral thank you very much. I was very attached to them, and it broke my heart to get rid of them.

 

They may not have been sentient beings, but they did have soles!

 

J

[Titanorac9370]

Ships don't have a soul or a spirit, eh? What tosh! You can't tell me you don't know when your car is pissed off for some reason!

[garigoun]

Ships don't have a soul or a spirit, eh? What tosh! You can't tell me you don't know when your car is pissed off for some reason!

 

You've not been wearing your tin-foil helmet have you you naughty thing. The men in the white coats will get you. Now put it on at once.

Gari