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Article from TNU NOVEMBER 2024

CRUISING: Two Oldies worth a visit

1969: THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS!

QE2!  She was never RMS Queen Elizabeth II.

 



 

Launched by her late Majesty in 1967, QE2 made her maiden voyage two years later, the greatest ever year in the history of travel.  Besides QE2’s opening Atlantic voyage, man flew to the moon for the first time and Concorde made its maiden flight followed by the Boeing 747 at the end of the year.  They have both retired but not the one-time Cunard flagship, now very much an active hotel in Dubai.  Considerable investment continues in what is an ongoing restoration.  

TNU Editor-in-Chief Malcolm Ginsberg had the privilege of staying for two nights on the ship in September.  He last was accommodated on a transatlantic crossing in January 1979 flying Iran Air outbound.  The Shah of Persia was deposed before we landed!  For the return journey, on the Cunard flagship, and mid-Atlantic, Concorde flew overhead at 60,000ft on its way to Heathrow, 90 minutes away.  For us it was another three days to Southampton.

Here he reports for TNU readers.

"QE2 is a living memorial to UK shipbuilding and engineering and the last but one true transatlantic liner, Queen Mary 2 being the final and glorious example.  

In 1982 QE2 was requisitioned to carry over 3,000 troops to the South Atlantic to free the Falkland Islands from Argentinian occupation. The voyage included refuelling at sea under hazardous weather conditions and navigating by night through a treacherous South Atlantic icefield. Rod Stewart’s song ‘Sailing’ personified the ship.

QE2 retired from active Cunard service on 27 November 2008. She had completed 1,400 voyages over 6 million nautical miles while carrying 2.5 million passengers. After several false starts she is now operated by the French Accor hotel group, one of the world’s most successful accommodation companies. In command (it is a ship after all) it is now managed by Irishman Ferghal Purcell, a hotel industry veteran.

The QE2 is docked in Port Rashid, a working harbour with plenty of luxury yachts for company.  The ship dominates the scene, her red and black funnel rising high above her neighbours.

Check-in is at what was planned as the port terminal building, and rather like the ship itself, it is full of nostalgia of times gone by.

There was no security between shore and ship, but even a short walk from the terminal to a shoreside lift and access meant dealing with a 40-degree temperature.

The ship itself does not have a concierge desk and once on board one has to find your own way around, which is sometimes not easy.  There is also an alternative boarding available direct from the quay.

QE2 is a time capsule of an era long gone.  It serves as an oddball hotel for those who recall a glorious past, is a modern convention centre, and a major tourist attraction.

My stay was in one of 24 balcony suites added to the ship in 1986, and on the starboard side, recommended as you get the (hot) afternoon sun. There is supposed to be room service and Accor has gone overboard (wrong term for a ship) with everything digitalised.  However, people like me would love to see printed menus, event timetables, and a map to find your way around.  The cabin decor was very plain, perhaps best described as Scandinavian and there are tea and coffee making facilities, and British with three pin plugs plus USB connections in the cabins.

There is a whole mixture of rooms from the Royal Suite (Queen Elizbeth never sailed on her) with terrace, in-room dining, bathtub, plus separate shower.  There is a Duplex Suite split across two floors, and the more affordable porthole Classic rooms, but also with the ensuite amenities.  

Memorabilia detailing the QE2's heyday line the corridors and includes original menus and branded vanity kits.  Twice a day guided tours are available with an opportunity to explore further the bridge and the Captain’s accommodation, visiting the Queen's Room ballroom, and deep down a 1960s-style porthole cabin. I remember it well!

Or you can wander round.  

In LA the Queen Mary engine rooms can be viewed, massive spaces with machinery galore.  No such tours at present on QE2 but something for the future. I took an organised sneak view and was impressed.

Dining on QE2 is presently limited to the large Lido Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner with views of the stern platform, a return of the swimming pools planned here for the future. The menu can be compared with a superior Mercure and the service fine.  There is a children’s selection.  

On the Upper Deck, and amidships, is the Golden Lion pub, with exactly what you would expect regarding food, fish and chips, chicken burgers, cottage pie, plus in a bow to eastern tastes, Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll.  You can watch sports on the TV as well.  Located on the Boat Deck is the famous Queens Grill which on the weekends (that is Friday and Saturday in the UAE) offers the traditional Cunard afternoon tea.  It has proved very popular I was told.

As well as general QE2-focused exhibitions, there is a collection of archive clippings and photography detailing the “special relationship” between the QE2 and the British military, which was opened in March 2024 by HRH The Princess Royal.  And a splendid model of the between-the-war-years RMS Mauretania.

During her sailing days to cater for Jewish passengers the ship for many years offered a kosher kitchen (these days Cunard is into special meals in a big way, with kosher prepackaged and frozen).  A synagogue was on board which still exists, with a separate section for ladies.  This could become a memorial to the interwar years with transatlantic liners carrying refugees to the US from Europe.   

It is not easy to find but the QE2 indoor pool and gym is as built and is near the stern on Deck 7 with access via Decks 1 and 2. There is a guard on duty from 07:00 to 19:00.

Don't miss the ‘revolving lift’, which once enabled passengers to take their cars with them.  Its entrance now has a gleaming black Rolls-Royce in situ. Dogs were allowed on board during the ship’s heyday, Cunard famous as a canine transporter.  Queen Mary 2 has 24 kennels and professional handlers for Atlantic crossings.  

The Theatre by QE2 is all original and between now and the end of the year will host a series of shows, including a tribute to Elton John, the Wizard of Oz and Toyland Express.  On Deck 1 is the Trendsetters Unisex Salon offering an array of hair, nails and skin care services and treatments.

Wi-fi works well throughout the ship but Facetime, Skype and Whatsapp Video are blocked in the UAE and cannot be used.

Even if you do not have fond personal memories of the QE2, the ship is a time capsule full of maritime memorabilia and surreal dated décor. It will not appeal to all, but is certainly worth a two-night stop.  Cruising has moved on, but Dubai has done the industry proud by supporting this great (and very complex) liner.

Getting to the ship will be a lot faster once major roadworks are completed by the spring of next year.  If you are on a cruise ship docking for the day at the nearby Port Rashid terminal a visit is easy, a five-minute taxi ride. In the heat a 1½ mile walk is not on.  From the new cruise dock by The Palm it is a 40-minute trip.

The hotel does operate a complimentary shuttle bus to Dubai Mall and the Metro. The airport is around 15 minutes away, traffic permitting and the Burj Khalifa is a 20-minute drive".

www.qe2.com/en

Malcolm Ginsberg was assisted on his tour of the ship by Brandan Clarke, official in-house QE2 historian.

For a review of QE2 in her glory days (1995) a piece by Chris Frame is recommended, but do not be put off by the headline “The Mauretania Experience”.  That was just the class of travel.
 
www.roblightbody.com/the-mauretania-experience-1998.html

And if you are in the Los Angeles area, the greatest of all Ocean liners, Queen Mary, is now in a fine state of health, berthed at Long Beach.

Take the Tram from Downtown.  It could not be easier. And not far away is the battleship Iowa, a Korean War veteran.

Laid down in 1930, launched in 1934 she made her maiden voyage 27 May 1936.  Queen Mary was withdrawn from service 1967 and bought by the City of Long Beach. A press release by City in March 2024 brings you right up to date.  The future is assured for the most grand of Ocean liners with plenty of anniversaries to look forward to.

www.queenmary.com

https://longbeach.gov/press-releases/city-of-long-beach





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