On October 16, 2008, large crowds gathered at New York Harbour to bid a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth 2. The then 40-year-old ocean liner had just completed its 806th transatlantic journey – and its 710th stop in New York – and was heading home to Southampton in the UK, before retiring in Dubai, where it would become a luxury hotel.
Joining the QE2 on its final journey, and leading her out to the ocean, was its successor, Queen Mary 2. Then only four years old, the QM2 was taking over owner Cunard Line's transatlantic service from UK to the US, a route the QE2 had served since 1969.
As the two ships made their exit, geysers from a flotilla of tug boats saluted them as helicopters hovered above. The goodbye was signalled by three short blasts from the QE2 whistles, The New York Times wrote at the time. At Battery Park City next to the Hudson River, bagpipers played a musical tribute while several hundred people waved small Union flags and cheered as the two ships sailed passed the Statue of Liberty, it added.
The QE2 was fully booked for its final journey from the US, with about 1,800 passengers paying fares ranging from $25,445 for a duplex grand suite with a veranda, to $2,992 for a single room. Its crew of 1,016 included 107 cooks, four fitness instructors, a DJ and 10 gentlemen hosts.
The QE2 retired from active service on November 11, 2008, when it left Southampton Docks and set sail for its final journey to Dubai. Demand was so great for the journey to the UAE that tickets sold out in just 36 minutes.
“It’s like the Concorde effect. That was a travel icon and the QE2 is the same ilk and people want to experience it,” said Stefan Shillito, the then managing director of cruise agency Sovereign Cruise Club.
A flotilla of 60 naval vessels and private boats met the 70,000-tonne ship in the Arabian Gulf as she arrived in her new Dubai home on November 26, 2008. They were led by My Dubai, a mega yacht owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. An Emirates A380 Airbus and a helicopter from the UK's Royal Navy performed a fly-past in honour of her arrival. But, the QE2's new life as a floating hotel would be delayed by the 2008 financial crisis.
On April 18, 2018, a new chapter finally began for the world-famous ship. After more than 1,400 voyages and years of rumours about her fate, she opened her doors to a new generation of guests as a floating hotel at Dubai’s Port Rashid. French multinational Accor took over the management in 2022 and announced large-scale upgrades and renovations to the property.
There are now 447 rooms and suites available to book, from entry-level cabins to decadent Royal Suites, which have hosted famous faces such as Joan Collins and the late Nelson Mandela. The QE2’s origins and adventures via books, photos, uniforms and artefacts are now preserved in the ship's museum called Travellers’ Cove.
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Travellers in Dubai can spend a night on the QE2, the Cunard liner launched in 1967. All photos: Accor -
The Queen's Grill restaurant was previously reserved for first-class passengers - book early and dress smart -
Dining with sea views at Lido Restaurant, where an international menu is available and breakfast is served from 7am to 10.30am -
The old bridge on the QE2 -
The Golden Lion – which calls itself Dubai’s oldest bar -
Sea views are best enjoyed from a private balcony -
Afternoon tea at The Queen's Grill -
A Captain's Room on the QE2
