The legendary Cunard transatlantic liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (built 1969) finally lowered its gangways in Dubai last week, ready to accept its first guests in its role as a floating hotel.
The opening coincided with a visit to Dubai by Cunard’s current flagship, the 149,000-gt Queen Mary 2 (built 2003), which called at the port as part of a world cruise.
In a nod to the QE2’s former popularity, passengers on the Queen Mary 2 were invited onboard to become its first hotel patrons. Many of them had been loyal QE2 world cruisers.
Needless to say, photos of the ship in its new role quickly emerged on social media, with legions of the famous ship’s fans heaving huge sighs of relief that everything onboard was much the same as it was when the ship was still in active cruise and liner service.
PCFC Hotels — the current operators of the QE2 — ditched controversial plans when the ship first arrived in Dubai that would have seen it totally gutted and rebuilt in the typical over-the-top style so prevalent in Dubai. Such plans would have included replacing the iconic funnel with a glass replica, which would have housed penthouse suites.
Instead, the ship's lounges and restaurants have been given a general spruce-up, with much of the original furniture and fittings retained. Even the casino — although not operational — remains as a memorial to the ship’s previous life.
Down on the accommodation decks, the ship’s cabins have been thoroughly refurbished with all the modern gadgetry that today’s hotel guests deem necessary for life in their homes away from home.
PCFC Hotels says the ship is being priced as a mid-range hotel, which, given the overall pricing of hotels in Dubai, means a night on the QE2 still does not come cheap.
