Troops train in one of QE2's converted lounges. Notice how the carpet has been covered over with hardboard. Queen at War. Like the Queens before her, the QE2 did see a brief career as a troop transport during the Falklands War. In , she was summoned for naval duty by the British Military. Her size, speed and capacity made her ideal for carrying the 4, troops needed in the South Atlantic.
A week long conversion of the cruise ship began which included installing two helipads on her decks, an armored belt along her beam, anti aircraft guns and conversion of lounges into dorms. By April she was sailing to the South Atlantic with 3, troops on board. In the end the QE2 would make only one voyage to the Falklands and back. After just one month as a troop ship, the QE2 was sent to the shipyard to be returned to civilian service, a process that would take nine weeks.
During the restoration refit, Cunard took the opportunity to modernize the QE2 , including her funnel. Originally Cunard had chosen to move away from its traditional colors and styles in the s, painting the funnel black and white instead of Cunard Red.
Her restoration refit saw her funnel Cunard Red for the first time. A year after the Falklands War, the QE2 found herself back in the shipyard with major mechanical problems following her annual refit. Boiler problems and an electrical fire which caused a ship wide power loss forced Cunard to pull her for a significant overhaul. Her entire power plant would be replaced. Nine diesel engines and new screws would replace her steam boilers and oil tanks.
This conversion would add another 20 years to the QE2 's life. In addition, all passenger cabins and lounges were modernized and the ship received all new electrical systems. Emerging from her eight month refit state of the art once again, the QE2 's sea trials revealed a new top speed of 34 knots and was far more fuel efficient.
She reentered service in April The QE2 aground. Beyond Ships. The s were the infamy years for the QE2. The Cunard Line itself was ailing. Failed attempts to break into the cargo industry the previous decade resulted in the once mighty line to report loses and cause internal chaos. This had a rippling effect on the QE2. Her annual refits in the first few years of the 90s were hurried and someone incomplete.
The overall decor became less and less uniform. Grounding In August , the ship's infamy hit a milestone, quite literally. The rocks tore a series of gashes across feet of QE2 's keel. The damage was similar to the that RMS Titanic suffered 80 years earlier. Four of the ship's holding tanks were breached and she began taking on water. The grounding was in fact so violent that it forced oil up the ship's funnel and covered the upper decks with residue.
Thankfully they determined the ship to be in no danger of sinking. They ordered an evacuation as a precaution. Because one of the breached tanks held oil, fears arose that the QE2 would become an ecological emergency. After the Coast Guard's inspection they found that the tank had not breached. The PR damage proved far worse. The grounding made headlines around the world and people were shocked. The QE2 was the most famous ship afloat, nothing bad ever happens to her.
The damage needed 10 days to repair. Refunds and legal costs mounted. The ship was meant for a lavish Christmas-New Years Caribbean cruise. A huge money maker for Cunard. Worse, the ship began to develop problems with its pumping system.
A subsequent Coast Guard inspection found the ship to be in violation of multiple safety and fire regulations. The verdict handed down was disastrous; grounded until further notice. Cunard was left with a mess on their hands. Passengers ended up suing the line two separate times, once in the US and the other in the UK, for the hell voyage and Cunard, along with mounting legal fees, dropped millions in compensations.
Ultimately the CEO of Cunard resigned. Eager to recapture some glory for the ship, another multi-million dollar refit was carried out for the QE2 's upcoming 1, voyage which modernized much of the QE2 's splendor. The aft swimming pool was replaced with a large buffet dining area. Refit complete, the 1,th voyage began with huge fanfare in June Five days travel across the Atlantic was enough to regain some prominence for both Cunard and the QE2.
By , Cunard was sold to the cruise giant Carnival, an action that silenced many of the rumors that were then headlining tabloids about the QE2 's future. Many were convinced the ship was at the end of its life given age and reputation. A new vessel would soon be built to replace her, the Queen Mary 2. Announced just one year after Carnival took ownership of Cunard as Project Queen Mary, the QM2 would be the biggest ocean liner ever built and take the cruising industry as defined by the QE2 to the next level.
Over the years, refurbishments led to a slightly more grandiose aesthetic, but many original structural elements remained. The interior of the Queen's Room, where afternoon tea was served and cocktail parties were hosted, Guests on the QE2 dined according to the tier of room they paid for.
Still, though, the food in any dining room was considered five-star. Drinks were a given, too. Former guests concur.
British traditions were a highlight, too. Entertainment abounded on the QE2 , especially for Atlantic crossings. The Gorman family found that one of their three cabins was occupied by workmen. All three cabins had filthy brown water or no water at all and one of them smelled of sewage. Entertainments were poor, the restaurant was showered with brown water, and dust from building work gave one of the Gorman children an asthma attack.
Mr Gorman said: "We have issued proceedings against them alleging misrepresentation and we are asking for damages.
The writ, outlining the horrors of the journey, says: "If at any time between 18 and 21 December the plaintiffs had been given truthful information concerning the state of the vessel, they would have accepted the defendant's offer [of a refund and a replacement cruise].
Although many British passengers have accepted refunds and vouchers for another cruise under the terms negotiated in the US, they have until January to opt out and bring their own court actions for compensation. Moty Levy, a passenger on the same cruise, said yesterday: "I think we have been sold out. Now it has just reopened as a floating hotel in Dubai's Mina Rashid port district, where the vessel has been docked since Originally, the QE2 was intended to make a jubilant return to tourism by housing attendees of the now-postponed Dubai Expo The pandemic disrupted that plan, but at least now the city, much of which didn't even exist when the QE2 was sailing, has added a new deck hotel with a distinct history.
Because the QE2 is still in the first phase of reopening in its new guise, not everything is available yet. While restaurant reservations and staterooms are ready, the gym, spa, theatre, and full shopping options are on hold.
Tours led by former crew members will soon be available for non-guests. If you can't wait to have a look inside the esteemed ship, explore with this affectionately thorough video tour by a well-informed fan. This was released last December, when the hotel was gearing up for what was supposed to be an opening only a few short weeks away.
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