QE and QE2

There are two Cunard Queens gracing the port of Dubai today. This is the best of the pictures I took as we sailed in today.

Thanks a lot for this picture of the "dear old lady", always so elegant!

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Beautiful ship, sailed on her five times, thank you for posting the pic!

Thanks so much for posting this great photo of my favourite ship! Enjoy your time in Dubai :)

I hope that you will get to hear her when you sail away - we were on QM2 4 years ago and they did a wonderful whistle salute (

Thanks a lot, Safarigal, for sharing with us this intense moment of emotion. Her whistle sounded to my ears like an agonizing appeal! So sad!

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Thanks for the picture. Perhaps QE2 London is still feasible:

Thanks so much for posting this great photo of my favourite ship! Enjoy your time in Dubai :)

 

I hope that you will get to hear her when you sail away - we were on QM2 4 years ago and they did a wonderful whistle salute (

) It took QE2 a couple of goes to really find her voice, but when she did, it was brilliant. It was hard to video because tears were pouring down my face!

I certainly hope we get to hear her!

I certainly hope we get to hear her!

Imho, QE2's "voice" is much better than any others. A smoother sound than QM2 for example. I have a recording on my iPhone in Music. I play it when I need a QE2 fix. Hate seeing her fading away out there. Such is life and old ships though.:D

Thanks for the wonderful picture on QE2, :)

When we arrived in Dubai on QE's 2011 inaugural world cruise the QE2 was directly across from us. She welcomed us with her deep, wonderful horn and the QE answered back. Then they went back and forth about 4 times. When all was quiet a little yacht berthed in front of us gave two tiny beeps to huge applause and laughter from the passengers lining the decks. A memorable moment.

Our horns did exchange good-byes. It was very special!

Our horns did exchange good-byes. It was very special!

It's good to know that QE2 can still blow her whistle :). Hope you had a good day in Dubai.

The QM2 is in Dubai today.

Our horns did exchange good-byes. It was very special!

I am clearly on a different QE. The only horn exchange as we left Dubai was with Sheikh Mohammed's vast yacht - whose arrival and berthing directly in front of us led to a delay in our departure of over an hour. As a horn contest, it was one sided. The QE2 remained mute in the depths of the Dubai Port dry dock area.

Since the end of 2012, QE2 has been on shore power, which only powers her emergency systems - emergency lights etc. I wouldn't have thought this would give her the power required to blow her mighty whistle... (I'm trying to find a definitive answer to this).

Its a great photo of her, thanks for sharing.

The best other recent photos I've seen of her are here, taken from the waterline -

2014-02-22 - 0076 - Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) - Dubai by hythe-shipshape, on Flickr

2014-02-22 - 0078 - Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) - Dubai by hythe-shipshape, on Flickr

2014-02-22 - 0077 - Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) - Dubai by hythe-shipshape, on Flickr

Nothing new appears to have developed for her since the AIS changed her destination from Singapore on March 25th to Odessa on July 7th. Whomever is planning whatever for her has managed to remain remarkably closed-lipped about it.

According to a BBC report, the crew of the QE2 has been on strike since May 15.

"The crew of the QE2 in Dubai is on strike ahead of plans to sail it to China to be refitted as floating hotel.

Ukrainian workers on the former Southampton-based Cunard ship said they were not paid in March or April.

Owners Oceanic Group said an agency had been paid and blamed the political situation in Ukraine for difficulties in dealing with crew issues.

It said it was still planning on eventually locating the liner in Hong Kong or Singapore..." partial quote from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-27469795