Dubai defaults on loans

[Jim Avery]

With Dubai defaulting, does anyone have any information on QE2? Does not seem to look too good for the old girl.

J.

[Jim Avery]

Also wondering, did Mickey get paid cash? Too bad if he had to send the repo man to Dubai.:eek:

[Lake Barcroft Sailor]

No news either, but with Dubai World defaulting or at least asking for an extension on its debt, I fear that the QE2 may end up following the same fate as her predecessor--being passed around from hand to hand to end up as razor blades. :( Perhaps some angel will step in and rescue the old girl.:)

[Ray66]

An article here from the Telegraph "Dubai may sell QE2 to tackle debt crisis"

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/6671257/Dubai-may-sell-QE2-to-tackle-debt-crisis.html

[cruisegal101]

Thanks for posting these links--it will be interesting to see what happens with this.

[rsquare]

No news either, but with Dubai World defaulting or at least asking for an extension on its debt, I fear that the QE2 may end up following the same fate as her predecessor--being passed around from hand to hand to end up as razor blades. :( Perhaps some angel will step in and rescue the old girl.:)

 

I live near Philadelphia and see the SS United States every time I take the Walt Whitman bridge into that city. That magnificent vessel still floats, but hasn't been painted in years and looks, from a distance, to be in a bad way. I'd hate to see the same thing happen to QE2. And judging from other posts in this forum, noncompliance with the new SOLAS rules and perhaps some residual asbestos make it unlikely that she will ever carry passengers again. At the very best, she becomes a theme hotel like Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Compared with this sort of permanent mooring, winding up as razor blades might not be such a dire fate.

[Cruachan]

I live near Philadelphia and see the SS United States every time I take the Walt Whitman bridge into that city. That magnificent vessel still floats, but hasn't been painted in years and looks, from a distance, to be in a bad way. I'd hate to see the same thing happen to QE2. And judging from other posts in this forum, noncompliance with the new SOLAS rules and perhaps some residual asbestos make it unlikely that she will ever carry passengers again. At the very best, she becomes a theme hotel like Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Compared with this sort of permanent mooring, winding up as razor blades might not be such a dire fate.

 

Totally agree, Bob. There's absolutely nothing dishonourable about a ship being scrapped - it's simply the natural endpoint of its "life cycle", and countless great vessels have finished their careers under the breaker's torches. Far sadder to be put on display as yet one more artefact of the exponentially expanding "heritage industry" to slowly rot alongside some quay somewhere.

 

J

[ovccruiser]

Also wondering, did Mickey get paid cash? Too bad if he had to send the repo man to Dubai.:eek:

 

I wonder if Mickey has first refusal on buying her back? Sold for $100million(?) buy back for say $50million leave $50million to refurb. I would think he was paid before handing the ship over, the sale was agreed way before the last cruise, interesting times.

[RobertGraves]

At the very best, she becomes a theme hotel like Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Compared with this sort of permanent mooring, winding up as razor blades might not be such a dire fate.

 

Bob, I respect your opinion - it makes sense. But last February I stayed at Queen Mary in Long Beach, and despite her shortcomings I was greatful as a shiplover that she had been preserved. Many original aspects of the ship remain, her staff appear to care about her, and one could never have a similar experience elsewhere. Wonderful.

 

As to QE2, it all depends on how the old girl will be treated if she is to survive as a theme hotel. Alterations have definitely to be made - a land hotel has rather different requirements than an ocean-going ship. But if her new owners respect her personality to a satisfying degree, I would like to see the beloved girl going on.

[The Real PM]

Bob, I respect your opinion - it makes sense. But last February I stayed at Queen Mary in Long Beach, and despite her shortcomings I was greatful as a shiplover that she had been preserved. Many original aspects of the ship remain, her staff appear to care about her, and one could never have a similar experience elsewhere. Wonderful.

 

As to QE2, it all depends on how the old girl will be treated if she is to survive as a theme hotel. Alterations have definitely to be made - a land hotel has rather different requirements than an ocean-going ship. But if her new owners respect her personality to a satisfying degree, I would like to see the beloved girl going on.

You know a ship is a ship is a ship and should be respected as such. It seems nowadays we have enough ships that are overgrown hotels and enough ships that have become neglected museums. We do not need more ship museums or hotel-like ships. If the QE2 can not function as what she was intended, then perhaps the best and most respectful option is the scrap pile--or the bottom of the sea, then perhaps she may rest is peace. Afterall she is an icon.

[RobertGraves]

It seems nowadays we have [...] enough ships that have become neglected museums.

 

If the QE2 can not function as what she was intended, then perhaps the best and most respectful option is the scrap pile--or the bottom of the sea, then perhaps she may rest is peace. Afterall she is an icon.

 

I have similar thoughts - this is why I said that Bob's opinion made sense. But then, my heart would like either myself again or my grandchildren to be able to visit that icon in the future, if her new owners respected her personality to a satisfying degree.

 

After all, this happened with the Queen Mary in Long Beach, which was also an icon.

 

PS 1. Interestingly, the only great ocean liners that survive as hotels today is the Queen Mary in California and the former Augustus in Philippines, as far as I know. Perhaps it would not be bad if QE2 - or HAL Rotterdam - joined them...

 

PS 2. We had a nice time in that QM2 Caribbean/Panama 2008 cruise. I wish you always 'bon voyages'!:)

[No534]

I have similar thoughts - this is why I said that Bob's opinion made sense. But then, my heart would like either myself again or my grandchildren to be able to visit that icon in the future, if her new owners respected her personality to a satisfying degree.

 

After all, this happened with the Queen Mary in Long Beach, which was also an icon.

 

PS 1. Interestingly, the only great ocean liners that survive as hotels today is the Queen Mary in California and the former Augustus in Philippines, as far as I know. Perhaps it would not be bad if QE2 - or HAL Rotterdam - joined them...

 

PS 2. We had a nice time in that QM2 Caribbean/Panama 2008 cruise. I wish you always 'bon voyages'!:)

 

Hopefully the "Rotterdam" will be open soon as both an hotel and tourist attraction. She looks fantastic and almost ready to sail.... Not sure the people of Rotterdam are happy with the cost though......

 

In the meantime, if you are ever in Yokohama, NYK have done a great jod restoring the "Hikawamaru" albeit as a museum ship. She is the only pre-war liner of her type to survive to the present day, (as far as I know.... please correct if not!).

 

She is a real classic, and the NYK Museum is worth a visit.

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.nyk.com/rekishi/e/index.htm

 

Maybe there is hope for QE2.......

[cruisegal101]

Hopefully the "Rotterdam" will be open soon as both an hotel and tourist attraction. She looks fantastic and almost ready to sail.... Not sure the people of Rotterdam are happy with the cost though......

 

In the meantime, if you are ever in Yokohama, NYK have done a great jod restoring the "Hikawamaru" albeit as a museum ship. She is the only pre-war liner of her type to survive to the present day, (as far as I know.... please correct if not!).

 

She is a real classic, and the NYK Museum is worth a visit.

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.nyk.com/rekishi/e/index.htm

 

Maybe there is hope for QE2.......

 

While I would love to see QE2 preserved somewhere, with today's economic conditions worldwide, it is very difficult for me to have hope of this happening. It will be a waiting game to see what eventually happens with Dubai World's holdings. If she is going to end up on the beach at Alang, at least someone like Peter Knego might be able to salvage small parts of her for some to enjoy. :(

[The Real PM]

I have similar thoughts - this is why I said that Bob's opinion made sense. But then, my heart would like either myself again or my grandchildren to be able to visit that icon in the future, if her new owners respected her personality to a satisfying degree.

 

After all, this happened with the Queen Mary in Long Beach, which was also an icon.

 

PS 1. Interestingly, the only great ocean liners that survive as hotels today is the Queen Mary in California and the former Augustus in Philippines, as far as I know. Perhaps it would not be bad if QE2 - or HAL Rotterdam - joined them...

 

PS 2. We had a nice time in that QM2 Caribbean/Panama 2008 cruise. I wish you always 'bon voyages'!:)

 

Do you know what is so sad to me? It is that the QE2 was retired before her time. I guess most of all that is the saddest part--she is still the same wonderful, capable ocean liner that she always was and she has to become some sort of trophy belonging to a bunch of people that could give a damn about the QE2, the ship, all to satisfy their own egos. To me, under those circumstances, she would be better off in a scrap heap. somewhere.

[stowaway2k]

If the QE2 can not function as what she was intended, then perhaps the best and most respectful option is the scrap pile--or the bottom of the sea, then perhaps she may rest is peace

 

QE2 is so old her sister ship was Noah's Ark

 

QE2 is so old The Last Supper was in the Princess Grill

 

QE2 is so old her first shore excursion was to Ben Hur's chariot race

 

QE2 is so old her first Daily Program was in heiroglyphics

 

QE2 is so old the Flintstones were on the maiden voyage

 

QE2 is so old the Twelve Apostles were also Gentlemen Hosts

 

QE2 is so old the bust in the Queen's Room used to be Cleopatra

 

QE2 is so old she had to skip a port when Moses parted the Red Sea

 

QE2 is so old her first World Cruise was just circling around the Mediterranean

 

 

 

 

 

.

[The Real PM]

QE2 is so old her sister ship was Noah's Ark

 

QE2 is so old The Last Supper was in the Princess Grill

 

QE2 is so old her first shore excursion was to Ben Hur's chariot race

 

QE2 is so old her first Daily Program was in heiroglyphics

 

QE2 is so old the Flintstones were on the maiden voyage

 

QE2 is so old the Twelve Apostles were also Gentlemen Hosts

 

QE2 is so old the bust in the Queen's Room used to be Cleopatra

 

QE2 is so old she had to skip a port when Moses parted the Red Sea

 

QE2 is so old her first World Cruise was just circling around the Mediterranean

 

 

 

 

 

.

But I bet Noah's Ark had a better ending than the poor QE2 will have--and where is the tenth one?

[rsquare]

Do you know what is so sad to me? It is that the QE2 was retired before her time. I guess most of all that is the saddest part--she is still the same wonderful, capable ocean liner that she always was and she has to become some sort of trophy belonging to a bunch of people that could give a damn about the QE2, the ship, all to satisfy their own egos. To me, under those circumstances, she would be better off in a scrap heap. somewhere.

 

Well said. She is a fashion victim, pure and simple. As the fashion moved toward providing balconies for everyone, only ships looking like block of flats could survive economically. But I would contend that a transatlantic liner doesn't really need to be that stryle of ship. We did our first QM2 crossing with a balcony, and used it relatively rarely. I would have been just as happy to go and sit out on deck, as I did many times in QE2.

 

QE2 is the only ship on which I've sailed that had a soul. Isn't it time to let her rest in peace?

[rsquare]

Do you know what is so sad to me? It is that the QE2 was retired before her time. I guess most of all that is the saddest part--she is still the same wonderful, capable ocean liner that she always was and she has to become some sort of trophy belonging to a bunch of people that could give a damn about the QE2, the ship, all to satisfy their own egos. To me, under those circumstances, she would be better off in a scrap heap. somewhere.

 

Well said. She is a fashion victim, pure and simple. As the fashion moved toward providing balconies for everyone, only ships looking like blocks of flats could survive economically. But I would contend that a transatlantic liner doesn't really need to be that style of ship. We did our first QM2 crossing with a balcony, and used it relatively rarely. I would have been just as happy to go and sit out on deck, as I did many times in QE2.

 

QE2 is the only ship on which I've sailed that had a soul. Isn't it time to let her rest in peace?

[guernseyguy]

It is that the QE2 was retired before her time.

 

She was the oldest express liner ever.

She had sailed further than anything ever.

To sail beyond the end of this month she would have required many tens of millions of pounds spending on her to gut much of her accommodation, and very many months out of service to accomplish this.

 

Her time had come - she had a fabulous innings, let her go.

[Titanorac9370]

Right, let's have a whip round, make Dubai an offer and get her back home to Glasgow, safe and sound. Any takers?

[The Real PM]

Right, let's have a whip round, make Dubai an offer and get her back home to Glasgow, safe and sound. Any takers?

But the problem is, as Guernseyguy has said, in order to update her, it will cost millions of pounds to make her sea-worthy under the current policies, so any "takers" would have to come up with enough money to first, buy her and then, refurbish her--unless, of course, you are talking about making her a Glasgow museum. Collect a dollar from every person who cares about her and you may have enough.:)

[Savoia]

She was the oldest express liner ever.

She had sailed further than anything ever.

To sail beyond the end of this month she would have required many tens of millions of pounds spending on her to gut much of her accommodation, and very many months out of service to accomplish this.

 

Her time had come - she had a fabulous innings, let her go.

 

Carnival said the same thing about the Rotterdam..which was refitted by Premier to meet new Solas rules.

 

It was the dumping of older tonnage for another attractive Vista hull...the purchase price made it easier for CCL to sell to its clients.

[balf]

Her time had come - she had a fabulous innings, let her go.

 

If her hull was cut up into displayable size pieces with a suitable engraved logo, how many people would pay good money to buy one. I would. Anyone know how many pieces she would yeald?

 

David

[The Real PM]

If her hull was cut up into displayable size pieces with a suitable engraved logo, how many people would pay good money to buy one. I would. Anyone know how many pieces she would yeald?

 

David

Why?

[smeyer418]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dubai-gets-10B-from-Abu-Dhabi-apf-3358167649.html?x=0

 

its nice to have a friend with an extra 10 billion floating around