World's famous ocean liner, QE2 gets arousing welcome into Dubai
By William Faria in Dubai, UAE
DUBAI: The world-famous QE2 cruise-liner finally arrived at her new home of
Dubai on Wednesday evening, as it received a royal welcome.
Thousands of jubilant crowd at different vantage points in Dubai lined along
the ocean-front as they waved the UAE flags and Union Jack as the luxury
liner cruised gracefully into Dubai's Mina Rashid Port. Celebrations,
dancing and fireworks, lit up the night sky to celebrate its arrival in the
Gulf waters and to her new home.
The 70,000 tonne ship was accompanied by a flotilla of boats, led by the
Royal Navy Frigate along with the world's largest yacht, My Dubai, owned by
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and vice-president
and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a fly past by Emirates
airline double-decker Airbus A380. On board the liner, were over 1000
passengers from all over the world as they arrived into Dubai.
The iconic liner will become the centrepiece of the luxury Palm Jumeirah,
the palm-shaped fronds of reclaimed land and beach on the Dubai waterfront.
It will be anchored here permanently and converted into a 5-star floating
hotel.
QE2 departed Southampton on November 11 after a farewell from HRH Prince
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and a fly-past by a Harrier jump jet.
"Nakheel is proud to be the custodian of such an historic treasure. Dubai ,
with its wealth of maritime heritage, is providing the warmest of welcomes
and a new homecoming for this icon of the seas," said Sultan Bin Ahmed
Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World, while speaking due journalists on arrival
of the QE2.
Just under 30 years ago, in 1979, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth made her first
official visit to the UAE to meet with His Highness Sheikh Rashid where she
inaugurated the new Dubai Municipality building, adjacent to the Creek,
Jebel Ali Port and Dubai Dry Dock. Queen Elizabeth was also escorted around
Port Rashid by Sheikh Rashid to see the work in progress on the second phase
of development. Since that time QE2 has made many visits to Dubai and is no
stranger to the Gulf waters.
US cruise operator Carnival sold the QE2 in November last year to Nakheel's
parent company, Dubai World.
QE2 was purchased last year and is arguably one of the world's most famous
ships and has circumnavigated the world 25 times, crossed the Atlantic more
than 800 times and carried more than 2.5 million passengers including kings
and queens, prime ministers and presidents, astronauts and many
international celebrities.
Over the forty years that QE2 has been in service she has undergone a great
many refits and refurbishments. However there are still a few key areas
within QE2 which remain as they were originally designed and which Nakheel
will also ensure are preserved for posterity, these are The Queen's Room,
The Princess Grill, The Bridge, The Ward Room, The Captain's Quarters, The
Engine Control Room, The Welcome Rotunda and The Safety Control Room.
She survived a 95 ft wave during Hurricane Luis, carried 3,000 troops to the
Falklands War and rescued 500 passengers from a burning ship. She is a
record breaker for both speed and endurance, has featured in countless films
and television shows and draws crowds to every port she docks in. (ENDS)
