Sep 22 2010
The Identity Of The QE2
When it comes to cruise liners and ships very few hold the prestigious connotations of luxury and opulence that the RMS Queen Elizabeth does. After the depression of the 1920s the hull of her sister, Queen Victoria, was left almost derelict at Clydebank. After being offered an £8 million loan her owner Cunard Line set about getting not only hull 534 (as she was known)ship shape but he also began working on the RMS Queen Elizabeth too after merging with the cruise company White Star.
The Queen Elizabeths maiden journey was set to offer all the pomp and circumstance her name demanded. The outbreak of the Second World War required she launch as an aid to the war effort rather than the luxury liner was intended as. After being credited by Churchill as being a significant help in the war efforts both the regal liners returned home relatively unscathed. After coming out of the war in pretty much one piece, the Queen Elizabeth was finally able to enjoy her job as a cruise ship across the Atlantic. For over 20 years these magnificent ships sailed the Atlantic symbolising the golden era of the cruise industry for Cunard Cruises.
By the end of the 1960s technology advancements meant to two ships had to look at being retired. With transportation like air travel become more accessible, sea travel needed to become both cheaper and quicker to keep up. In 1969 the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was launched. Although smaller and cheaper than her predecessor, the QE2 still retained the glamour associated with a Cunard liner allowing her to compete with the air travel industry. After being the flag ship of not only Cunard cruises but the epitome of luxury 5 star cruises in general, she was brought by a Dubai investment company in 2007. The uncertain financial future of Dubai has halted the original plans to convert it into an opulent floating hotel. As the crew who were commissioned to work on her were scaled back, she now lies almost derelict.
Not long after the sale of the QE2, Cunard announced theyll soon be launched the third Elizabeth ship. With the launch of the MS Queen Elizabeth expected in the autumn of 2010 its promised to be the very embodiment of five star cruises and one of the most advanced ships on the water. Said to have the essence of the 1930s in its interior decor it will exemplify the spirit and the class of its name sake predecessor.
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