Queen Elizabeth 2
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Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth, which in turn was named after Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen consort of George VI of the United Kingdom. She was the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by Queen Mary 2 in 2004.
Built in Clydebank, Scotland, she was considered the last of the great transatlantic ocean liners prior to the construction of the QM2. Before she was refitted with a diesel power plant in 1986, she was also the last oil-fired passenger steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in scheduled liner service.
The ship had a top speed of 32.5 knots using her original steam turbine powerplant, which was increased to 34 knots when she was re-engined with a diesel electric powerplant, making her the fastest passenger ship afloat.
Service history
The Queen Elizabeth 2's maiden voyage, from Southampton to New York City, commenced on May 2, 1969, taking 4 days, 16 hours and 35 minutes. As of September, 2007, the QE2 had travelled 5.6 million nautical miles, including 25 circumnavigations of the globe, 801 transatlantic crossings, 705 calls at New York, and 697 at Southampton. 2.5 million passengers have sailed on the ship.
Retirement
As the Queen Elizabeth 2 reached its 40th year in service, it became increasingly expensive to operate. On June 18, 2007, it was announced that the ship has been purchased by the Dubai investment company Istithmar for $100 million. Her final voyage will be from Southampton to Dubai, leaving on November 11, 2008. After arrival, she will be refurbished and berthed permanently at the Palm Jumeirah from 2009 as a "a luxury floating hotel, retail, museum and entertainment destination.