At any rate, I would disagree. No doubt part of the ship could, should, and would become a museum, but to have a whole 70,000 GT ocean liner as a museum solely is ridiculous. All of those cabins would go to waste otherwise, and most of them (first-class especially) would make fine hotel rooms (not sure what they'd do with the former toursist-class inside closets).

Southampton, as I understand it, has a shortage of hotels, so I think a QE2 Hotel would do very well. I certainly imagine it would be welcomed by Cunard & P&O for pre-cruise hotel stays, not to mention other people wanting to stay in Southampton. And think of all the other things that could be on board - a museum about ocean liners, yes, and also various sorts of bars and nightclubs, and restaurants, a theatre... This could be what the original QUEEN MARY should have been. Long Beach in many ways botched her (though as I understand it there have been improvements lately, at a rather glacial pace) but perhaps Southampton could get it right.

Certainly this is the same sort of thing that I imagine happening with ROTTERDAM (REMBRANDT) somewehre in the Netherlands. I, for one, am thrilled that she will be saved, and would be very happy to see QE2 saved too!

If NCL does not use UNITED STATES, she could become a hotel ship, perhaps in NY (with no existing interiors she may be the BEST candidate). If ROTTERDAM and QE2 prove that it can be done, then perhaps it will prove to other countries and places that it can be done too - imagine WINDSOR CASTLE (MARGARITA L) at Cape Town and AUGUSTUS (PHILIPPENES) at Genoa or somewhere else in Italy. Of course that is IF those two ships are still around by then.

Just a pity that this "new wave" of floating hotels/museums/etc. would be too late for EMPRESS OF CANADA (APOLLON) to be saved at Liverpool, Vancouver, or Montreal, MONTEREY/LURLINE (BRITANIS) at San Francisco, maybe STELLA SOLARIS somewhere in Greece...

[ 02-04-2004: Message edited by: cruiseny ]

Yes I suppose it would be a waste of space on QE2 to just have a museum. Are all passenger and crew spaces on Queen Mary utilized?

I suppose I got carried away with nostalgia (not that I ever sailed on one of the genuine liners).

KenH...

[ 02-04-2004: Message edited by: KenH ]

Queen Elizabeth 2 a permanent home
(ECHO 04-02-2004)

MULTI-million-pound project has been launched to give Southampton's world famous luxury liner Queen Elizabeth 2 a permanent home on the city's waterfront, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The ship could become a floating hotel, major tourist attraction and even a wedding chapel if the scheme is a success.

The 70,327-ton liner is still in service but a Southampton based consortium is putting together an ambitious business package to buy the ship for the city when eventually Cunard withdraws the vessel from operation.

Those behind the scheme say the presence of QE2 in the port would be an enormous boost for the city as a tourist centre bringing many new jobs and generating huge sums for the local economy.

It echoes the fate of the original Queen Mary which is a floating tourist attraction and hotel moored at Long Beach, California.

Plans also call for QE2 to be kept fully maintained, while moored on the city's waterfront, so that she could always return to sea and even, as she did in the Falklands War, take up her troopship role again in times of any national crisis.

Although QE2 still has years of work ahead of her it will not be long before Cunard has to make a vital decision about her future and whether or not to spend a considerable amount of cash on the ship to comply with strict new rules regarding safety at sea coming into force in 2010.

Prominent hotel chains, global commercial giants and many of QE2 wealthy passengers, that return time and time again to the ship, are being targeted by shipping historian, Terry Yarwood, who is behind the scheme and hoping these enterprises would become part of the consortium.

"Southampton just cannot afford to miss out in ensuring that whenever QE2 comes to the end of her time with Cunard the city must be in a position to acquire such an icon,'' said Mr Yarwood, who has voyaged on the ship at least 20 times.

"Someone has to get the ball rolling, and rolling now in good time, so we are ready whenever the day comes that QE2 is put up for sale we can immediately step forward and keep her here in Southampton where she belongs.

"I know there have been previous ideas to bring other ships to Southampton but QE2 is different. This is a serious commercial proposition which at the same time preserves her for the future and that can only be good for Southampton and the nation as a whole.''

Under the plans QE2 would be ideally moored in the docks where it would have a fixed berth so it could be linked with all the shoreside utilities.

A Cunard spokesman said: "A long career stretches ahead of QE2 operating cruises in and out of Southampton and there is no need to think about her retirement at the moment.''

Councillor Peter Wakeford, Southampton City Council's Cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism pledged to follow any bid for QE2 with interest.

He said: "While we are sure that QE2 has many successful years of cruising ahead of her, this is certainly an intriguing idea and we are sure that any proposal to make this magnificent vessel, which is a central element of our recent maritime heritage, a permanent feature on our waterfront would be welcomed by many people in Southampton."

Associated British Ports, owners and operators of Southampton docks would not be drawn on whether a long-term berth could be found for QE2 in the city.

Andrew Kent, ABP's Southampton port director, said: "QE2 has sailed in and out of Southampton for many years and she is very much an old friend of the port. When the day comes for her to cease cruising the world's oceans it would be good for her to find a home where she can be preserved for all to enjoy but whether that might ever be in Southampton remains to be seen.''

QE2 has a colourful career stretching back 35 years during which she has never been far from the headlines. The ship has been the centre of an elaborate bomb hoax, terrorist scares, taken part in many royal occasions, and has been a firm favourite with showbiz film stars.

BTW I was going through some old things the other day and came across a little garment bag that I never seem to throw away. You know those things that you never use or need but just can't part with because "one day you are going to wish you had one"? Well, I tossed it out of the closet in the direction of the rubbish. Later when I was going to take the trash out I stopped and for some reason looked inside the garment bag. (Thought there might be money or something in it even though I had never used it). AAANYWAYYY, there WAS something in it! I reach in and pulled out a heavy piece of cloth. I unfolded it and saw that is was a curtain from the Queen Mary. Stamped on the back is "Q MARY C 261". How cool is that??? I forgot it even existed. I haven't opened that thing in over twenty five years, I bet. To think I almost threw it away a dozen times.
I will sleep with it near me tonight