The preface is whether you believe it would work or not, if you'd like to see her back in service (even if just dreaming) then sign your name to show your support.

The QE2 is done. The number of afficionados is not enough to keep her employed year round. In her last years the pricing was that of the Regal Empress. Her wood and brass were real unlike QE2's plastic variety and had better food and service.

She could not compete in today's market without a complete gutting and re-building of her hotel then become a gross caricature of herself, and for that price a newbuild.

Classic liners are not backward compatible. Those raised on them like myself can adapt to a modern cruiseship. Those raised on modern cruiseboats will not be happy on the QE2.

I sailed her in 2003 and she was starting to fall apart and had several mechanical mishaps including a sea chest collapse that could have sunk the ship in mid-ocean. Most of her interesting original decor is gone and what replaced it looks like a dated Hilton. Concentrate on jump starting Dubai. Meanwhile enjoy the Queen Mary 2 which is a far superior successor.

[ 01-27-2011: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

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Originally posted by desirod7:
In her last years the pricing was that of the Regal Empress.

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Yes, she was an old ship and it was time for her to go sooner or later (Dubai's rather insane offer made it a bit sooner) but there was no problem at all filling the ship at fares most newer ships can only dream of.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
It most definitely was not!

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I should know Doug since I bought cruises on both ships without Daddy quietly paying the tab.

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Originally posted by Chris:
I was emailed and asked to sign this the other day... of course, I did (as you'd expect )

The preface is whether you believe it would work or not, if you'd like to see her back in service (even if just dreaming) then sign your name to show your support.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bringbackqe2/

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
I wonder how many passengers that have cruised on QV and now the new QE would be happy w/QE2? QE2 was great in her prime and nothing beat her for a really fast (unlike the slow ones QM2 is now doing) Transatlantic crossing. There are now three Cunarders w/facilities and modern cabins that QE2 can not compete with.

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Bruce, could you enjoy driving the '75 Bonneville on a daily commuting basis when you are used to modern T-bird?

Sorry, Chris.

I would hate to see her scrapped as she is iconic to the industry, but what else can be done that wouldn't alter her current appearance and still be profitable? She most definitely have been retired once the new QE entered service (could Cunard sustain a four ship fleet in today's economy) and Dubai most likely would not have placed a bid on her, so she would already be sitting on the beaches of Alang or worse relegated to some short-market cruises at budget prices until she fell apart at the seams. Cunard and Carnival Corp would have no doubt been very hesitant if unwilling to invest another $10-million of so into a complete gutting and refit of her interiors to compete with today's more modern ships like her own fleet mates or Celebrity's Solstice-class.

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Originally posted by desirod7:

Bruce, could you enjoy driving the '75 Bonneville on a daily commuting basis when you are used to modern T-bird?

Bonneville was an effortless luxury car of the time.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
Cunard and Carnival Corp would have no doubt been very hesitant if unwilling to invest another $10-million of so into a complete gutting and refit of her interiors to compete with today's more modern ships like her own fleet mates or Celebrity's Solstice-class.

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I think the bill would be more like $75-100 million to upgrade her cabins and facilities. She would also lose passenger capacity (and revenue) if all the small outdated cabins were ripped out and replaced w/modern 200 sq. foot units.

QE2 was special in her day-just like QM2 is special today. The QE and QV are just cruise ships while the current flagship QM2 and the former flagship QE2 are/were in a completely different league. Now if Carnival would power up QM2 and return to the 6-day Transat I might go again!

We are so lucky today to have a quadruple screw (ok POD), 1100 foot long beautifully fitted 6-day Transatlantic liner in service to enjoy. There may never be another.

[ 01-28-2011: Message edited by: lasuvidaboy ]

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Originally posted by desirod7:
I should know Doug since I bought cruises on both ships without Daddy quietly paying the tab.

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It is certainly true that there were the occasional very deep discounts on QE2, as there are on nearly every ship. But they were just that -- occasional.

It is possible that as time went on it would have become difficult to fill her at relatively high fares but that was not happening yet on most cruises.

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Originally posted by desirod7:
QE2's fares and occupancy went up right in that short time window after the announcement of her retirement for those wanting a last gasp.

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Originally posted by Rex:
Dude, it's a BUSINESS! The QE2 is no longer profitable.

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On the other hand, she was profitable for Cunard right up to the very end. I'm not saying she would have been forever, of course, or even necessarily much longer, as ships get old and wear out and indeed at some point they may have been unable to sell her lower-end accommodation at anything but very cheap fares. But neither of those had happened yet.

Mind you, none of that has to do with the viability of returning her to service now, which is not an option. Cunard, and her passengers, have moved on.

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Originally posted by Brian_O:
I say scrap her asap before she turns into another SS United States fiasco: i.e. one under-financed scheme after another dragging on for years at end.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
I would hate to see her scrapped as she is iconic to the industry, but what else can be done that wouldn't alter her current appearance and still be profitable?

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Indeed, if she was "preserved" as-is I think it would just be depressing ... like looking at the embalmed corpse of an old friend. She would have to be re-imagined as something different. And hopefully that something different would be something good. It all seems a bit of a moot point now anyway, though.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
Cunard and Carnival Corp would have no doubt been very hesitant if unwilling to invest another $10-million of so into a complete gutting and refit of her interiors to compete with today's more modern ships like her own fleet mates or Celebrity's Solstice-class.

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Traveling with QE2 was about the atmosphere aboard. The ship itself is certainly not living up to the expectations of most people who have not been aboard before.

Not only would it require a lot to convert QE2 in such a manner that she could meet those expectations - actually this precisely what the new Cunard vessels were built for. These ships achieve that in a more perfect manner than a converted QE2 ever could - beside that such a conversion would 'destroy' all that is left of her.

QE2 is old but not 'antique' like Queen Mary - her most valuable asset is or was her name but in the meantime even that has been 'transferred' to the new Cunard ships to a certain extent.

[ 02-15-2011: Message edited by: Ernst ]