WWTBAM Bored

It is an extraordinary send-off considering that this is a 41-year-old ship giving up its globetrotting days, not a shiny new vessel embarking on its maiden voyage.

But its longevity is the point. This ship has kept going for more than 40 years, longer than most new vessels will last, I suspect. It has crossed the Atlantic 801 times, sailed around the world 25 times, notched up more than 5.6 million nautical miles during its travels.

It has carried royalty, heads of state, pop stars, celebrities and ordinary folk. For a short time in 1982, while serving as a troop carrier during the Falklands War, its passenger register listed Welsh Guards, Scots Guards and Ghurkhas. For the past nine years it has been the floating home of 89-year-old Beatrice Muller.

There’s no doubt that this illustrious past keeps pulling in the crowds – five of its farewell cruises were full within days of going on sale, while the final voyage to Dubai sold out in 36 minutes as people rushed to secure a place on an historic voyage.

Full marks should go to Cunard, which has never missed a chance to exploit the ship's past, managing the QE2's publicity in a way that makes Max Clifford look like an amateur.

But there is more to QE2 than good press. It may be old and looks a little tired in places but its classic lines, elegance and old-fashioned charm have not dimmed with age. It always reminded me of being at a classy country-house party – friendly, but a little too relentlessly formal for my tastes.

On a more practical level, QE2 was built for speed – it can go backwards faster than any other ship afloat,

Estonut wrote:Speaking of Dubai, has anyone else seen the Discovery Channel special "Impossible City"? It is all about the emergence of Dubai as a luxury travel destination. They have made many architectural advancements in order to build what they have built/are building. One statistic that stuck in my mind was that 25% of the construction cranes currently in operation on the planet are in Dubai. Unbelievable.

LONDON — The Queen Elizabeth 2 is docked safely in Southampton harbor after briefly running aground just outside the British port.

A Cunard spokesman says the venerable ocean liner was heading into her home port on Tuesday around 5:30 GMT when the ship hit a sand bank. Two tugboats and the rising tide pulled the ship free.

Eric Flounders says no passengers were injured and that the ship was not damaged.

themanintheseersuckersuit wrote:

Estonut wrote:Speaking of Dubai, has anyone else seen the Discovery Channel special "Impossible City"? It is all about the emergence of Dubai as a luxury travel destination. They have made many architectural advancements in order to build what they have built/are building. One statistic that stuck in my mind was that 25% of the construction cranes currently in operation on the planet are in Dubai. Unbelievable.

That report on construction cranes may be a bit exaggerated.

http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/dubais- ... ation-341/