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28 March 2024

A real Royal welcome awaits QE2

Manfred Ursprunger will be responsible for the ship's rebirth. (XAVIER WILSON)

Published
By Adrian Murphy
Nakheel's bold vision to transform the QE2 into a global tourist attraction will start to become a reality next week when the developer takes delivery of the ship.

At 3pm on Wednesday the world's most famous ocean liner, currently on her final voyage from Southampton, will sail into Dubai's waters where she will embark on a new kind of journey.

And those behind the $100 million (Dh3.67m) purchase have told Emirates Business no expense will be spared to complete the ship's rebirth as a static maritime marvel and luxury hotel at The Palm Jumeirah.

Dubai World's investment arm Istithmar bought the QE2 – full name Queen Elizabeth 2 – from British shipping line Cunard in June 2007. Ownership has now passed to a newly formed Nakheel Hotels subsidiary.

Since the sale was announced there has been much speculation about the iconic vessel's future, but most of the claims have, until now, not been confirmed by either party.

But today it can be revealed the QE2's iconic colours will remain unchanged and her main features, such as the engine room, will be restored as part of a heritage tour.

However the word 'Southampton' – the ship's home port for 40 years – will be removed from her stern and the name 'Dubai' painted

on her hull. And the distinctive red funnel, which was upgraded in 1986, may be taken away.

"The areas that will be restored in the ship's interior are those that have not altered over the past 40 years," said Manfred Ursprunger, CEO of QE2 Enterprises at Nakheel Hotels. "All original parts of the ship will be restored, and the funnel is not part of the original ship."

Urspunger, who has been working on the project for the past 12 months, is confident that when the full plans are revealed people will embrace what his team is doinng. "The ultimate vision is to bring the QE2 into a precinct that will boast a maritime museum, an art exhibition, business and residential components and a mega-yacht marina.

"We have not arrived at a budget as we have not had access to the ship while she has been sailing and we do not have a definite timescale. But whatever the cost and however long it takes we have made a commitment.

"We want to do this absolutely right. We have one opportunity to make this the best hospitality venue and ensure it remains there for the next 50 years."

The QE2's fame derives partly from her stature as the fastest luxury cruise liner with a top speed of 32.5 knots (60.2 kmph) and partly from her eventful history. In her four decades on the high seas the QE2 has undertaken 25 world cruises, crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times and carried more than 2.5 million passengers.

In January 1971, the QE2 rescued 500 passengers from the burning French ship the Antilles and the following year she was subjected to a bomb scare en route to New York. Then in May 1982 she carried 3,000 troops to the Falklands war.

The ship had to have extensive repairs after hitting rocks off the coast of Massachusetts in April 1992 and survived a 29-metre wave in 2004 during Hurricane Luis.

The QE2 will be welcomed with a grand display featuring fireworks and an Emirates A380 flyover as she makes her way past The World islands to Port Rashid.

The liner will be flanked by 60 local vessels and bringing up the rear will be ships from both the UAE Navy and the British Royal Navy. Carol Marlow, President and CEO of Cunard, who will be joining the QE2 at Alexandria, Egypt, believes the ship could not have had a better future than being berthed in a country with many British expats.

For Marlow, who was in charge at the time of the sale to Istithmar, this is the end of an era for Cunard. But she says the negative feelings about the QE2 leaving her home country will soon be quashed. "I have been over to Dubai a couple of times now and seen the area where she will be berthed and I think it's a wonderful spot," she said.

"We have had ships that have not been so lucky and have now disappeared such as the Queen Elizabeth, Mauritania and Aquitania. So this is a very good state of affairs for the QE2."

The QE2's predecessor, the 84,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth, was in service from 1940 to 1968 and caught fire and was scrapped in Hong Kong harbour in 1975.

But purists who say Cunard should have sold the ship to a British bidder have hit out following reports that the funnel may be removed and turned into the entrance to the site.

"Until the ship is handed over, we won't have the final plans therefore I cannot comment on rumours," said Marlow. "The important thing for us is she is being bought with her history and heritage intact and is going to a place where future generations can see her.

"It was sad farewell at Southampton but this is a good fate for the QE2."

On November 11, the QE2 ran aground briefly off the coast of Southampton before her final cruise, which some onlookers said was the ship's way of saying she did not want to go to Dubai.

Ursprunger said: "I was there and it was beautiful day, but it was very windy. Actually the ship did not get stuck, she just touched the bottom and I'm sure she will be very happy with her new home."

A pier is being built in what will be known as the QE2 Precinct on the east side of The Palm Jumeirah and visitors will be able to board the ship via gangways and bridges as they would with a normal vessel in port.

"It will be run like an ocean liner with a ship host and hostess, a ballroom and even ballroom dancing classes," said Ursprunger.

The QE2 is not the first Cunard ship to become a tourist attraction – the Queen Mary was turned into a floating hotel in Long Beach, California, when it went out of service in 1967. But Ursprunger believes the QE2 will be on another level.

"We are creating a very authentic experience. The Queen's Room, Queen's Grill, Prince's Room, Captain's Cabin, Ward Room and Bridge will be restored to their original designs. It will take people back to the grand old days of ocean liners," he said.

The creation of a 200-room hotel on the QE2 will require changes to the layout to cope with the installation of air-conditioning equipment. Double-glazing will minimise condensation.

Other facilities will include a 500-seat theatre showing West End and Broadway shows and a 5,000 sqm indoor and outdoor health and wellness centre. The existing casino will not feature in the ship's future.

The QE2, which was built in the Clyde in Scotland and came into service in 1969, is the longest-serving ship in Cunard's 168-year history.

Next Thursday, the day after her arrival at Port Rashid, the UAE flag will replace the Union flag on board and Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World and Executive Chairman of Nakheel, and Marlow will complete the formalities on one of the decks. This will herald a new era for the ship, which will be remain at Port Rashid for up to three months as engineers complete their assessment. She will then spend between one and three years at Dubai Dry Dock where she will be refitted.

Ursprunger said: "Once people see what we are doing and the efforts being put into this they will celebrate with us."


Bio

Manfred Ursprunger is the CEO of QE2 Enterprises and has 30 years' experience in the hospitality trade.

The majority of the Austrian's experience has been on cruise liners where he has filled executive positions at Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Norwegian American Cruises and Renaissance Cruises, and Cunard, the current owner of QE2.

Ursprunger joined Nakheel 12 months ago and is in charge of transforming the QE2 into a floating hotel and tourist destination in Dubai. Many of the original concepts for customer care Ursprunger created throughout his career became signature elements and brand icons for the various organisations he served.

He has experience working both in structured corporate and entrepreneurial environments and leadership skills. Urspunger, 50, lives on The Palm Jumeirah with wife Diane and twin seven-year-old daughters Caitlyn and Nicole.