Dear Friends

Now, the bad news....

Yesterday I could speak with some " important persons" related to the
Dubai project, and sadly and almost 90% for sure, the QE2 will
change...a lot.

I confirmed that there is the real intention to add two decks of
balconies to the QE2....

They are present checking two possibilities :-

1) Adding the two balconies decks above the ships bridge...

2) Adding the two balconies decks from the deck where the two life
boats are presently palces ( main promenade deck)...

Other ideas are:-

3) Most likely they will make a glass superstructure placed/cut into
the funnel in order to allow visitors to see the exterior/interior of
it....

4) They are presently studying the possibility of making a panoramic
penthouse on the top/middle of the ship's funnel...

5) Most of her engines will be removed, remaining only a minor part
of it with a museum purpose....the space will be occupied with types
of shops & coffe's, etc...

To be honest, if this will be her fate, as a REAL SHIPS LOVER I am I
would prefer that she had an end like my favourite ship of all times,
the magnificent SS CANBERRA of P & O...

Comments are SADLY welcome...

Kind regards

Dimas
_________________
Because...SHIPS are a passion!

Kindest regards from Madeira island

Dimas Almada

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And now, my personal reaction:

Maybe Dubai World should follow the example of the SS Rotterdam. You
might want to convince Dubai World into contacting De Rotterdam,
which are the owners of the SS Rotterdam for advice. They plan to
leave the powertrain intect. The SS Rotterdam will be classified as
both a ship and a hotel.

They are the only people who could advise Dubai World than anybody
else about ship renovation. The direction that Dubai World wants to
take will cost more than the initial $100 Million budget. The
renovation of the SS Rotterdam has cost the owners close to $200
Million. I do believe that Dubai should leave the powertrain alone.
People will pay a lot of money to take a tour around that unit of the
ship.

For the ship to be classified as a building, they only have to remove
the propellers. Not the engine room. Maybe it's time for all of us to
start a massive letter writing campaign to advise Dubai not to remove
the ships' powertrain. Nor to alter the ship's exterior appearance.
Dubai is in the business of making money. Why repeat the same
mistakes as was done to the Queen Mary?

I believe that De Rotterdam should get invlove with the QE2 project
on an advisory level. I don't think that anyone wants to see another Queen Mary conversion with the QE2. If Dubai World wants a convention center, and a maritime museum, then they could build that alongside
the ship, in the form of a cruiseship terminal that would house it. Aside from the interiors and forward exterior appearance, the QE2
should be left alone.

As for the various shops, Dubai should place most of them offshore within the mock cruise ship terminal.

Why spend $100 Million for a ship if they intend to tear out and alter? Wouldn't $100 Million be enough just to build a near replica of the hull and modified it to their specification? I am not sure if this message I have received is true or not. But it would be a terrible waste if it is.

[ 06-25-2008: Message edited by: Redlinekid2 ]

If the Dubai people want to mess up their $100m investment, that's their business.

I doubt there will be decks of balconies added. The guy in charge has much experience with running cruiseships/lines & I'm quite sure knows what he's doing. There are plenty of people already working on the project. This is an area of many many hotels already & malls beyond anything you've ever seen, so will have to something extra special to woo customers. Her accommodation won't whatever they do, so it will have to be down to restaurants and conferencing perhaps.

She will need a beach for watersports and a decent shoreside pool complex, a modern day extension and upgrade on Santa Paula in Kuwait perhaps.

We can only speculate, but no need for ranting, they can do what they like, have the money to do what they like and have all the expertise they need.

quote:

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Originally posted by sread:
Does it really matter? Once she arrives at Dubai and the order "finished with engines" is given for the last time, that's the end of the QE2.[...]

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quote:

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Originally posted by PamM:
Redlinekid, QE2 is to be the 'centrepiece' of a complex; some things are obviously to therefore be ashore. Some of those points have been rumoured for a while. The glassed funnel is suposedly a restaurant with Dubai Skyline views, not to 'see in'.

I doubt there will be decks of balconies added. The guy in charge has much experience with running cruiseships/lines & I'm quite sure knows what he's doing. There are plenty of people already working on the project. This is an area of many many hotels already & malls beyond anything you've ever seen, so will have to something extra special to woo customers. Her accommodation won't whatever they do, so it will have to be down to restaurants and conferencing perhaps.

She will need a beach for watersports and a decent shoreside pool complex, a modern day extension and upgrade on Santa Paula in Kuwait perhaps.

We can only speculate, but no need for ranting, they can do what they like, have the money to do what they like and have all the expertise they need.

Pam

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quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:

Hi Pam,
As long as they DON'T tear out the ship's power train, like Long Beach did with the Queen Mary, I'm fine with it. The QE2's powertrain should be THE Centerpiece, next to the renovated interiors.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ernst:

Why? Her engine room is like most modern engine rooms not nearly as exciting as an old engine room like e.g. aboard Queen Mary.

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So it comes as no surprise that, to make their investment at all workable, some major changes must be made. All of the initial hype about restoring the liner to her original appearance never made any sense at all.

Having paid a lot more for QE 2 than would have been paid had she been scrapped, it is to be expected that some changes to the ship will be made to get a return on the investment.

At least she will still be in one piece, although with some alterations, unlike the ex ss France which will be razor blades.

Some people are never happy !

The sole remaining engine room on the Queen Mary is the most popular part of the ship. IF They really wanted to make those sorts of changes, then the best thing to do is build a replica of the hull and have it customed to meet their interests along with a new superstructure.

[ 06-25-2008: Message edited by: Redlinekid2 ]

quote:

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:

Exactly. In some way the engine room (from pics) reminds of modern car engines-everything is neat and clean w/little exposed.

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Quite. It's not as if the engine room contains the original engines that were in the ship when she was first built.

quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
One thing is for certain: If they tear out the powertrain, it'll affect the ship's center of gravity.

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Every change would affect the center of gravity but these modern engines are not nearly as heavy as e.g. the steam power plant of Queen Mary. Changing the center of gravity is of course not nearly as much of an issue for a static ship than for a functional ship. Who knows what they will do to her - she might not even be floating anymore.

quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
[...]To rip out all of that machinery would be a loss of revenue. They could charge a lot of money to for those who want to see it. And a powertrain tour they will get.

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First, tt would not be a lot of money - and certainly not by Dubai standards - and again, it is not nearly as much of an attraction as you seem to think.

quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:

IF They really wanted to make those sorts of changes, then the best thing to do is build a replica of the hull and have it customed to meet their interests along with a new superstructure.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
One thing is for certain: If they tear out the powertrain, it'll affect the ship's center of gravity.

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The powertrain should be kept as part of the museum.

[ 06-27-2008: Message edited by: Redlinekid2 ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
If the centre of gravity is all there is to be concerned about, there's nothing that concrete blocks won't fix...

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Or sand. I hear they have lots of it and it makes good ballast.

quote:

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:

Or sand. I hear they have lots of it and it makes good ballast.

I toured the Queen Mary, twice, and personally couldnt give a hoot about the power train. Sure it would be nice to keep some of it in tact on the QE2, but not really necessary.

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There is little on the QE2 that is worth saving as historic value. The original interiors are mostly plastic and do not look as good in person as in photos, the latest stuff is like a dated Hilton. Her engineering and design is nothing special. The interior planning is abysmal from day 1.
The engines could be re-used in a livestock carrier, furnishings at the Calcutta Motel 6.

It is her 'spin' that made her famous. I crossed on her once, and is strictly a mass market affair with high culture entertainment. If she were named anything else than a Queen she would have been scrapped long ago.

The Queen Mary 1 and the Rotterdam V, are mostly original. Their design, craftsmanship, and engineering feats are irreplaceable. They are prime candidates as preserved ships. I would have liked to see Canberra preserved except for the cabins w/o private bath. Her interior fittings remained if the original furniture was replaced.

I would not be so sad to see QE2 scrapped. BUT if Dubai which has deep pockets can make a go I am all for it. Too bad they did not buy the Canberra, or why not offer a low interest loan to NCL for rebuilding the SSUS.

quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
[...]All that needs to be done is remove the propellers. Then it would be classified as a building.

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Sorry, but that's just not factual. Whether she has her propellers is irrelevant for 'classifying' her as building or ship.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
[QB][...]
The powertrain should be kept as part of the museum.

[...]

quote:

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Originally posted by desirod7:

There is little on the QE2 that is worth saving as historic value. [...]
It is her 'spin' that made her famous. [...]If she were named anything else than a Queen she would have been scrapped long ago. [...]

I would not be so sad to see QE2 scrapped. BUT if Dubai which has deep pockets can make a go I am all for it. [...]

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quote:

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
Historical value or not, people will pay to visit the ship's powertrain. That's the heart and soul of the ship. The powertain tour will attract a lot of visitors. Regardless if it's original or not. I feel in my heart that removing the powertrain would be a terrible mistake. The powertrain should be kept as part of the museum.

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The engine room is nothing special
as you can see from my photos

With this attitude, there will be nothing anymore of this kind of propulsion in some 40 yrs time ( I can't see the present generation of cruiseships preserved, but still, with all those difficulties of preserving, one can be almost 100% sure it will be 1 mostly 2)

Many things have been lost, not only ships but architecture etc with this attitude, 'it is common' so not preservable.

There is now that UNIQUE chance of a big passenger ship to be preserved beyond her normal maritime lifespan, don't waste it. There won't be many others. We have this engine, as an example for those countless others, the same, but probably NOT preserved at the end of their life.

As for interiors. The sum of the total is in case of QE2 a lot more than all the components apart. I luckily had the chance to sail her once, and I found her to have a lot of atmosphere.

Externally, QE2 is one of the most beautiful nowadays afloat, grace beauty and grandeur matched by no other.