QE2 Dubai October 2018 Phase 2 Launch

[Rob Lightbody]

Nothing new here really...

https://cruisearabiaonline.com/2018/08/30/qe2-dubai-ready-for-october-2018-phase-2-launch-ahead-of-2018-19-cruise-season/

[Barumfox]

On the positive side the Brunch video shows the Lido being put to good use - presumably inspired by the successful Queen Mary brunch.

The artists impression showing the One Deck pool is interesting - assume its an old one unless its has just been temporarily covered up rather than removed?

Gary

[cunardqueen]

i do fear the timings are a bit off for the brunch and quite limited. As an example Queen Mary do their brunch from 10- 2pm (overnght guests are allowed in from 9am ) Their brunch does consistantly win awards , Conde Nast voted it the best in the World. l go every year and l sill rave about it, it never lets you down. I know a couple of friends would say im hard to please, but l do still like stuffing with my turkey, and for some reason Queen Mary only add that option on holiday events.

Starting at 1pm most people lm assuming will already have eaten and besides brunch is supposed to be a breakfast/lunch combination. Lets not forget the brunch are a captive audience, re adjust the times from morning to early afternoon and theres a good chance people will stay onboard after brunch and visit the shops etc and bring in extra revenue, not to mention actually see whats on offer.

Im not sure given Dubai and their lack of alcohol culture if its wise bringing in the unlimited wine and champagne offers. Tastefully done "free flowing" is a great idea, get it wrong and you end up with a bunch of piss heads  (then again it depends on what you are serving as free flowing)   

Of course on the other side of the coin , when you look at the major hotels in Vegas offering their Sunday Brunches from 9-5pm and they are simply rammed the whole day, Caesars Palace can easily get through several thousand brunch guests on a quiet day, and indeed when you spend $20 milllion on a refurb on the location for brunch there is serious money in that. But then on any given night there are over 180,000 room to fill and Vegas do manage these numbers very well. Some of their numbers are pretty mind bending and when you work in the industry you can only marvel at how the whole place operates.   

With a ship the size of QE2 and her open spaces they do need to manage these, If you have multiple venues  anywhere can look quiet, but hopefully with her being more fully operational we can at last see if QE2 has been worth the wait. 
I hope she is for those that visit. Im sure for her ex passengers she will be like nothing we knew, but thats ten years ago, and in her location 10 years can be a long time.

[Michael Gallagher]

The future two artist concepts for QE2 are interesting to see - I suspecte the One Deck pool won't make a return in the stern view but notice a pssible return of davits with sunshades where the boats used to be? Or perhaps this was the plan before they decided to do away with the davits and boats?

But the website currently says "To add up to the above event venues, the QE2 will soon offer its biggest outdoor deck space that wraps around the entire Boat Deck and extends right up to the funnel. It can accommodate over 1000 people in a multi layered set-up and is arguably one of Dubai’s most unique event spaces".

Surely such space is only usable at night given the sun during the day - unless they do bring back the davit / sunshade concept?

[Michael Gallagher]

https://www.logisticsmiddleeast.com/transport/maritime/31258-qe2-dubai-overcomes-logistics-challenges-for-october-2018-phase-2-launch

[Michael Gallagher]

https://tophotel.news/procurement-consultant-hpg-international-mea-accelerates-the-soft-launch-of-queen-elizabeth-2/

Interesting internal artists impressions here... I think we have Lido, Yacht Club, Cinema, One Deck Suite, former First Class (Bannenberg) cabin (two combined) and enlarged Penthouse or perhaps a new suite in former Sun Deck officers accommodation.

If that is the case I think I prefer the Lido now in reality but prefer the other artists impressions to the reality. I think.

[Cunarder Man]

I emailed the ship last week to enquire about a date for the October opening, they kindly replied essentially saying watch the website for details which will be released soon.

[Twynkle]

The future two artist concepts for QE2 are interesting to see - I suspect the One Deck pool won't make a return in the stern view but notice a possible return of davits with sunshades where the boats used to be? Or perhaps this was the plan before they decided to do away with the davits and boats?

But the website currently says "To add up to the above event venues, the QE2 will soon offer its biggest outdoor deck space that wraps around the entire Boat Deck and extends right up to the funnel. It can accommodate over 1000 people in a multi layered set-up and is arguably one of Dubai’s most unique event spaces".

Surely such space is only usable at night given the sun during the day - unless they do bring back the davit / sunshade concept?

.....Why, though did they ever remove the Lifeboats!! Best shade in the world, and round the world!
We did suggest this, didn't we!

Thank you for showing us these 'impressions'.
It all looks so cold -  chilling, even - s'pose some might say cool....
Something special about QE2 was her capacity to look warm and feel welcoming, no matter whether it was warm, or cold outside.
If the 'decor' to date remains as in the  'artist impressions' - the inside of the ship might look like what I remember from most of Dubai....a marble glazed "Malls", with marble-glazed hotels, and the airport areas made to match.
At least the padded bed-head has survived!

Some lovely "Beduin' Arabian rugs and a proper Souk would make a difference!

[cunardqueen]

If the 'decor' to date remains as in the  'artist impressions' - the inside of the ship might look like what I remember from most of Dubai....a marble glazed "Malls", with marble-glazed hotels, and the airport areas made to match.   

...Fur coat and no knickers..... ?


Is there a feeling on here now that we dont like what Dubai are doing to QE2. Do our views even matter in the grand scheme of things.
Surely we must have all realised that from the very start, QE2 in Dubai wouldnt be the QE2 that we knew ?
The renderings of The Glass Funnel must have given us an indication that all wouldnt be the same. Im not saying that publish and be damned But her operators do really have carte blanche to do with QE2 as they will. From the outside  we have the Queens Room a 50 year old room that some say shouldnt have been touched and yet free reign is given to The Grand Lounge which so far has escaped any touching up. Look how that room changed from the iconic Double room to a garish showtime lounge with a shopping mall plonked around the viewing gallery, it must be one of the worst places to perform for all sorts of reasons, But again is a multipurpose room .

Dubai need to make QE2 pay her way in todays modern world and that must mean a heck of a lot of changes, would it be so bad if Papa Johns Pizza opened up onboard to cater for those who just want a pizza between meals , how many of us trotted to the one deck shop for some essential snack to remind us of dear old Blighty , Im surprised one of those ghastly coffee shops hasnt opened up for those that cant move five meters without  a coffee, or what about an international food court away down on five deck for those of the flip flop brigade that dont want the Queens Grill or Lido "experience"
 
As for the 1000 people venue on a multi level platform, what can we expect, an open air sing song or by some quirk of fate we can expect to the funnel to part to reveal one of those mega size TV things poping up and in tacky Princess fashion Open air movies or worse some  wannabe famous singer doing her bit to promote what passes for music these days     

Exciting times for QE2..?

[Louis De Sousa]

After this phase QE2 will only be about 80% open

[June Ingram]

I emailed the ship last week to enquire about a date for the October opening, they kindly replied essentially saying watch the website for details which will be released soon.

It takes more words to say "watch the website" than to give a date.  Very impersonal.

[Clydebuilt1971]

.....Why, though did they ever remove the Lifeboats!! Best shade in the world, and round the world!
We did suggest this, didn't we!

The only issue I can think of for not retaining them in their original guise is that's one more thing to maintain and ensure are safe moving forward. Those davits and boats would need to be permanently secured in the stowed position and means put in place to ensure they couldn't come adrift and pose a potential danger to anyone passing below them - then an inspection regime introduced to make sure they remain safe.

In essence why retain something you need to spend money maintaining when you've not intention of ever using them?

Most businesses which serve the public directly want to remove / reduce risk therefore I'm afraid disposing with the boats would be high on their list.

I agree she looks a tad under dressed without them though.

Gav

[cunardqueen]

It takes more words to say "watch the website" than to give a date.  Very impersonal.   

Cast our mind back to the hype that was created when Queen Elizabeth (the new thing) was being created every week or so there was more hype to excite us to fever pitch. Those of us fortunate to get to Southampton for the initial preview tours were giddy with excitement and nearly ready to explode with all they hype that had been created ,if that wasnt enough we then came face to face with the large  "The wait is over"
 The devil in me said to two friends when we saw the poster.."Thank ***k" and we laughed

Consider that experience to the experience of Hotel QE2 in Dubai. l for one find it simply incredable and laughable that any news of any thing happening to QE2 is being drip fed through unofficial sources . Her owners clearly cant do enough to promote Hotel QE2 and therefore are simply not bothering .