The 2000's2000January 1: As the world anticipates the new millennium, the global press report on QE2 as being one of the most exclusive places in the world for ringing in the new era.
QE2's Millennium New Years cruise sold out in record time after going on sale.
January 5: After the death of her husband during a QE2 cruise in 1999, Beatrice Muller begins her permanant on-board residency of QE2, garnering much international publicity over the years for herself and Cunard Line as "The Lady Who Lives on QE2"
July 4: While docking in New York, QE2 collides with the Japanese warship Koshima, berthed alongside the liner. The captain of the Koshima remarks
"It was an honor to be kissed by the Queen"August 4: The passenger, master, and crew send a message to the Queen Mother congratulating her on her 100th birthday.
2001March: QE2 officiated at the opening of the new cruise terminal in Dubai.
September: Terrorist attacks on New York City force QE2 to divert to Boston for the remainder of the year.
2002January 8: QE2 becomes the first passenger ship to call in New York since the September 11 terrorist attacks. As she approached the site of the World Trade Center, she reduced speed, her flag was lowered to half-mast, and a wreath was laid in the harbor. She then sounded three long blasts of her whistle.
May 13: It was announced that the following year would be QE2's last full season on the North Atlantic.
June 14: Baroness Thatcher was guest of honor on board at a lunch to mark the 20th anniversary of the Falkland Islands campaign.
2003March 14: Captain Ronald Warwick leaves QE2 for the last time as Master to take up command of the new Queen Mary 2 and become Commodore of the Cunard Line
October 24: A Concorde, due to be taken out of service, passes over QE2 in mid-Atlantic. The ship's master, Captain Heath, sends a message: "From one British icon to another. We are sorry to see you go."
2004April 19: QE2 leaves Southampton for the last time as Cunard's flagship, heading for New York where, on April 25, she berthed alongside Queen Mary 2 for the first time. The QE2 and QM2 in New York together is a sensation, the media go wild and huge crowds descend on the docks and along the riverfront.
May 1: QE2 escorts Queen Mary 2 into Southampton. In a ceremony Captain Ian McNaught handed the impressive Boston Cup to Commodore Warwick of Queen Mary 2. As the cup exchanged hands QE2's whistle blew one long blast marking her final day as Cunard's flagship.
A message is sent from Buckingham Palace "Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh remember with pleasure their many visits to the ship and send their best wishes to you for a memorable event"
May: QE2 enters drydock where the Funnel Bar and awning are added to the Sun Deck and flat-screen monitors are added to the Golden Lion pub, much to the delight of QE2's football fanatic passengers.
December 27: On her final Caribbean holiday cruise, QE2 is joined unexpectedly by QM2 for six hours of tandem sailing as close as 1/4 mile to each other. By special arrangement, the two Cunard Queens alter course for the special treat.
2005January 1: After departing San Juan Puerto Rico bound for New York, soon after ringing in the New Year, QE2 suffers a total loss of power and is dead in the water for a few hours.
The party rages on in the darkened Yacht Club, while a few nervous passengers are seen coming up from their cabins in their lifejackets.
February 16: While alongside in Freemantle four local Australians stole a fork-lift truck and rammed their way on board QE2. All four were found to be drunk.
April 19: Crew on a rampage. Meant to be an end-of-the-world-cruise crew party, several crew members go on a rampage doing damage to the Grand Lounge, a lifeboat, and bathrooms. Most upsetting was serious damage done to the famous tapestries by Helena Barynina Hernmarck depicting the launch of QE2 by the Queen. Thought to have been thrown overboard, the missing tapestries were later found and repaired and returned to their place on E Stairway
Three crew members were arrested when the ship docked at Southampton and fired by Cunard.
July 28: HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh review QE2 from the deck of HMS Endurance as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations off Spithead
September 5: QE2 becomes Cunard's longest serving ship ever, 36 years, four months, two days.
2006January 1: For the first time since her acceptance trails in 1969, QE2 was in European waters on New Year's Day.
March 12: A freak wave lifted the stern of QE2 making her roll severely and then a second wave struck the ship.
April 23: Both QE2 and QM2 are in Southampton together and as her older sister sailed past, the new flagship played James Blunt's "You're Beautiful".
November 27: QE2 makes her maiden call to New Orleans, to the great appreciation of the city which suffered so terribly from hurricane Katrina and the levy failures.
2007January 3: QE2 departs Southampton for New York commencing her 25th World Cruise. A spectacular fireworks display in Southampton sends her on her way.
June 18: Cunard stuns with the surprise announcement that QE2 has been sold for $100 million to Dubai interests. Dubai soon announces vague plans for QE2 as a luxury hotel and shopping attraction, plus heritage museum, at the same time stating their intention to restore QE2 to her original 1969 appearance.
June 26: Cunard announce a series of QE2 "Farewell Voyages"
September 15: QE2 departs on her highly successful 40th Anniversary "Lap of Honor" cruise around Great Britain.
Prior to departure, QE2 hosts hundreds of special guests including Baroness Thatcher.
September 16: QE2 pauses off Scarborough to allow Sir Jimmy Saville to board.
After a four hour delay due to strong winds, QE2 enters the River Tyne on her maiden call, to a tumultuous welcome. Media coverage is heavy, as are the crowds along both shores of the river who had been waiting hours for the delayed arrival.
Captain Ian McNaught rededicates the pier at South Shields as Northumbrian Quay.
September 17: In spite of the wind and rain, QE2 departs with heavy media coverage and large crowds. Fireworks on the sea wall bid bon voyage to QE2
September 18: At anchor in the Firth of Forth very close to the famous Forth Bridge, QE2 and Captain McNaught host a luncheon for local dignitaries.
September 19: The day at sea is dedicated to the Falklands campaign. Commodore Warwick's lecture draws the largest crowd to the theater in recent QE2 memory.
September 20: In Greenock on the 40th anniversary of her launch by the Queen, huge crowds gather along the Esplanade for day long festivities, capped off by an exciting display of aerial daredevilry by the famous Red Arrows.
QE2 hosts a reception and lunch for former workers of the John Brown yard who helped to build QE2.
At 2:20pm, precisely the moment of her launch forty years earlier to the minute, QE2 lets off a 40 second long blast of her whistle.
QE2 makes a spectacular departure with much shoreside fanfare a large flotilla of boats.
September 21: Liverpool. The Duke of Kent and QE2 officially open the new Liverpool Cruise Terminal
For all passengers, special guests and dignitaries, QE2 hosts a free concert at the Liverpool Anglican Cathederal. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Cathederal Choir, Lesley Garrett, Nicky Spence, and the Band of the Scots Guards perform. Speakers include Carol Marlow, Sir Jimmy Saville, Carol Thatcher, and Captain Ian McNaught who gives an unexpectedly brief and emotional speech.
The former Cunard Building in Liverpool flies the Cunard House Flag.
A fireworks display over the Mersey wows the many thousands of persons packing the waterfront, and a Beetles Tribute band performs at the Funnel Bar.
The Liverpool press estimates the day's crowd at about half a million.
September 22: QE2 and QM2 outbound from Southampton, pass in the evening. The last time two Cunard Queens passed at sea was September 25, 1967
2008January 6: QE2 begins her 26th and final world cruise with a send-off that includes a tandem departure with Cunard's new Queen Victoria cruise ship, and a huge fireworks salute. Queen Victoria departs first, passing QE2 which is berthed at the QEII terminal. The two ships exchange lengthy whistle salutes, while the Queen Victoria shines her spotlight along QE2's side while passing by.
January 7-13: While transating in tandem, it is reported that Queen Victoria passengers are transfixed by the site of the QE2 in her element, while on QE2 similar statements are not overheard about the Queen Victoria.
January 13: Queen Elizabeth 2 arrives in New York after a longer than usual 7-night transatlantic crossing. QE2 is made to cross slower to allow a tandem crossing with the Queen Victoria which cannot keep up with QE2's normal speed.
QE2 and Queen Victoria are met in New York by the Queen Mary 2, for the first Meeting of the Three Queens. Their triple departure that evening draws huge crowds out on charter vessels and along the shoreline. A massive fireworks display adjacent to the Statue of Liberty is the climax of the historic day.
January 13-April 18: QE2 bids farewell to much of the world on her final world cruise, escpecially to ports where she has been calling regularly for many years and is much beloved. The largest and most emotional send-offs are in Australia.
March 18: QE2 reaches 32.8 knots for a time, proving again that she is still the world's fastest ship in service, and on engines over twenty years old.
April 22: After Cunard decide to have QE2's 'tune-up' in Southampton, all three of Cunard's ships are together for the first and only time at their home port. This day also marks the 39th anniversary of QE2's entry into service. QE2 is at Berth 105 for her work to be done, Queen Victoria is at the City Cruise Terminal, and QM2 is at the QEII terminal berth 35. The event draws large crowds and wide media coverage.
June 2: At Southampton, HM Queen Elizabeth II marks the 55th year of her coronation with her farewell visit to QE2.
The Queen toured the vessel escorted by Captain McNaught before attending a reception and lunch onboard with 300 guests, including the former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher.
September 30: QE2's Farewell to Britain cruise. Public reaction is intense and bitter-sweet, with huge crowds and celebrations along the way.
October 10: QE2 departs Southampton for her final-ever westbound transatlantic crossing to New York, in tandem with her younger sister Queen Mary 2.
October 16: QE2 makes her 710th and final call to New York. She departs on her 806th and final ever transatlantic crossing and bids farewell to America, her second home since her maiden call in New York in 1969.
QE2 crosses in tandem with Queen Mary 2. Her final transatlantic crossings sell out in a matter of a few hours over a year before.
November 11: QE2's final day in Southampton begins at 5:30am with breaking news as QE2, on her arrival from her final round-trip cruise briefly grounds on a sandbank in Southampton Water. The grounding is widely covered by the media.
Armistace Day in Britain.
At 11:00am to commemorate the end of WW1 a de Havillnad Beaver does a fly-over of QE2 dropping one million red poppies over the ship.
HRH Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh journeys to Southampton to pay his final visit to QE2 and to attend a special luncheon on board.
1:40pm an RAF Harrier honors QE2 with a fly-past and a dip of her nose as she hovers off QE2's starboard flank.
Global media covers othe retirement-departure of the world's most famous ship. Huge crowds of well-wishers crowd into Southampton, Mayflower Park becomes a gathering spot with BBC live coverage. A flotilla of charter vessels including the historic SS Sheildhall, Blue Funnel Line and Red Funnel ferries join hundreds of private boats in the harbor to see QE2 out for her final time.
QE2 pushed away from her berth for the last time at the Queen Elizabeth II terminal at about 7:30 pm, then positioned herself off Mayflower park for a spectacular fireworks display. About twenty minutes later, with her own whistles sounding across the waters and those of hundreds of craft joining in, she sails away for her final destination. As QE2 sails past the Hythe Pier, a trumpeter plays Taps.
November 27: Finished With Engines
Queen Elizabeth 2 arrives Dubai, ending her long and celebrated career as the world's most famous and beloved ocean liner.
