QE2 and Cunard after Dubai

[June Ingram]

It is my understanding that Cunard must approve certain plans regarding our QE2.  Are there provisions in the sales agreement that would allow Cunard to take back ownership of our QE2 ?  And does anyone think that Cunard are even aware of the positive publicity that would ensue if Cunard took back QE2 as a special event during their anniversary Year ?

[holynougat]

Cunard, or Carnival UK as we must now call them, have absolutely zero interest in taking back QE2. It is exactly the same as BA with Concorde - people were scratching their heads asking why they let it go and how they don't seem to care; the answer is simply that in all Public Companies there is simply no room for nostalgia. Any weakness that costs money must be removed in a bid to constantly improve the bottom line.
Furthermore, CUK would have no idea what to do with QE2 now, anymore than Dubai does - the oldest ship in the fleet is Oriana. If they had identified the value of QE2, which was much higher while she was still in service, they would have invested in a life extension program rather than build the QE.
I also highly doubt there is a buy back clause in the agreement, just some sort of post sale restraint.

[June Ingram]

Cunard, or Carnival UK as we must now call them, have absolutely zero interest in taking back QE2. It is exactly the same as BA with Concorde - people were scratching their heads asking why they let it go and how they don't seem to care; the answer is simply that in all Public Companies there is simply no room for nostalgia. Any weakness that costs money must be removed in a bid to constantly improve the bottom line.
Furthermore, CUK would have no idea what to do with QE2 now, anymore than Dubai does - the oldest ship in the fleet is Oriana. If they had identified the value of QE2, which was much higher while she was still in service, they would have invested in a life extension program rather than build the QE.
I also highly doubt there is a buy back clause in the agreement, just some sort of post sale restraint.

Thank you very much for your reply, and sadly, what you write is all too true.  June 

[Twynkle]

….  In hindsight, selling our QE2 to Dubai was the worst possible choice that could ever have been made.

June,
Maybe with hindsight this is one way of thinking about the selling and purchase of Cunard's QE2, as 'the worst possible choice'.
However if she'd been sold for immediate scrapping, mightn't this 'choice' have been even worse? It would have caused a massive international outcry.
Importantly, it would have denied anyone the chance of going all out to save her? The latter has cost many much in time, energy and funds.
Now she belongs to her owners in Dubai - there is still hope that she can be saved.
And for historical reasons, saving their ship still remains extremely important.
If their ship is saved, and put to good use where she can be appreciated for what she represents, then it's possible that there will be very many who are grateful for the choices that to date may be difficult to understand.
As a company, Cunard now are an integrated part of CarnivalUK; they appear to have no business interest in old ships, these wouldn't fit into their commercial plans.  (How I wished they had bought HMY Britannia!)
However QE2's current owners need to get a move-on - she needs to be earning her keep for them - and the sooner they get cracking, the better!
Hoping this makes sense!
Rosie

[Adam Hodson]

Like Rosie says, the sooner they start the better. Otherwise she is just sitting there losing money and slowly degrading.

[June Ingram]

Hi Rosie - Thank you very much for your reply.  Hindsight is very good at making suggestions that could never have happened at the time.  I think all of us want the best for our QE2 and do not want her to be sent off for scrap.  My fear is that the longer there is inaction in Dubai, the more slim the chances of them doing anything good for her.  And while she is owned and held by Dubai, no one else can propose any plans to rescue her.  Our QE2 is unique in and of herself, and she is an historical icon because of her magnificent years of service.  If only she could be saved as a National Treasure.  I wonder if there are plans afoot relating to that at present ?  Cunard have a history of not being interested in their retired ships.  In fact, when Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were sold, and our QE2 went into service, Cunard said something like, "The old Queens are gone, long live the Queen", referring of course to our QE2.  It does not seem that so much time has elapsed and our QE2 is no longer the "youngster" just going into service.  Yes, I am not really sure why her current owners are not getting busy and doing something with her constructive.  Rosie, let's talk more.  June   

[Twynkle]

Yes, Adam, it is very sad to think of our QE2 sailing to Dubai under her own power and then being allowed to sit for so long.  Things tend to deteriorate more when they are left idle than when they are used.  In hindsight, selling our QE2 to Dubai was the worst possible choice that could ever have been made. 

June:
You must keep some things in mind concerning the QE2.
The brothers who bought the ship paid Carnival/Cunard roughly 100 million USD in 2008. Since then, an additional 24 million USD have been expended on her maintenance, mooring and other expenses.
This purchase price was unheard of in the shipping world - usually liners/cruise ships are sold at five millon USD or under(or way under). When Cunard disposed the Queen Mary in 1968 and the QE just a few million in QM's case was needed and in QE's far less than that!
The brothers have plans for QE2 but it just takes time to put those plans into action. (Don't worry about scrapping - too much egg on their faces would happen plus a tremendous monetary loss would happen and these brothers do not lose money on purpose!)
It's like watching paint dry - it occurs to the brothers that they own an icon and preservation of QE2 is highly important to them and will continue to be.
What Rosie has written is spot on - it's also their thinking as well!

Hi Cabin 2066,
Thinking out loud here!
One way that the owners of QE2 might attempt to avoid 'eggy faces' would be to sell their QE2 for 'a song', and then the new purchaser might decide that scrapping her could be more lucrative than an expensive refit and a doubtful future....

There are a couple of 'If only' thoughts. Firstly, if only there was less concern regarding parking her in the UK. This stems from anxieties relating to possible future difficulties (costs as well as practicalities) of removing a 'large, useless old hull' from somewhere such as, 'opposite the O2 Dome'...No-one will agree to having her in their back yard, unless there are binding guarantees that the hull would be removed as and when necessary...
Then secondly, when the global economical situation improves, there needs to be a big drive to find investors - however the longer the time that she is out of the limelight, the more difficult it will be to drum up interest...If only she could become famous again, particularly for all the right reasons...
In 2008, we worked it out that if everyone over 16 in the UK contributed £1.00 (GBP) towards a QE2 Fund, it would then have been possible to tow her home, dress her up, and enjoy her company!
Rosie

(Mods, this is copied and posted here, as it would seem to be off topic over there with affairs relating to Classification!)

[Cabin 2066]

Hello, Rosie:
It is off topic in "Classifications" however I was replying to June's entry in that topic.
As to selling her for a "song" - will not happen because, to them, that's an admission of failure.
They know they are in possession of a one-of-a-kind and are figuring out its future.

[pete cain]

Maybe off topic here, but mods will shift,   after quite some time I have just revisited Robs' photo archive from
his visit in 2011, tucked well away on the front pages, I luckily  have a copy of 'sleeping beauty', but being able to look at these stunning (historical) photos taken by him reminds me of happier times. V ships certainly left her in fine fettle, thankyou to them & thanks Rob, well worth a second look/see if you have not seen them in a while.

[June Ingram]

Thank you very much to all for your posts.  The publicity is a key factor right now.  If "the world" forgets about our QE2, there probably would not be too much rush on the part of Dubai and they may be planning to let her sit until the ten year clause in the contract runs out.  Then it is anyone's guess what might happen.  If she were to receive more and more publicity due to well placed public relations programmes, it might act as a nudge for "them" to continue with plans, hopefully, in a positive way.