QE2 "as is" Hotel (wherever) - what will it be like ?

[Rob Lightbody]

OK but what would we all do to her to re-start hotel operations at MINIMUM cost.  Thats what I was thinking.  Not a 'dream come true' scenario with structural alterations, but a minimal effort restart to provide everything required of a hotel.

[Bob C.]

This problem is like Michael Jordan coming out of retirement years ago.  The intial novelty was huge, then it was just an old man playing basketball.  

The solution depends on a sailing QE2 or a docked venue and cost will dictate.  For a sailing QE2, upgrade her to meet 2010 SOLAS requirements and market the hell out of a "reincarnated QE2" with no changes other than SOLAS.  Get as many short voyages booked as early as possible then sail her until the novelty wears off.

A docked QE2 is harder.  Create a marketing campaign that recreates life at sea onbard QE2 and get as many "voyages" booked as early as possible until the novelty wears off.

The goal being to make a profit and complete the above listed changes to move into the next phase of her retirement as a resort, museum and conference center.  

[Rob Lightbody]

I just don't get why any significant changes need to be made at all.  I'm with "WhiteStar" Wes on this one.  Less is more.

[Chris]

I suspect that if she is heading south to Cape Town she will open largely "as is".

The reports suggest a modest refit which I expect will be touching up tired areas, fixing leaking (if this wasn't done by Nakheel in Dubai) and generally bringing her up to scratch after months of being idle following a very intensive farewell season.

Looking back, the ship was chartered for use as a hotel in Japan in 1989. While accommodation was popular aboard, one of the greatest uses was the ship's restaurants - people wanted to "have dinner aboard QE2". There is no way that the restaurants will be operated in "seatings", it would be open seating and I suspect restricted to several restaurants only (eg: Caronia and the Grills).

I suspect cabins that re-open will need upgrading to include queen / king beds and probably updated furniture as a result.

No idea what they would do with the Lido (are buffet's popular in SA?) and the Grand Lounge may be revitalised as a dancing and cabaret show-lounge.

The Theatre could be used for conferences, it was a marvellous lecture venue.

It is my understanding that the Casino equipment has all been removed from QE2. While restocking it may be easy enough, accessing a license may be tricky (??).

In all I think the selling point for a "Hotel QE2 Cape Town" will be the fact it is QE2. She was popular in S.A and she is well known as a brand.

However, it won't be the same QE2 experience we all remember. The 40 years of continual Cunard operation has ended - so while it will be wonderful to stroll the decks again, a part of the 'QE2 spirit' will be missing.

[Bob C.]

However, it won't be the same QE2 experience we all remember. The 40 years of continual Cunard operation has ended - so while it will be wonderful to stroll the decks again, a part of the 'QE2 spirit' will be missing.

It never can be the same.  The world has already said goodbye to QE2 and Nakhell has their hooks in her.  The best to hope for is a Queen Mary type setting where the hull, most superstructure, most of the public rooms and some staterooms are intact but she lives on day after day as a historical reminder of the golden age of ocean liners.

QE2 is a part of that direct lineage of British built liners that captured the trans-Atlantic trade, survived the rising popularity and competition of air travel and transitioned elegantly to cruise service.  She served her nation and her shipping line very well over a 40 years span.  If she does nothing more than open as-is in SA, count it as gain!

[WhiteStar34]

The QE2 will almost never be the same ship no matter where she goes. However, the very idea of most of her public rooms and accommodations remaining "as is" will be appealing to people such as myself who never got a chance to sail on her. At this point, she MAY become a better preserved ship than the Queen Mary. She still has her powerful machinery and engine plant, and many of the features that made her the QE2. Indeed the service and the atmosphere may not be the same, but at least there is a chance that she will retain her material charm as far as originality in her design is concerned. Just the thought that a massive Queen Mary-like conversion may not take place after all rings a positive note in my ears.

-Wes

[Malcolm]

What do you mean by that?

What I mean is that there is very little original public areas of the ship left. There is very little that pre-dates 1994. One of the reasons the QM survives is that there are plenty of areas that still art deco - you can still imagine yourself being on a grand ocean liner. The QE2 has lost this appeal - great swathes of her are now reminiscent of a mid 90s cruise ship.

She was a superb hotel.

You are quite right she WAS. A lot of what made her fantastic relied upon her being at sea. When she stopped sailing and the crew left her I think she will have lost her atmosphere. That was what made her so special.

Superb restaurants.  Nice bedrooms.  Lovely bars.

Recently? There were the remains of a fine ship about her BUT those remains were what made her so special.

Lido - a Gym.

Good suggestion but I think that would be "a major overhaul". 

All 3 grills could be running

I see two problems with that. Firstly I think you'd have a problem finding 400 people per night who were willing to spend a lot on a meal and, secondly, the access facilities to all three Grills, but particularly the Britannia Grill, were very poor indeed for anyone not able to climb stairs:( They certainly would not pass current legislation in this country.

Discounting Mauretania because its two-seating doesnt make sense, since it wouldn't need to be 2-seating due to much lower number of 'passengers'

The Mauretania will need to be two seatings if they are to be able to seat enough customers to fill the other areas of the ship after dinner.

Yacht Club, Chart Room, Golden Lion, Crystal Bar, 1 deck pool/Pavillion - all running as originally intended.

Where are all the people coming from if all these spaces are to be used every night? Remember that we've just lost about 600 customers by making the Mauretania single seating. (And remember - not one of those rooms was "original"  )

Bedrooms - I think many of the 3,2,1 rooms could be used (as well as the penthouses, of course).  Our 3-deck midships cabin on our last cruise - a P2 i believe - was a delight.  Exceptionally good condition and ample space.  To make it even more attractive, I suppose it could be sold as a single.  It simply depends on what it costs, and whats included in the price.

Very few of the cabins on that ship are anywhere near the size you'd expect of a reasonable 4* hotel. I've had a P2 on Three Deck. It was very good on the QE2, was reasonable for a ship but I would not have found it acceptable in a 4* hotel on land.

Queens Room - British Afternoon Tea, of course!  And music and evening ballroom dancing.

I'm going to stop because I think I'm saying the same thing over and over again! Bur between 400 and 600 people per day is a hell of a lot of people to attract.

Hyping up the British aspect.

Now there you have something

[Malcolm]

Turn the casino into part of the Golden Lion Pub.

What about the other way round? Extend the casino into the Golden Lion, both sides of The Theatre and The Crystal Bar.

The captains quarters would become the top paid suite,and those singles officers cabins on Sport Decks sale them for single guests.

Excellent They were staff cabins because they moved about so much. If the ship's not moving they become premium cabins.

4 and 5 decks cabins all sealed off.

A great waste of space but, I agree, I can't see any other way to use them cheaply.

[Malcolm]

I personally don't see why any changes have to be made to the QE2.

Because a ship is totally different from a hotel. What is fantastic on a ship is not good enough on land.

She was as good if not better than hotels on land during her time in service.

When she was in service Now that she is tied up she has to be able to compete with hotels on land.

[Twynkle]

As there's evidently considerable doubt about her future -
It's possible that she won't be used as a hotel, as such.

Some reports suggest that she will be 'open to visitors'.
QE2 will then be a tourist attraction.

Then, will she be ready to sail from her next port of call?

[Rob Lightbody]

Nakheel have said very little, and almost all of the articles from the last few days are based on news out of South Africa itself, rather than the deliberately vague Nakheel statement.

To the Daily Echo's credit, they did mention South Africa in their recent article, last month.

And regarding the QE2 Hotel - I think she has to be open to the public, not just hotel residents, who would be free to use the restaurants, bars and clubs etc.  If it *is* just to be for hotel residents, then thats very different.  They'll only need to 'reactivate' parts of the ship selectively.

She may not need to be 4* -  It would be a shame to lose all originality in the pursuit of this.

Agree about the hard to access Grills - hadn't thought about that!  Maybe they should just use Mauretania, its far nicer than Caronia anyway!

If QE2 was in her original magnificent 60s state, I think people would be as surprised as when they find her in her 90s state!  Thanks to Cunard Marketing, people probably expect a floating English country house at sea now.  The Art Deco on QM1 is exactly what people expect to see on her, but I'm not sure QE2 EVER had interiors that the general public expected to see onboard!

If Cape Town really does have a shortage of rooms, as seems to be the case, she may not have to compete all that hard.. even if she's not up to hotel-on-land standards.

Regarding crew and captains rooms - she's still powered up, and running an engine etc, they'll still need at least some of these spaces.  Her safety, fire, power etc - almost all her systems - have to be run just like when she was in service, for her to be safe.

[Louis De Sousa]

Depending on which side she is docked i would use the lifeboats for a ride around the harbour.Guests would get on Boat Deck,been lowered into the water have a spin around then back up.

Louis

[Malcolm]

If QE2 was in her original magnificent 60s state, I think people would be as surprised as when they find her in her 90s state!  Thanks to Cunard Marketing, people probably expect a floating English country house at sea now.  The Art Deco on QM1 is exactly what people expect to see on her, but I'm not sure QE2 EVER had interiors that the general public expected to see onboard!

Agreed However QE2's current interiors are neither period pieces (well OK period pieces from the 90s ) nor are they new and glitzy, they just look old fashioned and very tired

If Cape Town really does have a shortage of rooms, as seems to be the case, she may not have to compete all that hard.. even if she's not up to hotel-on-land standards.

I must admit that I was thinking beyond the immediate future. I was thinking about a use for her after the supporters.

Regarding crew and captains rooms - she's still powered up, and running an engine etc, they'll still need at least some of these spaces.

Yes, but the reason the crew were put high up in outside cabins when there were passengers low down in inside cabins was that the ride was a lot less rough down there. If she's static there won't be any movement so the crew can be accommodated in the Deck Five inside singles!

[Rob Lightbody]

I'm not saying there were no spaces that looked old fashioned & tired, but...

Yacht Club - old fashioned & tired?  (i thought the design concept was brilliant, it just needed a tiny bit of TLC - e.g. the faded photos!).



Chart Room - old fashioned & tired?  (2nd 2 pics from isabelle!)



Princess Grill - old fashioned & tired?



Britannia Grill - old fashioned & tired?  (1 pic from Is thanks!)



Caronia Restaurant - old fashioned & tired?  (it was meant to be old fashioned tho.... not my taste, but millions had been spent here in recent times.



Crystal Bar - old fashioned & tired?  I loved the replica "marmoleum" or whatever the word is, and all the other references to QE1 - it was very cleverly done.



Queens Room - old fashioned & tired?  Although not as good as the original décor, it was still special, and as far as I could see all fabrics, materials etc were PERFECT.



All these areas I thought were simply tremendous.  Any "tired"ness could be fixed with a wee tiny bit of TLC.

Disclaimer : assuming they're no worse than they were when i was last on board, August 08... !

[foreshore]

Really interesting to read the many thoughts in the thread.

Now that it seems the intended, and quite specific, plans for QE2 may change - both the potential location, and type of use, I wonder what contractual constraints Nakheel may need to consider which were imposed by Cunard as part of the terms of sale?

i.e. Any plans intended for her - as a static 'attraction' in Dubai - seemed unrestricted and likely will remain so if she is used as a static hotel elsewhere, but if there are requirements to sail her to Capetown (and/or elsewhere),perhaps Nakheel could be tempted to consider putting her back into service (SOLAS modifications etc permitting) and keep her earning money until the economy picks up. $50M is currently a lot of dead money seeing no return. I have no doubts Cunard will have placed covenants preventing this... or have they?

In any case, if a repostion to Capetown becomes reality to capitalise on the World Cup, it may not be long term. Maybe they'd consider another similar move elsewhere afterwards. But the nature of uncertainty would surely prevent too many changes to layout and function?

Additionally, maintaining docked operational hotel service with her own engines (albeit one at a time etc) whilst long-term static, will be expensive in fuel terms, compared to land based electricity feeds, so not ideal