I Stay On The QE2 - NOT What I Expected!
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- I Stay on Queen Elizabeth 2 or known as the QE2, A retired British luxury cruise ship converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008 it's now in Dubai and it's not as great as she used to be!
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What do you think, faded from glory? Would you stay here?
I can't wait to see it!!!
Hell, yeah!
Nice to see but, Nah I'll stick to The Obelisk when I'm staying in Dubai! Think the QE2 is going to end up like The Queen Mary in Long beach! Shame!😬👏👏👏♥️
@@oggie1967How did the RMS Quees Mary in Long Beach end up ??? i.e. what happened to it? I was on it many years ago.
Thanks.
Spooky! ..wush I could feel it !
It's like you are time travelling...
The old lady is ready for the shipwreck yard!
I visited the ship as a 9 year old in June 1969 and regularly sailed on board in the 1990's to 2008 when she was withdrawn. The odd arrangement of lifts and stairs emanates from the fact that she was designed as a three class ship, entered service with two, and ended her career with one class. The different lifts/stairs serviced each class and their respective areas. Your cabin (Queen Mary Grand Suite) was prefabricated in Bayonne and added to the ship in 1977 along with one on the other (starboard side) called Queen Elizabeth. The shops were moved to where you saw them in 1972 during the ship's first big refit and took up the space from the mezzanine of the Double Room (Tourist Class Lounge). They appear, if memory serves me correct, as the ship left cruise service in 2008. Much was familiar -the corridor type lounge with the bar and royal photos was the Queens Grill Bar with easy access to the balcony cabins above (added 1972, 1977 and 1986) and the Queens Grill Restaurant (which was originally a nightclub called 736 -which was the contract number for the shipbuilding contract). I was responsible for the design and project management of Queen Elizabeth 2's successor, Queen Mary 2 which is over twice her size and entered service in 2004 after naming by HM The Queen.
Thanks for that information Stephen - interesting
Fascinating, thank you 😊
Thank you for taking the time to give us such detailed and interesting history 😊
That's super interesting
Stephen, I sure it was you that did a talk about the Queen Mary 2 on one of the cruises I was on it was very interesting and I still remember the story about your Blue Peter badge
I don’t know what I just watched, but I’m feeling depressed after watching it. Thanks for taking one for the team, Tim!
You are depressed?
That's like taking a selfie of yourself looking sad next to someone in need of help instead of actually helping them ...
@@ThreeFiddyChannelthanks for that completely irrelevant comment.
@@ThreeFiddyChannelthe hell are you on about?
I know exactly what you mean! 😃
Very Eerie. Almost a COD expansion.
The guitar player playing Careless Whisper against the backdrop of closed and abandoned shops is unsettlingly apropos. Never gonna dance again…
A lonely guitar player I might add. The hotel doesn't seem to have the money or the will to hire a band, a trio at least. Very descriptive of the business as a whole.
Sounds more like Every Breath You Take to me... Which uh, I think is a bit creepier...
this is absolutely on the nose
@@kabob0077 They played both songs but I reacted to every breath too. Seamed highly fitting for the situation.
This felt more like an abandoned exploration vlog…..which I still loved!
Agreed
“You can check out anytime, but you can NEVER leave…” It’s like you were wandering around a liminal space.
It's a weird combo of 60s decor and fittings and 21st century electronics, remotes, tvs etc. Not sure it works. A ghost ship. 😱👻
Thankful u showing us round. Wouldn’t want to cruise on it
exactly
@@VickyNicoll-r2m so eerie
@@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw This was a very forward-looking ship and the decor was mainstreamed and made more traditional. Its original decor did not look like a lot of what's in the current ship.
i feel like this is a movie where you realize youve been dead the whole time and part of a crew who died decades ago
Yep, I noticed straight away!
😂😂 yepper
“I see dead people.” 😂
"Where's the captain?" "But sir you are the captain"
Shudders. Yep 😂😂
It looks like typical Dubai , a friend of mine worked in Dubai for a few months .When he first arrived he was amazed on how fantastic it was, but when he settled into the the city he claimed most of Dubai was all show .The Queen E II , puts me in mind of a run down Days Inn .
It’s just like Baku, all flash until you see it up close, they have no clue on how to maintain what they built.
Ya I had a buddy who worked in Dubai for about 6 months and he said the luxury is only skin deep and once you get past the initial experience and look a little deeper you realize how terrible it all actually is. not to mention all their giant buildings are build using modern day slavery.
Yeah, pretty wretched town tbh
'All fur coat and no knickers!' is wot we says were I comes frum!
Absolutely not, actually its the total opposite of typical Dubai.
This is the sort of place I would love to stay in. No people, totally empty so it's like your own private ship. Plus you can explore essentially the whole thing and no one stops you. Its like spending the night at the museum, you are in a living document of the past, in 3d, plus can't get enough of the nostalgia.
Well, I'm glad Mrs.Bucket/Bouquet got to experience it in the eighties. She would have been most disappointed today...
something about careless whisper faintly playing as you're walking through a red coated backrooms is SUCH a vibe honestly
There's also Every Breath You Take...
It really is very reminiscent of The Shining. I could imagine Jack Torrance sitting at that empty bar.
The hall carpet!!
Yep it’s the carpet… redrum 😮
Exact same carpet
I cannot begin to say how excited I was to see another human on board finally. It was starting to look like my nightmares where I wander endlessly in empty corridors
Oh, this is soo sad for me! I had the very first duty free Louis Vuitton store on board the QE2 in 1987. It was always vibrant ,full of glamorous passengers and full of excitement . Back then in the penthouse suites you had a 24 hour personal Butler. Now she resembles a goasr ship.😢
Very sad looking. I won’t be rushing to stay there.
Well good memories for you at least 🎉
I hope you had a glorious time, she must have been a beauty back in the day!
What a superb memory! There was nothing like it back in the day, as cruising wasn't the mass market experience it is today. I have sailed on the current Queen Elizabeth & loved the Art Deco styling.
That looks so sad, neglected and I can't believe anyone would stay there.
When I first started watching this, my first thought was “ why has Dubai got our British heritage” now im thinking, they can keep it there. I think it’s only because of its history it’s allowed to stay in Dubai. SHAMBLES. Thanks for the very interesting tour Tim ❤
Tim reminds me of my brother growing up, my brother had to open every closet and every drawer in a room.
He would pick something up and try to take it apart. Tim! You waste to much time opening everything, but it’s your show, I will always watch you no matter how many times you say wow 😮 also lol 😂
It’s a habit it’s ok. ❤
Sheridan would be appalled, at the state the QE2
*This message was endorsed by Hyacinth Bucket!!*
Bouquet 😉
Lady of the house speaking
then scrap the ship if you are so appalled or stop the pathetic comments on history still amongst us..what selfish entitled comments
My sister Violet with a Mercedes, swimming pool, and room for a pony would never go near it!
@@lutomson3496 I think you’re posting in the wrong part of the comments section. This is an entirely wholesome part referring to a comedy TV show, keeping up appearances. Maybe you should scrap your comment instead, or repost it elsewhere?
Thanks for the tour. I'll be scratching this one off my bucket list.
We stayed on her for 3 nights in May 2024. The only places where food was available was the Lido buffet, The Golden Lion and you may have been able to get food in the other bar at the stern below the Lido Buffet, but we never tried. The Queens Grill is only open for afternoon tea on, I think, Fridays and Saturdays. The food in the Lido was very disappointing and was, in the main, either lukewarm or dried out after sitting around uneaten for ages.
Our cabin was ok but the bed was positioned against the wall on its long side meaning someone had to climb over to get in and out but we did face the portholes and could see the sipping movements in the dock outside.
The Theatre is still used and puts on performances aimed at the locals and the ex-pat community.
We were told that the outdoor pool was due to open when the weather warmed up, which was odd as it was between 38-40c each day we were there.
We found the whole ship very disappointing and a shadow of her former self.
I cruised Southampton to new York on that ship. Was quite an experience!
I’m glad I googled this ship. I thought it was still operated by Cunard. This is just a run down floating hotel. No wonder all the shops are closed. This is no longer an ocean going vessel.
I sailed on her from Los Angeles to New York on her farewell world cruise back in 2008. I was only 14 but still appreciated the grandeur. My dad was giving lectures on onboard so I was lucky enough to get a free trip on such an iconic liner!
I was just as shocked as you were to see this ship in such a terrible state, what a shame, full of history and left in such a condition.
Looks ok to me the interior is beautiful. It's old it's not going to be perfect in every place. You really exoect the staff to be able to keep EVERY single little bit fully painted with no wear at all? Do you realise how big it is?
@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 I think the challenge is, making such a location attractive to guest, you need 100% stick to the museal/classic/traditional appeal of the ship in all its 80ies design crazyness. There is only one chance and this is a 100% retro concept. If you start mixing it up with modern items, furnitures etc, there is no clear and unique concept anymore and its just a low end hotel at a pretty remote place. The owners, Accor Hotels, dont have the creativity or vision to work with such a unique spot.
It's not in that bad a condition certainly not a terrible state. There were some fantastic rooms, left in pristine condition, just not open to the public. For a huge ship no longer used for what it was intended there was very little showing damage except the bits deliberately left because of their historical value.
I half expected you to walk down the corridor, turn the corner and find yourself in times gone by with ladies and gentlemen in old fashioned attire and a live band from back in the day playing lol. That would have been spooky! Surprised how big it was inside, you could spend a couple of days going round the whole place. As always, another brilliant video by Tim.
I worked on the QE2 in the mid 90s, I was working as a waiter in the Queens Grill, it was a lot more glamorous back then I can tell you, I used to serve the likes of Rod Stewart and the Bacardi family. The suit you stayed in, I remember serving private dinners for the couple who’d booked them, he would have the Queen Mary suit and his wife the Queen Elizabeth suit, he would turn the dining room, into an office so he could work whilst cruising. It’s such a shame that she’s (QE2) now been left to rot in the humidity of Dubai. So so sad. Thank you for taking me back in time though, it was surreal to see it.
Nice story and good to hear people's experience however regarding glamour many people no longer see celebrities as glamours instead celebrity and fame are more linked to sleaze, scandal, exploitation and certain other perverse activities.
Unironically one of the best liminal space videos
My ex husband worked on board mid 80's. He fixed the air conditioning. He told me a story of during a crossing from Southampton to New York there was a bad storm and all the crew were terrified as they thought the ship was going to roll too far and not upright itself. He said he felt her tilt so far that he started to run along one of the cabin decks to the point the ship tilted so much he was running along the walls. He went down to see the boys in the engine room and said they were all sweating as they all thought she was 'going over'. He said it was kind of spooky on there too!
I was on board for that crossing. It was terrifying. Due to the new penthouse suites that were added in the refit she was top heavy and that storm made it sway even more. An officer told me after one degree more and she would not have righted herself. It lasted for over 12 hours.
like the poseidon adventure scary
I was also on board for that crossing. It was in 1987 and my first major storm at sea. I was on duty in the Queens grill restaurant when she Listed so far to Port side that I was looking through the windows straight down to the ocean, I was literally terrified. Passengers were advised to stay in their cabins but a few die hards still made it up to the Queens grill, in fact I can remember one couple walking on their hands and knees through the queens grill lounge heading to the restaurant.
@@GreenDragonHotel Think I must have met you! I was a friend of the Executive Chef of the Queens Grill . Were you a member of the infamous Football team ? I was the goalie !!!
@@GreenDragonHotel Imagining the couple on their knees gave me good laugh.
My Parents watched its Maiden Voyage from Glasgow in 1969. My dad said “One Day….”and 25yrs later, she came back to Glasgow for her 25th Year Anniversary and my Parents’ 25th Wedding Anniversary. They went on that Cruise Special to New York. We kept the Menu’s. They said it was Luxurious. It was back then.
Tim, that carpet is straight from The Shiining and the empty rooms are giving me liminal space vibes!
I thought that too!
Definitely thought this, especially the liminal spaces thing. The backrooms have nothing on an empty ship lol
@@cazrig thank you, I’m not crazy! Was looking for this comment.
I WAS IN S.F IN 69 IN A TALL BUILDING, WE SAW THE QE2 SAIL IN UNDER THE GG BRIDGE THEN INTO THE DOCK, IT
WAS SURROUNDED BY FIREFIGHTING TUGBOATS OF SOME SORT SHOOTING THE WATER CANNONS HIGH IN THE AIR,
WHAT A SIGHT TO BEHOLD! I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW BEAUTIFUL THAT SPARKLING SHIP WAS. SO BEAUTIFUL! IT WAS
A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.
Its sad to see her in this condition. I took my last cruise on QE2 around the Norwegian fjords in 2008 just before she retired and she was still prestine then with amazing facilities and service. I have been an avid fan of QE2 since a child and know my way around the ship well, seeing her old public spaces not being used and neglected is just heartbreaking. BTW the old outdoor swimming pool was on the deck below the lido (quarter deck), it's been removed by her new owners for some reason. The offices you walked into by the Mauritania model was the Caronia Restaurant, a lovely restaurant whilst she was in service. I ate there often.
If any video deserved “I WAS SHOCKED!” in the title, this was it. The best part was the dessert buffet, everything else gave me the heebie jeebies. Well done Tim, you earned the big RUclips bucks on this one, that was danger pay!
My favourite part of this is Tim going slowly insane from the ghost ship experience 😂
🤨🤔🤣
Yep 😂😂😂😂
The Backrooms QE2
I almost felt the same like Tim!
@@Lucy-il9mo 😄🤣🤣
I was an Officer on QE2 for 11 years. Sad to see her looking like this especially the removal of the teak decking. In a refit I hid some of the teak decking I rescued from a skip to make into ornaments and never retrieved it. I wonder if its still there as it was in a particularly secret location near the Gyro Room!!
LOL! I've got a couple of mementos of my own.
I wonder why they took away teak decking?
@@99shoebox probably rotted and it's extremely expensive to replace
Hyacinth Bouquet (Keeping Up Appearances) always raved about the QE2. They even filmed a few iconic episodes onboard!
Hahaha I loved that show!!! So funny
Thanks Tim for confirming my decision to never visit the UAE or this depressing ship hotel.
Tim showed all of us there is absolutely no reason to ever stay there.
Yes. Thanks Tim🙏
Thanks, Tim, for taking one for the team 🙂
@@soundscape26 Had to look that word up. Top score for that descriptive.
terminally ill and want to be a headline
Right? What a mess!
Thanks for this. It was great to revisit her, but such a shame that she’s not fully up together. I’m from Southampton, and I had the privilege of seeing her many times and lucky enough to sail on her once, to Norway. My father was a musician on board for many years and played jazz in the Golden Lion pub, so it was very nostalgic seeing that again. He has sadly passed away now 😢
How depressing, what a stark contrast to my holiday aboard! We traveled from Southampton around the Canary Islands in the late 70s. My parents took my sister and I. We stayed in the suite below my parents, joined by a staircase, they said Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had stayed there, we had a balcony. There was a personal steward for guests on that floor/deck. In the full Queen's Grill we sat with the captain and had a lovely meal with a menu in beautiful stylised writing. The 60s style white room with curved columns was a ballroom where you could dance on the wooden dancefloor in the centre. The officers in their uniforms stood around and some asked my sister to dance, she refused. There was a photographer on board, and a room where the photos were displayed to buy, some taken that you were aware of and some not. The rooms on the lower decks vibrated heavily, and we wondered how anyone slept. I was sea sick due to the ship rolling from side to side in a storm one night. It was so very busy and vibrant. So sad how things have deteriorated.
What a lovely post. I bet that was a very exciting trip.
@@sarahjenkins8074 Thank you, it was.
I was around 10 when the QE2 was launched and I remember we drove down to Greenock to see her and I still have a photo of my younger sister and I , with the QE2 behind us!
I was amazed by the size and for many years hoped that I could sail on board, but that didn’t happen! 😀
Thank you for showing us around most of the ship as she is now. With the creepy ‘shining’ carpet and the long empty corridors , it’s the perfect place for a novelist to write their next thriller!!
It’s a pity you didn’t have the opportunity to dine in the Queen’s Grill , but many thanks for the tour! 😀
I appreciate your olfactory note about the “old cruise ship smell”…that really helps me experience what you have.👍
I was on her in 1985-86. I was an engine room mechanic. Weird to see her like that. I have fond memories working on her.
How can i find my way into the engine room?
I served on her from 1987 to 1989, stayed on her for our 25 th anniversary 5 years ago just after the opened it up. Was nice to see the old girl again, even though there was still a lot of work being done whilst we were there.
@@michelehood8837 I started in November 87, so sadly I wasn't on board at the same time as you.
Daisy and Onslow had that room in Keeping up Appearences Christmas special 1993 lol
Who played the captain of the ship
@@tinaturner134 Michael Cochrane was the captain
Great episode. 😁
I remember that episode !! 😀
So do i
From the clip from The Shining onwards, with no one else around, 30 year old music playing, empty shops and casinos…… I was totally creeped out and will never go there. I’ll probably have nightmares tonight.
"Ghost ship" was an apt description. 😂
That is exactly what I was thinking before you finally said it out loud. 😂
When Judith was presenting "Wish You Were Here" in the 70s, 80s, and perhaps some of the 90s the QE2 was still a world class cruise liner. Time waits for no man... or cruise ship.
very true
My husband and I sailed on her and it was wonderful. Out of South Hampton down to the Canaries. Only port holes no balconies. No stair case or lift goes top to bottom. We were told by the crew that it was due to the past times when 1st class and 3rd class were never to meet. At the time we were on board she was the training ship for Cunard. We have cruised many times on many different lines but nothing compares to her. Thank you your blog brought back many happy memories.
Wow. I would've loved to sail on her. I've sailed on the current Queen Elizabeth and loved the Art Deco styling. But this ship is from a totally different, more glamorous and exclusive era.
The city of Southampton tried to buy her from Cunard so they could use her as a floating hotel. They were very confident until Dubai came from nowhere and purchased her for quite a large amount. We locals of Southampton were very disappointed as she has nothing to do with Dubai and they only did it for publicity. Its a shame what they've done with her......😢
I’m in Southampton a lot, what would you do with her? Ships turned into hotels turn into massive expensive white elephants that eventually get sent to the breakers.
no
Or what they haven’t done!!
@@MasterChief37 It could have been used as part of the historical seafaring heritage expanding on the Titanic provenance, basically museum with restaurants; on water, complementing the Sea City Museum. Historically relevant and accessible to all, not a wealthy few.
I looked it up, and it sounds like planned renovation was stalled by the pandemic. Definitely wouldn't want to stay there!
😂 This was definitely the strangest tour in the history of travel vlogs. I enjoyed it.
Thank you for documenting this amazing ship. I love places that still seem to be “alive” but have no trace of life in them. It feels so nostalgic the older and more posh areas. I can only imagine the amount of memories those walls hold! How cool!
I served the Princess of Lichtenstein for a few days before she embarked to sail on the QE2 from Auckland New Zealand (c. 1982-83). Stood with her in her room as the ship sailed into Auckland Harbour. The ship looked so elegant then . Thanks for your tour, she looks so tired, not at all royal or elegant. Surprised there was no bidet in your Royal Suite bathroom.
Tim is clicking the fob on and off wondering why nothing is working, meanwhile some poor customer in a completely different part of the boat is phoning the front desk screaming that his tv is going up and down like crazy all by itself !
I do think the fob was the wrong way round. I think you have to aim the pointy end at the TV.
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Hi Tim. Enjoyed the vlog, mainly because we spent one night on the QE2 back in February. No problem with humidity or heat when we were there. We ate in the Lido and both myself and my wife thought the food was good when we dined there, with plenty of choice. The breakfast was also good.
Before we stayed we were aware that it is still a work in progress, which was obvious to us and also in your vlog, but like you say, you can just wander around bit's that appear to be abandoned.
We got lost several times during our stay and struggled to actually get off. We bumped into several people in the same predicament, wandering backwards and forwards, what a great way to make friend's!
We've been there, done that and wouldn't go back, but we are both glad we did stay.
Love your programmes.
Quite addictive
Watched about 8 in 2 days.
Life lesson....excessive wealth is bad for your wellbeing.
Love your honest(yet brutal sometimes) assessments!
I was lucky enough to sail to New York on the QE2 in 1976 I think it was Its so sad to see her like this Not a fitting end for such a beautiful ship xx
I was SO excited when I saw the notification for this video. I got out my QE2 china and had meself some authentic QE2 teatime while experiencing Tim's always refreshingly thoroughly honest review on this all too historically British ship. I dreamed of sailing on her back in the day, but I was privileged to board her as a VIP on her last visit to Los Angeles, March 30, 2008. And that is one of my most cherished memories.
The ship has been so drastically renovated so many times during her sailing days, I love that they kept some of her '80s-'90s change-ups while bringing back the original spunky, space-age '60s look, including restoring the original Lookout Bar that gazed toward the ship's bow, quickly converted into a kitchen. But it must've been closed, too. Hopefully this was just a dud time to go aboard where nothing was open and everything was being worked on! Though I do very much appreciate them using the ORIGINAL spa/gym space for spa and gym purposes.
It's really great to see a review like this, because I haven't heard a whole lot about what's been going on with the ship. This made me just that much more of a Tim fan.
My father in law designed the engines for that ship.
My sister's in laws flew to America on Concorde and came back on the QE2 😊
Great video Tim 👍🏻😊
The QE2 was built in my hometown Clydebank in John Browns shipyard and my uncle was one of the workers who help build it. I sailed on the QE2 during one of her last transatlantic voyages from Southampton to New York for my 40th. It was a lovely experience. Such a shame it has been let go and become a bit dilapidated 🏴
That’s so cool. And it is a shame to see her in such a state.
@@MiniMeshell wish she could have remained in Britain. Perhaps she would have remained in better condition. Would have been nice if they could have had it as a hotel or museum on the River Clyde. my husband’s great grandfather helped build Titanic. He was a silver smith. We’re from shipbuilding stock.
should have been scrapped years ago and you complain? I always laugh at the entitled idiots who complain about an old ship that didnt meet the scrappers..guess history isnt that important to them...the arrogance
My late father in law worked on her when it as getting built, shame in the way it has been left.
My husband and I were just in Clydebank after visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia and were sad to see there are no historical plaques or info about all the great ships that were built there at John Brown's Shipyard over the decades. Missed opportunity by the local authorities, only one plaque about a Polish warship!
I don't have the funds nor the time to travel the world and explore like you do. But I can always watch your show and imagine I was also there. Thank you for sharing with us.
Thanks for this, I actually cruised on the QE2 with my parents . It was my first cruise and where I got the love of cruising from … (since then I been on 9 cruises) brought back a lot of happy memories. Alas I was in an inside cabin but I loved it . The size of my inside cabin was the size the bathroom in this suite lol 😂 ….. at the end of every night was the National anthem I think and land of hope and glory … all good though. ❤
She's in fantastic condition considering her age. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but a fantastic experience for an enthusiast.
You joking its WRECK state its in.
One day Tim will stay somewhere that WAS exactly what he expected
But will he be shocked that it's exactly what he expected?
So sad to see her there in such a sorry state. This should be in the UK somewhere. Maybe as a museum hotel. But not in a Emirate!
Southampton City tried to buy it. But Dubai could offer more. 😢
Because you and your country are broken you can't even buy your historical ship
That's too bad! Money talks.
There’s a queen ship in America as well no one in England wanted it if I remember correctly
@@laurawilson9235 Correct, Long Beach, CA
I saw the QE2 sail into Melbourne many years ago, and it was a wonderful sight. Now she looks all forlorn, like a caged lion. Thanks for allowing me to realise I never want to go on board her in Dubai.
i traveled on this ship in the late 1970s from Cherbourg France to NY- it was nothing short of amazing. Nice to see this video, it brought back some great memories.
Very pleasing to see that so much of the original has been retained. Like yourself, it is something which I love. But, yes, a disappointment. When you were walking through the shopping mall I imagined the high-end luxury items which would have been on sale back in the day! I think that you hit the nail on the head in your outro when you said that it had been hit badly by COVID, and has not recovered from it. I feel, as a result of that, there is not the money available to maintain the ship to the high standards it deserves. A great pity. As always, appreciate you sharing the experience with us.
@barrycoppock I think the people in Dubai can "afford" to do this hotel up!! They have plenty of money out there.
It's just that this "generation " think differently now a days and maybe are lazy or don't understand the importance of something nice as this cruise ship & how it was when it was sailing on the seas...my opinion
This was so eerie, didn’t expect that.
The ship reminds me a lot of the SS Rotterdam, a Dutch ocean liner from the fifties, now permanently moored in her hometown. It also has that odd mix of faded glamour and modern comfort. Still, I felt sad seeing the QE2 in this state. Like she isn’t properly cared for by her current owners. Thanks for taking us along, Tim!
I sailed on the QE2 transAtlantic to Europe and back, 55 years ago, in 1969. She was a new ship at that time, less than 2 years old. I remember once or twice in the first few months of service, the engines failed while at sea, and the ship was adrift for a short period of time. They finally worked it out. I was a 10 year old boy sailing with my mother from NYC to LeHavre, France, with return a few weeks later Southhampton back to NYC. We actually sailed right through hurricane Gert, a CAT 1, to get back into NYC. There were approx. 50 ft. seas, and the ship would climb the waves, and then go crashing down. Most people on board got sick. It was a fast ship...... at that time it was racing against the SS United States for the fastest transAtlantic crossing. My sailing on the QE2 brings back fond memories.
When my son was still a little boy, we saw the QE2 at the port of Greenock in Scotland, on a lovely sunny, but breezy, day. We'd travelled from Glasgow, where we lived, quite close to where this ship was originally built. Greenock was jam-packed full of people wanting to see the great ship. It had moored to allow passengers off for the day, and would sail off into the sunset on it's cruise to warmer climes. We couldn't board the ship, but I took many photos and it was a fun day for myself and my son.
How sad then to see it now. Almost abandoned and soulless. Deteriorating slowly from neglect.
I wonder if the carpeting was always similar to the carpeting in the Overlook Hotel in the movie : The Shining? How utterly creepy.... I don't know how you kept your nerve wandering around in some of those corridors...... urgh!
Talk about like liminal spaces! Backroom vibes too with that music "Every move you make, every breath you take, I'll be watching you!" Super creepy! Strange old place but fascinating! Thanks Tim, you brave soul, you!
Haha! We said the same things. He should post this video to the back rooms subreddit.
Hi Tim, thanks for a night in the museum. It used to take over a thousand crew to run this back in the day, even with 100 staff it's gonna struggle. Used to work on her, can't imagine what the crew areas look like now! Bet the Pig and Whistle crew bar is long gone!
How terribly sad, the QE2 deserves better than this.
What do you mean?
at least someone bought it, for now. if things went a different way, it could have been sent to the scrap yards. I do think they have bought it as a trophy and have no idea what to do with it.
@@judeclancy1952I think you’re spot on. Ships are insanely expensive to renovate and maintain. Long Beach has long regretted taking on the Queen Mary. It was awesome at first (loved Jacques Cousteau’s sea exploration museum in there when I was a kid), but the shine quickly wore off and people just stopped going there. Dubai needs to recognise that it’s their money pit now and put more money and thoughtful planning into the project…or just turn her into a reef in the Persian Gulf.
You cab stay in the queen Mary, it hasn't been neglected like this has.
There’s no better place for her. Do you see another country who wants to put millions into renovation of something what any ways is going to deteriorate fast?
What a horrendous stay! Would have asked for a refund. Thanks for another great video Tim 👍
To answer your question, pretty much everyone who was anyone during the 1960s, 70s & 80s would have sailed on her. She also saw active service in the Falklands war.
It's an authentic period piece, which could do with a lick of paint & varnish.
I've sailed on the still- in-service Queen Elizabeth (named after Queen Elizabeth II's mum), which is also decorated in the Art Deco style. Fabulous.
But this ship is from another era, when cruising was not the mass-market vacation pastime it is today.
Anyone who was anyone in the 80s are mostly people you'd want to distance yourself from with what we know now. Haha only a fool respect any celebrity these days
18:18 Captains Boardroom Tim, not Bedroom lol. Great ship, millions of passengers, and sailed all over the world and only not even 60 years old yet in service.
I love the mix of vintage and modern. I’m sure it’s a work in progress…..looks comfortable and not overdone like a cruise ship like carnival. I can’t sleep or relax on party cruises. This looks modern, comfortable and very relaxing. 👍
My brother worked on the QE2 from 1977 to 1987 as a steward and then sous chef. He took me on a tour once when I was a kid, the crew had their own bar called The Mucky Duck, and he showed me where they stored cars and other cargo at the bottom of the ship, it was huge!! It seems odd that they have some modern areas and others that are old-style. I think it would have been better to have some areas specifically kept old style and the rest modern.
Wow!! This won't be on my bucket list. I did stay on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA yrs ago and that was incredible. The history was everywhere. I of course don't know how they have maintained it since though. Thank you for sharing your travels and the to do or not!🙏💖🪶💞✨️💜
This was very special for me, my parents went on the QE2 once in the early 1980s and then again in 1990. Apart from some photos they brought home and what they described about it I never had any real sense of the ship's interior so this was like I was seeing it as they saw it in many ways given that a lot of the original features remain. I couldn't help but think of them walking around the ship as you did. My other memory is that as it was their anniversary while on the ship I decided to call the ship from Australia (I think they were sailing from Southampton to New York), in those days there was a special prefix for a ship at sea and I think the call was subject to where the ship was located as to whether it would be connected. So I called with some fear that it may not work, and then after a few rings I heard a voice say "Hello, QE2" and I was then put through to their cabin. So I do feel I actually called the QE2 as much as my parents! Thanks Tim, this was very special to me and I am now motivated to go through my mother's boxes of photographs to find the ones of those trips which I haven't been able to do since she passed a few years ago.
I sailed on the QE2 Five times. 2 crossings, 2 partial Around The World cruises and once to the Caribbean. It was super elegant back then, posh to the max and I had enough caviar to last me for years! I really don’t recognize much now. Of course the ships were full of goodies, the casino had much more than slots, there were 3 dining rooms, the Windows (? Not certain of the name?), the Princess Grill and the Queens Grill. Also several bars scattered about. The Spa was wonderful, much larger than was seems to exist. I spent quite a few hours there! I am sad to see the great lady put out to retirement in such a dismal way.
Enjoy your stay, glad to see shes still in one peice, my grandad was a welder when she was being built in greenock,scotland
"Every breath you take, every move you make.....I'll be WATCHING you!" Creepy 😮🤣 Fab video, as always Tim!
😁
I saw the ghosts of Hyacinth and Richard Bucket (pronounced "bouquet") in track suits running around the ship searching for Onslow and Daisy (lounging in your cabin).
Was on a voyage on the QE2 in the 1990s. Fantastic ship. It remains, from what I see here, in good shape!
I was on the QE2 25 years ago, and I really enjoyed the experience, only downside I had very bad seasickness.
I’m Very very underwhelmed😳….sad because this ship looked so amazing back in the day. It now looks very tired, unloved and neglected, Thanks Tim for all the hard work that you do…..
Accor Hotels dont has the creativity or vision to work with such a unique spot, thats very obvious (Accor has not much of vision anyways if you ask me...). I think the challenge is to make such a location attractive to guests, they need 100% to stick to the museal/classic/traditional appeal of the ship in all its 80ies design crazyness. There is only one chance and this is a 100% retro concept. But they are more and more mixing the design up with modern items, furnitures etc, and now there is no clear and unique concept anymore to see. The owners make the QE2 to just a low end hotel that is located at a very remote place - the Port Rashid.
brings back memories,we went south in 1982 on the QE2 for the falklands war
Yep definitely gives off The Shining vibes with that carpet, watch out for the twins and stay out of room 237 😂
I love how he accidentally makes great liminal horror. Honestly one of the main reasons I watch this channel (not the only reason, but I love it when it happens.)
18:17 if you freeze and zoom in, you’ll see that in 1982, this ship was requisitioned to take troops to the Falklands. I recall that it had a degree of conversion undertaken to fit the purpose for which it was to be used.
I used to work on here mid 90s....wild and crazy time but a lot of fun....thanks for the nostalgia trip....worked in the Coronia restaurant
We stayed on her for 11 days, had no issues whatsoever.The service was good and good was fine, happy memories for us.
i feel like you accidentally walked into some horror monsters domain but by pure accident managed to avoid ever seeing the monster
I flew to new York via Concord and came back via the QE2 many years ago - I was a teenager, maybe around 15. Seeing the casino again was amazing! I don't know if rules at sea are different??! but no one asked my age. I bought a few 1 dollar chips and 2 five dollar ones. I put 1 five dollar chip in a machine, pressed the button and and I won over 5k. I stood there in shock thinking...they are SO gonna ask my age! But they weighed the chips and handed me the cash!
I had severe sea sickness for the entire cruise so my memories aren't the best - I spent time up on the deck getting fresh air quite often! I came home from the cruise much slimmer after being ill the whole time. It is a shame to have such a unique experience and just be ill - I don't think I will ever be a person who gets sea legs!
I remember not being able to get any channels on my tv either - there were just some ship specific stuff and there was a game where you could win money by picking numbers without paying to play. I got twenty dollars on that - I think winning money made up for the sea sickness!!
I had a big sense of familiarity as you explored, despite it being some 35 years ago and I think some things have been moved around and refurbished but a lot also felt familiar, despite how many years have passed for me! Thanks for this video, I'd definitely like to stay again - now it's docked I may not be sea sick!!
This feels like Ghost Ship Chronicles like the ship is friggin haunted! Just imagine if you turned down a corridor and there was a shadowy figure standing at the end. Then all of a sudden you hear a raspy voice in your head "I can't find my room" and it starts floating towards you. Then the voice says again "Pleeease heeellpp mee". What would you do? 👻👻👻
I went on QE2 from Southampton to New York when I was 20 and I remember the queens grill being nice, I remember feeling seasick and standing on the deck at 4am with ice cold wind on my face which made me feel better, and I remember the late Jill Dando was on the boat doing a travel show - no I wouldn’t stay on it now, it’s like a bad 3 star hotel, it’s glory days are over
David Bowie may have stayed in your room. He hated flying so used QE2 to get around.
Love your video’s!
Funny you should say that in one of the doors Tim opened there was a picture of Bowie on the wall. Thought it was strange him being on it now you've explained why.
Still a beautiful ship with so much character! I love it ❤
It was good to see some of the interiors that I remember so well, brought back memories. Thank you.
However... like Queen Mary in Long Beach, on QE2 so much is now closed off from people wanting to explore the ship.
As for her condition... very sad when you consider the wealth in Dubai, and that so much was promised for her...
I think I'll keep to my memories from all those years ago, and not visit to stay. Thank you again.