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| QE2 Facts & History | |  |
Registry - Southampton, England
Built by John Brown and Co. (Clydebank) Ltd., Scotland; later Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
Maiden Voyage: May 2, 1969 (Southampton to New York)
Refurbished: December 10, 1999
Launched by: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
• 70,327 tons
• 963 feet long
• 105 feet wide
• 32 feet draft
• 25 - 28.5 knots cruising speed (maximum 32.5 knots)
• 12 guest decks
• 13 guest, 8 store elevators
• Car Facilities: Room for 10 drive-on, drive-off
• 1,791 guests (double occupancy)
• 921 crew (British & International)
Ship Facilities
| Restaurants |
Capacity |
|
Lounges |
Capacity |
| Queens Grill |
231 |
|
Grand Lounge |
590 |
| Princess Grill |
100 |
|
Queens Room |
316 |
| Britannia Grill |
108 |
|
Theatre/Cinema |
529 |
| Caronia Restaurant |
554 |
|
Yacht Club |
204 |
| Mauretania Restaurant |
530 |
|
Chart Room |
96 |
| The Lido |
400 |
|
Crystal Bar |
182 |
| Pavillion |
58
|
|
Golden Lion |
96 |
Other Public Rooms
Casino, Royal Promenade (shops include souvenirs, clothing, jewellery, perfume and a branch of Harrods), Board Room (Guest Capacity - 60), Library and Book Shop, Computer Learning Centre, Nursery, Video Arcade and Teen Disco
Suites and Cabins
Total: 950
• Ocean-View: 671 staterooms (70% ocean view)
Suites - 2 Grand Suite and 185 Suites
Interior: 279 staterooms
• Single occupancy: 118 (37 Outside, 81 Interior)
All cabins include 24-hour room service, TV/radio, direct dial telephone, hair dryer,
nightly turn-down service, daily newspaper, full bathroom with shower and/or bathtub,
and 110/220 Volt Outlets.
Grand Suites (2): 1,184 sq. ft.
QE2's two ultra-luxurious split-level apartments - Grand Suites, named after the most illustrious Cunarders (Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth), are among the largest and most lavish suites afloat. Each Grand Suite features a bedroom with private verandah, walk-in wardrobe, marble bathroom with both bath and shower. A double door leads to a dining area, which in turn adjoins a raised lounge, leading to a glass-covered conservatory and private, forward-facing deck area.
Health and Sports Facilities
Health Spa, Fitness Deck, Hair and Beauty Salon, Swimming Pools (one outdoor, one indoor), Golf Driving Range, Table Tennis, Paddle Tennis Court, Shuffleboard
| 30 Dec 1964 |
Contract signed with John Brown Shipyard of Clydebank. |
| 5 Jul 1965 |
Keel laid. Assigned 'job number 736'. |
| 20 Sep1967 |
Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
|
| 19 Nov 1968 |
QE2 sets sail from the fitting out berth at John Brown's under the command of Captain 'Bil' Warwick. |
| 26 Nov 1968 |
Start of preliminary trials in the Irish Sea. |
| 22 Apr 1969 |
Mini maiden voyage to Las Palmas. |
| 2 May 1969 |
Official maiden voyage to New York. |
| 8 Jan 1971 |
Rescued passengers from Antilles, which had run aground. |
| May 1972 |
Ransome demand in mid-Atlantic. |
| 1975 |
First world cruise. |
| May 1982 |
QE2 requisitioned for Falklands War as a troop tansport. On 12 May 1982 she set sail for St Georgia with 3000 troops aboard. QE2 arrived safely back in Southampton on 11 June 1982. |
| Oct 1986 |
Work starts in Germany on the conversion from steam to diesel engines. |
| 1987 |
QE2 wins The Queen's Award for Export Achievement. |
| 7 Aug 1992 |
Hits uncharted rocks off Vineyard Sound. |
| Dec 1994 |
Extensive, much publicised refit. |
| 11 Sep 1995 |
Encountered Hurricane Luis on a Westbound Atlantic crossing and got hit by a 95 foot wave. |
| 2 Jan 1996 |
QE2 logged 4 millions miles |
| 1996 |
Following the sale of Trafalgar House to Kvaerner, Cunard Line ownership is transferred to the Norwegian construction company. |
| May 1998 |
Kvaerner sell Cunard Line to the American owned Carnival Corporation. |
| 4 Oct 2001 |
Captain R W Warwick performed the wedding ceremony of his daughter Rebecca on-board QE2 in Boston. |
| 29 Aug 2002 |
QE2 logged 5 millions miles at sea. |
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