The QE2 will be taking guests from April 18.
It spent more than 40 years at sea and arrived in Dubai’s Port Rashid 10 years ago, and now the Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner is ready for its next phase.
The iconic cruise ship will open its doors as a stationery hotel on April 18, with rooms available to book now on its website.
The 13-deck hotel ship has been lovingly restored, with rooms reflecting its heritage. Expect a vintage feel and dark wood panelling, but with some updated conveniences.
There will also be 12 dining options on board, full of reminders of the ship’s past. Guests will be able to the Chartroom Bar for a time-capsule experience, or try the original menu at the Queens Grill.
For a more contemporary vibe, the Yacht Club bar promises views of Dubai’s skyline and the kind of luxury we tend to expect here. It’s not clear which of these options will be open from next week, but we’re sure there’ll be plenty to explore on board.
Rooms start at around Dhs600, with deluxe rooms from Dhs900. The hotel houses 224 rooms altogether.
You’ll also be able to find an interactive museum that charts the QE2’s history on-site too, complete with artifacts and reproduced rooms. The ship’s former casino has of course been decommissioned, but it’s also been restored.
The Queen Elizabeth 2 ship first set sail in 1967 and was considered to be an engineering marvel. Over the years, the ship has welcomed guests including Nelson Mandela, Elizabeth Taylor, Buzz Aldrin and David Bowie. In her lifetime the QE2 would complete 1,400 voyages before retiring in 2008.
