We’ve been following the saga of the QE2 ever since the Dubai investment firm Istithmar bought Cunard’s storied ocean-liner in 2007. Initially the ship was to be converted into a sumptuous floating hotel in Dubai, but plans were thwarted during the economic crisis. Talk then shifted to South Africa, where the floating hotel would be docked during the World Cup, and then to London, where plans were made to dock the QE2 outside the O2 Arena. Now it seems the tides have turned. The Telegraph is reporting that the liner will be sold to a Chinese firm for scrap metal.
After it was inaugurated by the Queen in 1969, the QE2 made its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Cunard then operated the vessel for 30 years, before its final trip to the Middle East in 2008.
Image via Cunard