Retired luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 on Wednesday
celebrated its soft opening as a floating hotel in Dubai.
At 963 feet long and 13
decks high, the QE2 has rooms ranging from 183-square-foot cabin-style standard
rooms to its two 818-square-foot Royal Suites, which have private verandas and
dining rooms.
The hotel, which is owned by Dubai's PCFC Hotels, combines
period-piece 1960s-era furniture and memorabilia with modern amenities, while
the lobby has a museum commemorating the ship's history.
Docked at Dubai's Mina Rashid, the hotel has 13 restaurants,
five of which will open this week. Guests can seek out an English pub
experience at the Golden Lion, while the ship's Yacht Club serves afternoon
tea. The QE2's Queens Grill feature re-creations of 1969-era dishes.
Dedicated in 1967, the QE2 made its maiden voyage as Cunard's
flagship in 1969. The ship carried about 2.5 million passengers on its 1,400 voyages,
including more than 800 transatlantic crossings, before being retired in 2008.
The QE2's soft opening will be marked by the Dubai arrival
of Cunard's Queen Mary 2, whose guests will be among the first VIP guests
aboard the QE2.
The QE2's official grand opening will be in October.