By
Rebecca Gibson |
Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), which is owned by Dubai government entity QE2 Shipping, is set to sail to China to undergo extensive renovation work as part of Project New Life in October 2013.
The 293-metre vessel is scheduled to depart Dubai during a gala sail-off party on 18 October and is expected to spend three days docked in Singapore with a further three in Hong Kong, before arriving at a yet-to-be-determined Chinese shipyard to be transformed into a suite hotel.
QE2 Shipping – which recently acquired the former Cunard liner from Istithmar, the private equity arm of DP World – has completed the necessary flag registry and insurance documentation, and the vessel has been reclassed by Lloyd’s Register to enable her to travel to Asia on her own steam.
“Over the last few months we have put a lot of effort and work into this project in planning and negotiation and our overall plans for the QE2 are well on track,” said His Excellency Khamis Juma Buamim, chairman of QE2 Shipping, Dubai and QE2 Holding. “Some really deep thought and strategic management planning have gone into this project. We have moved forward in a holistic and calculated manner to ensure that the product positioning is correct, the brand name is strengthened and the implementation taken to complete the project is simple, realistic and cost effective.”
Project New Life, which is jointly managed by Drydocks World and Oceanic Group International, is already underway and several phases have been completed. Oceanic Group has carried out a range of general structural and safety inspections on the ship’s hull and ballast tank, as well as its air conditioning, cooling and sea suction systems. The 32-strong team has also finished steel repairs, overhauled the stabilisers and bow thrusters, and has cleaned and renewed the steel in the deep, diesel oil and sewage tanks. The Group has recently begun renovating the vessel’s engines.
Following a revision of the original interior plans, QE2 is set to become an all-suite hotel featuring rooms between 60 and 150 sqm, as well as larger suites intended for long-term residences.
Benoy, Francis Leung of Hong Kong, Ong & Ong, Wilson Associates and Jeday Associates have been invited to submit concept design plans, which will be placed on the qe2hotels website to be judged by the public against a set criteria.
All of the vessel’s memorabilia will be removed and shipped to Singapore for secure storage, before being reassembled and reinstalled in accordance with the ship’s design concept after the renovation is complete.
Ship inspection and technical teams from China’s Rong Sheng, Cosco, China Merchant and China Shipping yards are also in the process of finalising work proposals for the final renovation stages. The name of the successful yard will be announced in a press conference in mid August in Shanghai.
Owned by Cunard from 1969 until she was retired in 2008, the QE2 was sold to DP World’s investment subsidiary, Istithmar World and has spent around five years docked at Port Rashid in Dubai.