There are many options to explore in Dubai, but one of the most unique experiences we had so far was visiting the Queen Elisabeth 2. The historical ship had her maiden voyage in 1969 and since sailed both as a liner between England and America and as a cruise ship travelling around the world. In 2008 it was purchased and relocated to Mina Rashid Port in Dubai and has since been turned into a floating hotel.
We decided to spend a weekend on QE2 to really feel the rich history and it was obvious that we were in for a special weekend from the moment we boarded the ship. Although it has been redeveloped and modernized, the original mood has truly been kept alive. I really recommend going for a walk around the different areas of the ship and just try to sense how it was back in the days and imagine that the likes of Nelson Mandela, David Bowie, Elton John and the Beatles stars Ringo Starr and George Harrison were all there.
When we arrived, we had a good reception with some delicious sweets in our room. The room itself was very nice and authentic with its own Seaview balcony– perfect for sitting and relaxing with some good talks and cold drinks. After saying hello to our room, we went for an afternoon tea in the charming Queen’s Grill. The tea was delicious and matched with some scones, sandwiches and cakes.
We then went to join the Heritage Tour with our guide, Peter Warwick, who had a rich history with QE2 both as a passenger and while working as crew. It was a very inspiring tour with a lot of good stories of what went on the ship back in the days, for example when the last survivor of Titanic was onboard and when the vessel was hit by giant waves on its way to New York. It was so much fun and made us realize just how special QE2 is.
Like it was when it was sailing, the ship was full of life with a wedding, a birthday party and Abba Reunion all happening while we were there. We had such a good time there with nice food, friendly people and great talks about everything and nothing on our balcony in the night, with a glass of bubbles of course. If you are going to Dubai and want a unique experience, I would highly recommend stopping by QE2 to spend the night or even just having dinner at Lido and become part of the long history of this mythical ship.
