History

30 Dec 1964Contract signed with John Brown Shipyard of Clydebank.
5 Jul 1965Keel laid. Assigned 'job number 736'.
20 Sep 1967Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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19 Nov 1968QE2 sets sail from the fitting out berth at John Brown's under the command of Captain 'Bil' Warwick.
26 Nov 1968Start of preliminary trials in the Irish Sea.
22 Apr 1969 Mini maiden voyage to Las Palmas.
2 May 1969 Official maiden voyage to New York.
8 Jan 1971 Rescued passengers from Antilles, which had run aground.
May 1972 Ransome demand in mid-Atlantic.
April 1974 Lost propulsion 200 miles off Bermuda due to contaminated boilers. All 1,654 passengers taken off by tenders from Sea Venture.
1975 First World Cruise.
May 1982 QE2 requisitioned for Falklands War as a troop tansport. On 12 May 1982 she set sail for St Georgia with 3000 troops aboard. QE2 arrived safely back in Southampton on 11 June 1982.
Oct 1986 Work starts in Germany on the conversion from steam to diesel engines.
1987 QE2 wins The Queen's Award for Export Achievement.
7 Aug 1992 Hits uncharted rocks off Vineyard Sound.
Dec 1994 Extensive, much publicised refit.
11 Sep 1995Encountered Hurricane Luis on a Westbound Atlantic crossing and got hit by a 95 foot wave.
See Storm Certificate
2 Jan 1996QE2 logged 4 millions miles
1996 Following the sale of Trafalgar House to Kvaerner, Cunard Line ownership is transferred to the Norwegian construction company.
May 1998 Kvaerner sell Cunard Line to the American owned Carnival Corporation.
4 Oct 2001 Captain R W Warwick performed the wedding ceremony of his daughter Rebecca on-board QE2 in Boston.
See Article by Captain Warwick
29 Aug 2002 QE2 logged 5 millions miles at sea.
Apr 2004 QE2 completed a tandem crossing of the Atlantic with the new QM2.
27 Nov 2008 QE2 is officially handed over from Cunard to new owners Nakheel and birthed permanently in Dubai.
18 Apr 2018 QE2 finally opens as a hotel.