Dubai: One of the most famous names in cruise shipping, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), is set to pass through Singapore and then Hong Kong before it heads to a Chinese yard to be transformed into a floating hotel to be moored in Asia.
The ship is now at Dubai Drydocks undergoing preparatory work before it sets sail this autumn.
Khamis Juma Buamin, chairman of Dubai shipyard operator Drydocks World, which bought the ship for around $100m in 2007, said at a press conference this weekend that the ship is undergoing upgrades in Dubai before the planned departure.
The ship is expected to reach Singapore on 1 November, staying for three days before proceeding to Hong Kong for another three days and then head to a shipyard in China.
The ship's memorabilia will be sent to Singapore and stored in a specially secured warehouse and reassembled after renovation.
The conversion of the vessel into a 400-suite hotel will cost around $90m, and be completed by 2014.
The selected Chinese shipyard is expected to be officially confirmed around the middle of August. Drydocks World has invited Chinese yards run by Cosco, China Shipping, China Merchants and Rongsheng to submit bids for the conversion work. [08/07/13]
