Cunard Celebrates 50 Years Since Launching Queen Elizabeth 2
by Daniel McCarthy /
Cunard is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), one of the world’s historic ocean liners, in 2017 with a special anniversary sailing.
On September 8, Cunard’s current Queen Elizabeth will leave from Southampton on a 17-day Mediterranean voyage through Venetian canals, Sicily’s Mount Etna and Corfu’s Old Town, on a sailing honoring QE2.
The sailing includes five separate themed days designed to honor the legacy of QE2, with special menus, past-passenger gatherings, guest speakers and more each day—on one day, titled “Moving in Royal Circles,” Cunard will look at the relationship between the QE2 and the British Royal Family while another will showcase QE2’s service during the Falkland War.
“We felt this was a great opportunity to pay tribute to this Cunarder's remarkable life onboard our newest ship, Queen Elizabeth,” Cunard vice president Angus Struthers said.
The celebration will come to a head with a QE2 ball during September 20th, a date that will mark exactly 50 years since the ship was launched by Queen Elizabeth II. During the occasion, guests will get a look into the history of the vessel with a retrospective hosted in the ship’s Royal Court Theatre.
Guests on the sailing will be able to mingle with some Cunard celebrities including former QE2 captain R.W. Warwick, maritime historian Chris Frame and former QE2 social hostess Maureen Ryan.
The QE2 entered service in 1969. The ship was built for transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York. It was retired from active service in November 2008 and has since gone through different ownerships without renovations or conversions.
Currently, it is laid up at a dock in Dubai with an uncertain future ahead.