Luxury liner destined for the Far East

Its owners plan to lavish many millions of dollars on the 70,000-tonne vessel to restore it to the splendour of its glory days.

The elaborate refurbishment will see the grand dame of the sea fitted with some 500 rooms, a shopping mall stocking the finest UK and European brands and three Michelin-starred restaurants. Its future as a five-star hotel will be a far cry from its days of transatlantic crossings or its spell as a troop ship during the Falklands War.

Daniel Chui, managing director of Oceanic Group, which is helping to convert the ship, said the QE2 would become a “beacon of luxury, glamour, quality and tradition”, and will be given the “prominent waterfront home she deserves”. But the ship’s final destination is being kept a closely-guarded secret.

The move is the latest twist in the QE2’s rich history, which includes nearly 40 years in passenger service. The retired Cunard vessel, launched by the Queen in 1967, was bought by Dubai World in 2007 and sailed to the emirate state in 2008. It was due to take up a permanent berth on the Palm Jumeirah, acting as a heritage museum displaying artefacts from the ship and from maritime history. But the government-owned company’s plans fell apart when the emirate was plunged into financial crisis.

There is now speculation it could be docked in Hong Kong or Singapore.