Plans For A Queen Elizabeth 2 Floating Hotel Delayed

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Mar 8th 2009 at 8:03PM

Back in 2007, the plan to turn the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship into a floating hotel in Dubai was just another lavish project in Dubai. Now this project, like so many others, may be in trouble. The QE2 was bought by government-owned developer Nakheel for a reported $100 million. It was to sit on at a pier in the Palm Jumeirah development as another tourist destination. The company announced they would recreate the original decor and fittings of the ship from when she was launched in 1967 only with a modern day spin that included adding a 500-seat theater and building a massive spa complex.

The London Times says that because Nakheel has many other projects including the Palm Jumeirah and the Trump Tower, and because of the significant economic problems affecting Dubai, the QE2 project may end up being delayed. It was originally supposed to be completed this year. Nakheel told the Sunday Times that the conversion will go forward and that has no plans to sell the ship.

In order to draw tourists to Dubai, the Emirates airlines, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai hoteliers and destination management companies, have launched the 'Keep Discovering Dubai' campaign to promote tourism from around the world.

Tags: dubai, nakheel, queen elizabeth ii, QueenElizabethIi, yacht