This morning Lulu and I got up to see the FSU/Notre Dame basketball game on TV. FSU won - and about 6:30 AM I got an email from my friend Ben Turrano asking if I got to see the Queen Elizabeth 2. We were about to go to the airport at 9 AM to catch a plane.
Since the ship was only 2 miles away - I quickly shaved and showered - and headed to the dock. I caught a regular cab at the hotel door - and in 10 minutes I was at the dock.
There she sat - looking pretty good. Dubai bought her and renovated her into a hotel and convention center. I asked at the front desk if I could go aboard and take pictures. So for the next 30 minutes I was running up and down the beautifully renovated halls. I was snapping anything that hooked historic. I figured Ben would love seeing his beloved ship again.
It was only 7 AM - so few people were walking around. I felt like I was on a ghost ship. The original fixtures were kept - all new carpet and paint made the ship look really sharp.
The ship sailed from 1968 to 2008 - roughly 40 years - she sailed the Southampton England to New York City route. The ship was 900 feet long and 100 feet wide. It went a whopping 40 miles per hour - compared to the Titantic's 15 miles per hour. It was not a cheap ticket. In its heyday - it had 1800 guests and 1000 crew.
Today it is a hotel convention center. The ship and grounds are spotless.
I took 100 pictures - caught an uber car back to the hotel - and at 8 AM I was back for breakfast with Lulu.
