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- 30 December 1964
- Contract signed with John Brown Shipyard of Clydebank
- 5 July 1965
- Keel laid. Assigned job number 736.
- 20 September 1967
- Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11.*
- 19 November 1968
- QE2 sets sail from the fitting out berth at John Brown's under the command of Captain 'Bill' Warwick.
- 26 November 1968
- Start of preliminary trials in the Irish Sea.
- 17 December 1968
- Start of second trials.
- 23 December 1968
- Maiden Cruise Greenock to Canary Islands. Turbine damage forced return to builders
- 1 April 1969
- Fresh trials
- 18 April 1969
- Delivered to Cunard.
- 22 April 1969
- Preview Cruise to Las Palmas.*
- 2 May 1969
- Official maiden voyage to New York.*
- 24 April 1970
- First visit to Gibraltar.*
- 8 January 1971
- Rescued passengers from Antilles, which had run aground.
- 1972
- May 1972. Ransome demand in mid-Atlantic
- Refit at Vosper Thorneycroft at Southampton
- 20 Penthouses fitted
- 11th October 1973.
- First visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- 1 April 1974.
- 1654 passengers transfered at sea to Norwegian cruise ship Sea Venture.
- 5 April 1974.
- Taken in tow by Joan Moran & Elizabeth Moran to Hamilton where damage repaired.
- 1975
- First world cruise*
- 8th February. First visit to Seychelles*
- 17th February. First visit to Sri Lanka*
- 25 March Passed through the Panama Canal for the first time.
- 1977
- Refit atBethlem Steel at Bayonne, New Jersey
- 2 Grand Suites plus 2 more Penthouses added
- 24 February 1978
- First visit to Australia (Sydney).*
- 8 February 1979
- First visit to Tristan da Cunha.*
- 1st October 1979
- First visit to Boston, Massachusetts.
- 20th July 1981
- First visit to the city of Quebec.
- 23rd July 1981
- First visit to Bar Harbor. Maine.
- 25 April 1982
- First visit to Philadelphia.*
- May/June 1982
- QE2 requisitioned for Falklands War as a troop transport. On 12 May 1982 she set sail for St Georgia
with 3000 troops aboard, The ship arrived on May 27, disembarked the troops and then embarked the survivors
of the HMS Ardent. Since British intelligence had learned that the Argentineans were using air reconnaissance
to try and locate QE2, it left the same day.
- 11 June 1982
- QE2 arrived safely back in Southampton.*
- 14 August 1982
- QE2 returned to service following trooping duty in the Falkland Islands with a grey hull.
- 2 Dec 1982
- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother unveils the special Falklands Plaque on board the QE2*
- July 1983
- Refit at Lloyd Werft at Bremehaven
- QE2, her black hull restored.
- 19 February 1985
- Visit to Adelaide.*
- October 1986
- Work starts in Germany at Lloyd Werft Shipyard, Bremerhaven on the conversion from steam to diesel engines.
Plus A further 8 Penthouses were added
- 25th April 1987
- QE2 handed back to Cunard with the new diesel engines.
- 1987
- QE2 wins The Queen's Award for Export Achievement
- 1990
- Refit at Blohm Voss
- 24 July 1990
- First visit to Liverpool.*
- 5th August 1992
- First Visit to St. John, New Brunswick.
- 7 August 1992
- Runs aground off Matha's Vineyard, Mass.*
- December 1994
- Extensive, much publicised refit by Blohm & Voss, Germany.
- Magrodome & quarter deck swimming pool removed
- 11 September 1995
- QE2 encountered Hurricane Luis on a Westbound
Atlantic crossing and got hit by a 95 foot wave. This resulted in QE2 arriving
in New York late and having to stay a day for repairs. Captain Warwick issued a
certificate to all passengers and crew.
- 1996
- 2nd January At 21:00 GMT the QE2 clocked up her four-millionth
miles, the equivalent of sailing around the world 185 times!
- November/December the QE2 underwent an $18-million overhaul at the A&P Shipyards in Southampton
- 1999
- Following the purchase of Cunard by the Carnival Corporation, QE2 again received a massive,
multi-million dollar refurbishment. The refit took place at Lloyd-Werft, from November 12 to December 11, 1999.
- 29 August 2002
- At approximately 2150 ship's time, the QE2 completed 5 million miles since
being brought into service in 1969.
- 2004
- 25 April Left New York with the QM2 on her last transatlatic voyage.
- 1 May Both Queens arrive in Southampton – the first time two Cunard Queens have been in
the company’s home port since 1967. QE2 relinquishes the title of flagship to RMS Queen
Mary 2.
- 5 November QE2 becomes Cunard’s longest serving express liner having completed 35 years,
six months and three days of service – taking the record from Aquitania.
- 4th September 2005
- Becomes the longest serving Cunard Liner ever as she sailed past the 36
years & 4 months set by Scythia.
- 9th September 2005
- Maiden visit to St. John's, Newfoundland.
- 18th June 2007
- Cunard announce the sale of the QE2 to Istithmar, the Dubai government's investment arm for 100 million dollars.
A black day for lovers of the QE2.
- 17th September 2008
- Final Call to Newport, Rhode Island.#
- 18th September 2008
- Final Call to Boston, Massachusetts.#
- 19th September 2008
- Final Call to Bar Harbor, Maine.#
- 20th September 2008
- Final Call to St John, New Brunswick.#
- 21st September 2008
- Final Call to Halifax, Nova Scotia.#
- 24th September 2008
- Final Call to Quebec City, Canada, also the last port in Canada.#
* I have a First Day Cover for that event
# I was there.
QE2 items For Sale
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