Queen Elizabeth 2

MS Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner built for Cunard and operated by Cunard as liner and cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was designed as a liner on the transatlantic service from her home port of Southampton, UK, to New York, USA, and was named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. She served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Designed in Cunard's then headquarters and regional offices in Liverpool and Southampton respectively, and built in Clydebank, Scotland, she was considered to be the last of the great transatlantic ocean liners until the construction of the QM2 was announced.

Before she was refitted with a diesel power plant in 1986/87, QE2 was also the last oil-fired passenger steamship to cross the Atlantic in scheduled liner service. During almost forty years of service, the QE2 undertook regular world cruises and latterly operated predominantly as a cruise ship, sailing out of Southampton, England. QE2 had no running mate and never ran a year-round weekly transatlantic express service to New York. QE2 did, however, continue the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life. QE2 was never designated RMS, or Royal Mail Ship.

QE2 retired from active Cunard service on 27 November 2008. She was acquired by Istithmar, the investment company of Dubai World, which planned to begin conversion of the vessel to a floating hotel moored at the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. In July 2012, Istithmar announced that conversion would take about 18 months.