According to Bloomberg.com, after completing 500 miles at sea, the Queen Elizabeth II will make it's final dock at Port Rashid in Dubai. The ocean liner will be renovated and transformed into a 300-room hotel, a project headed by state-owned company Istithmar World PJSC. The ship has five restaurants, a cinema, a casino, a health club, a shopping area, a hospital, library and several bars.
“We realized that a lot of people love the ship as it is,” bin Sulayem said. “We will fix what needs to be fixed, but we will preserve its tradition and the way it was.”
The ship has a rich history, beginning with its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York in 1969. Britain's royal family has boarded the Queen Elizabeth II, and the ship has endured many hardships over the years, surviving a collision near Martha's Vineyard in 1992 and a rogue wave during Hurricane Luis in 1995.
Port Rashid will undergo major changes including an updated water-supply and drainage system. The cruise terminal will be expanded to fit five cruise ships, and a Dubai Maritime Museum is expected to debut along with the ship.
"We want to make Port Rashid a seaport village,” said bin Sulayem.
To read the entire article, visit www.bloomberg.com.