The Queen's Final Voyage to her New Home

摘要

Having flown for nearly 22 hours from the other side of the world I found myself on a Blue Funnel Ferry at 5:30 A.M. heading down Southampton Water to welcome the Queen Elizabeth 2 back to her home port for the last time on November 11, 2008. We were nearly off Calshot at the beginning of the Solent when our ferry captain announced over the public address system that he could see QE2 but she appeared to be not moving. After contacts with the port authority he gave us the dramatic news that QE2 was aground. As was commented later in the day, strong winds had contributed to this but also maybe she just didn't want to leave. So many of us who have traveled on this iconic ship have strong, passionate feelings for her. Mine were mainlyrnfrom joining her for segments of the annual world cruise to or from Sydney. A couple of transatlantic voyages had also been undertaken.rnThus began the excitement of QE2s final voyage to Dubai. Visions of a cancelled voyage ran through the minds of those of us on the ferry who were booked to go to Dubai with the liner. But fortunately, thanks to fast action from the nearby oil refinery tugs along with the Southampton port tugs, soft mud and a rising tide, she arrived about an hour late at the Queen Elizabeth II Terminal. As QE2 steamed up toward the Eastern Docks the coming dawn presented the liner very majestically to us on the ferry. If not for the gende grounding she would have docked in the dark.