Queen Elizabeth 2 To Become a 500 Room Hotel and Attraction in Asia

Queen Elizabeth 2 to become a Hotel in Asia

QE2 Dubai, has the pleasure to announce that MS Queen Elizabeth 2 Known popularly as (QE2) will be moved today to Drydocks World Dubai for undertaking classification checks prior to her renovation as a luxury floating hotel.


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Follow the Refit of the Dawn Princess

(June 9, 2009) – Following the enthusiastic response to its unprecedented online Golden Princess Drydock Journal last month, Princess Cruises is again inviting cruise enthusiasts to go behind the scenes as Dawn Princess undergoes a similar makeover. Visitors to www.princess.com will be able to watch daily as the ship receives new interior furnishings and finishes, plus adds two Princess signature features – the Movies Under the Stars giant poolside screen and the relaxing adults-only Sanctuary.
The Dawn Princess Drydock Journal features regular updates of the work in progress at the Forgacs Cairncross Dockyard in Brisbane, Australia. The journal can be found on the Dawn Princess page in the website’s “Ships” section, and it will be regularly updated throughout the ship’s two-week drydock which ends June 20.

“We had such wonderful feedback from web users about our recent drydock journal that we decided to offer ship fans another behind-the-scenes look at all the work that will go into Dawn Princess’ refurbishment,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “I think when our passengers see first-hand what’s accomplished in a relatively short period of time, they’ll be impressed by the planning and teamwork that goes into ensuring that our ships and their amenities deliver the fantastic experience for which Princess is known.”

When Dawn Princess emerges from the drydock, the ship will feature the opportunity to get away from it all in the tranquility of The Sanctuary, Princess’ signature adults-only retreat featuring plush padded lounge chairs and the services of dedicated Serenity Stewards. Visitors to this exclusive space can enjoy refreshing beverages and light snacks or listen to a relaxing playlist of music.

In addition, Movies Under the Stars will also debut in the poolside area with a state-of-the-art Times Square-style LED screen, offering evening movies and a variety of daytime programming. The 300- square-foot screen offers passengers a movie experience comparable to the best shoreside movie theater. In addition to family cinema and first run hits, Movies Under the Stars also features major sporting events, concerts and a new Leonard Maltin Movie Club.

Other changes viewers will see throughout the drydock include the installation of new carpet and upholstery, plus a rare view of the bottom of the ship’s hull as it receives several new coats of silicone paint.

Dawn Princess is home-ported in Sydney for year-round Australia-based cruising and on July 5, the ship departs on a 104-day world cruise, the first circumnavigation and longest-ever roundtrip voyage from Australia.

Celebrity Millennium to Undergo $10 Million Dollar Refit

May 13, 2009 – Known for its exceptional style and design, Celebrity Cruises is rolling out a series of new design schemes on Celebrity Millennium during a $10-million refresh this year, beginning during its scheduled drydock period this week.

Consistently ranked among the top 10 large ships in the world since its launch in 2000 – and so beloved by cruise enthusiasts that she’s been affectionately dubbed “Millie” in social networking venues – Celebrity Millennium will emerge May 22 from a 12-day drydock in Victoria, B.C., with new carpeting throughout the entire ship, and new upholstery embellishing every stylish stateroom, the Lido deck, the Celebrity Theatre, and the dramatic, sweeping main dining room.

All marble and stone floors and counter areas will be renewed with a gleaming finish, and all wood hand rails on the ship’s verandas and pool deck areas will be newly varnished.

Celebrity Millennium’s sun worshipers are likely to take notice of the work completed in exterior areas, too, as new bolidt – an alternative to traditional teak decking – is being installed across the pool deck, outdoor stage, dance floor and jogging track.

Every suite will be equipped with 32-inch LED flat-panel TVs, while every plush ConciergeClass stateroom will boast 26-inch versions of the high-tech product. Additionally, new drapes, bed skirts and bed throws in warm, natural hues will further enhance every suite and stateroom.

By October of this year, new upholstery also will adorn furnishings in the ship’s retail areas, the sweeping Grand Foyer, and every lounge, including Celebrity’s chic, signature Martini Bar, and all staterooms will boast 26-inch LED flat-panel TVs.
The newly-refreshed Celebrity Millennium embarks on this year’s Alaska season May 22, on a seven-night cruise roundtrip from Vancouver, B.C., prior to a series of seven-night Southbound Alaska sailings to and from Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, through September.
Travelers eager to experience the refreshed Celebrity Millennium have no better opportunity than now, with select staterooms on several Alaska sailings starting at $57 per person per day, when booked by May 31, through “The Celebrity Starring You Promise.”

Celebrity Millennium also presents the opportunity to delve deeper into Alaska’s breathtaking wilderness on unique Celebrity Cruisetour vacations. These in-depth packages pair a spectacular Celebrity cruise with a fully escorted pre- or post-cruise land-based experience, and offer unsurpassed values this spring and summer.

Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale vacation experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 "Top Cruise Ships in the World" in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2009 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice – will be joined by Celebrity Equinox this year, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012.

Princess Cruise Golden Princess Emerges From Refit

(May 12, 2009) – A transformed Golden Princess has emerged from the most extensive drydock ever undertaken by Princess Cruises, one that was followed closely by thousands of cruise aficionados around the world. Throughout the three-week makeover, a daily online photo journal offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the dramatic amount of work needed to add such signature Princess features to the ship as a new piazza-style atrium, an adults-only Sanctuary, a Movies Under the Stars poolside movie screen, and a new Crown Grill steak and seafood restaurant.

The online journal, which was updated each day on www.princess.com as well as on popular social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, featured more than 180 photos giving viewers a front-row seat as the immense project was undertaken at Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia.

The full transformation is available for viewing at www.princess.com and features such rare scenes as the hull of the ship and propellers out of the water with the new silicone underwater paint being applied, to hundreds of pieces of furniture being re-upholstered, to key public areas being demolished and re-configured into new spaces.

“Based on the many comments we received, I think it’s safe to say that our passengers were amazed at being able to watch Golden Princess’ makeover as it happened,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “We heard that they have a new appreciation for the dramatic amount of work that goes into a project like this, as well as how much care and effort we put into our ships every day.” Swartz added that a complex project like this drydock was a prime example of the teamwork and dedication for which Princess is known.

During a short sampler sailing to Ketchikan and then back to Seattle, the new features were unveiled to passengers, and the ship is now cruising on its first Alaska voyage of the season. Golden Princess will continue to offer weekly departures from Seattle on roundtrip Inside Passage voyages through September 12.

Now that the transformation is nearly complete, Golden Princess’ atrium features a new Piazza with an inviting street café atmosphere and two new dining options. The International Café serves up specialty coffees, fresh baked cookies, pastries, panini sandwiches and tapas, while wine bar Vines offers a selection of more than 30 wines by the glass, plus a selection of seafood, artisan meats and cheeses, and a wine shop where passengers can purchase their favorite bottle.

Adult passengers looking to get away from can now relax in the tranquility of The Sanctuary, Princess’ signature retreat featuring plush padded lounge chairs and the services of dedicated Serenity Stewards. Visitors to this exclusive space can enjoy refreshing beverages and light snacks, or receive a massage in one of the private cabanas.

And a new 300-square-foot Movies Under the Stars poolside LED screen now features evening movies and a variety of daytime programming, comparable to the best shoreside movie theater. In addition to family cinema and first run hits, it showcases major sporting events, concerts and other can’t-miss programming – up to 50 different offerings per week.

The ship also now features a brand-new relocated casino on deck 7, a new sports court, a new Internet café and library, and a refurbished fitness center. And all passenger cabins were also fitted with new flat screen televisions.

With such an ambitious project list to accomplish in just three weeks time, some spaces are still in the final phases of completion. This includes the new Crown Grill restaurant, newly constructed suites, and the relocated shore excursions desk and wedding chapel.

“This massive drydock clearly demonstrates Princess’ commitment to ensuring our passengers experience our signature features and amenities no matter which ship they sail,” added Swartz.