Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is a retired British passenger ship converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic liner and a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was then laid up until converted and since 18 April 2018 has been operating as a floating hotel in Dubai.
Queen Elizabeth 2 docked in Dubai in March 2020
QE2's hull at Number 736 on the slipway, 1967
Queen Elizabeth 2's long bow was typical of regular service ocean liners, which sailed at high speed to keep a schedule in any weather.
Queen Elizabeth 2 back on the River Clyde for her 40th birthday in 2007
An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes. Only one ocean liner remains in service today.
As of 2024[update], RMS Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in service
RMS Lusitania arriving in New York in 1907. As the primary means of trans-oceanic voyages for over a century, ocean liners were essential to the transportation needs of national governments, business firms, and the general public.
In 1838, Sirius was the first ship to cross the Atlantic using continuous steam power.
The first voyage of SS Great Western (1838)
![As of 2024[update], RMS Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in service](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Queen_Mary_2_Boston_July_2015_01_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-Queen_Mary_2_Boston_July_2015_01_%28cropped%29.jpg)
