It seems less and less likely that Cunard’s cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 will ever be converted into a five-star hotel as promised when Dubai World bought it three years ago for £70 million pounds. Meanwhile the forgotten queen is sitting rather forlornly in Port Rashid, Dubai.

The worldwide economic recession forced the project to be postponed indefinitely and so far nothing has come of the plans to replace the ship’s funnel with a glass penthouse.

At least she is being kept in shipshape. In fact, according to an eyewitness, she is remains in excellent condition while awaiting the conversion – especially taking into account that she left the John Brown shipyard on Clydeside a full 44 years ago in 1967.

As far as we know Rob Lightbody from TheQE2Story.com was the first visitor allowed on the grand old lady in three years. He took hundreds of pictures and videos of the “Sleeping Beauty.” According to these the public rooms are in the same pristine shape they were when the ship cruised into retirement three years ago – one nearly expects the ship to burst into life, brimming with passengers enjoying a drink at the Yacht Club or the Chart Room.

On other pictures the ship looks lonely and forgotten; the stacked chairs, the empty shops and the empty display cases telling their own story. The tables in the restaurants are silently waiting to be laid with plates, cutlery and linen once again, but the fun and laughter is missing.