Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

QE2 to open the 'Bridge' to the public

Dubai's floating hotel, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), has announced that it will now offer passengers a special heritage tour that will take them on a journey through the ‘Bridge’ – the command room used by the captain to control the ship during its days of service.
 
Once reserved only for access by senior crew and VVIP’s visiting the ship, the QE2’s Bridge will open for daily tours to the public on February 20 for the first time since launching in 1967. Passengers can take a tour of the iconic bridge which has been left almost intact since the QE2 retired from service as one of the world’s most famous ocean liners.
 
Passengers can get up close and personal with the old maritime equipment that safely circumnavigated the QE2 around the world 25 times and through 812 transatlantic crossings. They can stand at the helm where 25 of the QE2's captains stood before. They will find out what happened when a 40 foot wave engulfed the bow of the ship and they will discover where the crew would charter the waters before the modern technology of today’s maritime navigation overtook traditional map reading.
 
The Bridge Tour starts by taking passengers through notable areas of the main ship, then behind the scenes and up to the main bridge. Passengers can take a selfie from the bridge with the iconic skyline of Dubai in the distance, then follow their tour guide into the main bridge. They will learn all about the main control features of the bridge suite then navigate the Captain's day room, the Chart Room and the Flag Room, as well as the Chief Crew Captain's officers where plans to avert crisis would take place and where the captain would entertain the world's most notable passengers.
 
Bridge Tours are available daily at 10am, 12pm and 4pm. They cost Dh135 ($36.7) per person or Dh200 ($54.4) per person inclusive of Dh100 ($27.2) to spend in the restaurants and bars. For in-house passengers, it costs just Dh60 ($16.3).
 
Capacity is limited per tour group and pre-booking is essential. Exclusive tours are available upon request. - TradeArabia News Service