The radical 1987 Refit that never was...

[Rob Lightbody]

I have added a comprehensive new page to the main website.

Go to - http://www.theqe2story.com/1987Concepts/ to see it.

Absolutely fascinating material, as Cunard contemplated what to do with QE2's interiors (and exteriors) at the same time as the radical and very expensive re-engining was going ahead.

[Andrew Collier]

Awesome insight, can't believe this has been kept hidden for so many years!

Can't quite get my head around it all, it's a whole new QE2!!!!

Some of it looks good, but i'm really glad some of it didnt happen, gonna go read it all more thoroughly....

....Cheers 

[matdark]

wow... glad it never happenend, especially externally! what's THAT funnel??

[adlersc]

Re-fit took place just after I left the ship and I had no idea of these plans. Fantastic insight. Thanks

[Cruisemarsh]

Interesting to see the plans. 

I am so glad that it didn't happen as it would have spelt the end of the line for the ship then as the overall look of her would have been spoiled beyond repair. The funnel would have look hideious and unsightly and the interior plans don't look any better. Thankfully they choose the right type of funnel in the end and there was no radical change of the overall plans of the ship.

[Cunardqueen]

Exciting stuff there !! Especially the new look for the A stairs.. would have looked good if they had followed through on the rest of the stairwells with the same design with the name on the carpet/staircase, a throwback to the Queen Mary?

[Rob Lightbody]

I like quite a few elements of it... i like the A-stairway upgrade with the wee dedicated penthouse lift, i even like the idea of the QG & QG lounge being at the front, and i think the new windows for them across the front of the ship would have improved her looks.  I think the curtains to block out the shops in the grand lounge was a good idea too.. i'm still mulling over the rest of it.

[Cruisemarsh]

I honestly think Cunard breathed a sigh of huge relief that they went with the option they did, otherwise it wouldn't be the QE2 that we grew to love and adore.

[Peter Mugridge]

Very interesting about the proposed Queen's Grill location, particularly the windows...



As for that funnel, thank goodness they didn't - in that rear three quarters angle view of the ship from above, that proposed funnel design looks like something extremely rude!

[highlander0108]

I like quite a few elements of it... i like the A-stairway upgrade with the wee dedicated penthouse lift, i even like the idea of the QG & QG lounge being at the front, and i think the new windows for them across the front of the ship would have improved her looks.  I think the curtains to block out the shops in the grand lounge was a good idea too.. i'm still mulling over the rest of it.

With the windows in the front, she looks very much like QM2 in the rendering.  If there was one feature the ship lacks, is forward looking rooms.  I welcome the day I will be on QM2, sitting in a chair in the Library, overlooking the bow.  Regarding the funnel, it is obvious that this was not yet coordinated with the re-engining aspects which necessitated the fatter funnel to conceal al the new mechanicals.  Fastinating post!

[Bob C.]

Some really good ideas as well as some really horrible ones.  I would have liked to see the removal of the mystery box to bring back a proper lounge/restaurant and thus the windows but what would have become of the Wardroom if it was to be converted into a lounge.  Also wonder where the extra galley area, claimed to be needed after 1972, would go.  Looks like they would have expanded restaurant capacity and reduced galley space back to the 1969 level.

I could have dealt with the expanded Boat Deck forward and would have liked to have seen the penthouse elevator near A Stairway but thank God that mast and funnel never came to reality.

[Twynkle]

.....With the windows in the front, she looks very much like QM2 in the rendering..... 

Interesting that  that  you should say that too, Ken!
At first glance, I was wondering about the possibility of Stephen Payne having access to these plans as he was designing QM2!
Just imagine the outrage, had QE2 lost the shape of her funnel and mast!

[Chris]

Amazing information Rob, this must have taken a while to put together! What a marvellous find, makes for fascinating reading!

I must say, I am glad that QE2's external appearance wasn't hindered by certain elements of this proposal. I can't stand the balconies and altered forward profile, remind me of those awful hotel concepts leaked from Nakheel.

The interior concepts are interesting. I am glad many didn't proceed. I loved looking down the stairwells! The aft area around One Deck with a proper alternative dining venue would probably have looked better than the Pavilion which was eventually added during Project Lifestyle. As popular as The Pavilion was, it wasn't pretty!

Thinking of Project Lifestyle, the mid-ships lobby concepts remind me of the original Project Lifestyle ideas, of a two storey atrium style lobby:



**

I guess I am biased as I love QE2 as she is. If the proposed changes had happened, she would have been a very different ship.

** Images are from here: http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=1871&CatLevel=&Cat1_ID=&Cat2_ID=&Cat3_ID=&Cat4_ID=&FromSearch=True&SearchPage=%2Ftravelpage%2Faspgallery%2Fsearch.asp%3FCatLevel%3D%26Cat1_ID%3D%26Cat2_ID%3D%26Cat3_ID%3D%26Cat4_ID%3D%26SearchText%3DQE2%26x%3D0%26y%3D0

[Rob Lightbody]

Thanks Chris.

With each set of 'concepts', they always thought she needed a more dramatic midships lobby / dramatic entrance.  However I disagree.  I think it would have actually been misleading.  QE2 had relatively low ceilings, and was relatively old fashioned in terms of her deck arrangements.  A dramatic double-height midships lobby, would just have made the rest of the decks feel even more low, I think.  I like the original lobby, and i like it as it ended up too.  It set the tone for the rest of the ship, and made you realise you were not going onto a state of the art "bling" ship, but a beautiful classic.

[Chris]

I for one, loved the lobby in its 1994-present appearance. It was superb, it was Cunard and it was VERY QE2 (of that time)...

To borrow your superb image:



(Click http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightbody/2796041044/ to see full size)

It's just a stunning space!

The pursers desk, if ever moved, would have benefited from being closer to the lobby on Two Deck, but as it was everyone found their way there in the end

I think in large, the 1987 'concepts' would have resulted in a very 80's QE2 that would have dated quickly - and not in the way that Project Lifestyle dated QE2 (purposely) but rather in a "hmm very 80's" kind of way.

[flagship]

"I think in large, the 1987 'concepts' would have resulted in a very 80's QE2 that would have dated quickly - and not in the way that Project Lifestyle dated QE2 (purposely) but rather in a "hmm very 80's" kind of way".

I couldn't agree more with you Chris!

[Cunardqueen]

The pursers desk, if ever moved, would have benefited from being closer to the lobby on Two Deck, but as it was everyone found their way there in the end

It was a good thing by probably not having the pursers office in that area. Having the crew lined up and escorting you to the cabin probably saved  a lot of questions and then if you really needed the pursers office you would find them.
 I cant remember but were the passengers always shown to the cabin or was that a introduction in later years. I seem to recall at one time being given directions and that was it?
 However it was nice to walk down the gangway and enter what is the calming area of the Midships Lobby and to be "home" without the fuss of some tacky modern hotel lobby that seems to be the norm on ships.     

[Chris]

It was a good thing by probably not having the pursers office in that area. Having the crew lined up and escorting you to the cabin probably saved  a lot of questions  

So very true - it is such an oversight that the crew do not escort you aboard QM2 or QV... such terrible confusion that was saved aboard QE2 by having the escorts (although a few times I ended up showing the escort the quickest way to my cabin!!)

[Cunardqueen]

Of course it was on this date in 1987 she set sail on "that" voyage.

[RMS Queen Elizabeth 2]

I wonder if Nakheel saw these designs? This new QE2 reminds me of the shocking Hotel QE2 model. There are some elements like the hotel QE2 proposal.

I'm glad Cunard never went ahead with it. On the other hand it looks quite nice but not as QE2.

[Rod]

Extremely interesting...Thank you!
Wonder about the Wardy??? They never said what would replace it.
Having a restaurant right up front...IMHO not a good idea....in rough weather the last thing pax want to sea is waves breaking over the windows.
Escalators....didn't we try that before and they were taken out as unworkable and a health hazard?
Comment about the 1 deck jacuzzis. To save money they equipped the 2 jacuzzis with one filter system. Great idea!! When the ship took a list or rolled..one jac would empty into another and that one would overflow. When the ship got upright, both jacs would be half empty, exposing the jets which would then shoot over the deck and empty them further! All this was fresh water which the ship never had too much of in the first place.

[Twynkle]

Extremely interesting...Thank you!
Wonder about the Wardy??? They never said what would replace it.
Having a restaurant right up front...IMHO not a good idea....in rough weather the last thing pax want to sea is waves breaking over the windows....

(Off topic just for a moment, Rod - waves can and do break well, along the windows of the lower deck of QM2's Britannia Restaurant - sometimes covering the full height. These are at least two thirds of the way along her hull and it was great for spectators!)
A restaurant up front on board QE2 would be different I s'pose, mightn't it depend on the height above the water line. Although most people with a tendency to experiencing sea-sickness would probably have retired to their cabins hours before.
However, it could have made life a bit more tricky for the waiting crew...