The final days of the Queens

On a Tuesday afternoon in November 2008, the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 will slip out of Southampton's harbor bound for Dubai and an indelible role in maritime history.

It will be the 40-year-old Cunard ship's last cruise, capping a career that has seen this regal vessel cross the Atlantic more than 800 times, make more than 25 world cruises, carry troops to the Falkland Islands, survive bomb threats and rogue waves, and win the hearts of millions of passengers.

The QE2's final sailing will come the same month another celebrated vessel -- the 81-year-old Delta Queen, a revered fixture on the rivers of America's heartland -- makes its last run.

Built in 1926, the Delta Queen is the last operational steam-powered overnight stern-wheeler in America. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the paddle-wheeler is being retired because its superstructure is made of wood, no longer permitted by law for vessels that sail overnight, and the exemption it had obtained from Congress for decades was not forthcoming this year.

What will happen to the Delta Queen after November 2008 has not yet been determined. Its owner, Majestic America Line, says it is exploring options. There's still a chance -- admittedly slim -- that Congress could renew the boat's exemption before then, and some groups are clamoring for that. One is www.save-the-delta-queen.org, organized by a German steamboat enthusiast.

On the other hand, the QE2's future is settled. Sold for $100 million, it will become a hotel permanently docked in Dubai, and many past passengers view that as a good thing.

One of them, Ben Lyons, who has made 10 voyages on the QE2, wrote a tribute to the ship for CruiseCritic.com, an online cruise magazine. "Dubai," he wrote, "will be able to spend the millions needed to convert her into a hotel and keep her for years to come. She will be docked in the middle of a major tourist center, and a steady stream of visitors seems assured," he wrote in his letter to CruiseCritic. "This is indeed a time to be sad, but not a time to dwell on the sadness.

"Ultimately, she leaves us with dignity."

Before their maritime lives play out, though, both ships will make a series of special farewell sailings. Two QE2 voyages previously planned for fall of 2008 have been replaced with a British Isles voyage and two trans-Atlantic crossings, and a final sailing to Dubai has been added. The itineraries will include a final call to the Clyde (Greenock) in Scotland, where the QE2 was built, and a final "Farewell to America Crossing" from New York (its 806th such voyage).

As for the Delta Queen, Majestic America says it will dedicate the 2008 season to the ship. "We will make every sailing in 2008 a special event," said David A. Giersdorf, the line's president.

QE2

During its 40 years, the QE2 has taken more than five million passengers on itineraries that ranged the world over. Among its more famous passengers: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, George Bush, Julie Andrews, Debbie Reynolds and Shimon Peres. A special guest was Millvena Dean, the youngest survivor of the Titanic.

The ship exudes glamor. In port, its distinctive red funnel and black hull regally announce its presence. Aboard, understated elegance is the byword for the decor. Formal nights bring out exquisitely dressed passengers.

It's not a cookie-cutter ship. Staterooms are sometimes oddly shaped, and nooks and crannies appear here and there. It has a full-time librarian and a huge selection of reading matter as well as facilities unheard of on modern cruise ships -- a nursery, dog kennel and garage for cars.

It has also won devotion from thousands of passengers as well as crew members.

"It's like a good home," says Erma Klindt, 78, of Pasadena, Calif., who has sailed on the QE2 85 times and has already booked one of the upcoming farewell cruises. Klindt is proof that one does not have to be wealthy to enjoy cruising on the QE2: She books only low-cost inside rooms.

Many Cunard officers and crew members also have a special feeling for the QE2.

"There's something magical about this ship," QE2 Capt. Ian McNaught told me in 2003, when I last sailed on it. "It's a special ship."

Says QE2 devotee Lyons, who is now a Cunard officer (but has never worked on the QE2):

"They say that while not every ship has a soul, QE2 does. . . . Like most things in life, what you take away in memories are the people, and I associate so many good times on QE2 with family and friends, both old and new, that accompanied me on my sailings."