The berth of a new era

Gracefully plying through the oceans' waves for the last four decades, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 has been the epitome of a Class A liner that resonates of bygone eras.

Since her launch in 1967, the vessel has hosted kings and queens, princes and presidents, the rich, famous and the infamous, sailing the seas with elegance and luxury, and, above all, an innate and grand sense of history. She bears the heredity of Cunard's Luisitania, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, and is giving way to a new generation of liners.

Yesterday, amid pomp and ceremony, the QE2 slipped into her final berth on the Palm Jumeirah, dropping anchor on her sea-faring days.

The grand old lady's retirement, though, will be graceful, and will see her becoming a luxury floating hotel, theatre and residence - a permanent presence on Dubai's waterfront. Dubai is a gracious home for the ship, and her presence here adds grace to the Palm. It's a match worthy of both.