QE2 leaves New York for last time

NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The Queen Elizabeth 2 sailed into New York Harbor at dawn Thursday for the 710th and last time.

The liner was accompanied by the 4-year-old Queen Mary 2, now the flagship of the Cunard line, as it steamed through the Verrazano Narrows, The New York Times reported.

The Queen Elizabeth 2 left the harbor Thursday afternoon for its last trans-Atlantic voyage to Southhampton. After two one-week Mediterranean cruises, it is to head for Dubai for use as a floating hotel.

Cunard said that the ship was fully booked for its last departure from New York with 1,877 passengers.

The Cunard "Queens" were named after the mother and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. The line has a Queen Victoria as well and plans to put a new Queen Elizabeth into service in 2010.

Peter Knego, who operates a Web site for fans of ships, called the end of the QE2 "sad." He is upset that the new owners plan to remove the funnel, which is the height of a seven-story building.

"After nearly 40 years of service, she's wearing out," he told the Times. "Her day has pretty much come and gone."