The world's most famous passenger liner, the QE2, has sailed into the River Mersey for the final time as part of her farewell tour of the UK.

The QE2 will be retired in November to be converted into a hotel in Dubai after more than 40 years in service.

The Cunard vessel arrived at the Princes Dock liner terminal in Liverpool at about 1130 BST.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the banks of the River Mersey as she docked at the Pier Head.

The QE2 set off from Cork on Friday and stopped in Douglas Bay on the Isle of Man before setting sail for Liverpool.

There are about 1,800 passengers on board, many of whom will attend a celebratory farewell concert at the Anglican Cathedral at 1600 BST.

The choirs of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the cathedral will sing at the event and the band of the Welsh Guards will perform.

Speakers include Simon Weston - who sailed to the Falklands on the QE2 - Dame Beryl Bainbridge and the Master of the QE2 on its final voyage, Captain Ian McNaught.

She is due to sail out of the docks at 2200 BST accompanied by a fireworks display.

After leaving Liverpool, the vessel will head to Greenock, Belfast and Edinburgh before arriving in her home port of Southampton.

Liverpool was for many years home to the headquarters of the Cunard Line.

Best viewing spec from this side of the river

cool were i was gonna go lol so its called Fisherman's Wharf
Well i never knew that

Joe that bit is closed off now mate, you will have to park near the space port and walk down.

my dad was tellin me that when it gets to dubai they're actually gonna keep it seaworthy!

Dubai is to buy the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship for $100m (£50.5m) and turn it into a floating hotel off the Gulf emirate's man-made islands.
The 70,000-tonne vessel, launched by the Queen in 1967, is to be sold to the Dubai World firm by Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator.

Dubai government-owned real-estate developer Nakheel is building three palm-frond shaped isles off its coast.

The ship will be berthed from 2009 at a pier at the Palm Jumeirah development.

'Maritime nation'

Dubai World, whose investment arm Istithmar has made the purchase.

Istithmar hopes to recreate the QE2's original interior decor and fittings, and to establish a museum charting the ship's history.

Dubai World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said: "Dubai is a maritime nation and we understand the rich heritage of QE2.

"She is coming to a home where she will be cherished."

The ship came into service in 1969 and has crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times, carrying more than 2.5 million passengers, Istithmar said.

Maiden voyage

Built at the John Brown shipyard on the Clyde in Scotland, the ship was known only as "Job number 736" until she was officially launched by the Queen in September 1967.


The famous liner is 963ft long, 105ft wide and can carry as many as 1,778 passengers and more than 1,000 crew.

Her first captain was Bill Warwick, who took her on her maiden voyage to Las Palmas, setting off on 22 April, 1969.

yeah thats the idea,hotel+casino but its gonna be kept seaworthy because they CAN!

I stand corrected diggindeeper. Still don't like the royal family though