Editing Queen Elizabeth 2 (section)

===Later years===
[[File:QE2 WEB.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Leaving Sydney 18 February 2004]]
[[File:QE2 and Ferry Too (3556981118).jpg|thumb|''QE2'' near the Cunard Building in Liverpool in 2004]]
[[File:Queen's Room Ballroom QE2.jpg|thumb|The interior Queens Room in 2006]]
Following the 1998 acquisition of the Cunard Line by [[Carnival Corporation]], in 1999 ''QE2'' was given a US$30&nbsp;million refurbishment which included refreshing various public rooms,<ref name=TheQE2Story /> and a new colour palette in the passenger [[cabin (ship)|cabins]]. The Royal Promenade, which formerly housed upscale shops such as [[Burberry]], H. Stern and [[Aquascutum]], were replaced by boutiques typical of cruise ships, selling perfumes, watches and logo items. During this refit, the hull was stripped to bare metal, and the ship repainted in the traditional Cunard colours of matte black (Federal Grey) with a white superstructure.<ref name="chrisqe2hist" />

On 29 August 2002, ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' became the first merchant ship to sail more than 5 million nautical miles at sea.<ref name=PayneP36/>

In 2004, the vessel stopped plying the traditional transatlantic route and began full-time cruising, the transatlantic route having been assigned to Cunard's new flagship, {{RMS|Queen Mary 2|3=2}}. However, ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' still undertook an annual world cruise and regular trips around the Mediterranean. By this time, she lacked the amenities to rival newer, larger cruise ships, but she still had unique features such as her ballrooms, hospital,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=247 |title=Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2)&nbsp;– Cunard |publisher=Cruisecritic.com |access-date=14 July 2010 |archive-date=1 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501033353/http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=247 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and 6,000-book library.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chriscunard.com/qe2/qe2-deckplans/ |title=QE2 Deckplans |access-date=2 July 2010 }}</ref> ''QE2'' remained the fastest cruise ship afloat (28.5 knots<ref name="fuel"/>), with fuel economy at this speed<ref name="fuel"/> at 49.5&nbsp;ft<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecunarders.co.uk/QE2%20Statistics.html |title=The Cunarders: QE2 : Statistics |access-date=12 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326180245/http://www.thecunarders.co.uk/QE2%20Statistics.html |archive-date=26 March 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/QE2+GETS+SET+FOR+HER+LAST+VISIT%3B+Warm+welcome+expected.-a0168878004 |title=QE2 Fuel Usage |access-date=12 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://tripatlas.com/Fuel%20efficiency%20in%20transportation |title=Trip Atlas QE2 Fuel |access-date=12 July 2010 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> to the gallon (4 m/L).<ref>{{cite news|last=Clifton |first=Paul |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/7663226.stm |title=UK &#124; England &#124; Hampshire &#124; QE2's funnel 'to be sliced off' |work=[[BBC News]] |date=10 October 2008 |access-date=14 July 2010}}</ref> While cruising at slower speeds efficiency was improved to 125&nbsp;ft per gallon (10 m/L).<ref name="fuel">{{cite web|url=http://www.roblightbody.com/liners/qe-2/QE2_fuel_economy.htm |title=QE2 Fuel Efficiency |access-date=12 July 2010}}</ref>

On 5 November 2004, ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' became Cunard's longest serving express liner, surpassing {{RMS|Aquitania}}{{'}}s 35 years,<ref name="CunardHist" /> while on 4 September 2005, during a call to the port of Sydney, Nova Scotia, ''QE2'' became the longest serving Cunarder, surpassing {{RMS|Scythia}}{{'}}s record.<ref>QE2 Daily Programme 04:09:05</ref>

At the end of her 2005 world cruise, some pieces of her artwork were damaged when some crew members who had become [[inebriated]] at an on-board crew party, went on a vandalism rampage through the public areas of the ship. A unique tapestry of ''Queen Elizabeth 2'', commissioned for the launch of the ship, was thrown overboard by a drunken crewman. An oil painting of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and two other tapestries were also damaged, along with a part of the entertainment area and a lifeboat. The crew members involved were dismissed from service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1290 |title=Cruise Critic News: QE2 Winds Up World Cruise With a Whimper |publisher=Cruisecritic.com |date=20 April 2005 |access-date=14 July 2010}}</ref>

On 20 February 2007 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'', while on her annual world cruise, met her running mate and successor flagship ''QM2'' (herself on her maiden world cruise) in [[Port Jackson|Sydney Harbour]], Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cunard.com/CruiseItinerary.asp?cruiseid=2802&LeftNav=Planner&Active=&Sub=&OB=&Region= |title=''Queen Mary 2'' world cruise itinerary |publisher=Cunard.com |access-date=14 July 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225153754/http://www.cunard.com/CruiseItinerary.asp?cruiseid=2802&LeftNav=Planner&Active=&Sub=&OB=&Region= |archive-date=25 February 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cunard.com/CruiseItinerary.asp?cruiseid=2803&LeftNav=Planner&Active=&Sub=&OB=&Region= |title=Queen Elizabeth 2 world cruise itinerary |publisher=Cunard.com |access-date=14 July 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225160201/http://www.cunard.com/CruiseItinerary.asp?cruiseid=2803&LeftNav=Planner&Active=&Sub=&OB=&Region= |archive-date=25 February 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6377633.stm |title=Royal liners in Sydney rendezvous |work=[[BBC News]] |date=20 February 2007 |access-date=14 July 2010}}</ref> This was the first time two Cunard ''Queens'' had been together in Sydney since the original ''Queen Mary'' and ''Queen Elizabeth'' served as troop ships in 1941.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/queenelizabeth.html |title=Queen Elizabeth 1940–1973 |publisher=Thegreatoceanliners.com |access-date=14 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826125950/http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/queenelizabeth.html |archive-date=26 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Retirement announcement ====
On 18 June 2007, Cunard announced that ''QE2'' had been bought by the [[Dubai]] investment company [[Istithmar]] for $100&nbsp;million.<ref name="QE2Sold">{{cite web |author=Cunard-Istithmar |date=18 June 2007 |title=Official QE2 Cunard-Istithmar Press Release |url=http://www.roblightbody.com/liners/qe-2/qe2_sold.htm |access-date=21 March 2011 |publisher=Rob Lightbody}}</ref><ref name="GulfNewsQE2Sale">{{cite web |author=Shakir Husain |date=18 June 2007 |title=Istithmar buys QE2 for $100m |url=http://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/istithmar-buys-qe2-for-100m-1.184774 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118115116/http://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/istithmar-buys-qe2-for-100m-1.184774 |archive-date=18 November 2010 |access-date=21 March 2011 |publisher=GulfNews.com}}</ref> Her retirement, in part, was forced by the oncoming June 2010 implementation of the [[International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea|International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)]] regulations, which would have forced large and expensive structural changes to the ship.<ref name="Otago240912" />