Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the world's most famous ocean liners, ran aground briefly off the south coast of Britain yesterday on her final farewell voyage.
The Cunard ship, which in her 39 years of service has sailed 5.9 million nautical miles, completed 806 transatlantic crossings and carried more than 2.5 million guests, ran into a sandbank as she was coming into her home port of Southampton, south east England.
"She touched a sandbank... but she's now clear and is on her way into port," Cunard spokesman Eric Flounders said. "She will be delayed by about 25 minutes."
He said the accident was "no more than a little bump" and there were no reports of any damage or injuries.
The liner reached her home port of Southampton at around 7.25 a.m. where she then received a farewell visit from Queen Elizabeth's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Later the vessel set off on her final voyage to Dubai where she will become a first class hotel and entertainment centre. En route she will be calling at Portugal, Gibraltar, Malta and Egypt, before passing through the Suez Canal on her way way to Dubai, where she is due to arrive on November 27.
The QE2, which also served as a hospital ship transporting injured troops during the 1982 Falkland War, has carried many hundreds of famous passengers, among them Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope and Paul Newman and British royalty including Queen Elizabeth II, her son Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales.
The ship's owners were subject to a ransom demand in 1972, made when the QE2 was 1,000 miles from land. SAS and bomb disposal officers were scrambled to the ship, but the demand turned out to be a hoax played by a New York shoe salesman.
The QE2 consumes around 18 tons of a fuel an hour, or 433 tons per day, with one gallon of fuel moving the ship around 15 metres - less than the length of a cricket pitch. The ship's power output is enough to light a city the size of Southampton. In excess of 70,000 bottles of champagne are drunk every year on average on the QE2.
The Cunard liner can sail backwards (at a full speed of 19 knots) faster than most cruise ships sail forwards. She is also the fastest merchant ship still in operation. Cunard's first ship, the Britannia, would have squeezed into QE2's Grand Lounge.
Contrary to what many believe, the QE2 was not named after the current Queen but rather after the wife of King George VI. This explains the convention of using the actual number - i.e. Queen Elizabeth 2 - rather than the Roman numerals of Queen Elizabeth II.
The ship has completed 801 Atlantic crossings in its lifetime.
The QE2 includes a shopping arcade with 11 boutiques, including a branch of Harrods.