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QE2 Captain Apparently Not Ready For Retirement

The noble ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 made its final stop in its home port of Southampton today, after colliding with a sandbar at around 5:30 am this morning. After being dragged off the underwater obstacle and participating in Armistice Day festivities, the QE2 set course for Dubai, where it will be docked next to an artificial island as a five-star hotel.

One of the passengers said the ship herself didn't want to retire:

She didn't want to come in. That's the opinion of quite a few of us on board. She doesn't want to go to Dubai and we don't want her to go.

But we're more likely to cast a suspicious eye on Captain Ian McNaught, who, in an interview from the bridge with NPR, likened his 20-plus-year career on the QE2 to a marriage:

It's a little like being married really, I think. To be honest, it's a little bit of a love-hate relationship, and happily there are more days when I love her than I hate her.

Crashing her into a sandbar must be a bad day, then.

Related Stories:
· QE2 Sets Sail On Farewell Voyage [NPR]
· QE2 Runs Aground on Final Stop [AFP, via Google]
· Cruises coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of the QE2 in Sydney: Wikipedia]