The once proud passenger liner Queen Elizabeth 2 resides among tankers at Dubai’s Drydocks World with still no definite date for her move to COSCO Shipyard’s facility in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China despite various announcements.

The makeover is scheduled for completion by 2015, and 2014 is fast approaching. Besides the 400 staterooms the COSCO Shipyard will be responsible for all the technical repairs and co-ordinate with an appointed interior renovation contractor to revamp the accommodation and ballroom, as well as the refitting of seven restaurants, 10 lounges, a cinema, a maritime museum displaying QE2 memorabilia and a shopping mall. However, this fine ship has sat idle long enough.

It is time for action rather than smoke screens and unfulfilled deadlines.