Eleanor Monninger of Normal and her late husband, Robert, took their first of a dozen cruises on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1985 to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

The 83-year-old grandmother recently decided to board the QE2 again for old time's sake. She knew the ship was destined to become a floating hotel at a permanent dock on a manmade island in Dubai this month. Her daughter, Janet Bremner of Mackinaw, went along on the trip arranged by Suzi Davis Travel of Bloomington.

The adventure at sea was bittersweet for Monninger. The sweetness came from the link to a happy past with her husband. She also was able to visit again with Francisco Yglesia, a harpist who entertains on cruise ships, whom Monninger and her husband met on that first cruise on the QE2. They crossed paths two other times on other ships. They became good friends and were eventually invited to visit the Paraguayan musician at his home in Britain.

But the cruise also served as a reminder of a harsh truth: time marches on. As she spoke about the QE2, Monninger recalled how the recently razed Walker Hall on the Illinois State University campus was being built when her husband began a 40-year career at the university that included serving as ISU superintendent of utilities.

"It's a passing of an age," Monninger said of the ship. "There will not be a ship like that. … We saw the Queen Mary 2 (on this trip.) They are different now, built for cruising and a lot more people."

Cunard Line's Web site calls the QE2 "one of the last great Transatlantic liners." The ship served as flagship for the company for more than 30 years. "At 70,327 tons and 963 feet long with a top speed of 32.5 knots, she is also one of the largest and fastest passenger vessels afloat," the company said. The ship carries 1,900 passengers and 1,015 crew members.

"QE2's Final Voyage" left Southampton for Dubai on Nov. 11. Its last ports of call will include Lisbon, Gibraltar, Civitavecchia, Naples, Malta and Alexandria before it sails through the Suez Canal and arrives in Dubai on Nov. 27.

Tickets for the cruise sold out in 35 minutes.

The itinerary for their two-week getaway in late August and early September was tremendous fun for Bremner, 61, and her mom. They sailed from England to the Mediterranean. Bremner said the route took them to Lisbon, where they visited the nearby town of Cascais, the western most point of Europe; Cagliari on the island of Sardinia; Athens and a couple of small Greek islands; Naples; Valencia, Spain and back to England.

Hiking the steep islands was good exercise for Monninger, who stays in shape by walking every day. Gazing up at the acropolis in Athens, she asked her daughter, "Are we going up there?"

"She said, 'Yes,' so I said, 'Let's get going.' "

Another time, Monninger counted 90 steps on a stairway leading up to a church. She thought they'd arrived at the doorway only to discover more steps ahead.

"I didn't bother to count those," she said, laughing.

They visited Pompeii. In Palermo, Sicily, they saw the remains of buildings destroyed in World War II when Monninger's husband took part in the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach.

Athens was a highlight. They viewed the Parthenon and ancient ruins.

"They were incredible," Bremner said.

But the best part came after a taxi driver took them on roundabout course. They finally brought the ride to an end by asking to be dropped off at the Parliament building, a landmark they knew. While finding their way back to the ship, they stumbled on a delightful small café, outdoor shopping areas and a market.

They walked down a narrow street crowded with local residents who seemed to be hurrying everywhere. They didn't see any vehicles at first and thought the street must be closed to traffic. Then, a car drove toward them, and they dodged it by getting on a sidewalk where they had to step aside for a motorcycle.

"It was chaotic and fun," Bremner said. "I enjoyed Athens for all that craziness, art and all that history. It was Athens. We had a great time."

Monninger also enjoyed swimming in "the Med."

Back onboard, Monninger said dress every night was formal or nearly so. "Informal" dress meant cocktail dresses for women. Men wore tuxedoes.

Though its days at sea were numbered, the crew worked hard to keep the ship sparkling.

"The exterior of it was very gorgeous, it was striking. It was kind of a work of art in itself, black and white and then that bright red smokestack. It was appealing to the eye," Bremner said. "They were painting it while we were on it."

But a closer look revealed the queen's wrinkles. The furniture in their room had lost its veneer, and other signs of wear were apparent, the women said.

"My first impression was that it wasn't as grand as I thought it would be," Bremner said. "Later, I found out it was built in 1967. Instead of seeing a lot of wood, it was a lot of chrome…a lot of art deco. …But after a while, it didn't matter. It was so much fun to walk around and see the art. They had a beautiful collection of art, paintings, some sculptures, several elaborate models of Cunard ships. But you had to go find them. There were like nine stairwells. You'd walk down one and there would be a piece of art or a tapestry. One place has (cruise) posters from Cunard. There were lots of pictures of the royal family."

Though the passengers were there to have a good time, many of the largely English crowd was there to say good-bye to the ship they'd sailed on often. One woman, who is 88, lived onboard the QE2 for six years. She must soon find a new home.

"It would be like us tearing down the Statue of Liberty, they just thought this was very, very sad," Bremner said.

As much as Monninger likes the QE2, she would never want to live onboard. The setting would cramp her go-getter style.

"I'm not a (QE2) groupie. But it is too bad. It's the last old ocean liner that will be around," she said.