An impressive painting, entitled The Mauretania Leaving the Tyne, by Thomas Hemy, which was displayed outside the ship's chart room, is now on loan to the Discovery Museum, in Newcastle.

The masterpiece, owned by Swan Hunter and worth an estimated £30,000, depicts the famous ship leaving the Tyne in 1907.

It also shows the Turbinia, once the fastest ship in the world, sailing alongside her.

But, in fact, this never actually happened, as the Turbinia was unable to sail due to a mechanical problem.

Presenting the painting was the QE2's Sunderland-born captain, Ian McNaught, now from Washington, who was thrilled to be back in North East England once again.

Speaking on board the liner yesterday, he said: "We're lucky enough to have done this visit to the Tyne twice now.

"It is sad that it will be her last UK tour, but it also gives me great pleasure for me to bring her to the Tyne – it's a little bit of history."

Inside the QE2 it's easy to get lost in her maze of corridors and never-ending staircases.

It was like stepping back in time with her old-fashioned but grand decor, and artifacts displayed on every corner.

And it's easy to see why the steel giant is one of the most luxurious liners in the world, and why passengers love her so much.

Rita and Ken Staples, from Derby, have been sailing on the last UK tour
for the past eight days.

Mrs Staples said: "It's been amazing, she's a very grand ship and the food is lovely.

"The weather hasn't been so great, and when we visited Belfast, it was a complete wash-out, but it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience: it's her last ever journey around the UK, so we couldn't miss it."

As she travels to Southampton today, Captain McNaught will be wondering where his next job will take him. He said: "I'll be taking her to Dubai next year, but after that I'll be looking for a new job."

But for now, the proud captain is just happy the QE2's arrival went to plan yesterday.

He added: "Yes, there were a few setbacks the last time we came in, due to the weather, but thankfully this time everything went smoothly and we arrived right on time."

The Port Of Tyne is now hoping to encourage other cruise liners to the region, as a result of the QE2's visit. Already, 2008 has seen a 40 per cent increase in liners visiting the Northumbrian Quay, in North Shields, and next year figures are likely to rise, as 22 liners are already booked in.

Fergus Poole, cruise and international passenger terminal manger, added: "We're lucky we've got a quay which is big enough to accommodate such large vessels like the QE2, and we're very proud to have her on her farewell voyage."