RMS Queen Elizabeth was a 83,673 gross ton, 1,031 foot length, 118 foot beam and 38 foot draft luxurious cruise ship built for Cunard White Star Line and launched in Scotland, UK on Sept. 27, 1938. She carried 2,283 passengers and 1,000+ crew members and steamed at a speed of 28.5 knots with her 4 propellers. She was the largest passenger ship ever built in her time. RMS Queen Elizabeth first entered service in 1940 as a troopship in World War II. After the war, she provided the transatlantic ocean liner service between Southampton to Cherbourg to New York for over twenty years. In 1968, the Queen Elizabeth was sold to a group of Philadelphia businessmen who intended to operate the ship as a hotel and tourist attraction in Port Everglades, Florida, USA. Losing money and forced to close after being declared a fire hazard, RMS Queen Elizabeth was sold for US$3.2 million to Hong Kong tycoon C.Y. Tung, head of the Orient Overseas Line during the New York Ship Auction on Sept 17, 1970. Mr. Tung intended to convert the ship into a university for the World Campus Afloat program (now known as Semester at Sea, a part of the study-aboard programs at University of Virginia).

The Queen Elizabeth was used as the floating hotel at the port of Port Everglades in her past two years. Only two out of her four propeller engines were able to start when she departed Port Everglade on Oct 9, 1970 for Hong Kong where the complete refitting and repairs would take place. She sailed across South Atlantic Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and passed Indian Ocean towards Malacca Strait and Hong Kong. Because of her engine trouble, she didn't arrive in West Indian port until Feb. 2, 1971. The engine broke-down forced the Queen Elizabeth to spend 3 months in a shipyard nearby India. She also encountered two typhoons on her voyage from Singapore to Hong Kong. After 10 months and 6 days arduous voyage, she arrived in Hong Kong Victory Harbor on July 15, 1971.

Mr.Tung renamed RMS Queen Elizabeth to S.S. Seawise University and budgeted US$4 million to refurbish the entire ship. The Seawise University would accommodate 800 students, 300 faculties and staff, and 800 passenger cabins in addition to the ship's officers and crew. The students were provided by Chapman College in Orange, California, USA. Each semester was about 4 months. Students embarked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, and earned their university credits at sea while visiting various ports-of-call around the globe.

On Jan 9, 1972, mysterious fires broke out at different location throughout the ship during her conversion. It ended the glorious life of RMS Queen Elizabeth/S.S. Seawise University. The ship capsized in shallow water in Hong Kong Victoria Harbor. The wreckage was dismantled for scrap between 1974 and 1975. To fulfil his dream of the ship-board university, Mr. Tung purchased S.S. Atlantic - another cruise ship owned by American Export Lines and renamed her to S.S. Universe Campus. The latter was deployed to carry out the remaining mission of S.S. Seawise University and kept the World Campus Afloat Program alive.