The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California

The ship that doesn’t sail

Queen Mary in Long Beach, California

The ‘Grand Old Lady’ sits so comfortably in the sun at Long Beach near Los Angeles, having been retired to live in California. She sits in grandeur waiting for visitors to ‘sleep’ on her in her present form of a hotel, rather than set sail across the North Atlantic Ocean in the golden age of travel with the glitz and glamour of yesterday carrying passengers from 1936 to 1967.

Steeped in so much history and intrigue, the ship is said to be haunted and is rated as one of the top ten most haunted places on earth. But whoever is haunting the ship is haunting in luxury! From the maple wood panels that fill the ship to the impressive 347 staterooms, including 9 suites, this such an iconic ship.

Each stateroom is unique with its own personality and offers a glimpse into what transatlantic travel was like during the 30s, 40s and 50s. It is more than an hotel; it is an experience.

Queen Mary in Long Beach, California Sadly, the British sold the Queen Mary to the Americans who are making a good job of looking after this special part of British history. There is still on-going work to keep the ship pristine and in good condition and some areas may be out of bounds because of restoration work.

The ambience is of luxury and of bygone days in the era of the Titanic or the Mauritania ships that were pioneers in the world of cruising before our new hi-tech, Wi-Fi filled towns on the sea were built.

This character filled ship has restaurants and cafes, the Promenade Café opens daily for breakfast and lunch and, also the Royal Sunday Brunch. The Observation Bar features drink and appetizer specials plus a happy hour and this bar has a Great Gatsby ambience with jazz music and visitors dressing in forties style clothes.

There are two other restaurants, the Chelsea Chowder House and Bar is up market and an extremely well-appointed area and there is also the Sir Winston restaurant for fine dining. The Grand Salon boasts an impressive mural that tracked the ships progress, as she went across the Atlantic. If you are wanting to get married on the Queen Mary this can be arranged by the attentive organisers. Many weddings or renewal of vows are done on this lovely vessel in the Grand Salon.

Queen Mary in Long Beach, California A Lego ship is created in one of the reception rooms, measuring 26ft, weighing over 600lbs and made from 250,000 Lego bricks. It is amazing and even if you are not a Lego fan this will certainly ‘float your boat’.

The tours which are called First Class passports on the Queen Mary include Historic Exhibits, The Engine Room, The Shipyard, Ship Model Gallery and in the Heritage Room, their finest hours – Winston Churchill & Queen Mary Exhibition, Glory Days Historical Tour, Steam & Steel Tour and Queen Mary 4-D Theatre.

The cost of the tour is $40 but it isn’t very disabled friendly. There are lifts to the floors and wheelchair access to some interesting areas on this floating museum, but some places are inaccessible for some disabled people.

We stayed overnight prior to our cruise from Los Angeles and did the tour plus had a meal in the evening on board. For breakfast we decided to go to Long Beach Shoreline Village close to downtown Long Beach on the free shuttle bus which stops outside the car park of the Queen Mary complex.

You can either walk around the interesting board walk area or go downtown across the bridge which goes over the freeway and visit the shops. There is a lovely harbour and marina with shops and restaurants for breakfast or lunch. A longer walk would take you to the beach, but we didn’t have the time to explore too far as we were going on our cruise trip at mid-day.

Queen Mary in Long Beach, California It was a pleasure to experience this ‘sleeping beauty’ of a ship and wander around the decks that once played host to Winston Churchill, Joan Collins, Bob Hope and Clark Gable, the famous stars of stage and screen who enjoyed the hospitality of this lovely ship.

The halcyon days of bygone years are ‘wrapped up’ in this floating hotel/museum set in Long Beach. The Queen Mary will ‘sit in the sun’ for many years and the history and ghost stories will be told to the tourists that visit.

This wonderful part of British History and workmanship is a treasure we should all be proud of.


180 people found this helpful
19587

Share Article:

Glynis Sullivan

Traveller and writer for Silver Travel Advisor

Leave a comment

*

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest travel tips on top destinations.

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Most Recent Articles

There’s something refreshingly nostalgic about the quintessential British coach holiday….

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.