Time Well Spent Aboard The Original Queen Mary
by Although she has not sailed in 38 years, the allure of the grand Queen Mary annually beckons thousands of curious visitors.
The great ship has been part of Southern California’s treasures since the City of Long Beach acquired her in 1967. Long Beach then spent several million dollars to prepare her for the waiting public. Her grand California début was on May 8, 1971.
Today, the Queen is a remarkable floating hotel, complete with 314 comfortable guestrooms and suites – all of which were first class cabins when the Queen sailed the seven seas. There are also six fine restaurants and a sparkling gallery of shops and boutiques. Activities include several interesting tours, and top-notch museum attractions.
Of interest to hotel guests
Each first class cabin has updated curtains, beds, and linens to complement original portholes, light fixtures, and paneling. Each cabin/guestroom has also been meticulously restored to earlier times. Some of the interior cabin fixtures and wooden furnishings confirm their age – and to nostalgia buffs – that adds to the ambiance. Every piece of furniture has a thousand interesting stories hidden in its historic veneer – if only it could talk.
Opening the door to a Queen Mary guestroom is like taking an imaginary step back in time. The original fans that cooled passengers before the advent of air-conditioning are still affixed to some cabin bulkheads. The old salt-water bath fixtures decorate the seafaring style bathrooms.
Guests enjoy the tours and museums
A walk around the ship is testament that the Queen Mary is the world’s largest art deco museum. Her chambers and passageways are lined with examples of 1930’s art and exotic woods – some no longer available on the world market. Best of all, she exudes the unmistakable aura of the historic times in which she lived; when the abundantly rich, and calamitously poor, were working together to forge a prosperous new world.
Our sojourn on the Queen Mary was inspirational, and Mr. Will Kayne, the Queen’s resident historian brought each period of the ship’s history to life as we toured her well preserved interior. Mr. Kayne is a genuine student of the Queen and remembers so many interesting historical details that he could fill captivating volumes. It was a privilege to have him guide us through time aboard the grand ship.
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