Ocean liner fans rejoice! The Queen Mary reopened for hotel guests in May and in June, I had the privilege of spending two nights on board. I'll be uploading my album of the ship over the next few days and discussing the history of the ship that I learned while onboard.
First, a look at the room. When the ship was retired in 1967, the First-Class cabins were selected for conversion into the hotel section of the ship, while the Second and Third-Class cabins were were demolished or converted for office use by hotel staff. A First-Class cabin when the ship was in service went for the modern day equivalent of around $10,000 USD, today it goes for $300 for a double suite.
Stepping outside of the room, we are greeted by the Ticketing Bureau office. When the ship was still in service, this office would be where passengers would go to arrange transfer to rail, air, or even other ships once the ship docked. I'll be returning later when the room is open to give you a better look inside.
Entering the Promenade Deck. These shops once served First-Class passengers. Selling books, newspapers, and assorted memorabilia. Today they serve or more less the same purpose.
The B-427. A Foxtrot-class submarine built in 1971 for service in the Soviet Pacific Fleet. Upon the dissolution of the Union, the aging submarine was declared surplus to the Russian Navy's requirements and retired in 1994, shortly thereafter it was purchased and moored alongside the Queen Mary as a tourist attraction for the better part of 20 years before the museum closed in 2016 and the ship fell into near complete disrepair (still in better shape than the Admiral Kuznetsov though). Today, it lies abandoned with the gates welded shut to discourage the curious from boarding. The City of Long Beach has spent years trying to get rid of the submarine, not just because of its unsightly appearance but, because it would seriously damage the Queen herself if it were to capsize. So far however, its remains in place.
I actually visited the B-427 in 2012, a few years before its closure, but that's a story for another time.
The promenade deck. Unfortunately the lifeboat deck remains closed off due to ongoing remodeling so this is the highest I'll be able to get on the ship.
>>1938394 >Is it just the pics, or does the ship feel a bit shabby tho?
It's seen better days. The restoration is still very much an ongoing effort. The dummy funnels in particular were in bad shape. Turns out they haven't been fully repainted since they were installed in 1970.
>>1941937 I can't believe the submarine is still there. Wasn't it condemned or something because the hull flooded, and the city was trying to get rid of it? There aren't any news articles about it newer than 2021.
The City of Long Beach has been trying to get rid of it pretty much since it closed in 2015, the problem is like a great many things, a matter of money.
At one point, a Russian businessman who had been a Soviet Navy sailor was supposedly looking into buying the submarine and but I guess that plan fell through.
My guess is that the sub probably could be restored, but I highly doubt anyone with the interest has the money to do it. Not to mention that the sub's association with the Soviet Union will likely become a political barrier in the future.
The only surviving lifeboat (the two motor launches are still on display near the bridge however). All of the others had rotted to the point where they were literally falling apart and their weight was actually starting to warp the steel hull. They were removed and scrapped in mid-2022 before the ship reopened.
>>1938394 i grew up there, tje ship is a little patchwork because i have to imagine its a large project you cant do all at once. there's a lot of nice pieces but yeah the ship as a whole is definitely shabby
>>1938375 I feel like i'd rather just do the queen mary 2 on a transatlantic, it's only like $800 per person if you book during shitty times of year and don't care about having an interior cabin.
I don't get the point of staying on a boat that doesn't go anywhere.
Meet our tour guide. Guy was originally laid off when the hotel closed in 2020 and immediately quit his new job to get his old position back when the Queen Mary reopened, pretty dedicated guy.
He explained that the Queen Mary in carpentry circles is known as the Ship of Woods. Over 50 different types of wood were used to make the ship's furnishings, one for each colony and commonwealth member of the British Empire. Several of these species of wood are now extinct, making them exceedingly rare.
The ship's First Class playroom. This room is actually a fraction of its former size, it once comprised of two floors and even had a full-sized slide connecting them.
>>1978436 Good enthusiasm but how come all your photos look like they were taken with a digital camera from 2002. And on top of that they're out of focus and it looks like there was oil smeared over the lens. Do you not review your photos after you take them?
It was a camera that was made in 2012 if memory serves and unfortunately it just fucking sucks. I've tried customizing the settings to make it higher quality and they either just come out worse or the shots take forever to take capture and I basically can only take stills.
>>1938381 Man, I hope you're not who I think you are because if so it was very stupid of you to post that image and I do mean this in the best way possible.
Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun. Numerous batteries were installed when the Queen Mary was a troopship during WWII. I believe this was a post-war example that was reinstalled when it became a museum though.
As you can see, they have sections of the bow still sealed off so they can replace the decking, some of that wood has been there quite literally since the ship was built.
Well that's it for the photos. Unfortunately I only had time to stay on the ship for one full day due to late arrival/early departure but I think I made the most of it.
It's been a fun 10 months. If anyone else has been to the Queen Mary or just wants to post about ocean liners in general, feel free to do so, otherwise I'll just let this thread die.
They apparently FINALLY finished repainting all of the funnels just a few weeks before my stay. See >>1938708 for how they appeared during my visit last year.
Interesting thread. I grew up and live nearby. I went on a school trip in like 3rd grade and I went on another tour when we had family in town. I always thought it was boring as fuck and I was always more interested in the tourist trap stores nearby. In 2006 I went to a concert on the queen mary called Float the Boat. pic related. It was a really fun night. Not long after that is when TWIC came out. The main TWIC office was in some shitty building down by the queen mary. I remember the submarine but I cant remember if I actually went in it or if I just walked though some small museum area. I do remember russian music being played. I say scuttle the queen mary and the submarine. Make them diving attractions.
>>1965698 >Also Queen Anne's first cruises are in a few months if you want something newer and not quite as large as Queen Mary 2. How many niggers are on them, is it like a Carnival cruise?
>>2014406 Well it doesn't really do the regular cruise routes most of those people would do.
It's got a few 2-7 night cruises in Europe, but most of its cruises are, then it has a 9-night trans-Atlantic trip (Southampton to NYC), and then longer trips (up to a 111-116 night full world tour for as low as $38,100).
Oh and they also have a dress code for dining, and they WILL make you eat in your room if you don't have proper attire.
There's actually two little baby birds here. I was told by a crewman that the one on the floor fell off the roof of the bridge house and hurt himself. The parents were keeping watch over him to make sure he stayed safe. The crew install that plywood barricade to make sure no one approached them.
The lone surviving propeller. According to the tour guide, they actually get very mad when your throw money down there. Apparently the last time they had a diver clean it out, they found over $2000 USD in change
The infamous 1st Class swimming pool. Still closed for renovation (they're replacing all of the tiles due to the originals being practically infested with mold)
I hope you guys enjoyed this thread. It's been up for a whopping 482 days (so long that the image previews don't work anymore wtf) and I figured that it should make way for a new one and I should send it out with a bang.
Thanks all of you for bumping and keeping it alive. Unless any of you have questions about the Queen Mary or just want to chat, I'll let this thread go into the archives. Until next time frens.
your photos somehow look like you've taken them on film; color is warm but the quality is excellent what model of camera is that? some of these look like you've taken them 30, 40 years ago I enjoyed browsing, thank you OP
>thread is like 2 years old I've visited the Queen Mary many times but never stayed in any of her rooms Where I've always wanted to visit next is the Battleship USS Iowa which is also at the port of Long Beach. Any of you anons have experience visiting and know if it's worth it?
>>1938375 just found this thread OP, i didnt look through it yet but i can see its quality gonna look at it tomorrow because it sso late already, thanks, ive been really interested in the QM
>>2043281 >Battleship USS Iowa which is also at the port of Long Beach It's on the LA side in San Pedro. I live in the area. Never been aboard it. Don't really care about it. I was working on the docks the day they towed her in though. pic related. The USS Abe Lincoln came here in like 2007 and that was pretty cool to go aboard. We got to stand on the platform that lifts the jets up to the deck.