Queen Mary Visit & Hotel Stay - 21-23 January 2007

Photos of the QUEEN MARY at Long Beach, California, taken during my visit and hotel stay aboard from 21 to 23 January 2007.

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shiploverny > The RMS QUEEN MARY was built in 1936 as the largest and fastest ocean liner in the world. In 1967 she was retired by her owners, Cunard Line, and sold to the City of Long Beach, California to become a hotel and tourist attraction, which opened in 1971-1972. Here the ship is seen at from across Long Beach harbor on the night of 21 January 2007.

shiploverny > The giant QUEEN MARY looms over the adjacent parking lot.

shiploverny > The tower with the "HOTEL Queen Mary" sign provides access to the hotel. Now we will go aboard for a look at the interiors of one of the greatest objects ever made by man.

shiploverny > Many gangways connect the ship to the quay at which she is permanently moored. In the background is the 2002-built cruise ship CARNIVAL PRIDE, preparing for a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Unlike the QUEEN MARY, which was designed to transport passengers across the Atlantic ocean as quickly as possible, the CARNIVAL PRIDE is a floating resort built solely for pleasure. Nonetheless, the QUEEN MARY is a direct ancestor of the modern mega-ships that ply the world's oceans today.

shiploverny > As we walk down the gangway, we get closer to the side of the huge ship. Note all the rivets used to hold her together. From the late 1920s (shortly before QUEEN MARY was built) to the 1960s, rivets gradually became replaced by welded construction. Also note the huge geodesic dome on the right. It is the eighth-largest geodesic dome in the world, and is 415 feet in diameter. From 1980 to 1993 it housed the Spruce Goose, the world's largest aircraft, which is located today at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon. Today the dome houses the Carnival cruise terminal.

shiploverny > Now we are very close to the ship. Step through the giant shell doors and come aboard...

shiploverny > This is the entrance to the Hotel QUEEN MARY. This was once the first-class main entrance; the hotel reception desk used to be the first-class Purser's Office. The black granite trim was added in the 1980s and stands in contrast to the original wood panelling. The busily-patterned carpet is a recent addition.

shiploverny > Facing aft in the first-class main entrance to the main first-class staircase. The huge table in the center of the lobby is an original feature as are the light fixtures and wood panelling. Note the width of the staircase and the very high overheads. The first-class accommodations of the QUEEN MARY were extremely spacious and designed to offer all the comfort of the world's finest hotels.

shiploverny > Facing aft in first-class cabin passageway on A deck. The passageway appears "endless" because of the sheer, or curvature of the ship's hull. (The hull curves up at the bow and stern, and is lowest in the middle.) The passageway is wide enough for several people to walk side-by-side, again showing the space was not at a premium in first-class. Aside from new light fixtures and carpet in place of the original Korkoid (a linoleum-like substance), this passageway looks much as it did in 1936. The Bakelite handrails were installed after only a few voyages - originally the passageways did not have handrails as the ship was thought to be so large that they would be unnecessary. Unfortunately, this turned out to be very wrong and QUEEN MARY soon gained a reputation as a notorious "roller".

The RMS QUEEN MARY was built in 1936 as the largest and fastest ocean liner in the world. In 1967 she was retired by her owners, Cunard Line, and sold to the City of Long Beach, California to become a hotel and tourist attraction, which opened in 1971-1972. Here the ship is seen at from across Long Beach harbor on the night of 21 January 2007.

Camera: Canon (Canon Eos 20d) |

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Original size: 3105px x 2070px |

Current: 400px x 267px |

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