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LONG
BEACH, Calif. -- I had the pleasure,
along with my husband and son, to tour the magnificent Queen Mary.
The ship was built in four years and was riveted by hand. It was
considered the grandest ocean liner ever built. From 1936 to 1967,
it had crossed the Atlantic 1,001 times and transported passengers
and mail. At the time, the ship could hold 2,000 passengers with
1,200 crew. Its maiden voyage was May 27, 1936 and took a mere
four days to go from Southampton to New York. The ship had a top
speed of 30 knots or 35 mph. and was considered the fastest ship
that crossed the Atlantic.
In 1967,
the Queen Mary was retired and was purchased by the City of Long
Beach for $3,450,000. At that time, it was too expensive to run
because airline travel started to take over. As it made its way
to Long Beach, the Queen Mary ship was too big to go through the
Panama Canal, so it had to go around the southern tip of South
America. Then in 1972, the Queen Mary became a tourist attraction.
The ship sat in Long Beach more years than at sea.
The Queen
Mary is twice the size of the Titanic. At first, the Titanic was
the largest ship back in 1912, then the Queen Mary was built.
After the sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage, ships were
built better.
There
are 56 types of woods and wood veneers used in construction of
the ship. These woods are extinct now, making them irreplaceable.
The teakwood floors on the Promenade deck is original. Aboard
ship, there is the largest collection of Art Deco in the world.
The ship
is 1,019 and a half feet long, 118 feet in width with 12 decks.
It weighs over 81,000 gross tons. It is an engineering masterpiece.
The ship catered to wealthy people and royalty. The Duke and Dutchess
of Windsor, Liberace and Gloria Swanson were among its passengers.
The main
hall and grand staircase in the center of the ship was called
Piccadilly Circus. It was meant for socializing and had a Tobacco
Shop, bookstore, a men's shoppe and other stores for shopping.
The Queen
Salon was a ballroom which had three electric fireplaces and behind
it was a projection room which showed films.
The Grand
Salon was the 1st Class dining hall, which could seat 800 people.
It is the largest room on the ship and was three full decks in
height. There were two pools, one for 1st class and the other
for 2nd class, and was located above the boilers which heated
the pools. Water for the pool came from the ocean so it was rather
cool. The pool was 12 feet deep.
With the
outbreak of World War II, the Queen Mary became a troop transport
ship with anti aircraft guns. They painted it gray to camouflage
it and called it the "grey ghost." They put bunks in
every nook and cranny on the ship, even drained the pool and put
bunks on the floor of the pool. The troops slept in shifts. The
ship could hold 10,000 troops but was never attacked.
During
World War II, there was a collision to avoid being targeted by
a Russian submarine. The Queen Mary crashed into another ally
ship, the Curacao, virtually cutting it in half. Three hundred
people died on the Curacao ship as a result.
We also
went to the Ghosts and Legends show which consisted of going down
36 feet below sea level in the bow section and saw where the ship
was damaged in the collision. There were also rumors from passengers
that there were apparitions and ghosts about the ship. Through
the darkness, we walked in an area where it was closed to the
public.
I thoroughly
enjoyed the behind the scenes tour of this magnificent marvel.
Everything on the ship was original as it was in 1936 with a few
minor updates. It felt like i was going back in time to 1936 to
re-live the past. It is a beautiful ship and a must-see if you
visit Long Beach.
General
Admission tickets are $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors (over
age 55) and military and $12.95 for children (ages five-11). Special
ticket packages are also available.
For
more information about the Tours of the Queen Mary, visit www.queenmary.com/Tours-and-Attractions.aspx
Related
Story: Add
Disney's California Adventure theme park to your vacation plans
PHOTO
BY GLORIA RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
The main road to drive to the Queen Mary off Ocean
Blvd.
PHOTO
BY GLORIA RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
AmericaJR.com's
Jason Rzucidlo poses for a photo in front of the Queen Mary.
PHOTO
BY GLORIA RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
When
you get closer, you can turn left to go to the Queen Mary or turn
right to park for a cruise.
PHOTO
BY GLORIA RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Russian
Foxtrot Submarine gift shop and tours
PHOTO
BY GLORIA RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
The
all-new Ghosts & Legends Show is included in your general
admission ticket.
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