This is good news for fans of the historic ship. After the city took control of the rundown vessel from a financially strapped leaseholder last year, one option under consideration was sinking the ship. The 88-year-old Art Deco-style ocean liner, which has been permanently docked in Long Beach since 1967, has been closed since May 2020 due to COVID-19. The repairs are expected to begin in February, with the plan to reopen Queen Mary to visitors by the end of the year. A first step in the repair, and expected to be a two-week project, will be removing deteriorating lifeboats. "The lifeboats exert stress on the side shell of the ship which has created severe cracks in the support system,” the city said in its statement. “Removing the deteriorated lifeboats will enhance the structural stability of the ship." Since the lifeboats are historic objects, Long Beach plans to preserve two for future display and to temporarily store 13 others, while seeing if there is interest from museums or other non-profits that want to preserve the boats. Other projects include the installation of new permanent bilge pumps to discharge water in the event of an emergency, with additional repairs to follow. The Queen Mary is a popular filming location, and during the repair period the city still plans to welcome film crews, a move that officials said would help “generate revenue to support the ship operations.” via The Points Guy website
RMS Queen Mary in her heyday, sailing out of New York and headed to Southampton, England.
The RMS Queen Mary, built during the height of transatlantic ocean travel, sailed more than a million miles and transported over 2 million guests over a career spanning 30 years. Built by Cunard as a the bigger and more powerful of two ships, the luxury liners and sometimes cruise ships, the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth reigned as a pair providing weekly express transatlantic service.
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The Queen Mary is a graceful, elegant-looking ship with those long lean lines. The same could be said for you, hanging onto your hat on the deck. What wonderful memories! Enjoy the book.
ReplyDeleteYes, the book is on its way - excited to get it!
DeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat an elegant young Mary in December on the RMS Queen Mary!
I've never crossed the Atlantic Ocean by ship...
Hoping it was cozy inside the ship, sure not on the deck in December.
Enjoy your book!
Hugs,
Mariette
You're so right Mariette, deck time was at a minimum, it was a rough crossing.
DeleteI returned to NY on the Holland-America Line's SS Statendam (the original one - there's a newer one now MS Nieuw Statendam launched 2017)) which was much more stable in the January rough seas! She was a beautiful ship who made her maiden voyage in 1957 - sadly scrapped in 2004. It's hard to keep up with these huge ships which come and go so quickly it seems!
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DeleteThank you for this, dear Mary!
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of you as a young lady - always perfectly turned out, and that 60s style is one I have always liked a lot anyway.
Thanks so much Meike - I did love dressing up in those days. Now I seem so casual and haven't worn high heels in a long time!!
DeleteWhen I was about 6 we went to Southampton and were taken onto the QM to look around. It must have been around 1961/2 I thought I was in a Palace, it was so opulent! For years I treasured the souvenir guide book I'd been given. You look smart as Jackie Kennedy as you hang onto your hat. When I was 6 I thought JK was the most glamorous woman on the planet.
ReplyDeleteLoved your comment Angela - yes, JK was a beautiful woman who dressed as we all would have loved to if we'd had the money! The interior of the original Queen Mary was re-done after WW2 when she was used to transport US soldiers to Europe - as many as 9,000 on board! The Art-deco interior was stunning.
DeleteI did plenty of short cruises years ago, eg around the Mediterranean or from New Zealand to Australian. A great deal of fun but certainly not luxurious. The Queen Mary ocean liner must have been intended for the wealthy and classy couples, not like us...surrounded by messy children.
ReplyDeleteNot all were wealthy I can assure you - there was poor me sharing an inside cabin with an American student who was seasick the entire voyage!!! I felt sad for her not ever making it to the dining room!
DeleteLovely to learn about your association and memories of travelling across the Atlantic on RMS Queen Mary. I love the photo of you wearing those very fetching "winkle picker" shoes. I had a similar pair in a very soft pearly, pewter-grey leather and I loved them, but I don't think my toes did!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG - "winkle pickers" were so awesome weren't they Rosemary. My favorites were a pair of black patent leather with a wide strap across the instep, from Dolcis. I think I was the first person to wear that style shoe in Washington D.C. along with a mini-skirt in the early 60's! In fact I brought them back here with me from England on the return trip via Holland-America Line's SS Statendam!
DeleteThose were the days and I had the legs back then LOL!!!!
Good to know the old Queen Mary is going for a refurbishment: I remember when she went to live in California, and thinking how strange that was. What a wonderful photo of you, so chic in 1964, crossing the Atlantic. You were quite an adventurer! Enjoy your book, what a great purchase to read on a cold and cosy day. xx
ReplyDeleteOh, Mary, look at you! Such style! I hope you kept those shoes :) How lucky you were to catch a ride with QM before her retirement. An Art Deco treat of a lifetime, I bet.
ReplyDeleteNearly 5 years ago to the day, we walked past QM2 and the Queen Elizabeth sitting together in Sydney Harbour - not a complete surprise for the rest of the world but we hadn't kept up with the news and were thus completely surprised by our chance encounter.
How wonderful that they are taking on the huge project! I bet you had an amazing time sailing on the ship.
ReplyDeleteDelightful photo Mary! What a lovely memory.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! I am so glad they aren't going to sink that ship and they are going to restore it. That is such good news! I love that photo of you! How excited you must have been to sail on that ship!! I know you have travelled on many ships but I bet you first trip will always be one of your favorites!! Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteFabulous photo, Mary. Iconic like a Mary Tyler Moore tossing her cap whereas you are hanging onto yours. I hope that the repairs go very well indeed. I also hope that there is more travel in your future to satisfy that desire, definitely, a trip home.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! Losing the Queen Mary would be a horrible loss! I'm glad they don't intend to sink it. Yikes!! My late husband and I visited the Queen Mary on many occasions, as we lived in the area. Whenever family visited us, we took them there. I've been on the Queen for parties, wedding receptions, drinks with friends. . .oh, so many great memories. Thank you for sharing your experience, Mary. Love that photo of you! So stylish! How wonderful to have actually sailed on the Queen Mary. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteMy mother came to the US on the Queen Mary as a Scottish war bride in 1946 at the age of 20. My father's sisters met her at the port of New York and brought her to their Italian-American home in New Jersey. A major event in our family history.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post Mary! I love that photo of you holding onto your hat. Wonderful memories for you. And though we have never met in person, we do have in common that we have both walked upon the decks of the Queen Mary. You while crossing the sea, and me after she was permanently docked in Long Beach, where I lived for 30 years and where I could look out the window of the building where I worked and gaze across the channel at her every day! I am so happy they came up with a plan to save her. It would have been truly a shame to sink that grand old lady.
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