I’ve been on quite a few ships in my life. Let me rephrase that. Not just a couple, not just a few, but at least fifteen. I thought I’d seen every size of ship imaginable. I was VERY wrong!
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the amazing city of Long Beach, California. There are a lot of must-sees, but one of the most impressive things I have ever witnessed is the Queen Mary.
They began construction on her in 1930, but because of financial setbacks fueled by the Great Depression, she did not make her maiden voyage until 1937. She set sail from Southampton, England on May 27th of that year and was quickly recognized as the most lavish ship on both sides of the Atlantic. She has carried dignitaries, celebrities and all types of nobility in her extensive history. She eventually made her last voyage in 1967 and took up permanent residency in Long Beach. The Queen Mary is now a floating hotel and major tourist destination.
I had heard of the Queen Mary, but I really didn’t know much about the history or background of the ship. The first thing I noticed was that it is HUGE! The only word that really does her justice is massive. It’s like, block out the sun big!
That’s a through line for the entire ship. As soon as you begin to explore the inside, you get the feeling the builders and designers were going for “Bigger is Better”. In this case it works and you begin to see the care and craftsmanship that went into the Queen Mary.
They’ve gone to great lengths to keep everything on the ship looking just as it did when she first set sail.
I was fascinated by what I learned about the Queen Mary!
It’s such an amazing ship and I was honored to be given a private tour by author (The Queen Mary: The Official Pictorial History) Bob Maguglin and the Commandant of the Queen Mary.
Make sure when you go to Long Beach (I’m serious, you need to book your tickets. What are you waiting for?) you don’t miss the Queen Mary.
You can book tours and stays all year round!
Thank you to the Long Beach CVB and DCI for hosting me. I had an amazing time!