Explore the Queen Mary Before Your LA/Long Beach Cruise

Did you know you can squeeze in another adventure on a ship before your cruise out of LA or Long Beach? The RMS Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage in 1936 and has had a historic life ever since. Today, she is docked in the Port of Long Beach where you can visit, take tours, and even stay the night. Best yet, she is in the LA/Long Beach port making her perfect for a stay over the night before.

Really Close to the Ports

The Queen Mary is docked right in the Long Beach port so it is super close to any cruise going out of the LA or Long Beach. Carnival will board right there at the same spot as the Queen Mary making it one of the best locations for staying the night before. If you’re departing out of LA for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Princess it’s about 7.5 miles or a 15 min drive, and is still one of the closest places to stay in the area.

Fun History of Queen Mary

RMS Queen Mary was a Cunard ocean liner that sailed from 1936 to 1967. She had 24 boilers and four turbines that delivered 400 pounds per square inch of steam at 700 °F (371 °C). On her maiden voyage she earned the Blue Riband, an honorary accolade for fastest speed crossing the Atlantic. While she would lose it to the SS Normandie the following year, she would gain it back in 1938 and keep it for 14 years.

The Queen Mary was built with all the bells and whistles at the time. She had indoor swimming pools, tennis court, library, beauty salon, children’s nurseries, music studio, lecture hall, dog kennels, and most surprisingly a telephone with service worldwide. Her interior was a stunning art deco and the wood used was all sourced from the British Empire. She had the first Jewish prayer room for an ocean liner, an intentional choice to show avoidance with the growing antisemitism movement in Nazi Germany at the time.

She would only enjoy a few years of normal service between Southampton and New York before WWII and being conscripted into service. For the war, she would don a grey paint job making her less visible on the water and earned her the nickname the “Grey Ghost”. In July of 1943 she transported a whopping 16,683 passengers, a record still standing today for the most passengers ever transported on one vessel.

After the war she returned to normal service. With her Cunard sister the RMS Queen Elizabeth, they would dominate transatlantic travel for the 1940’s and 50’s. In the 1960’s Cunard was looking to finance their next ship, the Queen Elizabeth II, and would sell off the Queen Mary to Long Beach where she would be converted into a hotel and attraction. There she is still today delighting visitors from around the world.

Things to Do on the Queen Mary

While visiting the Queen Mary, taking a tour is the best way to get to see the ship. While you can walk around on your own, having an informative tour guide will really help you connect with the history. They offer several tours ranging from historical, art deco design, and haunted tours.

Yes, haunted tours. The Queen Mary is said to be haunted by past passengers and captains. Visit the second class indoor swimming pool, a particular hot spot for those from the beyond if you’re looking for an other-worldly experience.

Sadly, you can't stay in room B340, the infamously haunted room where a 1949 passenger was found dead. It is said that the paranormal activity in the room is especially high. But ghost sightings are reported all throughout the ship about multiple spirits.

The Observation Bar

If you need to recharge from a ghost sighting the ship has great bars and restaurants available. The Observation Bar is a great spot for live entertainment and checking out the bow of the ship. If you're lucky, karaoke might be happening and you can belt out some of your favorites for the ghosts. Chelsea Chowder & House Bar is a tasty spot for grub. 

Check out the events calendar as they host several events throughout the year. There is an event lot right next to the Queen Mary that acts spot to hold all kinds of seasonal activities. They do movies and night markets, Halloween carnivals, and more. Back on the ship they host orchestras, tea services, and murder mystery dinners.

Stay the Night

Perhaps the best way to experience the historic ship is to stay the night. You can choose from a different variety of staterooms, including suites. All the rooms have been touched up so they are comfy and cozy, but they are still the historic experience from years past. Stay in one and then compare it to your cruise cabin.

The Queen Mary's rooms are more art deco in style, and have rare and vintage woodwork and artwork adorned in them. The ship was built before balconies were a common so most of rooms have portholes. In the room we were looking at, it had weird controls or switches that seemed to be apart of a system no longer used. It was really fun seeing a room sort of frozen in time.

Hot tip, check out the hotel's special offers to see if there are any good discounts you can take advantage of. They usually offer and Stay & Cruise discount with complementary luggage service and a food and beverage credit. Perfect for staying the night before or after your cruise.

Prices

A general admission pass is only $45 ($35 for kiddos) and comes with a tour. If you come in the evening to enjoy dinner or a drink it’s only $15. Rooms can start around $150 a night and can go up depending on season and demand. Looking at their calendar I didn’t see a standard room break $300 for the next six months. 

It’s always wise to arrive the day before your cruise. If cruising out of LA or Long Beach, the RMS Queen Mary is a great treat to kick off your vacation. Be careful not to pick up any stowaway spirits!