No better time to get my classic - and classically authentic - Cunard bone china wear for afternoon tea. I “traveled” aboard with a friend ALL the way back in 2023, and it’s coming time for a revisit. She will be enthralled by the significant changes! So heartwarming to see the essentials being taken care of and the ship pearling up in all her original 5-star hotel-at-sea splendour. So wildly much to be undone, let alone done. And to see such careful love and tact is a fresh relief. Poor darling has been through too much. Love the idea of the ORIGINAL Verandah Grill becoming a restaurant in itself and with events!!!! This is what we’ve been saying the entire time. Soooo very much to work with, here, people! And, yes!!! I was at Ganahl Lumber in prep to restore certain furniture pieces, including my prized 2nd Class dresser from Queen Mary - and they actually have similar mahogany! Well!!! The teak they were selling was maybe twice as much. Ugh. One step at a time. How glorious to see those aft decks restored. I would love to see an original tug boat (doesn’t have to be from England or New York) replacing the Scorpion submarine. Feel it would add to the immersion, like appearing as though the ship was sailing out to sea. And to be able to go aboard it as if you’re aiding The Mary out to sea. And what an educational tool. Chef’s kiss. Love that they’re swishing up the stateroom, especially the suits! If any, those represent the ship as a whole! Where influencers stay and post and review the ship from. So for them to be given the 1936 treatment is shocking in the best way to hear. I like the bowl idea, but am troubled by some of the Queen Mary Island concept art. Some of it appears nautical and rustic and charming - and that grand glass entrance is a streamlined contemporary positive - while other parts look as generic as it gets. As far as I’m concerned, we want people’s excitement to rise more and more BEFORE they enter the ship, and theming it after a thriving and bustling ocean terminal…well…… Oh. Happy days ahead for our Queen. Do you have insight on when the new annual membership will begin? I was told by staff that they are revamping the old one and that it will be available soon, even mid December 2024. But no sign of it yet.
Always love to see videos of the Queen Mary, thanks for sharing! Dad was crew on board for several years in the 50s. He often told me of his experiences on board! Some I remember well! One of my earliest memories is going on board as a little guy! I have visited her in Long Beach three times. I look forward to visiting her again.
Wow, that's really awesome that you got to go onboard as a kid! The Queen Mary has some truly amazing stories attached to it. I wish I could go back in time and sail aboard.
I stayed onboard Dec. 26-Dec. 30 and was very impressed with the improved condition of the ship. I got up really early one morning and had chat with one of the painters (they paint at night). He explained that he and his crew had enough projects ahead of them on the ship to keep them busy for a long time.
I agree! I stayed aboard in early December while they were painting the window frames and bulkhead for the heritage museum on board and had a similar conversation. The painters were taking good care of her and being extra careful, it was refreshing to see.
Sounds like they finally figured out that painting on hot metal doesn’t always yield the greatest results. When urban commons painted the hull and funnels, it was one of the hottest summers ever and ever since it peels in patches.
@ To be fair, Urban Commons contracted out the work to a painting company, and gave that company a tiny budget and a short timeframe to work with. The painters that are currently doing work on the ship, are part of the maintenance department of the ship.
@@AlextheHistorian It's nice to hear they have a painting wing of their maintenance department to handle some of the everyday painting projects around the ship. Can help negate the need to contract projects out when they don't get so bad in the first place.
Hi Alex I’ve been on this beautiful ocean liner hundreds of times I love every inch of this ship as for the paranormal I haven’t really seen a ghost or any thing else, but I’m sure she has her moments. It’s still a beautiful ship and people should go see her She definitely has a lot of history a lot of it
And here, I thought it was an aesthetic choice. I would love to see that look reinstated some day. And at the rate and care that things are going, we very well eventually might.
I live all the way down in Brazil and can't even dream of visiting my beloved ship, so your repair updates, podcast and other QM content are the closest I can get to her. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Thanks for the excellent update Alex! In regards to the flood lights - I remember back on my December 2024 trip they had them turned on. I checked my photos and I believe they are RGB spotlights, which I remember looking at the spotlights themselves when I was there but I couldn't specifically remember if they advertised RGB or not. Anyways, when I was there they had them lit red and green for I'd assume Christmas, so hopefully they are just temporary. I'm planning on heading back to her in December of this year so if you'd like any specific clips of areas of her for your 2026 update, let me know!
Alex, thanks again for all your work and time you put into channel. Funny thing, I really thought is was lame to take all the live boats off, BUT now when walking along the deck the feel is now so open the views are so much better. Opp's time to get back to work.....
Excellent update and info as always Alex! The Queen is really moving forward and looking great! Her future is promising and with that new venue being put in, it will make more money available for restorations! I think they should have a few suites available that are dressed or designed with real period pieces and also like you mentioned, update the white wall ones more appropriately !
This is absolutely so exciting about the new possible suite updates that they might be doing to the Mary! Cannot wait to see the new exhibit as well on the Promenade deck. Love the updates that you do on the Queen Mary 🙂Keep up the amazing work that you do for our beloved Mary
Thank you very much for the update! I'm excited to see the Unicorns in Battle artwork restored. I have an idea for the ship; it's a small thing that wouldn't be expensive and may already have been done at some point but I think the London telephone boxes should operate and have their illumination restored. It may be a Boomer opinion but public telephones are a public good. If one's cell phone is out of charge or lost or just not on one's person it's good to have another way to call people.
Love it all. Though I am curious as to what happened to the WWII guns that were on the foredeck. They were a part of her history too. I do agree with ou a bit on the whole ghost branding, but it was actually one of the reasons I stayed there. Though not expecting to actually encounter anything, I did enjoy the ghost tour, though the only spirits I encountered were a few drunk members of the tour who actually got kicked off the tour because they were being so disruptive. The tour also got to see the very bow of the ship where the ship had a collision and the "well" where POWs were actually kept during the crossing. Though I am not psychically enclined in the least and am actually a bit of the sceptic, the front most bow area as well as the first class pool area did feel a bit off. All these stories are also a part of the ship's long history. I actually think it fits in well considering the obession with the occult during the Victorian era, and the Mary wasn't necessarily all that much fun during her time as The Grey Ghost. That being said, I am truly happy the grand old girl is being returned to the beauty and prestige she previously enjoyed during her heyday as a distinguished ship of the realm.
I would love to see all the interior wood work being re varnished, and the hallways ceilings being painted properly, would give the ship a much fresher feel!!!
I hope so too. And if the nearby lift was restored, it can carry disabled people (as well as abled people) to all the currently operating passenger decks! (Sun, Prom, M, A, and B Decks!)
My family went to that great lady several times while living in Southern California. We've even slept on board during a hobby railroad convention in the early 2000's and our stay there was enjoyable. it is haunted I might add. Confirmed by my witnessing one instance myself while taking one of the ships elevators. Keep up the great work arresting the determination of this fine former overseas cruise ship.
To bad we could not give the SS United States the same treatment. Thank you for the update to this grand ocean liner! She is looking more like herself!! Beautiful:)
Those plain rooms definitely need work. When the ship first opened we booked a stay. I’m not sure if we didn’t get a wood room due to the fact that they just weren’t prepared to actually open yet or because we just weren’t going to get one but the room we ended up in was so bland. But we were just thankful we didn’t get pushed to another hotel like others did. Sometime this year we will try again and hopefully things will be better now that everything is open.
I am (or was?) hoping to visit LA in 2028 for the Olympics. There are quite a few events in Long Beach, and I would love to stay on the Queen Mary if possible. Hopefully, they’re still going ahead, but with the recent events, I’m not sure. Honestly, I don't know how bad the situation in LA is these days, as I don’t live there (or in the USA), so I’m relying on what I see in the news, which is often grossly politicized. In the meantime, my heart goes out to everyone who’s suffering.
Plans for the 2028 Olympics is still going ahead. The fires affecting the county are located far, far out on the outskirts near mountains and foothills. But all the LA games are being held in the large city centers of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Long Beach I believe, areas unaffected by the fires.
Many kudos to you Alex and team! I remember you doing a few 'deep-dive' collaborations on Mary's interiors etc. Those videos taught me so much. I even remember you discussing the whole 'ghost' myth. I seem to recall you mention it was dreamed up by Disney. I do remember you toured the ship's hospital. On a board there it listed those who died on board. That's why the infamous 'ghost girl' giggling in the 1st class pool area always makes me laugh. But, as you say, it makes money. Perhaps one day you could visit SS Rotterdam in Rotterdam. The former ocean liner is one of the few success stories of static liners that continually turns a profit each and every year since it opened.
YES!! They are going to go with the Entertainment Downtown Venue!!! At least from what your showing on the video it appears they are going to lean that way. Now they just need to make the theme right. I know the perfect one given the current era and of course Queen Mary herself. Retro ART DECO, and have it be reminiscent of late 1920s to 1930s US or LA County in this case. Also this would expand the cities entertainment and shopping venue with the Pike just across bridge. The pike being the modern current venue and Queen Mary's being the retro themed venue. Then of course you have the restruants near the aquarium of the pacific and shoreline village. Hmm I wonder if Long Beach is going to offer shuttle service for people who want to move around the areas and probably create another parking structure to accommodate the potential visitor load....
I don't want you to get your hopes up about the chosen theme of the entertainment complex, because to be honest, they will likely choose very modern architecture. Most cities in the US want to be seen as the most modern and most sleek, and so they're likely going to choose an architectural style that looks slightly ahead of our times and will draw attention. Right now there is talks of restoring one of the original London Double-Decker busses that arrived on the ship in 1967, and use it as a shuttle between Downtown and the Queen Mary.
2:15, the cement really shouldn’t be patched but removed. Someone explained to me once that the cement is causing some sort of moisture/added weight damage
I don't know about that...I mean there is evidence that there was a moisture leak in the past, but current management has put a stop to the leak...and I don't see anywhere on the green top where water would be entering...it must be entering from somewhere else. I honestly think a patch and a fresh slurry of green epoxy should do the trick.
Thanks orr the update Alex! I sure hope they remove that submarine, it would make the full view of the Queen Mary better, and not the eyesore that it is today.
I visited the Queen Mary a few months back, took the VIP tour, and ended up spending the entire day onboard the ship. I'm just wondering, because the ship is getting more and more popular these days, imagine if they would actually RE-INSTALL steam engines, and overhaul the complete hull, and take the ship out to sea even part-time. I'm 100% sure, every single one of those voyages would be a sell-out, regardless what they would charge for the fare. There is NOTHING like this elsewhere in the world, no investment is too much to preserve it. Whoever got the idea in 1966 in Long Beach to buy the ship, was a true mastermind.
Ironically, the idea of purchasing the Queen Mary started out as a joke. Lloyd Hart was reading an article that the ship was going to retire, and he thought he'd call up his friend in City management, Harry Ridings, that Long Beach should buy the Queen Mary. Lloyd thought Harry would get a good laugh...but Harry didn't laugh. He convinced the City of Long Beach to buy the Queen Mary. And they sure did! The ship will never sail again though, there IS a limit to what people will spend, and you can't sail the ship the way she is currently laid out and designed. The ship is no longer considered a ship, she is designated as a floating building, she is so far antiquated from SOLAS standards, that she would have to be completely gutted and renovated inside and out. The end result would be a ship that doesn't resemble the Queen Mary at all. So getting the Queen Mary to sail again is not like restoring an old car, it's more like demolishing a building and reconstructing it to modern standards.
Imagine if someone installed diesels in the Queen Mary. There are plenty of good ship diesels liberated every month from ship breaking. The weight savings alone would be awesome.
4:20 we’ve been having this conversation almost since since Winston’s opened, why not just restore but extend the elevator shaft one more deck? Could the verandah and sir Winston’s work in tandem?
The cost of extending the elevator shaft would probably be like restoring the elevator shaft twice, and it may not even be possible because it's one thing to restore a historic elevator, but in the eyes of government, extending a historic elevator will require jumping through lots of hoops and red tape because the design no longer meets current standards.
Thank you, Alex. Been waiting for another update. Alex do you happen to know what became of the double-decker buses that were brought over in 67 with the Ship?
Yes, as Kirk here responded, they were used by Long Beach transit, but they were used as shuttles from Downtown to the Queen Mary until they wore out. One of them has been lost with time, but the other belongs to QMI Restore the Queen and they were recently in works with the City of Long Beach to restore the bus and use it once again as a shuttle from Downtown to the Queen Mary!
Great video, it makes me want to visit the ship again! I visited once when I lived in San Diego. It was an overnight and very brief so unfortunately didn't see much. Is there a way to donate to renovations?
Absolutely! QMI Restore the Queen is working directly with the City of Long Beach and Queen Mary management on several restoration projects at once and even more are ramping up in the future. You can make a tax deductible donation on their website: www.qmi.care/donations.html
No, I'm a person of principal. I don't want to support the spreading of fake ghost stories or encourage "psychic mediums" to push the narrative of a "vortex to the spirit realm". Do I believe the Queen Mary is haunted? Yes, I've seen enough activity myself to believe there are ghosts...but they're very weak entities that might result in hearing distant talking, maybe being touched on the shoulder or the feeling of being closely followed...but that's the extent of what I believe truly goes on.
Great video as always Alex. Queen Mary is such a sight to see I'm so glad I get to see her almost daily. Also, If i may. No disrespect but can you please lay off from the whole "Not big into the haunted part of the Queen Mary" thing? I feel like at this point the viewers already know that it's been mentioned in multiple times on multiple videos. It's like we get it? Again, no disrespect I love the informative updates. Allows me to know what's being done to the grand liner. I just feel like it's starting to get repetitive. Respectfully.
Unfortunately that's the nature of being RUclipsr, on every video only a tiny percentage of viewers are "returning" viewers, while the vast majority are completely new. So they've never heard me talk about not liking the haunted marketing of the Queen Mary. Also my videos help influence what happens on the ship, by voicing my opinion, there is a slight chance that I can make a change. And if I can influence them to "chill out" on all the crazy haunted marketing, then I will be happy.
That would only be if you replaced the whole elevator with a new custom one to fit in its place, but with well over 10 other abandoned elevator systems on the ship, they can be cannibalized to help restore that one original elevator. I know it wouldn't cost them millions because they recently brought in Otis to restore two of their currently operating elevators. It won't be cheap, but it's cheaper than installing 2 separate exterior lifts. And either way, some kind of lift will need to be restored or installed anyway because the Sun Deck is not ADA compliant and the City has a time limit to make it accessible.
Don't pit the SS United States against the Queen Mary. THAT's not right. SS United States deserves to be saved, but to insinuate the Queen Mary isn't worthy of preservation in comparison to SS United States is just not fair.
No better time to get my classic - and classically authentic - Cunard bone china wear for afternoon tea. I “traveled” aboard with a friend ALL the way back in 2023, and it’s coming time for a revisit. She will be enthralled by the significant changes! So heartwarming to see the essentials being taken care of and the ship pearling up in all her original 5-star hotel-at-sea splendour. So wildly much to be undone, let alone done. And to see such careful love and tact is a fresh relief. Poor darling has been through too much. Love the idea of the ORIGINAL Verandah Grill becoming a restaurant in itself and with events!!!! This is what we’ve been saying the entire time. Soooo very much to work with, here, people!
And, yes!!! I was at Ganahl Lumber in prep to restore certain furniture pieces, including my prized 2nd Class dresser from Queen Mary - and they actually have similar mahogany! Well!!! The teak they were selling was maybe twice as much. Ugh. One step at a time. How glorious to see those aft decks restored.
I would love to see an original tug boat (doesn’t have to be from England or New York) replacing the Scorpion submarine. Feel it would add to the immersion, like appearing as though the ship was sailing out to sea. And to be able to go aboard it as if you’re aiding The Mary out to sea. And what an educational tool. Chef’s kiss.
Love that they’re swishing up the stateroom, especially the suits! If any, those represent the ship as a whole! Where influencers stay and post and review the ship from. So for them to be given the 1936 treatment is shocking in the best way to hear.
I like the bowl idea, but am troubled by some of the Queen Mary Island concept art. Some of it appears nautical and rustic and charming - and that grand glass entrance is a streamlined contemporary positive - while other parts look as generic as it gets. As far as I’m concerned, we want people’s excitement to rise more and more BEFORE they enter the ship, and theming it after a thriving and bustling ocean terminal…well……
Oh. Happy days ahead for our Queen.
Do you have insight on when the new annual membership will begin? I was told by staff that they are revamping the old one and that it will be available soon, even mid December 2024. But no sign of it yet.
Thank you! No I haven't heard any news about the new annual membership, but I would be shocked if you couldn't buy a membership at the ticket booths.
Curious about the membership too, I bought the old one in May 2024 and was planning to renew.
Always love to see videos of the Queen Mary, thanks for sharing!
Dad was crew on board for several years in the 50s.
He often told me of his experiences on board!
Some I remember well!
One of my earliest memories is going on board as a little guy!
I have visited her in Long Beach three times.
I look forward to visiting her again.
Wow, that's really awesome that you got to go onboard as a kid! The Queen Mary has some truly amazing stories attached to it. I wish I could go back in time and sail aboard.
@
Yes!
I do also!
I stayed onboard Dec. 26-Dec. 30 and was very impressed with the improved condition of the ship. I got up really early one morning and had chat with one of the painters (they paint at night). He explained that he and his crew had enough projects ahead of them on the ship to keep them busy for a long time.
That's great to hear!
I agree! I stayed aboard in early December while they were painting the window frames and bulkhead for the heritage museum on board and had a similar conversation. The painters were taking good care of her and being extra careful, it was refreshing to see.
Sounds like they finally figured out that painting on hot metal doesn’t always yield the greatest results. When urban commons painted the hull and funnels, it was one of the hottest summers ever and ever since it peels in patches.
@ To be fair, Urban Commons contracted out the work to a painting company, and gave that company a tiny budget and a short timeframe to work with. The painters that are currently doing work on the ship, are part of the maintenance department of the ship.
@@AlextheHistorian It's nice to hear they have a painting wing of their maintenance department to handle some of the everyday painting projects around the ship. Can help negate the need to contract projects out when they don't get so bad in the first place.
Thanks for the update. I'm on QM2 in March but one day I hope to get a chance to visit the original QM.
Hi Alex I’ve been on this beautiful ocean liner hundreds of times I love every inch of this ship as for the paranormal I haven’t really seen a ghost or any thing else, but I’m sure she has her moments. It’s still a beautiful ship and people should go see her She definitely has a lot of history a lot of it
1:48 In the tennis era they ended up putting grills over the railings. They were tired of throwing balls into the sea after a forceful serve.😅
And here, I thought it was an aesthetic choice. I would love to see that look reinstated some day. And at the rate and care that things are going, we very well eventually might.
I live all the way down in Brazil and can't even dream of visiting my beloved ship, so your repair updates, podcast and other QM content are the closest I can get to her. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Thank you so much! I'm glad my channel can give you a little taste of the ship!
Thanks for the excellent update Alex! In regards to the flood lights - I remember back on my December 2024 trip they had them turned on. I checked my photos and I believe they are RGB spotlights, which I remember looking at the spotlights themselves when I was there but I couldn't specifically remember if they advertised RGB or not. Anyways, when I was there they had them lit red and green for I'd assume Christmas, so hopefully they are just temporary. I'm planning on heading back to her in December of this year so if you'd like any specific clips of areas of her for your 2026 update, let me know!
Ah, Christmas lighting makes a lot of sense, I was definitely very confused for a while there!
@@AlextheHistorian hopefully that's all it is! Definitely a bit of an eyesore with their temporary installation.
I can only imagine how amazing Mary will look once the submarine and the old village are removed and demolished.
Alex, thanks again for all your work and time you put into channel. Funny thing, I really thought is was lame to take all the live boats off, BUT now when walking along the deck the feel is now so open the views are so much better. Opp's time to get back to work.....
The views certainly are more open, but eventually, probably in time for the 2028 Olympics, the lifeboats will return!
Oh yay- Another renovation update. Thanks Alex (and Kris) 🙂
Our pleasure!
Any good news these days is most welcome.
Oh hell yeah! Just what I needed. Thanks, Alex.
You're welcome!
I love your updates on the Queen Mary so much and thanks so much for all the work you do in keeping us updated.
It's my pleasure! Thanks for watching them!
I love these repair updates
Thanks! I'm glad!
Excellent update Alex
Thanks!
Excellent update and info as always Alex! The Queen is really moving forward and looking great! Her future is promising and with that new venue being put in, it will make more money available for restorations! I think they should have a few suites available that are dressed or designed with real period pieces and also like you mentioned, update the white wall ones more appropriately !
I agree! I'd like to see that.
This is absolutely so exciting about the new possible suite updates that they might be doing to the Mary! Cannot wait to see the new exhibit as well on the Promenade deck. Love the updates that you do on the Queen Mary 🙂Keep up the amazing work that you do for our beloved Mary
I'm excited about the suite and room updates as well! I hope it's not just a rumor.
Awesome video alex well done
Thanks Ozzie!
Thank you Alex. Always love your updates! Happy New Year! :)
Thanks! Happy New Year to you too!
Thank you very much for the update! I'm excited to see the Unicorns in Battle artwork restored.
I have an idea for the ship; it's a small thing that wouldn't be expensive and may already have been done at some point but I think the London telephone boxes should operate and have their illumination restored. It may be a Boomer opinion but public telephones are a public good. If one's cell phone is out of charge or lost or just not on one's person it's good to have another way to call people.
As always, thanks for your informative updates!
My pleasure!
Love it all. Though I am curious as to what happened to the WWII guns that were on the foredeck. They were a part of her history too. I do agree with ou a bit on the whole ghost branding, but it was actually one of the reasons I stayed there. Though not expecting to actually encounter anything, I did enjoy the ghost tour, though the only spirits I encountered were a few drunk members of the tour who actually got kicked off the tour because they were being so disruptive. The tour also got to see the very bow of the ship where the ship had a collision and the "well" where POWs were actually kept during the crossing. Though I am not psychically enclined in the least and am actually a bit of the sceptic, the front most bow area as well as the first class pool area did feel a bit off. All these stories are also a part of the ship's long history. I actually think it fits in well considering the obession with the occult during the Victorian era, and the Mary wasn't necessarily all that much fun during her time as The Grey Ghost. That being said, I am truly happy the grand old girl is being returned to the beauty and prestige she previously enjoyed during her heyday as a distinguished ship of the realm.
The WWII anti-aircraft gun is still there on the deck, it's just on the port side, while in this video we only showed the starboard side!
I would love to see all the interior wood work being re varnished, and the hallways ceilings being painted properly, would give the ship a much fresher feel!!!
Ah love seeing my favorite ship getting fixed
Yes, I’ve long felt that the verandah grille should be a fine dining restaurant as it always was .
Hope it happens!
I hope so too. And if the nearby lift was restored, it can carry disabled people (as well as abled people) to all the currently operating passenger decks! (Sun, Prom, M, A, and B Decks!)
My family went to that great lady several times while living in Southern California. We've even slept on board during a hobby railroad convention in the early 2000's and our stay there was enjoyable.
it is haunted I might add. Confirmed by my witnessing one instance myself while taking one of the ships elevators.
Keep up the great work arresting the determination of this fine former overseas cruise ship.
Plz do share your paranormal experience!
CHEERS ALEX,, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFO. THE QUEEN, IS LOOKING HER GREATEST IN HER OLDER DAYS,, LONG BEACH IS DOING A GREAT JOB..THX.
My pleasure, Ronald! Hello Max!
@@AlextheHistorian MAX 9 YR.S OLD SAY HI , AND CHEERS BACK FOR THINKING OF HIM..
Thank you Alex all looking good.
Another great video Alex!!
Thanks!
To bad we could not give the SS United States the same treatment. Thank you for the update to this grand ocean liner! She is looking more like herself!! Beautiful:)
I miss the ship so much. But I’m not close by and when I am in town I just never have time. 😢
Great update!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
Great plans! I heard Verandah Grill will be a special date night dining experience.
Those plain rooms definitely need work. When the ship first opened we booked a stay. I’m not sure if we didn’t get a wood room due to the fact that they just weren’t prepared to actually open yet or because we just weren’t going to get one but the room we ended up in was so bland. But we were just thankful we didn’t get pushed to another hotel like others did. Sometime this year we will try again and hopefully things will be better now that everything is open.
I am (or was?) hoping to visit LA in 2028 for the Olympics. There are quite a few events in Long Beach, and I would love to stay on the Queen Mary if possible. Hopefully, they’re still going ahead, but with the recent events, I’m not sure. Honestly, I don't know how bad the situation in LA is these days, as I don’t live there (or in the USA), so I’m relying on what I see in the news, which is often grossly politicized. In the meantime, my heart goes out to everyone who’s suffering.
Plans for the 2028 Olympics is still going ahead. The fires affecting the county are located far, far out on the outskirts near mountains and foothills. But all the LA games are being held in the large city centers of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Long Beach I believe, areas unaffected by the fires.
Many kudos to you Alex and team! I remember you doing a few 'deep-dive' collaborations on Mary's interiors etc. Those videos taught me so much. I even remember you discussing the whole 'ghost' myth. I seem to recall you mention it was dreamed up by Disney.
I do remember you toured the ship's hospital. On a board there it listed those who died on board. That's why the infamous 'ghost girl' giggling in the 1st class pool area always makes me laugh. But, as you say, it makes money.
Perhaps one day you could visit SS Rotterdam in Rotterdam. The former ocean liner is one of the few success stories of static liners that continually turns a profit each and every year since it opened.
Now my Podcast will continue the 'deep-dives' into the Queen Mary. It's a more polished version of those old live streams.
Yay! I was wondering when the next repair update was!.
Great update thank you
Thank you
YES!! They are going to go with the Entertainment Downtown Venue!!! At least from what your showing on the video it appears they are going to lean that way.
Now they just need to make the theme right.
I know the perfect one given the current era and of course Queen Mary herself. Retro ART DECO, and have it be reminiscent of late 1920s to 1930s US or LA County in this case. Also this would expand the cities entertainment and shopping venue with the Pike just across bridge. The pike being the modern current venue and Queen Mary's being the retro themed venue. Then of course you have the restruants near the aquarium of the pacific and shoreline village. Hmm I wonder if Long Beach is going to offer shuttle service for people who want to move around the areas and probably create another parking structure to accommodate the potential visitor load....
I don't want you to get your hopes up about the chosen theme of the entertainment complex, because to be honest, they will likely choose very modern architecture. Most cities in the US want to be seen as the most modern and most sleek, and so they're likely going to choose an architectural style that looks slightly ahead of our times and will draw attention.
Right now there is talks of restoring one of the original London Double-Decker busses that arrived on the ship in 1967, and use it as a shuttle between Downtown and the Queen Mary.
2:15, the cement really shouldn’t be patched but removed. Someone explained to me once that the cement is causing some sort of moisture/added weight damage
I don't know about that...I mean there is evidence that there was a moisture leak in the past, but current management has put a stop to the leak...and I don't see anywhere on the green top where water would be entering...it must be entering from somewhere else. I honestly think a patch and a fresh slurry of green epoxy should do the trick.
Let's just let Sir Winston's fade into memory.
I honestly agree. I think the Verandah would be a much nicer restaurant.
Thanks orr the update Alex! I sure hope they remove that submarine, it would make the full view of the Queen Mary better, and not the eyesore that it is today.
I visited the Queen Mary a few months back, took the VIP tour, and ended up spending the entire day onboard the ship. I'm just wondering, because the ship is getting more and more popular these days, imagine if they would actually RE-INSTALL steam engines, and overhaul the complete hull, and take the ship out to sea even part-time. I'm 100% sure, every single one of those voyages would be a sell-out, regardless what they would charge for the fare. There is NOTHING like this elsewhere in the world, no investment is too much to preserve it. Whoever got the idea in 1966 in Long Beach to buy the ship, was a true mastermind.
Ironically, the idea of purchasing the Queen Mary started out as a joke. Lloyd Hart was reading an article that the ship was going to retire, and he thought he'd call up his friend in City management, Harry Ridings, that Long Beach should buy the Queen Mary. Lloyd thought Harry would get a good laugh...but Harry didn't laugh. He convinced the City of Long Beach to buy the Queen Mary. And they sure did!
The ship will never sail again though, there IS a limit to what people will spend, and you can't sail the ship the way she is currently laid out and designed. The ship is no longer considered a ship, she is designated as a floating building, she is so far antiquated from SOLAS standards, that she would have to be completely gutted and renovated inside and out. The end result would be a ship that doesn't resemble the Queen Mary at all. So getting the Queen Mary to sail again is not like restoring an old car, it's more like demolishing a building and reconstructing it to modern standards.
Imagine if someone installed diesels in the Queen Mary. There are plenty of good ship diesels liberated every month from ship breaking. The weight savings alone would be awesome.
4:20 we’ve been having this conversation almost since since Winston’s opened, why not just restore but extend the elevator shaft one more deck? Could the verandah and sir Winston’s work in tandem?
The cost of extending the elevator shaft would probably be like restoring the elevator shaft twice, and it may not even be possible because it's one thing to restore a historic elevator, but in the eyes of government, extending a historic elevator will require jumping through lots of hoops and red tape because the design no longer meets current standards.
Thank you, Alex. Been waiting for another update. Alex do you happen to know what became of the double-decker buses that were brought over in 67 with the Ship?
The London buses were used by long beach transit on downtown routes until they were worn out!!
Yes, as Kirk here responded, they were used by Long Beach transit, but they were used as shuttles from Downtown to the Queen Mary until they wore out. One of them has been lost with time, but the other belongs to QMI Restore the Queen and they were recently in works with the City of Long Beach to restore the bus and use it once again as a shuttle from Downtown to the Queen Mary!
yay
Great video, it makes me want to visit the ship again! I visited once when I lived in San Diego. It was an overnight and very brief so unfortunately didn't see much.
Is there a way to donate to renovations?
Absolutely! QMI Restore the Queen is working directly with the City of Long Beach and Queen Mary management on several restoration projects at once and even more are ramping up in the future. You can make a tax deductible donation on their website: www.qmi.care/donations.html
Reminds me it's time to pay her another visit!
Alex, if you had a chance, would you join those paranormal investigations on the ship they offer, just out of curiosity?
No, I'm a person of principal. I don't want to support the spreading of fake ghost stories or encourage "psychic mediums" to push the narrative of a "vortex to the spirit realm". Do I believe the Queen Mary is haunted? Yes, I've seen enough activity myself to believe there are ghosts...but they're very weak entities that might result in hearing distant talking, maybe being touched on the shoulder or the feeling of being closely followed...but that's the extent of what I believe truly goes on.
You never know some of samuel cunards 5th great grandchildren might visit in 2028
Great video as always Alex. Queen Mary is such a sight to see I'm so glad I get to see her almost daily.
Also, If i may. No disrespect but can you please lay off from the whole "Not big into the haunted part of the Queen Mary" thing? I feel like at this point the viewers already know that it's been mentioned in multiple times on multiple videos. It's like we get it? Again, no disrespect I love the informative updates. Allows me to know what's being done to the grand liner. I just feel like it's starting to get repetitive. Respectfully.
Unfortunately that's the nature of being RUclipsr, on every video only a tiny percentage of viewers are "returning" viewers, while the vast majority are completely new. So they've never heard me talk about not liking the haunted marketing of the Queen Mary. Also my videos help influence what happens on the ship, by voicing my opinion, there is a slight chance that I can make a change. And if I can influence them to "chill out" on all the crazy haunted marketing, then I will be happy.
its a shame what happened to the Queen lizzie but hey we still the RMS queen Mary one of 2 Cunard liners left from the original cunard
Elevator modernizations can unfortunately be millions of dollars
That would only be if you replaced the whole elevator with a new custom one to fit in its place, but with well over 10 other abandoned elevator systems on the ship, they can be cannibalized to help restore that one original elevator. I know it wouldn't cost them millions because they recently brought in Otis to restore two of their currently operating elevators.
It won't be cheap, but it's cheaper than installing 2 separate exterior lifts.
And either way, some kind of lift will need to be restored or installed anyway because the Sun Deck is not ADA compliant and the City has a time limit to make it accessible.
And YET, America's Flag Ship, the S.S. United States 🇺🇸 was left to rot.
THIS IS NOT RIGHT!
Don't pit the SS United States against the Queen Mary. THAT's not right. SS United States deserves to be saved, but to insinuate the Queen Mary isn't worthy of preservation in comparison to SS United States is just not fair.