The grand old lady's future is looking very bright indeed! It's a shame that someone would vandalize that model, but the nice thing about Lego is that it's an easy repair. Thank you for the update! :)
@@mileshigh1321 As an artist I appreciate how much skill and time it takes to sculpt with Lego bricks (about 250k in this model). There's another large Queen Mary made from toothpicks which is also very impressive, as are the Minecraft versions. Together these works of art represent thousands of hours spent for the love of this greatest of ocean liners.
I found this very heartening. When I last visited in 2012 (having sailed on her twice) I thought the end was near. Now that the City is behind the project it seems that is is full steam ahead with proper management and planning. The future looks bright. Now about that damn submarine...
As a Brit it’s nice to see our architectural heritage restored and thriving. As well as finally having respecting custodians. I truly appreciate everything you do keeping this half of the world up to date. Keep the channel blooming! ☺️
We are from Texas and actually went to the Queen last month, for the Meet me at the Mary. It was actually amazing. There wasn't an empty table available, it was packed. Period live music, dancing and visitors wearing period clothing. Truly a great find. We will definitely attend again in the future!!
Indeed the haunting thing is daft. She’s not a spooky ship at all, she’s a welcoming ship that celebrates a successful and joyous career filled with happy memories.
We stayed two nights in preparation for a Carnival Panorama cruise in September 2023. It was great. I applaud the city of Long Beach, CA for underwritng restoration/renovation for this grand lady!
Nice to see the old lady shining like a new penny again, it'll be really nice to see when all the work is completed..if only Big U could see the amount of love and care our queen is getting
My very 1st visit to the Queen Mary was back in June of last year. I was very excited to be in the ship. It was a late graduation present & I graduated in 2021. I couldn't get over how big it was. It's much bigger than I thought it'd be. Right now, there are plans made to go back aboard in December, but it's not written in the stars yet.
Omg, the last part with the closing mention from 1934 about Queen Mary soon retirement years later is happening. She's been long retired, and all of us enthusiasts who educate the importance of her story is making, no pun intended,waves. Sold out this month , and next a bigger gift shop now as well! They're getting it. SO thrilled the ship represents now more of her seaworthy past as an educational museum vessel in long Beach. Locals and vacationers are finally getting it to experience classic once greatest cruises versus today's.
THANK YOU ALEX,, FOR THE INFO. THAT YOU AND LMG VIDS HAS GIVING TO US TO SEE AND TO BE HAPPY OUR QUEEN IS BEING TAKING CARE OF AND MORE FUN IN THE MONTHS AHEAD... CHEER'S ....
I am absoutely frothing at the mouth with enthusiasm to get on one of the "voyage" events. There are a lot of good things in these updates, and I can't thank you enough for producing them. It not only informs and inspires long-time fans like me, but it also spreads the word more generally that Queen Mary has a long and exciting future ahead of her. I do believe she has turned a corner! Thanks again, Alex!
i havent been to the queen mary in years, seeing all these updates makes me want to do a day trip. i cant imagine how much nicer of an experience it will be this time
Alex, this is your best repair update yet. So filled with good news and bright promise for our favorite ship. Am I bummed I missed out on visiting her when the f'oc'sle was opened and the addition of a bookstore? Only a teensy bit. These were two things I wanted to see aboard her when I visited the Queen in April. I was lucky to have visited on a Tuesday, when the whole Meet Me At the Mary thing was going on, the swing band (Ashley Anne & The Carnations, they were great) in the Observation Bar. Great times. But all this gets me revved up to come out to the LA area again and visit her as soon as I'm able. Dunno when that's gonna be (NYC is first, next spring, can't wait), but she's improving all the time and is seemingly more popular all the time too, and that all makes me absolutely overjoyed. Long live the Queen!! 👸🏻🚢🥂
It’s great to see that community creations such as the Minecraft model are being shown off, I also know a guy Icemonster360 who last year spent 6 months making a Queen Mary in the game Stormworks. It’s an incredible model just like the Minecraft one
Great news. I’m happy to hear maintenance is kept up. The new way doing things will preserve the ship. I hope they resolve the submarine issue. How time flies. It’ll be 2025 soon enough. The Queen Mary is terrific for events. I went there for a wedding 10 years ago in the main ballroom. Very nice although it’s just Long Beach that looks like an industrial zone.
Thanks for such a great update Alex! It's really encouraging that the ship is doing so well and a huge thanks to the City of Long Beach and the personnel managing and employees on the ship working so hard with all the restoration efforts and attracting visitors. It's great to hear the 'transatlantic voyages' are popular as well.
Excellent! Always love your upbeat and positive updates on the Queen Mary! I liked seeing the print shop!( recreation) I have a menu from the 50's for Queen Mary and now I can see where it was printed!
I recently stayed at the Queen Mary during a trip and it was the best thing I did during that time! Even though I am in Quebec Canada, as a passionate, I will come back to this ship at a 100%!!
It would be nice if folks taking the QM staycation 'voyage' were enrolled in Cunard's 'World Club' -[the one voyage 'silver' tier] a low cost publicity option for both the QM and Cunard. [Cunard could have a 'voyage sales' desk on board similar to the ones found on the active ships]
Thank you, Alex and Kris from LMG!! I still have to take my road trip south to stay on the Queen again. You can bet I'll be taking my 1930s dance clothes and join right in one of their great historic events 😊 So glad they have taken our suggestion to capitalize on this history! ❤❤
We did a staycation on the QM long before that was a term😂 You used to get a button if you stayed in motel that came with special perks even well past your initial stay, just had to bring your button. I’m happy to see repairs being done and some of that coming back and thriving 😎😎
I think Alex must be responsible for some of enthusiasm for her. All the RUclipsrs who do good research on liners will continue to help create interest. I think the 3 Night voyage sounds great. and so much fuel saved!!
Fantastic news! I was very worried we were gonna lose the QM. Being an avid Naval historian and lover of Ocean liners myself, I really want to go visit her one day! Happy to know I'll actually have a real chance now!
It’s so nice to see the ship being enjoyed and taken care of. I hope to visit from England someday. Imagine going to America on the QM2 and driving across America finishing with the QM!
Love this ship. Visited it several times before the pandemic and very much want to return. Would be so great to see the S.S. United states repurposed similarly, replicating some areas, while making use of others for various projects.
This makes me so glad! Really and truly. The Queen Mary, even in its pre-update state was magical to visit, but now, especially with the news of all the upcoming improvements with a real vision for the future I feel that her history and legacy will be far better secure and celebrated. Thank you Alex for keeping us informed!
So great to see the improvements done on the Queen Mary, and especially fabulous hearing that the current and new events at the ship are taking off so well! (And, that astrologer was spot on). Most, most excellent.
When I was hanging out at the Queen Mary back in the 1970s, the double decker buses used to park by the English village and you could ride them for 10 cents to downtown Long Beach near the Breakers building and back to the Queen Mary.
Hey Alex, this is so exciting!! I am beside myself to see the Transatlantic Voyage itineraries!!! This is the type of stay I have been curating for myself since the 1980s. I always book 3-4 nights, enjoy the ship, take tours and "tea" etc. Next time I visit, I will most definitely buy this so all the work has been done for me so to speak. Thanks Alex, I truly enjoyed this enlightening update as usual from you :-)
Thank you for this update. Queen Mary is my favorite place to stay when in Los Angeles. Glad to see the city of Long Beach taking an active stance in regard to preservation and improvement of the surrounding area. That old ticket-booth was ugly.
That is such fantastic news about the 'voyages'! I do sincerely hope that they will do something to recreate more of the 'feel' of the olden days on board. Talking about galas, dress up nights, themed 1930s voyages etc. As much as I'm sure yoga on deck sounds interesting, I don't think many ppl were doing it back in the day and kind of 'breaks the spell' a bit... In any case, well done QM for this awesome initiative and thanks Alex for letting us know! P.S. I think they must be testing this out first on locals. Here in Italy, I can't see any posts on their social whatsoever about it (might only show to ppl in the US or even only ppl in the area)
Me & some buddies stayed on the ship in June of this year. She looks absolutely amazing!! The last time I saw her was in 2018 before any restorations had taken place & she looked worn & old then. Nowadays, she looks like she just got rolled out of Clydebank, Scotland!! Please visit the Queen Mary, she’s amazing!!!
Thanks for the update Alex 😊It sounds like the Queen Mary is making a pretty good profit. Glad to hear things are moving forward with this great ship ❤
Alex, "Testing the waters" 11:54 Precious, great play on works. The stories I could tell of "as a kid" sneaking around the closed areas of the ship, getting around locked doors, making it down to the muddy bilge for a explore with little flashlights, "fun times." We would at times get kicked off by security guards "very nice people" and sneak back on the Mary again. Sometimes we would get caught by the same guard a few times in the same day, security was a bit lax back then. Thanks to Alex and team for a great update on the Queen Mary.
My first RUclips video no longer exists, I had deleted it years ago, but it was a lecture about the history of the Disneyland Railroad, published August 7th, 2016, one day after I created the channel. The current oldest video on my channel is a show I did called Fun Fact Friday.
I love your videos. This one has inspired me to plan a trip from Central Florida to Long Beach. My wife and I were married in the wedding chapel in December of 1990. Had our reception in one of the Salons...The last time we were on board was a weekend stay for our anniversary in 2007. Time to go back. Thanks for the amazing content.
I remember my transatlantic (seventh to her last) voyage on the Queen. The deck chairs with thick blankets, stewards who would bring you cups of tea or hot beef broth. This was a transatlantic crossing, not the pleasant climate in Long Beach! I also remember the horse race game played in the lounge. I won five pounds!
In the first couple years of arrival, they had the undersea world of Jacques Cousteau exhibit on the ship. While i was still an infant, my mom took me there and she met Cousteau who was there promoting it. Somewhere there is a pic of him holding me. I do still have the small book relevant to the exhibit that he autographed.
I’m glad things are looking up - we stayed aboard one night in 2016 on our honeymoon and she was very down at heel then but we still loved her and to be fair our chateaubriand in Sir Winston’s was as good as any we’ve had anywhere
5:37 Haha the guy on the right checked me in on one of my visits also in July 2024. He's also the one who told me where they moved the lego model. It was still on the prom deck during my July 5th visit but it was relocated by July 19.
Thanks Alex for the update back in 1974 I fell in love with this ocean liner and in 79 I spent two days on her. As I said before that I was shocked that Long Beach removed her boilers and all of lot of her machinery plus her generators and what the tourists wanted to see an engineering marvel not a bunch of empty compartments who ever thought up that idea should have been kicked in the seat. I do hope that Long Beach will replace much of her machinery. Other museum ships has there machinery in them why is it Queen Mary a beautiful Ocean Liner was stripped of her machinery , well not your fault it’s Long Beach fault!
something I heard decades ago... is that when the ship was received by who ever was going to make it a hotel, there was some sort of an agreement that the ship would never sail again. so the machinery was removed to show/guarantee that the ship would never sail again... don't know if there is any truth to that....
@Ludeks_Adventures It's a story often told, but there's only some truth to it. Yes, the ship was sold under the agreement that it would not sail in competition with Cunard, but it would be allowed to sail. The ship's sister, Queen Elizabeth was sold to become a sailing university at sea...a fate she wouldn't quit live long enough to see. In actuality, Queen Mary's boilers were removed to make way for a massive Jacques Custeau museum that later foundered.
Having worked on the ship from 1983-1985, I remember how lively it was with visitors and employees. It seemed like half of Long Beach worked there at one time or another. There was a nightly fireworks show and the QM was a big draw for the City. After I stopped working there, I didn’t visit again until around 2013. I was saddened by the condition of the ship and how lifeless and neglected she was. I’m making plans to travel to Long Beach to visit again and hopefully stay on board. I’m a little sad about the village. It was a community back in the 80’s with independent shops and the great jazz safari bar. Sadly, it only makes sense to tear it down at this point.
A year or so ago, I posted a comment to one of your excellent videos, suggesting that management do exactly what they are doing, sell staycation voyages. Now I have to make a fund package for myself to put my money where my mouth is, and book a QM staycation voyage, asap.
I had emailed your suggestion to Queen Mary management late last year. I added ideas to it to help tie it together so they could see the potential. They said it was a good idea then 7 months later, they start selling it! Give yourself a pat on the back.
@@AlextheHistorian Honestly, you are the one who deserves a standing ovation for your enthusiastic and tenacious coverage and promotion of her restoration and return to glory. I’m glad they listened to her fans and I want to support her with at least an annual pilgrimage to see her. Now I will see if I can get my local PCA club members to at least do a day trip there.
@@vwfanatic2390 wow that's nice of you to say! I have dedicated a lot of time to getting the word out about the ship and promoting the restoration. So many people have discovered the Queen Mary through my videos, it makes me so happy!
As we know, the plywood is going to bend and flex, especially with this sea water, a sealant can only do so much. It's already happening, hopefully nobody trips and hits there head. It's going to be a "plywood of replacement's" and many trips to Home Depot. Hello Alex 😊
Beautiful footage. I enjoy these updates more after having visited in December 2023. It's like learning how a beloved aging family member is doing through frequent photos and videos! Does anyone know if the gift stores have online ordering yet? There were some items I wanted to buy when visiting but could not due to travel constraints. I would order online if possible.
Hey Alex, As a native of Long Beach, I have always been in love the QM and even worked in the main kitchen back in the 80's. Here's something I would love to see you review and tackle one day, is the sad lack luster Yelp reviews of the once fabulous QM Sunday Brunch (which was great back in the 90's). It seems that in spite of the 1 and 2 star reviews on Yelp, the food experience has yet to improve, in spite of the high price they charge for the Brunch! For her and her fame and beauty and history should be getting 4- and 5-star Yelp reviews if the Chef and management cared. That's my request of you and two cents. Thanks for all you do.
I'm a former culinary school trained chef, and I occasionally review the yelp reviews about the Sunday Brunch, and I gotta say, I disagree with all those 1 star reviewers. Yes the Brunch is expensive, but the food is extremely high quality and excellently prepares, and prepared with a kitchen that recently recieved all new cooking equipment. Not only that, but the musicians they use these days is top tier. It's my belief that the real problem is that because of the high prices, it had created an expectation of impossible standards. And a bit of it is that Yelp tends to feature negative reviewers anyway, Yelp reviewers are more likely to write poor reviews, than good ones...its kind of a societal culture change these days.
Thanks for the update.. And Really the Lego model was vandalized?? GHEEZ!! Vinegar is great on metals I use it as the final rinse in dishwasher all shines
i remember a piano from the Queen Mary which had been played regularly onboard the QE2 in her sailing days. what happened to that original QM piano after the QE2 retired?
Most likely scrapped, I did read in Elton John's biography that a double decker was waiting for them in 1970 when they first landed in the US, could it have been one of them?
@bluerazor7049 yes, when the busses arrived, they were used on a regular daily service to shuttle people from Downtown to the Queen Mary. They served this purpose for I believe 5-8 years
The story of the grandfather & his grandchild dealing with the Lego model of the QM is quite disturbing. It's very telling in this era of casual vandalism & rampant shoplifting. A few months ago, in a seemingly quiet, secure location, someone walked off with my laptop's carrying case. I had wandered away for around just 10-15 minutes. SMH. I read that the Golden Gate Bridge in SF is on a constant rotation of maintenance & painting. As soon as one area is worked on, maintenance crews go to the next area, & then back again all over again. So trying to prevent the QM from becoming like another SSUS in Philadelphia must be very painstaking. To make signs of disrepair less troubling, the QM should have "Pardon Our Dust"-type placards posted throughout the ship.
YT vlogger Walk With Me Tim (based in the UK) this week posted a vid of his stay aboard the QM. He booked one of the larger, more expensive rooms & I hope his review is seen by the staff of the QM. Maintenance is always a headache, & challenges with employees & complexity with technical-operational issues for the QM must be huge. Any business should always grimace when they get shaky word-of-mouth.
Yes I've seen it. Unfortunately the ship is understaffed. Management has tried to fill all their open positions, but a lot of businesses have suffered the same issue of finding people willing to apply for those jobs.
@@AlextheHistorian I watched Tim's vid of his visit to the QE2 in Dubai & although the ship (particularly its guest rooms) is obviously in better shape (built in the late 1960s), it still came off to me as bleaker or even pointless. Tired 1960s-70s has a different look & vibe than tired 1930s-40s. For purely hotel-meeting-type reasons, the QM's namesake, the QM2, probably will make more sense in the future as a stationary building. The QM, however, is the more interesting of the 3 ships, but the city of LB has a lot of work to do.
Thank you for the Queen Mary update. I am sure that this question has been answered multiple times but was the Queen Mary named after Queen Elizabeth 2's Grandmother (Mary of Tteck I belive)?
@AlextheHistorian Thank so much. I thought that might be the case. I think that Queen Mary (of teck) was so pretty when she was young. Thank you again.
Hello Diniru, yes all the teak decks that surround the enclosed Promenade Deck and the forward outdoor Promenade in front of the Observation Bar, are all original 1936 teak. There is also teak decks surrounding the former 2nd class areas on M Deck aft, they are also original 1936 teak. All other outdoor teak is from replacements in 1994 and 2019.
The grand old lady's future is looking very bright indeed! It's a shame that someone would vandalize that model, but the nice thing about Lego is that it's an easy repair. Thank you for the update! :)
I am still amazed that they built a scale model of her out of lego and it its incredibly detailed!
@@mileshigh1321 As an artist I appreciate how much skill and time it takes to sculpt with Lego bricks (about 250k in this model). There's another large Queen Mary made from toothpicks which is also very impressive, as are the Minecraft versions. Together these works of art represent thousands of hours spent for the love of this greatest of ocean liners.
I found this very heartening. When I last visited in 2012 (having sailed on her twice) I thought the end was near. Now that the City is behind the project it seems that is is full steam ahead with proper management and planning. The future looks bright. Now about that damn submarine...
As a Brit it’s nice to see our architectural heritage restored and thriving. As well as finally having respecting custodians. I truly appreciate everything you do keeping this half of the world up to date. Keep the channel blooming! ☺️
We are from Texas and actually went to the Queen last month, for the Meet me at the Mary. It was actually amazing. There wasn't an empty table available, it was packed. Period live music, dancing and visitors wearing period clothing. Truly a great find. We will definitely attend again in the future!!
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Those events look fantastic! Nice to see them relying less on the “haunted” stuff to bring people in.
Indeed the haunting thing is daft. She’s not a spooky ship at all, she’s a welcoming ship that celebrates a successful and joyous career filled with happy memories.
We stayed two nights in preparation for a Carnival Panorama cruise in September 2023. It was great. I applaud the city of Long Beach, CA for underwritng restoration/renovation for this grand lady!
Nice to see the old lady shining like a new penny again, it'll be really nice to see when all the work is completed..if only Big U could see the amount of love and care our queen is getting
Would be lovely if these magnificent ocean liners would once again roam the seas once more
Some of the hats in gift shop are giving Tier of Terror Bellhop vibes! Love it!
It’s nice to see the anti-air turrets are still on the ship
We used to visit her back when it was a PSA hotel. Sir Winston’s has the best French onion soup on the planet.
Thanks Alex. Fantastic. My uncle was a tile setter and worked on the Mary when she arrived in Long Beach. He had many a tale. 👍
My very 1st visit to the Queen Mary was back in June of last year. I was very excited to be in the ship. It was a late graduation present & I graduated in 2021. I couldn't get over how big it was. It's much bigger than I thought it'd be. Right now, there are plans made to go back aboard in December, but it's not written in the stars yet.
Omg, the last part with the closing mention from 1934 about Queen Mary soon retirement years later is happening. She's been long retired, and all of us enthusiasts who educate the importance of her story is making, no pun intended,waves. Sold out this month , and
next a bigger gift shop now as well! They're getting it. SO thrilled the ship represents now more of her seaworthy past as an educational museum vessel in long Beach. Locals and vacationers are finally getting it to experience classic once greatest cruises versus today's.
THANK YOU ALEX,, FOR THE INFO. THAT YOU AND LMG VIDS HAS GIVING TO US TO SEE AND TO BE HAPPY OUR QUEEN IS BEING TAKING CARE OF AND MORE FUN IN THE MONTHS AHEAD... CHEER'S ....
Thanks Ronald, yes every month I get so happy seeing all the success and good fortune the ship has been getting!
Great news for the old lady!
I am absoutely frothing at the mouth with enthusiasm to get on one of the "voyage" events. There are a lot of good things in these updates, and I can't thank you enough for producing them. It not only informs and inspires long-time fans like me, but it also spreads the word more generally that Queen Mary has a long and exciting future ahead of her. I do believe she has turned a corner! Thanks again, Alex!
i havent been to the queen mary in years, seeing all these updates makes me want to do a day trip. i cant imagine how much nicer of an experience it will be this time
This video makes me so happy. It's great that she's getting the love she deserves! Thanks for the update Alex!
Alex, this is your best repair update yet. So filled with good news and bright promise for our favorite ship. Am I bummed I missed out on visiting her when the f'oc'sle was opened and the addition of a bookstore? Only a teensy bit. These were two things I wanted to see aboard her when I visited the Queen in April. I was lucky to have visited on a Tuesday, when the whole Meet Me At the Mary thing was going on, the swing band (Ashley Anne & The Carnations, they were great) in the Observation Bar. Great times. But all this gets me revved up to come out to the LA area again and visit her as soon as I'm able. Dunno when that's gonna be (NYC is first, next spring, can't wait), but she's improving all the time and is seemingly more popular all the time too, and that all makes me absolutely overjoyed. Long live the Queen!! 👸🏻🚢🥂
It’s great to see that community creations such as the Minecraft model are being shown off, I also know a guy Icemonster360 who last year spent 6 months making a Queen Mary in the game Stormworks. It’s an incredible model just like the Minecraft one
Great news. I’m happy to hear maintenance is kept up. The new way doing things will preserve the ship. I hope they resolve the submarine issue. How time flies. It’ll be 2025 soon enough. The Queen Mary is terrific for events. I went there for a wedding 10 years ago in the main ballroom. Very nice although it’s just Long Beach that looks like an industrial zone.
Best looking ships in the world. Wish I were there to sail on all the glorious ships of the Golden age.
Thanks for such a great update Alex! It's really encouraging that the ship is doing so well and a huge thanks to the City of Long Beach and the personnel managing and employees on the ship working so hard with all the restoration efforts and attracting visitors. It's great to hear the 'transatlantic voyages' are popular as well.
Excellent! Always love your upbeat and positive updates on the Queen Mary! I liked seeing the print shop!( recreation) I have a menu from the 50's for Queen Mary and now I can see where it was printed!
I recently stayed at the Queen Mary during a trip and it was the best thing I did during that time! Even though I am in Quebec Canada, as a passionate, I will come back to this ship at a 100%!!
That's great to hear!
Was there last week. Took the Glory Days tour. Had a terrific time.
It would be nice if folks taking the QM staycation 'voyage' were enrolled in Cunard's 'World Club' -[the one voyage 'silver' tier] a low cost publicity option for both the QM and Cunard. [Cunard could have a 'voyage sales' desk on board similar to the ones found on the active ships]
Thank you for this wonderful update! We love hearing the good news and hopeful future.
Thank you, Alex and Kris from LMG!! I still have to take my road trip south to stay on the Queen again. You can bet I'll be taking my 1930s dance clothes and join right in one of their great historic events 😊 So glad they have taken our suggestion to capitalize on this history! ❤❤
We did a staycation on the QM long before that was a term😂
You used to get a button if you stayed in motel that came with special perks even well past your initial stay, just had to bring your button.
I’m happy to see repairs being done and some of that coming back and thriving 😎😎
I think Alex must be responsible for some of enthusiasm for her. All the RUclipsrs who do good research on liners will continue to help create interest. I think the 3 Night voyage sounds great. and so much fuel saved!!
Fantastic news! I was very worried we were gonna lose the QM. Being an avid Naval historian and lover of Ocean liners myself, I really want to go visit her one day! Happy to know I'll actually have a real chance now!
It’s so nice to see the ship being enjoyed and taken care of. I hope to visit from England someday. Imagine going to America on the QM2 and driving across America finishing with the QM!
Love this ship. Visited it several times before the pandemic and very much want to return. Would be so great to see the S.S. United states repurposed similarly, replicating some areas, while making use of others for various projects.
Having S.S. United States restored would be absolutely fantastic
Alex, seeing these videos make me & so many other people so happy. We love the Queen Mary, thank you for keeping us updated about her
It's my pleasure!
This makes me so glad! Really and truly. The Queen Mary, even in its pre-update state was magical to visit, but now, especially with the news of all the upcoming improvements with a real vision for the future I feel that her history and legacy will be far better secure and celebrated. Thank you Alex for keeping us informed!
So great to see the improvements done on the Queen Mary, and especially fabulous hearing that the current and new events at the ship are taking off so well! (And, that astrologer was spot on). Most, most excellent.
We went and stayed there in a cabin when it first opened. It was great. Have only been back for the tour 1 time since. But it was a bucket list item.
Sounds amazing! I would absolutely book a voyage!
When I was hanging out at the Queen Mary back in the 1970s, the double decker buses used to park by the English village and you could ride them for 10 cents to downtown Long Beach near the Breakers building and back to the Queen Mary.
Hey Alex, this is so exciting!! I am beside myself to see the Transatlantic Voyage itineraries!!! This is the type of stay I have been curating for myself since the 1980s. I always book 3-4 nights, enjoy the ship, take tours and "tea" etc. Next time I visit, I will most definitely buy this so all the work has been done for me so to speak. Thanks Alex, I truly enjoyed this enlightening update as usual from you :-)
Thanks Mark!
Thank you for this update. Queen Mary is my favorite place to stay when in Los Angeles. Glad to see the city of Long Beach taking an active stance in regard to preservation and improvement of the surrounding area. That old ticket-booth was ugly.
Dark harbor is coming back so exciting! I already bought my tickets
That is such fantastic news about the 'voyages'! I do sincerely hope that they will do something to recreate more of the 'feel' of the olden days on board. Talking about galas, dress up nights, themed 1930s voyages etc. As much as I'm sure yoga on deck sounds interesting, I don't think many ppl were doing it back in the day and kind of 'breaks the spell' a bit... In any case, well done QM for this awesome initiative and thanks Alex for letting us know!
P.S. I think they must be testing this out first on locals. Here in Italy, I can't see any posts on their social whatsoever about it (might only show to ppl in the US or even only ppl in the area)
The reason you can't see posts on their social about it is because they deleted all the posts after all bookings were sold out.
Me & some buddies stayed on the ship in June of this year. She looks absolutely amazing!! The last time I saw her was in 2018 before any restorations had taken place & she looked worn & old then. Nowadays, she looks like she just got rolled out of Clydebank, Scotland!! Please visit the Queen Mary, she’s amazing!!!
Thank you Alex, your reports are fantastic.
Great video as usual. Thanks for the update 👍🚢
Thanks for the update Alex 😊It sounds like the Queen Mary is making a pretty good profit. Glad to hear things are moving forward with this great ship ❤
This is looking very promising!!! Would love to make it there once day from aus ❤
Thanks for that Alex.
Alex, "Testing the waters" 11:54 Precious, great play on works.
The stories I could tell of "as a kid" sneaking around the closed areas of the ship, getting around locked doors, making it down to the muddy bilge for a explore with little flashlights, "fun times." We would at times get kicked off by security guards "very nice people" and sneak back on the Mary again. Sometimes we would get caught by the same guard a few times in the same day, security was a bit lax back then. Thanks to Alex and team for a great update on the Queen Mary.
Lol yeah I have my way with words!
@@AlextheHistorian Alex, what was your first U.T. vid ????
What?
@@AlextheHistorian What was your first RUclips video??? Sorry for using a lame acronym. lol
My first RUclips video no longer exists, I had deleted it years ago, but it was a lecture about the history of the Disneyland Railroad, published August 7th, 2016, one day after I created the channel. The current oldest video on my channel is a show I did called Fun Fact Friday.
I love your videos. This one has inspired me to plan a trip from Central Florida to Long Beach. My wife and I were married in the wedding chapel in December of 1990. Had our reception in one of the Salons...The last time we were on board was a weekend stay for our anniversary in 2007. Time to go back. Thanks for the amazing content.
Wow thank you so much! I hope you enjoy your visit!
I am and have been in Love with the Queen Mary. She is a beautiful ship. I wish I could work on her.
Most interesting! I love your updates and I love that she is continuing to be lovingly restored.
Great update Alex! I always look forward to your Queen Mary videos. The best source of news about this ship that is out there. Thanks so much!
Thank you!
Thank you for your excellent updates which have inspired me to travel from New Zealand to visit the Queen Mary.
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy your visit.
I remember my transatlantic (seventh to her last) voyage on the Queen. The deck chairs with thick blankets, stewards who would bring you cups of tea or hot beef broth. This was a transatlantic crossing, not the pleasant climate in Long Beach! I also remember the horse race game played in the lounge. I won five pounds!
Nice video Wait, the bow of the ship open now Thanks for the information 👍
Would love to visit this ship one day! Ive always been intrigued by it’s history
In the first couple years of arrival, they had the undersea world of Jacques Cousteau exhibit on the ship. While i was still an infant, my mom took me there and she met Cousteau who was there promoting it. Somewhere there is a pic of him holding me. I do still have the small book relevant to the exhibit that he autographed.
Oh this makes me soooo exited!! I visited her in March and so much has been done since just a few months ago. I hope to visit her again soon!!
thank you for the amazing video! great work, alex!
My pleasure!
Hey Alex! Thank You for offering periodic updates! Your efforts are Much Appreciated! Take Care! -J
It's my pleasure, Jim!
Thank you for keeping us up to date!
My pleasure!
I’m glad things are looking up - we stayed aboard one night in 2016 on our honeymoon and she was very down at heel then but we still loved her and to be fair our chateaubriand in Sir Winston’s was as good as any we’ve had anywhere
To me, the queen mary IS the last remaining part of the olympic’s legacy. Seeing her preparing for another “voyage” is so beautiful
Nice ⚓⚓⚓
Thank you for the update
5:37 Haha the guy on the right checked me in on one of my visits also in July 2024. He's also the one who told me where they moved the lego model. It was still on the prom deck during my July 5th visit but it was relocated by July 19.
Wonderful update, Alex!
Thank you!
Another awesome update! Thank you Alex!
No problem!
This is great news!
Alex, thank you for this update. Great news!
Thanks Alex for the update back in 1974 I fell in love with this ocean liner and in 79 I spent two days on her.
As I said before that I was shocked that Long Beach removed her boilers and all of lot of her machinery plus her generators and what the tourists wanted to see an engineering marvel not a bunch of empty compartments who ever thought up that idea should have been kicked in the seat.
I do hope that Long Beach will replace much of her machinery.
Other museum ships has there machinery in them why is it Queen Mary a beautiful Ocean Liner was stripped of her machinery , well not your fault it’s Long Beach fault!
something I heard decades ago... is that when the ship was received by who ever was going to make it a hotel, there was some sort of an agreement that the ship would never sail again. so the machinery was removed to show/guarantee that the ship would never sail again... don't know if there is any truth to that....
@Ludeks_Adventures It's a story often told, but there's only some truth to it. Yes, the ship was sold under the agreement that it would not sail in competition with Cunard, but it would be allowed to sail. The ship's sister, Queen Elizabeth was sold to become a sailing university at sea...a fate she wouldn't quit live long enough to see.
In actuality, Queen Mary's boilers were removed to make way for a massive Jacques Custeau museum that later foundered.
Having worked on the ship from 1983-1985, I remember how lively it was with visitors and employees. It seemed like half of Long Beach worked there at one time or another. There was a nightly fireworks show and the QM was a big draw for the City. After I stopped working there, I didn’t visit again until around 2013. I was saddened by the condition of the ship and how lifeless and neglected she was. I’m making plans to travel to Long Beach to visit again and hopefully stay on board. I’m a little sad about the village. It was a community back in the 80’s with independent shops and the great jazz safari bar. Sadly, it only makes sense to tear it down at this point.
Looks good.
Great update Alex!
Really good example grandpa.
It's sad that the child had to be the responsible one and tell his grandfather not to touch an exhibit. Adults should be the ones setting the example!
A year or so ago, I posted a comment to one of your excellent videos, suggesting that management do exactly what they are doing, sell staycation voyages. Now I have to make a fund package for myself to put my money where my mouth is, and book a QM staycation voyage, asap.
I had emailed your suggestion to Queen Mary management late last year. I added ideas to it to help tie it together so they could see the potential. They said it was a good idea then 7 months later, they start selling it! Give yourself a pat on the back.
@@AlextheHistorian Honestly, you are the one who deserves a standing ovation for your enthusiastic and tenacious coverage and promotion of her restoration and return to glory. I’m glad they listened to her fans and I want to support her with at least an annual pilgrimage to see her. Now I will see if I can get my local PCA club members to at least do a day trip there.
@@vwfanatic2390 wow that's nice of you to say! I have dedicated a lot of time to getting the word out about the ship and promoting the restoration. So many people have discovered the Queen Mary through my videos, it makes me so happy!
Selling overnight packages to Carnival Cruise passengers should be another option.
A bright future, perhaps 🤔 as much as you dreamed for!
I remember when in 1967...watched from Pt Fermin when she sailed in .
At least you all still have your favorite vessel intact
As we know, the plywood is going to bend and flex, especially with this sea water, a sealant can only do so much. It's already happening, hopefully nobody trips and hits there head. It's going to be a "plywood of replacement's" and many trips to Home Depot. Hello Alex 😊
Beautiful footage. I enjoy these updates more after having visited in December 2023. It's like learning how a beloved aging family member is doing through frequent photos and videos! Does anyone know if the gift stores have online ordering yet? There were some items I wanted to buy when visiting but could not due to travel constraints. I would order online if possible.
Hey Alex, As a native of Long Beach, I have always been in love the QM and even worked in the main kitchen back in the 80's. Here's something I would love to see you review and tackle one day, is the sad lack luster Yelp reviews of the once fabulous QM Sunday Brunch (which was great back in the 90's). It seems that in spite of the 1 and 2 star reviews on Yelp, the food experience has yet to improve, in spite of the high price they charge for the Brunch! For her and her fame and beauty and history should be getting 4- and 5-star Yelp reviews if the Chef and management cared. That's my request of you and two cents. Thanks for all you do.
I'm a former culinary school trained chef, and I occasionally review the yelp reviews about the Sunday Brunch, and I gotta say, I disagree with all those 1 star reviewers. Yes the Brunch is expensive, but the food is extremely high quality and excellently prepares, and prepared with a kitchen that recently recieved all new cooking equipment. Not only that, but the musicians they use these days is top tier. It's my belief that the real problem is that because of the high prices, it had created an expectation of impossible standards. And a bit of it is that Yelp tends to feature negative reviewers anyway, Yelp reviewers are more likely to write poor reviews, than good ones...its kind of a societal culture change these days.
@@AlextheHistorian I'll have to give it a shot again I suppose.
I know it's a ridiculous thought. But it would be really cool to have a sort of replica Cunard pier structure from New York built beside her.
Thanks for the update.. And Really the Lego model was vandalized?? GHEEZ!! Vinegar is great on metals I use it as the final rinse in dishwasher all shines
i remember a piano from the Queen Mary which had been played regularly onboard the QE2 in her sailing days. what happened to that original QM piano after the QE2 retired?
To my knowledge it's still onboard the QE2.
@@AlextheHistorianwould be awesome if Long Beach could get them to return it to where it belongs
7:45- OK! Anyone with sticky forklifts that wants to save it from demolition, get started! :D
Nobody's watching Charlie, let's have some sodapop.
I would hope one day, the Queen Mary gets a running mate for her new voyages, SS United States.
Big U needs some love too, especially now.
Hi u are soo cool
I do wonder as to what happened to the two London busses that arrived in Long Beach.
One of them is currently owned by QMI Restore the Queen. It's in very rough shape. I'm not sure where the other one is.
Most likely scrapped, I did read in Elton John's biography that a double decker was waiting for them in 1970 when they first landed in the US, could it have been one of them?
@bluerazor7049 yes, when the busses arrived, they were used on a regular daily service to shuttle people from Downtown to the Queen Mary. They served this purpose for I believe 5-8 years
The story of the grandfather & his grandchild dealing with the Lego model of the QM is quite disturbing. It's very telling in this era of casual vandalism & rampant shoplifting. A few months ago, in a seemingly quiet, secure location, someone walked off with my laptop's carrying case. I had wandered away for around just 10-15 minutes. SMH.
I read that the Golden Gate Bridge in SF is on a constant rotation of maintenance & painting. As soon as one area is worked on, maintenance crews go to the next area, & then back again all over again. So trying to prevent the QM from becoming like another SSUS in Philadelphia must be very painstaking. To make signs of disrepair less troubling, the QM should have "Pardon Our Dust"-type placards posted throughout the ship.
They have those signs in certain places
The SS United States needs some attention. Please donate.
YT vlogger Walk With Me Tim (based in the UK) this week posted a vid of his stay aboard the QM. He booked one of the larger, more expensive rooms & I hope his review is seen by the staff of the QM. Maintenance is always a headache, & challenges with employees & complexity with technical-operational issues for the QM must be huge. Any business should always grimace when they get shaky word-of-mouth.
Yes I've seen it. Unfortunately the ship is understaffed. Management has tried to fill all their open positions, but a lot of businesses have suffered the same issue of finding people willing to apply for those jobs.
@@AlextheHistorian I watched Tim's vid of his visit to the QE2 in Dubai & although the ship (particularly its guest rooms) is obviously in better shape (built in the late 1960s), it still came off to me as bleaker or even pointless. Tired 1960s-70s has a different look & vibe than tired 1930s-40s. For purely hotel-meeting-type reasons, the QM's namesake, the QM2, probably will make more sense in the future as a stationary building. The QM, however, is the more interesting of the 3 ships, but the city of LB has a lot of work to do.
Do you know what they will do when they demolish that english town thing also cannt they add glass around the lego model
Thank you for the Queen Mary update. I am sure that this question has been answered multiple times but was the Queen Mary named after Queen Elizabeth 2's Grandmother (Mary of Tteck I belive)?
Yes indeed she was Queen Mary (of teck) was there to christen the ship and name it. And there are images of Her Late Majesty onboard!
@AlextheHistorian Thank so much. I thought that might be the case. I think that Queen Mary (of teck) was so pretty when she was young. Thank you again.
Hello Alex, I am Diniru, a big fan of the Queen Mary. BTW, do you know how much of Queen Mary’s teak wood deck is original ? Thank you.
Hello Diniru, yes all the teak decks that surround the enclosed Promenade Deck and the forward outdoor Promenade in front of the Observation Bar, are all original 1936 teak. There is also teak decks surrounding the former 2nd class areas on M Deck aft, they are also original 1936 teak. All other outdoor teak is from replacements in 1994 and 2019.
@@AlextheHistorian Thanks for sharing the information !
My pleasure!
@@AlextheHistorian One more question Alex. Are the teaks of the Bow and Stern replacements ?
@DiniruSrilal yes both are from the 1994 replacement.