NationMaster - Encyclopedia: RMS Queen Mary

RMS Queen Mary is an ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for Cunard Line (then Cunard White Star Line). Built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, she was designed to be the first of Cunard's planned two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York, in answer to the mainland European superliners of the late twenties and early thirties. Queen Mary and her slightly larger and younger running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth commenced this two-ship service after their release from World War II troop transport duties and continued it for two decades until Queen Mary's retirement in 1967. The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is permanently berthed in Long Beach, California serving as a museum ship and hotel. The Queen Mary celebrated the 70th anniversary of her launch in both Clydebank with Clydebank Restoration Trust and in Long Beach during 2004, and the 70th anniversary of her maiden voyage in 2006. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Civil_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... HMS Indefatigable being launched at Clydebank. ... Clydebank (Bruach Chluaidh in Gaelic) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, lying on the north bank of the river Clyde. ... This article is about the country. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo capacity of a ship. ... o/a, o. ... p/p, p. ... The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ... The draft of a ships hull is the vertical distance from the bottom of the hull to the waterline. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 291 pixels Full resolution (3110 Ã— 1130 pixel, file size: 136 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Lux, homepage, http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 291 pixels Full resolution (3110 Ã— 1130 pixel, file size: 136 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Lux, homepage, http://www. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Cunard Line, formerly Cunard White Star Line, is a British cruise line, operator of ocean liners RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2). ... HMS Indefatigable being launched at Clydebank. ... Clydebank (Bruach Chluaidh in Gaelic) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, lying on the north bank of the river Clyde. ... This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see Southampton (disambiguation). ... Cherbourg is a city of Normandy, in northwestern France, in the Manche département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ... This article is about the state. ... Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the continent, refers to the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and peninsulae. ... Superliner is a term sometimes used for an ocean liner of over 10,000 gross tons. ... The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The 1930s (years from 1930â€“1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... RMS Queen Elizabeth was a steam-powered ocean liner of the Cunard Steamship Company. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government - Mayor Bob Foster Area - City 65. ... USS Wisconsin, one of three Iowa class battleships opened to the public as a museum, and was one of two Iowas maintained in the US Mothball fleet. ... For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). ... Clydebank (Bruach Chluaidh in Gaelic) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, lying on the north bank of the river Clyde. ...

Naming and construction

With Germany launching their Bremen and Europa into service, the British did not want to be left out in this ship building race. White Star Line started construction of their 60,000 ton Oceanic and Cunard decided to construct their 75,000 ton ship which was not yet named. Image:SS Bremen 1920 profile NYC.png The profile of the Bremen as originally built - the funnels were raised by five meters in 1930. ... The SS Europa was one of a pair of fast ocean liners built in the late twenties for the North German Lloyd line (NDL) for the transatlantic passenger service. ... For other uses, see White star. ... In the 1920s, the White Star Line hired the shipbuilders Harland and Wolff to build the first 1000-foot-long ocean liner, with the planned name of Oceanic. ...

The ship was named after Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. Until her launch she was known simply as Cunard hull No. 534, since the name she was to be given was kept a closely guarded secret. Legend has it that Cunard intended to name the ship "Victoria", in keeping with company tradition of giving its ships names ending in "ia". However, when company representatives asked the King's permission to name the ocean liner after Britain's "greatest queen", he said his wife, Queen Mary, would be delighted. And so, the legend goes, the delegation had of course no other choice but to report that No. 534 would be called RMS Queen Mary. However, this story was denied by company officials, and is probably apocryphal, since traditionally the names of sovereigns have only been used for capital ships of the Royal Navy. It is more likely that the name Queen Mary was decided on as a compromise between Cunard and the White Star Line, with which Cunard had recently merged, who had a tradition of using names ending in "ic". Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 1867 â€“ 24 March 1953) was the Queen Consort of George V. Queen Mary was also the Empress of India. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 â€“ 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Cunard may refer to: Samuel Cunard (1787â€“1865), British shipping magnate. ... Queen Victoria has been the designation for several ships: The PS Queen Victoria was a wooden paddlewheel steamer that was wrecked in 1853 off of Bailey Lighthouse, Howth with the loss of over 80 people. ... Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 1867 â€“ 24 March 1953) was the Queen Consort of George V. Queen Mary was also the Empress of India. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see White star. ...

Construction began in December 1930 on the River Clyde by the John Brown & Company Shipbuilding and Engineering shipyard at Clydebank Scotland but was halted in December 1931 due to the Great Depression. Cunard applied to the British Government for a loan to complete 534. The loan was granted, with enough money to complete the Queen Mary as well as enough to build a running mate, hull No. 552 which became the Queen Elizabeth. One condition of the loan was that Cunard merge with the financially ailing White Star Line, which was Cunard's chief British rival at the time. Both lines agreed and the merger was completed in April 1934. Work on the Queen Mary resumed immediately and she was launched on 26 September 1934. Because the ship was now partially a White Star liner, it incorporated features found on White Star ships such the foward well deck, and a raised white forecastle deck. The River Clyde opening out at Newark Castle, Port Glasgow past Clydeport Ocean Terminal, Greenock, to the Firth of Clyde on the left, and to the right past Ardmore Point to the Gare Loch. ... HMS Indefatigable being launched at Clydebank. ... Small shipyard in KlaksvÃk (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Fish ladder and shipyard in Grave, the Netherlands Construction hall of Schichau Seebeck Shipyard, Bremerhaven Gdynia Shipyard Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. ... Clydebank (Bruach Chluaidh in Gaelic) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, lying on the north bank of the river Clyde. ... This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... RMS Queen Elizabeth was a steam-powered ocean liner of the Cunard Steamship Company. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... forecastle with figurehead Grand Turk Focsle of the Prince William, a modern square rigged ship, in the North Sea. ...

History (1934-1939)

There was already a Clyde turbine steamer named Queen Mary, so Cunard White Star reached agreement with the owners that the existing steamer would be renamed TS Queen Mary II, and in 1934 the new liner was launched by Queen Mary as RMS Queen Mary. Henry Bells PS Comet started a rapid expansion of steam services on the Firth of Clyde, and within four years a steamer service was in operation on the inland Loch Lomond, a forerunner of the lake steamers that still grace the Swiss lakes. ... TS Queen Mary laid up in harbour at Greenock in 1981. ...

The first incident in what was to be an eventful career occurred just after the naming ceremony. On her way down the slipway, the Queen Mary began to run out of control. She hit the water far too fast and nearly flew straight across the Clyde into the opposite bank. It appears that only pure luck allowed her drag chains to bring her to a stop before she ran aground. A slipway inside the Cobb at Lyme Regis, England A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. ... The River Clyde opening out at Newark Castle, Port Glasgow past Clydeport Ocean Terminal, Greenock, to the Firth of Clyde on the left, and to the right past Ardmore Point to the Gare Loch. ...

When she sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton England on 27 May 1936 the Queen Mary measured 80,774 gross tonnes.^[1] Her rival, Normandie, which originally grossed 79,280 tonnes had been modified the preceding winter to increase her size to 83,243 gross tonnes, and therefore kept the title of the largest ocean liner.^[2] For other uses, see Southampton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo capacity of a ship. ... The Normandie was a French ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire France for Compagnie GÃ©nÃ©rale Transatlantique. ...

The Queen Mary's design was criticized for being too traditional, especially when the Normadie's hull was revolutionary with a clipper-shaped, streamlined bow. Except for her spoon-shaped cruiser stern, she seemed to be simply a bulkier version of her Cunard and White Star predecessors from the pre-World War I era, and a typical Clyde-built ship. Her interior design, while mostly Art Deco, still seemed restrained and conservative when compared to the ultramodern French liner. However, the Queen Mary proved to be a more popular vessel than its largest rival, in terms of passengers carried. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 792 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,038 Ã— 786 pixels, file size: 681 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 792 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,038 Ã— 786 pixels, file size: 681 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... Bow of the Cruise ship Spirit of Endeavour The bows of lifeboat 17-31 (Severn class) in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England The bow (pronounced to rhyme with how) is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is... Aft of the Soleil Royal, by Jean BÃ©rain the Elder. ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Asheville City Hall. ...

Queen Mary further proved to be the faster ship. In August 1936, she captured the Blue Riband in both directions from Normandie, with average speeds of 30.14 knots (55.82 km/h) westbound and 30.63 knots eastbound. Normandie reclaimed the honours in 1937, but in 1938 Queen Mary took back the Blue Riband in both directions with average speeds of 30.99 knots (57.39 km/h) westbound and 31.69 knots eastbound, records which stood until it was lost to the SS United States in 1952. The Blue Riband is an award held by the ship with the record for a transatlantic crossing. ... A knot is a unit of speed abbreviated kt or kn. ... The SS United States (also known as The Big U) is an ocean liner built in 1952 for the United States Lines. ...

World War II

In late August 1939, the Queen Mary was on a return run from New York to Southampton. However, the international situation led to her being shadowed by the battlecruiser HMS Hood. She arrived safely, and set out again for New York on 1 September. By the time she arrived, the Second World War had started, and she was ordered to stay where she was, joining her great rival, Normandie. In 1940, the pair were also joined by Queen Mary's running mate Queen Elizabeth. Rather than keeping them bottled up, it was decided to use them as troopships. So, the Queen Mary left New York for Sydney, where she, along with several other liners, was converted into a troopship to carry Australian and New Zealand soldiers to the United Kingdom. Eventually joined by the Queen Elizabeth, they were the largest and fastest troopships involved in the war, often carrying as many as 15,000 men in a single voyage, and often travelling out of convoy and without escort. During this period, because of their wartime grey camouflage livery and elusiveness, both Queens received the nickname "The Grey Ghost". Because of their size and prestige their sinking was such a high priority for Germany that Adolf Hitler offered the equivalent of $250,000.00 and the Iron Cross to the U-boat commander who could sink them.^[3] However, their high speed meant that it was virtually impossible for U-Boats to catch them. Once, Germany was nearly successful; whilst the Queen Mary was in South American waters, a radio signal was intercepted which indicated that spies had reported her last refuelling stop and a U-Boat was waiting on her line of voyage. After being alerted, the Queen Mary changed course and escaped. original source: National Archives. ... original source: National Archives. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... For other ships of this name see HMS Hood (disambiguation). ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... RMS Queen Elizabeth was a steam-powered ocean liner of the Cunard Steamship Company. ... USS John Land (AP-167) in San Francisco Bay sometime in 1945-46; soldiers crowd the decks in anticipation of homecoming. ... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... Hitler redirects here. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... This article is about the German submarine. ...

On 2 October 1942, Queen Mary accidentally sank one of her escorts, slicing through the light cruiser HMS Curacoa (D41), with the loss of 338 lives. Due to the constant danger of being attacked by U-Boats, the Queen Mary could not stop, or even slow down, to rescue survivors. is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... HMS Curacoa was a World War I light cruiser of the C class, named after the island in the Caribbean Sea more usually spelled CuraÃ§ao. ...

In December 1942, the Queen Mary was carrying exactly 16,082 American troops from New York to Great Britain. While 700 miles from Scotland during a gale, she was suddenly hit broadside by a rogue wave that may have reached a height of 28 metres (92 ft). In his book, The Age of Cunard, author Daniel Allen Butler mentions that the immense wall of water damaged lifeboats on the boat deck and broke windows on the bridge – 90 feet above the waterline. The huge wave caused a list that briefly reached an astounding 52 degrees before the ship slowly righted itself. He reported that investigations later estimated that three more degrees of list would have made the vessel capsize. He also said that seasoned hands on the ship felt it would indeed roll over. The occurrence was kept secret at the time. An account of this crossing can be found in Walter Ford Carter's book, No Greater Sacrifice, No Greater Love. Carter's father, Dr. Norval Carter, part of the 110th Station Hospital on board at the time, wrote that at one point the Queen Mary "damned near capsized... One moment the top deck was at its usual height and then, swoom! Down, over, and forward she would pitch." The incident inspired Paul Gallico to write his story, The Poseidon Adventure, which was later made into a film by the same name, using the Queen Mary as a stand-in for the SS Poseidon. The Draupner wave, a single giant wave measured on New Years Day 1995, finally confirmed the existence of freak waves, which had previously been considered near-mythical Rogue waves, also known as freak waves, or extreme waves, are relatively large and spontaneous ocean surface waves which are a threat... Paul Gallico, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1937 Paul William Gallico (July 26, 1897-July 15, 1976) was a fabulously successful U.S. novelist and short story writer. ... The Poseidon Adventure is a 1969 novel by Paul Gallico. ... The SS Poseidon is a fictional ocean liner that first appeared in the 1969 novel The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico. ...

After World War II

After the war, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth dominated the transatlantic passenger trade through the latter half of the 1940's and well into the 1950's. But in 1958, the first transatlantic flight by a jet began a completely new era of competition for the Cunard Queens. After many voyages, winters especially, Queen Mary sailed into harbor with more crew than passengers. By 1965, the entire Cunard fleet was leaving a trail of red ink. Hoping to continue financing their still under construction Queen Elizabeth 2, Cunard mortgaged Queen Mary and the rest of the fleet. Finally, under a combination of age, lack of public interest, inefficiency in a new market, and the damaging after-effects of the national seamen's strike, Cunard announced that Queen Mary would be sold. Many offers were submitted, but it was Long Beach, California who beat the Japanese scrap merchants. And so, Queen Mary was retired from service in 1967, while her running mate Queen Elizabeth was withdrawn in 1968. The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 took over the transatlantic route in 1969, and in turn was joined in 2004 by RMS Queen Mary 2. For other uses, see Transatlantic (disambiguation). ... Cunard may refer to: Samuel Cunard (1787â€“1865), British shipping magnate. ... RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government - Mayor Bob Foster Area - City 65. ... The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the Queen Consort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003, the QM2 was the longest, widest and...

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,024 Ã— 768 pixels, file size: 465 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,024 Ã— 768 pixels, file size: 465 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

The Queen Mary in Long Beach

After her retirement in 1967, she steamed to Long Beach, California on the west coast of the United States, where she is now permanently moored as a tourist attraction. From 1980 to 1993, the Queen Mary was accompanied by Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, which was located in a large dome nearby (the dome is used by Carnival Cruise Lines as a ship terminal as well as a soundstage). Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 586 pixels Full resolution (1365 Ã— 1000 pixel, file size: 415 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): RMS Queen Mary Metadata This... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 586 pixels Full resolution (1365 Ã— 1000 pixel, file size: 415 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): RMS Queen Mary Metadata This... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government - Mayor Bob Foster Area - City 65. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Foxtrot class was the NATO reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1100x825, 115 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1100x825, 115 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... For the use of the term in networking, see Wireless networking. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 651 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) RMS Queen Mary as a hotel in Long Beach, California with a Soviet submarine B-427 at night. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 651 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) RMS Queen Mary as a hotel in Long Beach, California with a Soviet submarine B-427 at night. ... Scorpion (B-427) was a project 641 -- also known by its NATO reporting name as the Foxtrot class -- diesel-electric attack submarine of the Soviet Navy. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3072 Ã— 2304 pixel, file size: 3. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government - Mayor Bob Foster Area - City 65. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hughes H-4 Hercules The Spruce Goose is the nickname commonly given to the Hughes H-4 Hercules, an aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company, owned by Howard Hughes. ... Carnival Cruise Lines is a cruise line operating a large number of cruise ships. ...

Long Beach however did not buy the Queen Mary to preserve her as an ocean liner - they needed her for another reason. Since they started drilling for oil in Long Beach Harbor, some of the money raised from it had been set aside in a fund called the "Tidelands Oil Fund". Some of this money was allocated in 1958 to buy a maritime museum for Long Beach at some time in the future. The Queen Mary was purchased to act as the iconic host for this museum. It was purchased as a conveniently sized building with a name attached to it.

Conversion

It had been decided to clear almost every area of the ship below C deck (called R deck after 1950) to make way for the museum. This would take the new museum space to 400,000 square feet. It would mean the removal of all the ship's boiler rooms, the forward engine room, both turbo-generator rooms, and the water softening plant. Only the aft-engine room and "shaft-alley", right at the stern of the ship, would be spared from the cutter's torch. Remaining space would be turned over to storage or office space. One of the first problems that arose during the conversion from ocean liner to tourist attraction was a dispute between land-based and maritime unions over who was going to convert the ship into a floating hotel. The United States Coast Guard had final say though, and deemed the Queen Mary a building, since most of her propellers had been removed and her machinery gutted. USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk USCG HC-130H departs Mojave USCG HC-130H on International Ice Patrol duties The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the U.S. military, a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ...

With all of the lower decks nearly gutted from R-deck and down, it was up to Diner's Club, the initial lessee of the ship, to turn the rest of the former ocean liner into a hotel. But Diner's Club Queen Mary dissolved and vacated the ship in 1970 after their parent company, Diner's Club International was sold and a change in corporate direction was mandated. This happened in the middle of the conversion process. Specialty Restaurants a local Los Angeles based company that focused on theme based restaurants would take over as master lessee the following year. Diners Club International, originally founded as Diners Club, was formed in 1950 by Frank X. McNamara, Ralph Schneider and Casey R. Taylor. ...

During this conversion, the plan was to convert most of her first and second-class cabins on A and B decks only into hotel rooms, and convert the main lounges and dining rooms into banquet spaces. On Promenade Deck, the starboard promenade deck would be enclosed to feature an upscale restaurant and cafe called Lord Nelson's and Lady Hamilton's themed like early 19th century sailing ships. The famed and elegant Observation Bar was redecorated as a western themed bar.

The smaller first-class public rooms such as the Drawing Room, Library, Lecture Room and the Music studio would be stripped of most of their fittings and converted over to retail space, heavily expanding the retail presence on the ship. Two more shopping malls were built on the Sun Deck in a.) space once used for first class cabins and in b.) the space used as engineer's quarters.

A post-war feature of the ship, the first-class cinema, was removed for kitchen space for the new Promenade deck dining venues. The first-class lounge and smoking room were reconfigured and converted into banquet space, while the second-class smoking room would be subdivided into a wedding chapel and office space. On Sun Deck, the elegant Verandah Grill would be gutted and converted into a fast-food eatery, while a new upscale dining venue would be created directly above it on Sports Deck in space once used for crew quarters. The second-class lounges would be expanded to the sides of the ship and used for banqueting. On R-deck, the first-class restaurant was reconfigured and subdivided into two banquet venues, the Royal Salon and the Windsor Room. The second-class restaurant would be subdivided into kitchen storage and a crew mess hall, while the third-class dining room would initially be used as storage and crew space. Also on R-deck, the first-class Turkish bath complex, the 1930s equivalent to a spa, would also be removed. The second-class pool would be removed and its space initially used for office space, while the first-class swimming pool would be used for hotel guests. Combined with modern safety codes, and the structural soundness of the area directly below, the swimming pool is no longer in use.

There is not a single crew cabin left intact aboard the ship today. She now serves as a hotel, museum, tourist attraction, and for-rent site for events, but her financial results have been mixed. For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). ... USS Wisconsin, one of three Iowa class battleships opened to the public as a museum, and was one of two Iowas maintained in the US Mothball fleet. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Queen Mary as a tourist attraction

On 8 May 1971, the Queen Mary finally opened its doors to tourists. Initially, only portions of the ship were open to the public as Specialty Restaurants had yet to open its dining venues or the hotel. As a result, the ship was only open on weekends. In December of that year, Jacques Cousteau's Museum of the Sea opened, with only a quarter of the planned exhibits built. Within the decade, Cousteau's museum closed due to low ticket sales. In November of the following year, the hotel opened its initial 150 guest rooms. Hyatt operated the hotel from 1974 to 1980, when the Wrather Corporation signed a 66-year lease with the city of Long Beach to operate the entire property. Wrather was taken over by the Walt Disney Company in 1988, Wrather owned the Disneyland Hotel, which Disney had been trying to buy for 30 years; the Queen Mary was thus an afterthought and was never marketed as a Disney property. Through the late eighties and early ninties, the Queen Mary continued to struggle financially. During the Disney years, Disney planned to develop a theme park on the remaining land. This theme park eventually opened a decade later in Japan as DisneySea, with a recreated oceanliner resembling the Queen Mary as its centerpiece. Hotel Queen Mary closed in 1992 when Disney gave up the lease on the ship to focus its attention on what would eventually become Disney's California Adventure. The tourist attraction remained open for another two months, but by the end of 1992, the Queen Mary completely closed its doors to tourists and visitors. is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Jacques-Yves Cousteau (June 11, 1910 - June 25, 1997) was a French naval officer, explorer and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. ... Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ... Alternate meanings: Disney (disambiguation) The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney Enterprises, Inc. ... The Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California has operated since 1955, although it was not owned by The Walt Disney Company until 1988. ... Tokyo DisneySea ) is an 176 acre (714,000 mÂ²) theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside of Tokyo. ... Disneys California Adventure is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. ...

In February of 1993, under the direction of President and C.E.O. Joseph F. Prevratil, RMS Foundation, Inc began a five-year lease with the city of Long Beach to act as the operators of the property. Later that month, the tourist attraction reopened completely, while the hotel reopened in March. In 1995, RMS's lease was extended to twenty years while the extent of the lease was reduced to simply operation of the ship itself. A new company, Queen's Seaport Development, Inc. (QSDI)came into existence in 1995 controlling the real estate adjacent to the vessel. In 1998, the City of Long Beach extended the QSDI lease to 66 years. In 2005, QSDI sought Chapter 11 protection due to a rent credit dispute with the City. In 2006, the bankruptcy court requested bids from parties interesting in taking over the lease from QSDI. The minimum required opening bid was $41M. The operation of the ship,by RMS, remained independent of the bankruptcy. O&S Holdings of Santa Monica Ca was the only group to qualify as of July 2007.(update)At the auction for the ships lease and development rights, A group called Save the Queen, won the lease and plans to refurbish the ship, and develop a Universal Citywalk type Theme resort, shared with Carnival Cruise Lines, and the ships previous operators, The RMS Fondation, which will include, a marina, hotels, retail, and restaurants.

Meeting of the Queens

On 23 February 2006, the RMS Queen Mary 2 saluted its predecessor as it made its port of call in Los Angeles Harbor, while on a cruise to Mexico. The event was covered heavily by local media, although much international media was there also. This brought much needed attention to the first Queen Mary, which, in the past several years, has faced financial difficulty.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the Queen Consort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003, the QM2 was the longest, widest and... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government - Mayor Bob Foster Area - City 65. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the Queen Consort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003, the QM2 was the longest, widest and...

Ship's horn

The salute itself was carried out with the Queen Mary blowing her one working air horn in response to the Queen Mary 2 blowing her combination of two brand new horns pointing forward and an original 1932 Queen Mary horn (donated by the City of Long Beach) aimed aft.^[4] The Queen Mary originally had three whistles tuned to 55 Hz, a frequency chosen because it was low enough that the extremely loud sound of it would not be painful to human ears.^[5] Modern IMO regulations specify ships' horn frequencies to be in the range 70-200 Hz for vessels that are over 200 meters in length.^[6] Traditionally, the lower the frequency, the larger the ship. The Queen Mary 2, being 345 meters long, was given the lowest possible frequency (70 Hz) for her regulation whistles, in addition to the refurbished 55 Hz whistle on permanent loan. 55 Hz is the lower bass "A" note found an octave up from the lowest note of a piano keyboard. The air-driven Tyfon whistle can be heard at least ten miles away.^[7] Headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation in Lambeth, adjacent to the east end of Lambeth Bridge Headquarters building taken from the west side of the Thames Headquartered in London, U.K., the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to...

W6RO

The Queen Mary's original, professionally manned wireless radio room was destroyed once the ship arrived in Long Beach. In its place an amateur radio room was created one deck above the original radio reception room with some of the discarded original radio equipment used for display purposes only. The amateur radio station with the call sign W6RO ("Whiskey Six Romeo Oscar") relies on volunteers from a local amateur radio club. They are there most of the time when the ship is open to the public, and the radios can also be used by other licensed amateur radio operators.[1] [2][3]

In honor of his over forty years of dedication to W6RO and the Queen Mary, in November 2007 the Queen Mary Wireless Room will be renamed the Nate Brightman Wireless Room. This was announced on October 28th, 2007 at Mr. Brightman's 90th birthday party by Joseph Prevratil, President and CEO of the Queen Mary.

Paranormal

Ghosts have been reported on board only after she reached California. Many areas are rumored to be haunted. Reports of hearing little children crying in the nursery room, actually used as the third-class playroom, and a mysterious splash noise in the drained first-class swimming pool are cited. In 1966, 18-year-old fireman John Pedder was crushed by a watertight door in the engine room during a drill, and his ghost is said to haunt the ship. and a ghostly dog howling at the death of its owner. This aspect of the Queen Mary has been carefully used as part of marketing the ship in recent years, much to the dismay of her maritime history supporters.^{[citation needed]} Reputed ghost of a monk. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

The Queen Mary operates daily tours with theatrics applied for dramatic effect. Guests may also pay for private paranormal investigations, and are encouraged to document their paranormal experiences, if any.^[8] The ship also maintains a haunted maze and expands to multiple mazes during Halloween called Queen Mary's Shipwreck.

The Queen Mary has been the subject of numerous professional paranormal investigations by printed publications like Beyond Investigation Magazine [4], nationally televised shows like Ghost Hunters and radio's Coast to Coast AM. The UK paranormal television program, Most Haunted, investigated the ship in a special two-part episode. For other uses of the name, see Ghosthunters (disambiguation). ... Coast to Coast AM is a late-night syndicated radio talk show in the United States which deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate either to the paranormal, or to alleged conspiracies. ... Paranormal television is a genre of popular television broadcasting. ... Most Haunted is a British paranormal television programme based on investigating purported paranormal activity. ...

Notably, paranormal-themed show The X-Files filmed a 1998 episode on the Queen Mary. The episode concerned a time warp in the Bermuda Triangle, and the ship stood in for a WWII-era boat. The X-Files is an American Peabody and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ... NASA image of the western Atlantic, showing the popular borders of the Bermuda Triangle. ...

The Queen Mary on screen

In its permanent berth in Long Beach, the Queen Mary has been used as a filming location for numerous films, television episodes, and commercials. Some examples are:

The Poseidon Adventure is a 1972 action adventure/disaster film based on a novel by Paul Gallico. ... The Gumball Rally is a 1976 film about a coast-to-coast road race. ... SOS Titanic was a TV movie made in 1989. ... This article is about the automaker. ... 1987 Toyota Celica GT Convertible 1994-1998 Toyota Celica 2004 Toyota Celica GT-S with Action Package The Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular sports cars made by the Japanese company Toyota. ... All-Trac was a proprietary all wheel drive system used on a variety of Toyota badged models from late 1986 to 2000. ... The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is the premier circuit in the Champ Car World Series. ... Harve Presnell (born September 14, 1933, Modesto, California) is an American actor. ... For other uses, see Tsunami (disambiguation). ... Pearl Harbor is an Oscar-winning war film released in the summer of 2001 by Touchstone Pictures. ... Escape From L.A. (also known as John Carpenters Escape From L.A.) is a 1996 film directed by John Carpenter. ... Fiona Apple (born September 13, 1977) is a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter. ... O Sailor / Parting Gift is a single by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, the first from Extraordinary Machine (see 2005 in music). ... Most Haunted is a British paranormal television programme based on investigating purported paranormal activity. ... Development Arrested aka Harboring Resentment was the fifty-third episode aired of the TV comedy series Arrested Development. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that premiered in 2003. ... National Lampoons Dorm Daze 2 (2006) is a sequel to the 2003 comedy National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze. ... For other uses of the name, see Ghosthunters (disambiguation). ... Chronology Less Than 30 is the 13th episode from Season 3 of the dramedy television series Entourage. ... Entourage is an Emmy Award-winning HBO original series created by Doug Ellin that chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase â€” a young A-list movie star â€” and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... SOS is a song by American pop/rock band, Jonas Brothers. ... X-Files intro from first 8 seasons The X-Files was a popular 1990s American science fiction television series created by Chris Carter. ... Image:SS Bremen 1920 profile NYC.png The profile of the Bremen as originally built - the funnels were raised by five meters in 1930. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... The Winds of War was best-selling novellist Herman Wouks second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny (1951). ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Herman Wouk (May 27, 1915 â€”) is a bestselling American author with a number of notable novels to his credit, including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance. ... Quantum Leap is a science fiction television series that ran for 97 episodes from March 1989 to May 1993 on NBC. It follows the adventures of Dr. Samuel Beckett (played by Scott Bakula), a brilliant scientist who after researching time-travel, and doing experiments in something he calls The Imaging... Out to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon & Brent Spiner. ... John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 â€“ June 27, 2001), better known as Jack Lemmon, was a two-time Academy Award and Cannes Award-winning American actor and comedian. ... Walter Matthau (October 1, 1920 â€“ July 1, 2000) was an Academy Award-winning American comedy actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with fellow Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon. ...

Trivia

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Brian Cleeve Brian Talbot Cleeve, (November 22, 1921 â€“ March 11, 2003) was a prolific writer and popular TV broadcaster, who lived in Ireland for most of his life . ... Apologies to the Queen Mary is the first full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade. ... Wolf Parade is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, now based in Montreal, Quebec. ... Disney redirects here. ... Disney Parks Worldwide logo Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the division of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds and manages the companys theme parks and vacation resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises. ... Tokyo DisneySea ) is an 176 acre (714,000 mÂ²) theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside of Tokyo. ... The RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the Queen Consort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003, the QM2 was the longest, widest and...

Contents

Naming and construction

History (1934-1939)

World War II

After World War II

The Queen Mary in Long Beach

Conversion

The Queen Mary as a tourist attraction

Meeting of the Queens

Ship's horn

W6RO

Paranormal

The Queen Mary on screen

Trivia

See also

References

Notes

External links