Andre Padua

The Queen Mary

Casting an impressive figure against the Long Beach, California skyline, the Queen Mary offers visitors the chance to experience firsthand one of the world's most renowned and remarkable ocean liners. From the time of her Maiden Voyage in 1936, the Queen Mary was regarded as the only way to travel by the elite of high society. Drafted into service as a troop carrier, the elegant ship was painted grey from top to bottom so she could travel the seas unseen and deemed the Grey Ghost due to her camouflage appearance. During World War II she carried over 750,000 soldiers across more than 500,000 miles of ocean and played a significant role in the success of the Allied Forces. After the war, the Queen Mary was restored to her former glory and reentered passenger service until she retired to her new home in Southern California in 1967. Today, the historic Queen Mary serves as a floating hotel and attraction offering a variety of tours, dining options and one of the most unique meeting and event venues in the world. The ship's 314 newly renovated original first class staterooms offer guests the chance to step back in time and experience what travel was like on aboard and an authentic steamship. Filled with original art deco fixtures, room renovations include new bedding, carpet, window treatments, flat panel TV's and iPod docking stations. Visitors can explore the ship with many tour options including the Behind-the-Scenes, World War II and Haunted Encounters.