Queen Mary, Los Angeles

The Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, California
CA 90802

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Hotel Facilities/Floating museum/Conferences/Weddings etc
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Within driving distance of 3 airports: (John Wayne International - 25 mins; LAX 23 mins; Long Beach Airport 8 mins) Details of car hire available on hotel website

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I recently spent three ...
...aboard the Hotel Queen Mary and I will tell you about my opinion of her accommodation and facilities.

Before I do, I must include a little of her history, if only to help you understand why staying aboard this ship casts an enchanting spell, because this hotel is no ordinary hotel; The Hotel Queen Mary is not so much a place to lay your head as an Experience - with a capital E.

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So that ... more

The Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, California
CA 90802

=========
Hotel Facilities/Floating museum/Conferences/Weddings etc
==============

Within driving distance of 3 airports: (John Wayne International - 25 mins; LAX 23 mins; Long Beach Airport 8 mins) Details of car hire available on hotel website

===========

I recently spent three days and nights (a long weekend that wasn't long enough), aboard the Hotel Queen Mary and I will tell you about my opinion of her accommodation and facilities.

Before I do, I must include a little of her history, if only to help you understand why staying aboard this ship casts an enchanting spell, because this hotel is no ordinary hotel; The Hotel Queen Mary is not so much a place to lay your head as an Experience - with a capital E.

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So that this review doesn't become an historical guide book, should you want a more in-depth documentary of her history, I recommend that you visit the website sterling.rmplc.co.uk where you will find photographs (both archive and modern), deck plans (past, present and future), and a wealth of fascinating information about every nook and cranny of this amazing ship.

Further places to seek information will be given at the end of my review.

Children are made welcome and child-care, cribs etc can be organised.

There is a Laundry and Valet service.

If you are disabled and use a wheelchair, the Queen Mary is equipped to deal with your chariot. So read on - you too can stay aboard!

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A LITTLE HISTORY:

A Golden Age:

'The Queen Mary is more than a hotel; she is a legend. She is the grandest ocean liner ever built. During her illustrious career, she has played many roles - from elegant ocean liner to World War II troopship. In her heyday, she was hostess to the world's rich and famous; Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, David Niven, Mary Pickford, to name a few. During her heyday, many considered a transatlantic crossing aboard the Queen Mary the only civilised way to travel'.

Bravery in dark times:

'During World War II, the Queen Mary was transformed into a troopship and by the end of the war had carried more than 800,000 troops, travelled more than 600,000 miles and played a significant role in virtually every major Allied campaign. In February 1946 she began her "Bride and Baby Voyages" and transported more than 22,000 war brides and their children to the United States and Canada. She even set a standing record for the most passengers carried in one crossing - more than 16,000 troops and crew!'

Changing times:

'After the war, the Queen Mary resumed her elegant status but as air travel became safe and affordable, the days of the transatlantic voyages were numbered.

In 1967, the Queen Mary sailed from Southampton, England, to her new permanent home in Long Beach, California. It would be her last crossing - the end of an era'.

Now, more than 65 years after embarking on her Maiden Voyage this elegant old lady has resumed her graceful status and is permanently docked at Long Beach, California, where she goes by her new title of The Hotel Queen Mary.

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So you can see why my review might call for something more than general information on accommodation and facilities.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - PART ONE

I was prepared to be awed (please, no 'oar' puns!) - but at first, I was seriously underwhelmed. You're shocked?

After an 8-hour wacky races road journey from Phoenix, Arizona, we arrived at Long Beach about 8 o'clock in the evening; creased, tired and hungry. We missed the 'Way In' sign and had to drive round the dark and creepy docks before finally discovering the embarkation point, guided by the site of three large red funnels gracing the skyline of the harbour - the funnels of the Queen Mary.

We drew alongside the ship (necks craned, jaws agog at the sheer size of the lady), and in the misty, murky darkness of the night, we made out a sort of canopied reception area. We creakily unfolded ourselves from the car, whereupon a fellow dressed in a donkey jacket appeared at our side and, in a thick Bronx accent (I watch the movies, I know these things), asked if we were "Stayin' aboyd?"

I bit back the retort that of course we were staying 'Aboyd', that the four of us weren't travelling with this amount of luggage for a quick drink on the Promenade Deck, young man! I wondered if I was throwing myself a little too much into my role of imperious 30's rich-bitch grand Dame, minus the cigarette holder.

I know I was a bit disappointed that our valet parking attendant wasn't wearing a smart uniform and a naval cap edged with gold 'scrambled egg', like we'd been used to seeing in some of the smarter hotels where we'd had afternoon tea recently.

You can become used to opulence and forelock tugging, y'know.

What exactly was I expecting? What would you be expecting? You're going to California and have a choice of some very swanky hotels with state of the art facilities, or you could book yourself into a floating museum with an interesting history.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - PART TWO:

◊ ACCOMMODATION:

What the brochures say:

'There are 365 original staterooms spanning three decks and these include eight full suites. Each cabin is uniquely appointed, and embellishments vary to include rich wood panelling; Art Deco built-ins; original artwork; and, portholes for outside cabins'.

Our experience:

The Lobby:

Leaving our luggage in the capable hands of the same guy who parked our car, we finally gained access to the reception/lobby area. We'd booked our accommodation over the internet and had just a short wait whilst we signed in and collected our keys.

I looked around me and thought: "It's very dark. It's quite…. drab…. Oh, dear!"

It appeared dull and almost dingy-looking with a large table in the centre (an original feature), which had a wilting plant arrangement in the middle of it. What added to the air of despondency was that there were very few people about. Where was everyone? It was Friday night! Where was the excitement, the buzz? I checked our documentation: definitely the Queen Mary and not 'The Marie Celeste'. Oh dear…. What had we paid for?

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I was so tired I barely remember whether we used the stairs or the lift, but it was only one floor up to our Deluxe Staterooms on A Deck.

There are ten decks in all, three of which are accommodation decks.

The stairs: Wide and very good for making an entrance
The lifts: Two types. Modern and spacious for holding wheelchairs, luggage carts and larger groups of people and the original kind (I think there was only the one), which was
wood-panelled, tiny and terrifying as it creaked its way up and down. Not recommended for the claustrophobic or the generally terrified.

The friendly car valet/bell-hop guy appeared as if by magic and showed us to our rooms.

Deluxe Stateroom numbers A142 and A146, were approximately half-way down the corridor. What an unusually long and dark corridor that was! When we took a guided tour the following day, we were told to look down the long length of the polished and softly glowing wood panelled corridors, and notice how the floor looked as if it gently dipped. They call this a banana shape. You definitely know you're on a ship. And, as a point of interest, the Queen Mary is 1,018 feet long. The Empire State Building is 1,248 feet high. Put the two together, and you get an idea of her size.

Meanwhile …

My husband threw open the door to our cabin with a flourish and said. "Isn't this wonderful?!" (He'd been itching to get on board this ship for so long, he was utterly delighted to have had his wish granted at last.) To me, the cabin looked dingy. Perhaps it was because of the dark wood panelling, and, it has to be said, dim lighting.

The cabin was L-shaped.

Apparently: 'The designers favoured L-shaped configurations for the special cabin-class suites in the middle of both the main and A-deck levels, because they allowed the most efficient disposition of the additional sitting rooms, and even servants' quarters and 'box rooms' for wardrobe trunks'.

Servants? La, la!

Each cabin has interconnecting locking doors. When you unlock the door you then push the 'walls' to one side so you make an extra room - book enough rooms, open enough interconnecting doors and you could have your own ballroom! I imagined the elegant bygone parties; the clink of Martini glasses, the swish of satin evening gowns and the tinkling, gay laughter echoing down the years …… well, they do say as the ship is haunted m'dear!

From the cabin door, the bathroom was a few steps to the right. Small, but perfectly formed (about 6ft x 8ft), accommodating a decent sized wash-hand basin with mirror (with maple surround) and glass shelf, w.c. with a quirky sea-faring flush, and a bath (including shower), which was shortish in length but luxuriously deep, with an unusual vertical arrangement of taps down the side of the wall over the bath, marked 'Hot Salt', 'Hot Fresh', 'Cold Fresh, 'Hot Salt'. These taps were solely for ornamental purposes.

(Are you now beginning to understand why this review isn't - nor could it be - an ordinary straight forward review? It's unusual to bring special attention to the plumbing, isn't it?)

Also provided:
Hairdryer attached to wall in bathroom.
Heated towel rail within the shower area so that you had large, fluffy warm towels immediately to hand.

Bathrooms are original, with maybe a tweak here and there. James Steele, from his book 'Queen Mary' explains their layout better than I could:

'The bathrooms in all suites were mainly fitted out with synthetic materials, such as faux-alabaster surrounds and formica wall-coverings, and enamelled metal baths, in order not only to reduce the weight and cost, but also to improve speed. As an extra, and significant gesture towards fresh-water conservation and thus weight reduction, salt water was available in addition to fresh water for baths and showers, providing an alternative which many passengers seemed to prefer, since a hot, salt-water bath was a luxury usually unavailable on land. This varied in tourist class where salt water only was available.'

Looking out from the bathroom was the long corridor of the L-shape. On the right of this corridor was the 'ladies' dressing table, deeply recessed giving plenty of space for female cosmetic paraphernalia, and there was a power point provided beneath the large Art-Deco mirror.

Slightly further along was the gent's dressing table and another Art-Deco mirror. Beneath the gent's dressing table were some deep drawers for underwear and jumpers.

Along the wall to the left of the 'corridor' was a built-in wardrobe, spanning the whole of the wall - perhaps 15ft. Deep, plenty of space and containing trouser press and laundry sacks should you wish to take advantage of the on board laundry service.

The interior of our cabin, like all the cabins on board, was panelled in mostly light wood, such as deal, bird's eye maple and Canadian birch. This is what gives the cabin the 1950's subdued ambience. As a child in the '50s, I was forever foraging about in rooms with low-watt bulbs and I have to say, on that first evening, I found this lack of brightness a little glum. But it all changed next morning when the sun rose and flooded the cabin with a natural golden light, showing off the glowing, warm woods and beautiful mirrors.

It was then, I realised, that I was beginning to fall under the Queen Mary's spell.

On digging for further information about the original cabins for this review, I read that:

'Light fittings and other metalwork were of silver bronze and the glass in the fittings was white sand-blasted, to give a gentle even spread of light'.

I'm not entirely sure the light fittings were original, but now I was beginning to understand the 'gentle even spread of light'. And, on reflection (so to speak), the subdued lighting of the cabin in the evening was very restful. There were bedside lights by which to read and further brighten the cabin.

The furniture, with exception of chairs and a small table, was entirely fitted and featured flush and rounded details in the same design as the walls. More Art-Deco mirrors both standard size and full-length were to be found in the sleeping area. A girl can't have too many mirrors.

Obviously, the cabins are as near to the original as they could make them, but I doubt the fridge and television were circa 1936.

The room occupied by my daughter and her husband was differently laid out and it appeared larger. Well, they say each room is unique.

All staterooms are heated and cooled through a device called a punkah louver, a small bubble-like mechanism located near the ceiling. There are fans mounted on the walls which are original equipment but since most areas of the ship have a modern cooling system, these fans are no longer operational.

There are coffee-making facilities only. But we came prepared with tea bags and just used the coffee percolator to heat up the water and it was fine. If you like your early morning cuppa, I recommend you buy in some milk (filching some of those little milk pots provided in all the cafes aboard the ship, should be adequate). You could, of course, ring for room service for anything you desire.

Tip: No matter how good the food is, even the Queen Mary can't provide a proper cup of tea. Unless, oddly enough, it's Starbucks, I haven't come across anywhere in America yet that has grasped the fairly simple concept of boiling water on a tea bag/leaves in a tea pot. Luckily, one of the cafes on board serves Starbucks tea. So, for your first cup of the day, I recommend you make your own.

A king-sized bed with a surprisingly comfortable mattress considering how hard it appeared on first inspection, made up with clean, crisp bedding, completed the main furnishings.

Because this was an 'outside' cabin, we had two portholes which opened, so we could look out to the harbour and watch the hustle and bustle of people coming and going below.

During the night, it was quite warm so we left one of the portholes ajar. Fog is quite common on the water-front, especially after a particularly warm day, and I was delighted, lying there in my bed, to hear the deep 'Boooooooomph' of the whistles of passing water traffic - it reminded me of long-ago New Year's Eves in Liverpool.

Do pop over to the sterling.rmplc website - they have a recording of Queen Mary's whistle and, if you close your eyes, you too could imagine yourself on the ocean.

The cost for our Deluxe Stateroom? We stayed at the beginning of January 2006, and our room cost us $169 per night ($10 less than advertised here).

Here's the tariff, which was effective from January 1, 2006. Rates may change without notice.

INSIDE CABIN $119 to $149
TOURIST CLASS STATEROOM $149 to $169
1ST CLASS STATEROOM $169 to $189
DELUXE STATEROOM $179 to $229
EXECUTIVE STATEROOM $219 to $249
ROYALTY SUITE $360 to $660

All the rates include admission to the Queen Mary Self-Guided Tour and are based on single or double occupancy.

◊ EATING:

For snacks to eat in or take-out on deck (pit stops in between tours!) there are two cafes - The Sun Deck Deli and the Starboard Bakery. Only the Sun Deck Deli was open when we were there. The sandwiches, muffins etc were gorgeous; service excellent, prices reasonable.

There are five different restaurants to choose from, of which we sampled three. All five restaurants have window or porthole views of the harbourside or ocean.

The five are:

SIR WINSTON'S: which is the Queen Mary's crown jewel and recipient of the coveted Zagat award and Southern California Restaurant Writers award.

CHELSEA: Another award-winning restaurant, specialising in seafood and delicious steak delicacies.

THE PROMENADE CAFÉ: Affordable American restaurant featuring a menu ranging from full meals to light salads and sandwiches, and offers an ocean view from every table.

FIRST CLASS DINING ROOM: Where both paying guests and the public, can enjoy an 'award-winning' Champagne Sunday Brunch. Also known as the Grand Salon. Here you will eat to the strains of their resident harpist (see comment below).

ART DECO LOUNGE: This Art Deco jewel is, apparently, the perfect place for lively weekend entertainment and dancing, with a spectacular skyline view from their outdoor patio. Located on the Promenade Deck.

And we sampled:

Sir Winstons: A wonderful dining experience. The food and service were outstanding. The décor and ambiance discreet and quiet but with gentle strains of thirties jazz music playing in the background. The waiters were attentive but unobtrusive. The cost? Approximately $62 a head (£35). For this, I had Lobster Bisque soup, Prime New York Steak (words fail), and finished with (there's always room for pudding) Tiramisu Supreme (Dark Chocolate cake layered with Mascarpone cheese and espresso coffee mousse).

None of us drink, so we drank iced tea and water, both of which were liberally kept topped up for us, at no extra charge.

We completed our meal with a pot of tea for four with complimentary strawberries dipped in chocolate. Ummm!

The Promenade Café: We ate here soon after we arrived. All of us had Prime Rib Steak at $18.50. Tender and succulent. Served with a crisp side salad and warm bread rolls.

We also ate breakfast each morning at the Promenade Café. For approximately $10 you got as much as you could eat from the superb continental buffet, or you could have a full cooked breakfast for an extra couple of dollars.

Again, the service was friendly and impeccable.

The First Class Dining Room: Here we sampled the famous Champagne Sunday Brunch. This is a buffet which served everything from a continental breakfast to roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

The surprise here was that the service from our particular waiter was so slow we thought he'd retired. On arrival, we were swiftly shown to our table by Jesus (relax, that's a common Spanish name pronounced hay-sooos) who promptly forgot all about us, apart from appearing with a large jug of fresh orange juice and a Champagne bottle at irregular intervals. We were all gagging for a cuppa and had to grab another passing waiter for assistance.

However, the dining room, which was originally designed to hold 800 people, was full, so I guess the waiters could be forgiven for being a little slow.

The food was delicious, that's the important thing. And the harpist, seated as she was on a podium somewhere above the buffet area, next to a large ice sculpture of a swan, played gamely throughout. She must have been freezing!

◊ DRESS CODE:

If you are planning on eating in one of the formal dining area, check the website for full details. Dress code can be smart/casual to shirt and tie, depending on the restaurant.

NOTE: I have given the official Hotel Queen Mary website at the end of the review. Here you can find sample menus from each of the restaurants. They appear to be up to date.

◊ ENTERTAINMENT:

Various. The website will give you up to date information.

Aside from special hotel packages, which mean you get narrated guided tours from one of the many well-informed guides to places not available to the general public, there are also exhibits and special events, open to both hotel guests and general public. For updates on exhibits you should visit the Queen Mary website.

Such guided tours include:

• Ghosts and Legends Tours (reports of ghosts sightings make this very popular)
• The Queen Mary Story and D-Deck Exhibits (construction, launch, Maiden Voyage, service in World War 11 to Final Voyage)
• Engine Room and Propeller Box
• Isolation Ward (designed to care for passengers with infectious diseases and occasionally housed stowaways) *Wireless Room and Ship Communications Exhibit
• Bridge Wheelhouse and Docking Wings (the nerve centre of the ship)
• Officers' Quarters
• World War 11 and Historic Exhibits
• Treasures from the Queen Mary Archive Exhibit - located on B-Deck, with original artefacts from the ship's archive including re-creations of first, second and third-class staterooms. This was one of my favourite exhibitions and also includes original china, crystal, tools and fixtures, textiles from the '30s and much more.

Whilst there, we saw the Marilyn Munro Exhibition and the Titanic Exhibition. Both were very well organised and the staff knowledgeable and friendly.

A large, forthcoming attraction, should you happen to be in the area between February 18th-19th 2006, is the Scottish Festival and Games which, amongst many other things, includes 'Sheep Herding Demonstrations'. Having had my fill of such things on an annual basis where I live, I am so glad this wasn't going on whilst we were there!

However, as the Queen Mary was built in John Brown's shipyard on the Clyde, perhaps it's a nice touch that she should be the venue for such a typically Scottish event.

Remember, the Queen Mary is a floating museum so there is lots to see and even though we spent three days aboard her, we still didn't get to see everything.

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Like most hotels, you don't have to be a paying guest to take advantage of the facilities. The following are available and whether you are a paying guest or visitor, usually a reservation is necessary. If you are staying on board, you are eligible for discounts and you will be told about these.

I have already listed the historical exhibits and tours, but you can also enjoy:

THE QUEEN MARY SPA:(Massage. Skin Care. Chiropractic.)
FITNESS ROOM: Access to fitness equipment
SHOPS & BOUTIQUES -located in ship's original first-class shopping arcade on Promenade Deck.

(Please note, I was unable to visit the Spa or Fitness Room so not able to comment on them).

The ship is ideally located to use as a base to make use of nearby offshore recreational facilities such as Victorian Village; Day Cruises to Catalina Island; Fishing; Golf; Swimming or Tennis

Tip 1: If staying on board, do try and book any tours in advance. As a guest, you get a 10 per cent discount on all the paying tours (e.g. the special Exhibitions and the Ghost Tour). We discovered things tended to get a little confusing when a guest decided on a tour on the spur of the moment.

Tip 2: I read some comments on an American review site referring to complaints about thin cabin walls and noisy neighbours.

Considering the management are pushing the Queen Mary as a great venue for your complete marriage package - marriage service, wedding breakfast and honeymoon - the honeymoon privacy sounds like it could be a problem!

Personally, we didn't experience any problems with noisy neighbours, but I think the cabins on either side of us were empty. Without the rumble of the ship's engines, sound does travel through the steel walls and you are asked to keep the noise to a minimum. Actually, I would have thought common courtesy demanded that you do this without thinking - but I do realise that these days hyperactive children grow into inconsiderate and hyperactive adults.

Tip 3: Read the in-depth Welcome Pack provided for you in your cabin as soon as you can. Everything you need to know to ensure things run smoothly is there.

Tip 4: If, like us, you are too tired to delve into your Welcome Pack before falling into bed, try and remember to double lock your cabin door before retiring. Always use the spy-hole to check who's on the other side before opening the door. If you are street-wise, I'm sure this is second-nature. My husband and I aren't, so it's as well the guy he opened the door to at 3am one morning was genuinely looking for 'Charlie' and wasn't an axe-murderer.

Tip 5: Remember, the Queen Mary is a ship with interiors over 70-years-old and she's been through the wars (literally). Don't expect her to look like a Holiday Inn. In one or two areas, the old lady is looking a little worse for wear, although on-going restoration should rectify this. Wipe your mind of any ideas of what she 'should' look like and I think you will be as delighted as I was that, thank God, somebody had the sense of preserve her.

Tip 6: Consider the time of year you are travelling. Our visit was in January, and it was really very quiet, enabling us to enjoy the ship and the tours without everywhere being mobbed. It might be a different story in the high season.

When it came time to leave, we were genuinely upset at leaving her. She'd made us welcome, offered us the best of old-fashioned hospitality, shown us her treasures and told us fascinating tales of days gone by. We promised her we'd come again - and we will.

Thank you for reading!

© Louise Saunders 2006

Further info:

www.queenmary.com
www.sterling.rmplc.co.uk

Reading: Queen Mary by James Steele

Added interest: You could be a Restoration Donor. The Queen Mary is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Her operation, maintenance and preservation are entrusted to the RMS Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation. You can become a member from as little as $25 to $1,000.000 per year which allows you such things from regular newsletters and discounts to getting your name inscribed on a plaque which would be mounted on the Restoration Patron Donor Wall located aboard the ship.

 

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