Is this going to be the end of the Queen Mary?

[johnalison]

It may be that she has reached the end of her useful life, like many of us. This would be a pity, since she has such a distinguished history, not the least of which was to transport my twin sister across the Atlantic in 1964, something for which I have been jealous ever since.

 

[newtothis]

I go to Long Beach every year (bar Covid) for a big conference where the hotels are all sold out months in advance, but have never been tempted by staying on the Queen Mary.
QM is not in a great location, stuck down near the cruise terminal the other side of the LA river from the conference centre. There are few attractions that side of the river (or in Long Beach itself).
Colleagues have stayed on her. The cabins are not great and have those thin steel walls that allow you to listen in on your neighbours all night long...
If they could find somewhere to park it that was more attractive it might survive.
But the restoration price seems high, considering you can buy a brand new one for only twice that much and that has a working engine.

 

[Poignard]

I remember when I was in HMS Gambia and we had just stood down from manning the rail after leaving Portsmouth when RMS Queen Mary appeared inward bound. We were hastily brought back up to man the rails again until QM had passed and saluted us. Put on a bit of a show for her passengers.

 

[Skylark]

A company that I worked for had its headquarters in nearby Torrance, California so I’ve visited QM a few times. I seem to recall also that it had an active amateur radio station and they would let you use it as a guest if you had proof of home license.

Very fond memories, it would be sad to see it sail to the scrap man ?

 

[jamie N]

In 1965 I was 'exported' to the USA onboard the Queen Mary. As a 9 year old, it was a paradise of exploration and of avoiding my parents by changing swimming pools or gyms without telling them; "Oh, I got lost", and looking plaintive....!
Two years later we came back on the Queen Elizabeth, which was much the same, but perhaps a bit posher?
Sad if she is scrapped, but better than a slow terminal decline, plus she'd be a fantastic artificial reef.

 

[penfold]

A company that I worked for had its headquarters in nearby Torrance, California so I’ve visited QM a few times. I seem to recall also that it had an active amateur radio station and they would let you use it as a guest if you had proof of home license.

Very fond memories, it would be sad to see it sail to the scrap man ?

The lagoon thing means she's more likely to be broken up in-situ, no Alang beach for her.

 

[dankilb]

Spent one night on board her in, I’d guess, around 2007 for a friends’ wedding. What struck me was the relatively un-molested originality of it all. I’d expected the staterooms to have been ‘hotelified’ somewhat (perhaps keeping a few original features) but in fact they felt for the most part just like a decommissioned ship. For example, I’m sure I remember a salt water tap for the bath (that turned but nothing came out!) and of course features like the route map in the dining hall with lightbulbs to show the position.

Sadly the wedding party were a bit disappointed by the food, service, etc. but I obviously loved it. More like hanging out on a tired, laid-up ship, rather than a ‘hotel’.

 

[Stemar]

I can't help thinking that it was the end when she went to be parked in a tacky resort as a hotel. That was the point at which the grand old lady went into the care home. Now's the time for the DNR notice to be applied.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I can't help thinking that it was the end when she went to be parked in a tacky resort as a hotel. That was the point at which the grand old lady went into the care home. Now's the time for the DNR notice to be applied.

Am I right in thinking that that would leave the United States as the only classic liner still in existence? And her future doesn't look too good either, to put it mildly.

My old man studied in America in the 50s. Out by the Queen Mary, back on the United States, as I recall. I wish I could do that.

 

[penfold]

United States is a hulk since the interior was stripped to remove asbestos. Bean tins sooner rather than later.

 

[Debennut]

I was a junior purser in Queen Mary for a couple of years in the mid sixties. There will never be another like her. However, rather than let her deteriorate slowly, she should be given a decent send off and scrapped. It would be terrible if she went the same way as her sister.
BTW, the excursion steamer on the Clyde was renamed Queen Mary II, in order to release the name to the new liner.

 

[Norman_E]

The ship is now around 85 years old. very few ships last as long. Much of that time the ship has been at Long Beach and I would expect significant deterioration due to only public areas being maintained, as I suspect that the costs of work elsewhere in the ship will have been treated as an unnecessary expence by people only operating her as a visitor attraction.

 

[pyrojames]

What a pity, fingers crossed. £289M seems a lot for the repairs... almost unbelievably so.

That's pretty much in line with building her from new these days.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Update: naval architects she's in very poor condition and in imminent danger of capsizing.

Historic Queen Mary in danger of capsizing, new report reveals

 

[Concerto]

Well it seems she will get broken up then.

 

[penfold]

What a rubbish report, the media should be prevented from covering things involving stuff they don't understand; Long Beach got a survey done by a naval architect firm and the leaseholders have not done what they were supposed to and it would appear the city haven't bothered doing much oversight either. The capsize risk is in the sense there's no functioning bilge pumping system worth a pitcher of warm spit; it's not about to topple over, but if there's a fire and trumpton start squirting water about she'll do a quick impression of the Normandie in 1942.

I had a look on the city website but it's typical local council rubbish; the search function is as much use as a chocolate teapot so did not find the actual documents despite the article implying they were available.

 

[PilotWolf]

What a rubbish report, the media should be prevented from covering things involving stuff they don't understand; Long Beach got a survey done by a naval architect firm and the leaseholders have not done what they were supposed to and it would appear the city haven't bothered doing much oversight either. The capsize risk is in the sense there's no functioning bilge pumping system worth a pitcher of warm spit; it's not about to topple over, but if there's a fire and trumpton start squirting water about she'll do a quick impression of the Normandie in 1942.

I had a look on the city website but it's typical local council rubbish; the search function is as much use as a chocolate teapot so did not find the actual documents despite the article implying they were available.

The city's handling of this is bad and they're getting a lot of stick over it.

She won't capsize as pretty well no room on port side, to starboard maybe fall on her side. I can't remember the depth of the lagoon she is in but I think you can see the bottom through the cutout and the river silts pretty well.

Probably the best thing would be fill the lagoon with concrete or ballast, not sure if that would work?

I know there were 'miles' of firehoses keep on board for Use by LBFD and the FD have a lot more recourses than back in the UK.

Friends crossed as has special meaning to me.

PW

 

[penfold]

If you can find where the survey report is posted(assuming it is online) it would make interesting reading.

 

[PilotWolf]

If you can find where the survey report is posted(assuming it is online) it would make interesting reading.

Never seen it but the never looked, probably a copy at city hall as officially a hotel rather than a ship.

W.

 

[ip485]

Sadly, I have never been convinced by the business model for turning retired cruise ships into hotels. We all know boats are money pits, and in these cases that leaves aside the converison costs. The danger is do they then offer enough more than a traditional and beautiful hotel to provide the occupancy rate required? I have my doubts and I am not sure anyone has yet demonstrated the case, if it must stand on its own feet.