Queen Mary Hotel

[kennethwthomas17]

We have just booked our third cruise on the QM2 for February 2006 to Hawaii and wondering if a pre-cruise stay on the Queen Mary in Long Beach would be worth the additional time. Any comments?

[Happy ks]

I would, perhaps, have a back up plan as they are having some financial troubles right now.

 

We have stayed at Queen Mary Hotel once and have visited her many times for her Sunday Brunch. I think you have to be the type of person who can appreciate her, if you are interested in state-of-the-art accomodations and modern ammenities, you may be disappointed. We love her and loved our pre-cruise stay. The ship is old, it shows some wear and tear, but she is beautiful. If you love old classic cars, movies, clothes etc... you will be delighted.

 

I would not hesitate spending another night, or several nights on the old Queen Mary.

 

BTW, we will be getting off QM2 the day you board for Hawaii and I'm very jealous of you!

[Colin_Cameron]

Hi, We're on the same cruise, and that's exactly what we're planning on doing.

 

Regards, Colin.

[Paul NH]

Happy Ks is exactly correct. If a modern, comfortable room is important to you, you should probably stay at a hotel somewhere "on land." Keep in mind, you can always do a day visit to the ship regardless of where you sleep. When I stayed there the last time in the 90s, the mattress was past its prime, but everything else was fine.

 

Personally, I would stay there overnight. It is a treat to sleep in one of the original (albeit modified some throughout the service years) Art Deco cabins. Both of my stays there have been memorable ones that I remember vividly. You cannot say that about too many hotel rooms.

 

Paul

[transat_jon]

For someone who has any interest in ships, there is no where else to stay.

 

There are a number of things to know about the Hotel however as there are good and bad points :

 

Do not expect the best of service from reception and the staff generaly, this is something that has never been that good but with the recent financial problems the morale is even worse amongst the staff. She is not the Queen Mary of the 1930s.

 

Ignore this and it is the greatest place on earth. You get access to the both the hotel and the ship so you can wander freely.

The cabins are fantastic, get one of the traditional cabins and enjoy.

I remember that the restaurant Churchill's was well worth a visit.

Do the organised tour as well and make sure you are on the fore deck for when the horn sounds.

 

You cannot go to LA and not stay at the Queen Mary...You will love it!

[sfo-john]

Make sure that you don't get one of the cabins that have been "upgraded" and wallpapered over. Definitely go for one that it intact even if it costs a bit more.

[KenC]

Hi Kennethwthomas17

 

in case you missed the link - here are my photos of Queen Mary Hotel taken in January this year.

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/272840874CtFZjK

 

Go while you still can, if you still can.

 

Ken

[UK Geoff]

Stay in the old Queen Mary by all means - but beware.

 

I have read on other sites that the old lady is haunted :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

 

Now is that a wardrobe creaking.......:D

 

They even advertise the fact!

 

"The first-class swimming pool is a popular spot for ghost sightings and is part of the Ghosts & Legends show, a daily, special effects, walk-through show created aboard the ship that dramatizes actual paranormal and historic events that have been reported over the years. Wet footprints mysteriously appear — and there is not a drop of water in the pool. Women in vintage bathing suits visit for a leisurely swim. Although the pool has been closed for more than 30 years. Is it real, or is it your imagination at work? Testimonials from passengers and crew members continue to be reported and documented, all of them wanting answers to what they’ve experienced. Do ghosts really exist aboard the Queen Mary?

 

Ghosts & Legends of the Queen Mary encompasses a 25,000-square-foot area and takes guests through locations not accessible to the public, blurring the line between reality and imagination. "

[Richard Schmidt]

Stay in the old Queen Mary by all means - but beware.

 

I have read on other sites that the old lady is haunted :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

 

Now is that a wardrobe creaking.......:D

 

They even advertise the fact!

 

"The first-class swimming pool is a popular spot for ghost sightings and is part of the Ghosts & Legends show, a daily, special effects, walk-through show created aboard the ship that dramatizes actual paranormal and historic events that have been reported over the years. Wet footprints mysteriously appear — and there is not a drop of water in the pool. Women in vintage bathing suits visit for a leisurely swim. Although the pool has been closed for more than 30 years. Is it real, or is it your imagination at work? Testimonials from passengers and crew members continue to be reported and documented, all of them wanting answers to what they’ve experienced. Do ghosts really exist aboard the Queen Mary?

 

Ghosts & Legends of the Queen Mary encompasses a 25,000-square-foot area and takes guests through locations not accessible to the public, blurring the line between reality and imagination. "

 

I've stayed on her a number of times, and she is beautiful. Do not be afraid to ask for an upgrade. I asked if they could "do better" last time I got a quote on a cabin and was given a $120.00 price for a First Class suite. As for being haunted, it is a wonderfully old vessel, redolent of the 'Thirties and 'Forties, and if you have any imagination at all you can sense the presence of those who went before, especially in the First Class Obsevation Lounge forward with it's beautiful Art Deco fixtures and the wonderful mural behind the bar. (One of my prosecutors swears he and his wife heard ghosts on one of their stays there, middle-of-the-night knockings on the walls, footsteps, etc. Who knows?)

Queen Mary is on the National Historical Monument list, so she isn't going under. Your reservations will be secure. Try to get a starboard cabin, as it looks out on the water and feels more "at sea". Have a GREAT time!

 

Richard

[kennethwthomas17]

We want to thank everyone for their comments. We decided to reserve one night prior to the QM2 cruise. We requested a harbor view stateroom. Has anyone had dinner at either Sir Winston's restaurant or Tibbie's Cabaret during their stay onboard?

 

Karen & Ken Thomas

[Happy ks]

No, but we did have dinner at Chelsea, it was fantastic! I think Tibbies is relatively new, I haven't been on QM for over a year and I do not remember it. Sir Winston is formal, jacket and tie required. I have peeked in (since it was not open during day hours), it's lovely. We go for Sunday Brunch more than anything else, since we are local.

 

I'm very glad you made this choice and hope you have a wonderful time. Make sure you see every inch of Queen Mary!

[Gary B]

I produce a weekly travel review podcast, and this week I have done one on the "Queen Mary" that may interest people.

 

To read more and listen to the program:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyTravelReviewswithGaryBembridge?m=19

 

There is a link there that you can click to listen to the program which si about 22 minutes long and looks at a short hostory and reviews the ship and thinsg to do.

 

There is also on there how you can subscribe (it is free) to the weekly podcast if you like what you hear!

 

There is also one on the QE2 which you can access if you subscribe you will get or can just listen to that edition via my website at http://www.mytravelreviews.com

 

Hope you enjoy it and look forward to comments/ thoughts!

 

Gary

[Happy ks]

Gary B., Thank you for that.

 

We were there yesterday for Sunday brunch and may be in bits of the promo film for the Marilyn Monroe exhibition. Unknowingly, we walked right through where they were taping, I'll have to check out any local ads to see if I can locate us in the background.

 

I'll only add that, if anyone is considering the Sunday brunch, please reserve an early time. We arrived at 9:30 and the dining room was nearly empty. By 11 am, there was a very long line, by 12:30 (we were walking back through the lobby at this point) the line was, I would anticipate, at least an hour or more wait. The food was fabulous (as always) the service friendly and it is always good to visit Queen Mary.

 

I'm not a huge buffet fan, but we usually enjoy this brunch at least once a year.

[Calliope]

My partner and I ate at Sir Winstons' after we got off of the QE2 at LA in 2003. It was a wonderful experience. The food and service were superb, the surroundings without compare, and it gave us another night to wear formal attire.

 

We'd do it again in a heartbeat along with spending another night in one of the former first class suites. The stay there was magical. A fog surrounded the ship the night we stayed onboard, and it did not take much imagination to conjure that you were making a crossing across the great North Atlantic.