The RMS Queen Mary is a massive retired iconic British ocean liner that is now a hotel, restaurant, and significant tourist attraction in Los Angeles in California. In her life, she sailed mostly the North Atlantic Ocean ferrying passengers back and forth in luxury between Europe and The United States.

She is an iconic ocean liner and partly served in the golden age of ocean liners before airplanes replaced ships as the preferred mode of transport. She is much larger than the famous and ill-fated Titanic - leaving the name "Titanic" a bit of a misnomer. See here for pics of the Titanic on its maiden voyage and today.

At A Glance: RSM Queen Mary Versus RSM Titanic

  • Tonnage: Queen Mary 80,777 GRT Vs Titantic 46,328 GRT
  • Length: Queen Mary 1,019 Feet Vs Titanic 883 Feet
  • Passengers: Queen Mary 2,139 Vs Titantic 2,435
  • Number Of Decks: Queen Mary 12 Vs Titantic 9

History of The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage in 1936 but following the outbreak of WW2 she was converted to a troopship and spent the war ferrying Allied soldiers around the ocean. Following the war, she once again returned to passenger service and she once again started her two-ship transatlantic passenger service with RSM Queen Elizabeth (with one ship departing from the port every two weeks). They would continue to dominate this market, until the dawn of the jet age that would spell the end of the vaulted ocean liners.

By the 1960s the oceanliner market was giving way to jet aircraft, the Queen Mary was aging, and was unable to turn a profit. On her last voyage in 1967, she sailed from Southampton in England and arrived at Long Beach in California. She remains permanently moored there to this day. See here for a 10-day itinerary for what to do in Los Angeles.

  • Built: In Clydebank, Scotland
  • Sister Ship: RMS Queen Elizabeth

Related: 12 Things We Won't See Again On Cruises By The Year 2030

But unlike most ships that end up broken up for scrap, she got a second-and longer life as a museum, hotel, tourist attraction, and restaurant. She has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places and added to the Historic Hotels of America.

Closure For Repairs

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, she is closed. The company operating the ship (Urban Commons) has filed for bankruptcy and the ship is now closed for urgent safety repairs. It is very expensive to keep ships in a state of repair - even if they are just moored up and not ocean-going. According to one report, the Queen Mary is in such bad repair that she is in danger of flooding or even capsizing. The owner is the City of Long Beach and they have taken control of the ship promising to repair her.

Visiting The Queen Mary

As the Queen Mary is closed, normal opening timing and ticket prices are no longer available. But when she is open she is a major tourist attraction and the chance to live in the glory days of the luxury ocean liners - an ocean liner more luxurious than the Titanic.

There are a number of self-guided exhibits to places like the Engine Room, Propeller Box, and the Bridge. To many of the other places on the ship, access is via guided tours.

  • Historic Exhibits Hours: 10.00 am - 7.00 pm (Hours May Differ When She Reopens)

She boasts many attractions and spooky tours including:

  • Dining with the Spirits: One can enjoy first-class dining before going on a tour and seeing the ships' haunted past and the "spirits" that inhabit her decks.
  • Paranormal Ship Walk: On this tour, one gets to see the lodging of the "ghosts" and "spirits" deep within the bowels of the ship
  • Paranormal Investigations: According to Queen Mary's website, is tour was voted by Time Magazine as one of "America's Top 10 Most Haunted" tours. Go on this fun and spooky tour and try to communicate with the ship's resident spirits.

Related: 10 Of The Most Beautiful Cruise Journeys In North America

Accommodation

Enjoy a variety of luxury accommodations - including accommodation similar to what is seen in the movie Titanic. Again due to the temporary closure of the Queen Mary for repairs, pricing and other info on the accommodation is unavailable at this time.

Dining And Other Info

There is a range of authentic dining experiences onboard the Queen Mary. Enjoy everything from snack, casual, to fine dining on the Queen Mary as well as the classic sophistication of the 1930s bars.

  • Number Of Art Deco Salons: 14 Historic Salons

Normally she also hosts a whole range of fun and interesting events. Keep up to date with the restoration of the Queen Mary to see when she once again reopens to the public. Ordinary to visit the Queen Mary one must have an Admission Ticket, a Room Key, or a Restaurant Reservation.

Next: The Titanic Ship Can't Be Raised (Here's Where It Rests Now)