The HOTEL QUEEN MARY, still “Winning Over” loyals

Aboard The Queen Mary

One Neat Lady!!

Hey cruise fans; I have the privilege of writing to you from the fabulous Queen Mary Hotel, in Long Beach California. I am actually escorting a group of school district employees on a Carnival “Spring Break” Cruise vacation.

Even though I anticipated that this might be a really cool thing to do (pre night hotel) at this particular property (actually it’s feels like we’ve already started our cruise). Most everyone on the QM waived Bon Voyage to another cruise ship (you can catch a video of that here) as she departed from the adjacent pier, which by the way is the mere distance we will need to travel in the morning to catch our own cruise ship. The Cruise ship terminal building is just about as close as our cars in the parking lot are. How cool is that?

As for the staff, I must say that absolutely everyone we have come in contact with from Michael and the Front Desk crew, to Brian, our bartender (a most important person) in the Oyster Bar, and the absolute superb service afforded us by Angel who waited our table in the enchantingly splendid (both food and views) Chelsea Chowder House and Bar. Has made for a truly extraordinary stay and visit! Yet we are only just getting started.

With so much to see and do here at this marvelous floating hotel, that I am only going to try to cover many of the wonderful exhibits and venues available for your pleasure whether you happen to be just visiting, or hopefully you are a staying guest, so that you can be able to genuinely experience the atmosphere of this wonderful sailing marvel which has been transformed into now a memorable maritime museum and hotel vessel. For as an avid cruise buff, the highlight of this magnificent hotel was actually staying aboard her for the night. You can check out a video on the typical double accommodation (by clicking here).

The things I did the first day. Took a delightful self paced tour of the ship (this can be accomplished for a minimal fee of around $5 pp), which has been so painstakingly and meticulously preserved and restored to her glory days of the thirty’s, forty’s, and fifty’s. The self guided audio tour will take into most all of the interesting places, you will want to be sure to visit. I would recommend that you have a couple of hours to really be able to take it all in, and not be rushed.

Not being born myself, until the mid 1950’s I would have never had an opportunity to view such a vintage vessel, if not for the efforts put forth by the City of Long Beach. I did not realize that the Queen Mary had been pressed into military service during World War II, (as so many ships were) carrying over 800,000 troops, for an almost equal sum of miles, which affectionately won this graceful lady the nickname “The Grey Ghost”. Her maiden passenger voyage was in 1936, with her final retirement from passenger service occurring in 1967.

I must say in all sincerity, for me being such an avid cruiser, seeing and walking the hallways, promenades, and actually dining and sleeping on this wonderful ship, (just as she was in her glory days) has felt like a true step back in time. To be able to experience certainly what was considered one of the Grandest Ocean Liners ever built, has just been an indescribable experience. But I will do my best to relate the entire detailed account to you about this wonderful icon of maritime history. Be sure to view another short video clip on some of the other points of interest as well as it’s close proximity to the Long Beach Cruise Terminal that you are able to enjoy while visiting and staying at this wonderful Hotel (by clicking here).

I must admit that everyone that I ran into aboard this great floating hotel, was an absolute pleasure to converse and ask questions of. It is obvious that these folks are working here, not just for a job, but because they have actually bought into the entire purpose of just what is being accomplished here, on the Fabulous Hotel Queen Mary. It’s a great place to spend a night or two pre, or post cruise, or it is a wonderful place and destination by itself to come and stay even if you are not taking a cruise. It certainly seems like they have thought of everything from a Free Red Bus Shuttle Service which takes you to downtown long beach (Free I Might Add), and even will connect with inner city transportation too. They offer great packages that will allow you to be picked up and taken back to the airport, or a really cool package is there “Snooze and Cruise Rate” which will allow you to dirve your car, and leave it in the Hotels lot, and includes one nights lodging at a price almost the same as what you will fork over for just parking at the Terminal Parking Garage by itself. Either way you will have lots to choose from. For more information about staying at this “golden era of sailing” and true time machine called the Queen Mary Hotel. I have provided a link here for you to be able to make contact with her reservations and information department. I consider her “A Definite Must See and Do, for anyone cruising out of Long Beach”.

 For more information on staying at the Queen Mary Hotel, contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com  . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

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