Bankrupt - RMS Queen Mary
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2021
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There are very few ocean liners in existence that has survived going down in infamy or the scrap yard as iconic as the RMS Queen Mary. From her start as the fastest liner of the time to her incredible war service, it only made sense to save her at the end of her long career or sailing. The city of Long Beach, California had proudly kept her as a tourist attraction and hotel since the 1960's but as I discover, never at a profit. Join me today as I look into the rich, yet troubled past for this incredible liner and the events that lead to her ultimate bankruptcy and uncertain future...
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Fantastic drone footage (aero realm) - • Drone Visits Queen Mar...
Another great video on why the Queen Mary should be saved - • Video
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Presented in 4K - Zábava
My Dad was on the Queen Mary in WWII and I took him out to see the ship as a surprise in 1989 when we were in California for a football game and weekend. His jaw dropped when he saw the ship once again! We walked around the decks of the ship for some time and his narration of conditions aboard the ship during the war were in stark contrast to the tourists and beautiful fall afternoon. The Queen Mary represents a great deal of history and we must save it for future generations to see!
Lead the way, we'll be right behind.
LETS SAVE THIS SHIP!
Okay....who is going to pay for it? You? Just chip in $200 every month from taxes?
@@sorsorsor11 and that's the crux: too much emotion, with no commensurate money. and when the funding wanes, we're back to this. throwing good money after the bad.
the problem is nobody wants to see it
The City of Long Beach just announced that they have regain control of the Queen Mary for the first time in 40 years. Additionally, "In addition to gaining control of the Queen Mary itself, the city also regained control of the surrounding property, which includes 40 acres of parks, cruise terminals and parking lots."
So there is hope...at least hope the Queen Mary has a chance...maybe they can find some developers, offer tax incentives or something, to raise the funds to save the ship and refurbish the surrounding area they now control.
Somehow I doubt the residents of the city will be so excited about it when their taxes have to rise considerably to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars for repairs and investment needed to keep the ship in existence, especially coming out of a pandemic.
Oh geez, like California is being run well. Lots of budgetary issues there, the future for the Queen Mary can't possibly be what we'd all like for it to be.
@@fireshorts5789 better than sending millions of our dollars overseas to educate other nations on gender theory!
@@yomammasboo713 yeah, I'm sure Long Beach residents will be all over this project when you frame it like that. This is about more than just a ship, its about owning the libs!
I got married at a roof top restaurant next to the Queen Mary, she blew her horn during our vows 😂💓. Hoping something can be done to save it.
She did what? Is she pretty? If she is you're lucky!
My Grandmother took the Queen Mary to move to the USA and my family and I ironically grew up in Long Beach. Not only is this ship a Long Beach icon, but it is also an integral part of my childhood and memories. Really wishing the best for this ship
@Noone Cares Lmfao
Not from Long Beach CA, but I think the ship is a So Cal icon. My high school used to have formal dances at the Queen Mary in the early 2000s.
My grandma was a warbride as well. I don't remember much of it, but I've been to the ship (as a child), so 3 generations of my family have stepped foot on it.
Ttyy
My grandmother came to the States as a war bride from England after WWII. The transport ship that brought she and my uncle home to live in the US was the Queen Mary, when she was still painted as the Grey Ghost. I exist as a direct result of this ship. I truly hope they save her.
My great grandparents met on the Grey Ghost, him a supply officer and her an army nurse. I exist because of the Queen Mary too!
You honestly think granny couldn't have come over on a different ship?
@@MrSvenovitch Their grandmother and uncle are likely human. Most humans use a communication system called language. It is possible that Kristin is not guessing which ship they came back on, but instead learned which ship via an exchange of words with other humans.
That's a great story! My Grandfather sailed on the QM from NY to London as a Private in WW2! I was able to visit her in Long Beach! He came back on a Liberty ship and told the story of how they hit bad weather and everyone became sea sick!
nope. they have plans to nuke it in august
I’d love to see an Abandoned of the Salton Sea, an entire resort town close to Palm Springs that’s lost to the desert.
YES!!!
Yeah and Slab City/Salvation Mountain as well.
Tom Explores LA did a fantastic video on it a while back!
That area of the desert like the Coachella valley Indio Palm springs Salton Sea would be pretty cool
I live down here (Coachella valley) , it looks beautiful, but it's a mess, and in my 43 years they keep talking about saving it and then doing nothing. I don't know if there is an easy solution to the salton sea. It's sad but one of human kines big failures
This is so sad 😭. My mother and I left Southampton England on March 13, 1945 (I was 11 months old) to come to America. My mother was a British War Bride and we were moving to America to be with my father. The Queen Mary is part of my family history as well as being so iconic. I 🙏🏼 that a miracle will happen to save her.
I did an overnight haunted tour on the Queen Mary in 2015, and yeah it was definitely in rough shape. There was so much water inside the engine room that we had to walk on boards to go over it
@Noone Cares they're just sharing their experience with the current state of the ship
I saw this and had to come see. The ships come so far, I hope she survives. I actually stayed aboard her a couple years back, it really put into perspective the grandeur of ocean liners back then.
Yesss, I agree. I went on the ship when I was around 6 and I had a blast. Even now, I still have a spot for her in my heart. I might cry if she gets scrapped or sinks.
She should start an only fans. She old, but still pretty.
GOD SAVE THE RMS QUEEN MARY!
@@areyoujelton Shut up. Not funny. 🤣 -_-
I hope it gets fucking scrapped rust bucket
Nooooo not the queen mary. I’m from LongBeach and it’s always nice to go to the pike and have a picnic by the light house and look over and see the queen 😍
yup, cool to look at, but i've never spent money to have anything to do with it. I believe that's the problem
@@Wesley-rn7oc definitely never paid to get in for sure I did get to go inside with my job as a vender and it was beautiful it’s a shame it’s not doing well tho. My husband’s grandmother came to this country on the queen so I thought that was pretty cool
@@Periwinkle_Pinkk That is really cool! Seeing this situation for the first time, I do wonder if returning the Queen Mary to a sailing Cruise Liner again would be the easiest solution. It would be expensive I imagine.
@@brad5426 Hehe: no. That'll never happen again unfortunately. Way too expensive and even if someone were somehow able to scrape the funds together to do so, Long Beach, when they bought her from Cunard, did so under the condition that she never sail under her own power again.
My great Aunt Aggie took a cruise from New York to Europe on the Queen Mary somewhere back in the 40's/50's. My mom and I visited the Queen Mary in 1988 while visiting my Uncle Bill and Aunt Mary in California, and my jaw dropped open at first sight of the massive ship! We walked around the decks of the ship for some time, my mom and Uncle Bill reminiscing on seeing my great aunt off. The Queen Mary is a symbol of maritime history and we must save her for all future generations to see. To see her sunk or scrapped would be unthinkable!
It's too hot the rooms no a/c don't pay $350 to $600 per night
I went on the Disney-era ghost tour, circa 1990, on a family vacation. My brother and I were about 9 & 7. It was GENUINELY terrifying. My entire family talks about it to this day. I remember nearly every moment viscerally.
Staying at the Queen Mary 3 years ago was one of the most memorable nights of my life. I am so sad to see this.
Did you see any ghosts?
I used to go there a kid in the early 2000's and have gone to every dark harbor event they had. Sad to see this video.
@ Carla F
Me too and your husband still doesn't know.
@David Wang we were there for a cruise and a week afterwards to San Diego. The Queen Mary was the high light of the trip.
We stayed on the ship in 2000. Quite a highlight of the trip.
What? Visiting the Queen Mary has been on my bucket list for years 😭
Hurry before it sinks.
Don't get your hopes up too high bruv.
It surprises me to see so many people know this ship
@Wesley do you always have to be that one Guy over there
@@hevendor958 it is my main purpose in life
Thank god Long Beach took back control and now the ship is getting much needed repairs.
As a native to Long Beach, I can ABSOLUTLY say that the Queen Mary is very beloved. And this is evidenced by how many companies and organizations are so desperate to save it. It simply is on it's own, out of the way of any sort of other tourist hot spot, or other recreational activities. You have to dedicate a day to go there, especially if you have moved to another part of Southern California. So, as a tourist destination, it is very neat, but on its own, witch makes it hard for people to visit when there are so many other things to do and see in LA or OC. For a for a tourist trip of only a few days to a week, it's very low on the list.
To give you an idea just how on it's own it is: you can spot it from the air immediately, not just because of it's distinctive size and shape, but also because there isn't anything around to crowd or obstruct it.
They're only saving it because of the name, it's not worth it. Look at the United States ship its been bought and sold so many times. 200 million dollars is just an estimate. Guarantee you that price will shoot up once restoration begins.
@@armandoortiz9114 Kinda sad that she is just left (SS United States) there just hanging waiting for a restoration. I’ve always wondered why didn’t they just scrap her instead of waiting for renovations that takes years to come
because of the name.
The USS Iowa is nearby and the cruise ship terminals....Nothing in S. CA is "alone with nothing around"
I really hope she could be saved. Queen Mary represent the golden age of ocean travels, her design is marvelous. It will be a tragedy if she ends in a scrapyard
she most likely won't be moving soon
well.. considering the fact that shes blocked by a rock wall
More likely to suffer the same fate as the S.S. United States
The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's gonna be saved anyway.
@@u-2012 Or the RMS Queen Elizabeth, the sister of the Queen Mary
@@gabrielarambula4465 Crikey, I really hope not.
RMS Queen Mary: **future status in doubt**
SS United States: “First time?”
Very true!
SS United States is Aluminum hulled.
I can only imagine the steal hull of this boat.
@@Torsee a large portion of the Big U's superstructure is aluminum to save weight but her hull is steel
There are vids on the tube having a look inside (United States).. it's literally pristine inside (minus the fittings of course). A striking contrast to the outside.
No kidding. I learned about the SSUS' plight while visiting the Queen Mary as a ten-year-old, and now not only is the SS United States not saved, but now the Queen Mary's in a bad way too.
@@LaBruxinha
Sad isn’t it.
Guess we keep the photographs and videos.
When I lived in Long Beach, I'd go to the Queen Mary for lunch, visit the sub, and the Halloween tours. This was 1999-2000, when the Halloween tours were more historical than shock value style stuff. Loved that ship. So stunning. She's also why I think that Disney has the best looking cruise ships now. They look like the old school ships, like the Queen Mary. This all is so heartbreaking.
Definetly agree about how nice dinsey's ships look. The forward funnel is actually a fake just to make them look more like classic liners.
As a San Pedro High School Grad we had our ten year reunion on that beautiful ship! It would be such a shame to see it scrapped!
As a Brit who spent part of my honeymoon on there in 2013, I hope she's saved.
Me too. Even in her decline she still looks spectacular, and not many ships can do that.
saved for what ... ? are you serious ... ?
@@jgal1231 bruh what?
@@jgal1231 she's the last ship of that era around. She is the symbol of an era, of a history, of a generation, of War, of power, of time.
as someone born and raised in longbeach, I hope they get rid of it. It's an eye sore and in almost 30 years of living here, I've only been there once, for school, because I didn't want to go again. Although congrats on finding someone who loves you enough to be talked into going here for a honeymoon. Hold on to her for as long as you can, because that woman HAS to love you.
I love the Queen. As a resident of Long Beach, I have spent both Halloween and New Years Eve on her. I’ve dined at Sir Winston’s several times and had drinks at the gorgeous Art Deco bar. It’s a beautiful ship, despite the needed repairs. And so full of history-Churchill and FDR met on her decks during WW2. She must be saved.
I live in Long Beach too. Would love to stay a night Nd have some drinks on the Queen if she opens up!
that ship haunted too
I remember visiting Southampton with my father as a small boy. Walking past bombed-out buildings, we arrived at the docks just as Queen Mary was leaving. One of those memories you don’t forget.
My great grandfather watched her be built and then worked on the repairs team when she came back in to be refitted after the war. I’ve always wanted to go see her more so after his death so this honestly breaks my heart that she’s in this state
My dad was on the Queen Mary when she collided with the Curacao in '42.. He went flying off his rack and landed on top of a pile of other GI's. They thought the Germans torpedoed them. They didn't find out what happened until they disembarked and saw the big bite out of the bow. I'm glad he got to see her again just before he died in 2001. He proudly bought a red shirt with her logo.
That is an amazing story, best wishes.
Sadly my uncle (that of course I never knew) was on the Curaçao and didn’t survive that fateful impact. I’m glad to have stayed on the Queen three years ago as part of a Californian trip
@@billbeeby8764 It is painful to think of those hundreds of men who died. So sorry for your family's loss. When my dad saw her in the 90s, he told the staff they had the wrong date of the collision in the little museum below decks and when my brother and I visited a few years later, it had been corrected. My dad thought those men should at least be acknowledged with the correct date.
Me like an hour before this vid was posted: “I wish Jake would post another video on ships soon.”
Jake: WHOMST HAS AWOKEN THE ANCIENT ONE?
That's a good one
I had my high school homecoming on that ship last year, and countless brunches as well. Glad to see the City if Long Beach is in control of the ship now, and will be using $500,000 to restore and preserve her.
@Noone Cares no
@Noone Cares based
500.000?? More like 4.500.000. But I'm all for saving her.
@@Playstationnationalist no one cares what you think.
@@johnfranklin5277 boo hoo
So grateful I got to see her when I did, during the travelling Titanic expedition. I spent nearly fourteen hours on her, soaking up every last bit of her that I could, and pouring over the artifacts on display from the Titanic. What a magnificent example of an almost dream like era of true style and craftsmanship. Unfortunately, those are things so little seen and experienced these days. It's heartbreaking to know what terrible neglect she has been through, it's a crime really. It's a shame that the nautical world doesn't step in and save her from an uncertain future and organizations wanting to use her name, once grand opulence and unique history just to turn a fast buck.
It really is a marvel of craftsmanship. These old ocean liners are so cool looking.
Shortly after marrying the apple of my eye, we moved across the US and landed in Long Beach in the mid 80s. We often visited the QM as tourists as well as the Spruce Goose. My fondest memory is of the New Year's Eve celebration we attended about the QM. There were 4 different ball rooms for dancing all playing differently themed music and champagne flowed like water, a number of banquet rooms serving unbelievable amounts of delicious foods, followed by fireworks off the fantail at midnight and our cost of admission also included a hotel room aboard the vessel in which to sleep and arise to an unbelievable champagne brunch buffet. We had the time of our life and got to spend a night on the Queen Mary but never went out to sea..
...okay and? The point being?
What a wonderful memory! Very interesting.
I got married there in 2008. You could tell it was falling apart then. The night before the wedding my groomsmen and I snuck into many areas on a drunken rampage. We got inside the center smokestack and climbed scaffolding set up in there to the top. Had a great time.
"drunken rampage" just how many of its holes are you responsible for? 😛
How was your divorce though?
@@MrSvenovitch she still likes me for some reason. We made two more people.
I dj'd my friend's wedding around 2014 and yeah it was run down - trying to find enough power outlets was a chore for it being modern day. I got to go in the employee entrance and it was definitely not as polished as you would think even by judging the guest areas which were still a bit shoddy by then.
The best!!!
I lived in LB when they brought the QM to the port. One of my coworkers visited the ship during the early restoration process and obtained a sample of the paint many layers thick showing the gray strata during the ww2. More troubling though was the finding that many of the life boats had only layers of paint over football sized holes in the metal hulls. Evidently maintenance was insufficient long before the ship was retired.
my great grandparents actually got married in the queen mary! and they spent their 15th anniversary there too! I've never been there myself but I would ADORE going there and getting a ghost tour someday! If it ever gets torn down, or something of that nature, it would be a very sad day. so much rich history has involved and been on that boat, and a piece of this nations history would be gone forever
The QM has a special place in the hearts of my wife and I. We went there when we were still dating. They had apparantly missed a "do not enter" rope spot and we, first unknowingly, ended up in places of the ship that tourists weren't suppose to be ... raw, unlit, un-beautified parts of the old ship. This was before any special effects-laden haunted tour. Trust me. The fake effects weren't necessary. The real bowels of the ship are more f'ing terrifying au naturale. We eventually somehow found ourselves popping out a door into the main ball room. While other tourists watched from the outer roped off doors, I danced with my wife in the grand ballroom.
We'd been back several times before moving out of state, but each time seemed to get more closed off, more expensive, more forced-touristry. I hope she can "stay afloat" financially. She's always a destination for us when were in town.
GUESS WHO IS IN UR COMMENT
@@MUSTARDDDMANN 😳 .. 😘♥🚢
@@MUSTARDDDMANN hi legend!!!!
Ima pretty §Ù§
Imagine going to a car meet and seeing a giant boat in the background
thatd be pretty sweet for pics honestly lol
She's a ship!
@@TheMrPeteChannel ^^ She sure is!
I seriously think a car show would be an amazing idea!
They used to host JCCS (Japanese classic car show) there a couple years ago
she'll fit in just fine with the hellcat section
My Grandmother bought me a model of the Queen Mary in 1943 - all my friends were so jealous!
I spent a night on the Queen Mary in 2015. Being a Long Beach native I certainly hope to see the ship again restored to honor it's great history.
As someone who lives very close to Long Beach (and someone who went to his girlfriend's school Winter Formal which was hosted on the Queen Mary), this was quite a sad watch. This truly is the crown jewel landmark of the seaside city of Long Beach and it would be a tragedy to see it wither away in obscurity.
True.
Long beach had a jewel , it was that amusement park they ripped out. Instead of cleaning out the filth and crime they didn't just get rid of that park and all will be ok. LOLOLOL
I’d love to see a “Cancelled” video about Miapolis, it was going to be the tallest building in the world but was never built because of the Great Recession.
That’s the abandoned series
@@DefinitelySpirit No, that's the cancelled series. As it was never started in the first place in order to be abandoned
The Miapolis skyscraper looks horrendous and out of place. Good thing it was never built.
that was the great DEPRESSION, much worse than recession.
@@jimcrawford5039 No it wasn't. Do you research.. The tower was proposed and designed in the early 2000s.
You seriously think that in the 1930s, when the tallest building was the Empire State Building at 380m, someone was going to build a skyscraper that was 600m taller than that? Lol. Engineering wasn't advanced enough for that yet.
My (then) partner and I had the amazing opportunity to spend our first weekend away together on the QM as a surprise for him over Thanksgiving weekend 2019. It was amazing. What a lovely ship and our suite was fantastic (except for our drunk neighbors who ruined it for us in the wee hours of the morning). It will be a wonderful shared memory for the rest of our lives. What needs to happen is the land mass known as 'parking' needs to be developed into a multi-family housing and entertainment center. This will generate the funds needed to revitalize the QM and place her in her rightful place as the centerpiece of a live/work/stay destination. Long Beach real-estate values are out of control and a modern and well thought out live/work/entertainment development would do wonders for the area. The addition of a monorail or similar 'people-mover' system from off-site parking to the destination would make it the pinnacle of nightlife in the area.
I was there in July 2000 with my grandmother. We took the tours They were informative. We even went inside the Russian submarine. "Scorpion" I still have my shot glasses from there
I'm praying that this magnificent ship will be spared/saved. I was actually thinking about visiting this ship in the near future. I am a huge ship fanatic, and this would be perfect for me.
Same! Ever since I found out about the Queen, I have it on my list to see when I make it to California. What a beautiful piece of history, I hope you will be able to visit/tour Her some day ☮️
@@ErintheLiLBucK I'm the same way. I'm from Louisiana, and the USS KIDD (Battleship) is docked in the harbor righ under the Mississippi River Bridge. I wen there when I was in Cub Scouts when I was kId, and loved it. I was planning on going on a cruise in May of 2022. However, I recently lost my job back in April, so I've had to really rethink finances, all while looking for a new job. So, I am post poing my cruise, but would like to stay onboard the Queen Mary for about four days. I think that little trip will be much cheaper than what I would spend on a cruise.
@Rich H That's because prayer doesn't work. Prayer is the most useless thing a person can do. Hard work and determination does.
It is fine. The City of Long Beach owns it. It is also a registered landmark. It just needs to be better maintained and kept up
@Rich H it will never be scrapped. It’s a national historic landmark
I had no idea it was in such bad shape. I didn't even think about how the pandemic effected it. Hopefully she survives somehow, I'd love to visit one day.
Shell be fine, shes gone through multiple bankruptcies
It's not as bad as rumors make it out to be. Yes it needs lots of attention, especially to stop water intrusion from the upper decks. But it's not like the Russian sub, which is totaled.
I think they need to do what they are doign with Texas. MOVE her elsewhere. Both ironically have the same problem. poor location
She's been in horrible shape, through all the Dark Harbors (we just never got to see with the lights off). She's survived bankruptcies a plenty too.
@@LakeNipissing She is pretty bad. There is A LOT of work that needs to be done.
So sad - my husband and I went here for our first anniversary a couple years back and it was a phenomenal weekend. I am so, so glad we opted to go when we did. It's a beautiful, eerie time capsule. It's really like stepping right into another era.
A sad state of affairs for such a grand lady. I've visited her from time to time through the years, and I hope to someday take my son to see her. A vestige of a time when people weren't in such a hurry, and elegance and comfort was part of the experience.
Wonderful video! This beautiful ship is one of a kind and an important piece of history, not just for Britain, but for the world. Let's save the Queen Mary!
Thanks Alex! Keep the fight going to raise awareness!
I just want to say f in the chat for the queen mary
And the city of Long Beach
Speak of the devil. Look who's here. :)
Save the SS United States
What a shame. I was born in Long Beach and went several times as a young kid in the 80’s. My dad was a waiter when he was in high school in the the early 70’s. It was always a part of the lives of people in Long Beach. It would be like loosing a family member. It was heart breaking to see the Spruce goose go can’t let it happen to this beautiful ship
and half a billion dollars to repair ?
Long Beach has a habit of doing that, they bulldozed the Pike which I remember being about the last classic vintage Coney-Island like place on the West Coast. I got to go there a few times as a kid. And I remember one time seeing an unusual two man prog rock group called, "Grandma" that consisted of a drummer with a huge set with a double-bass kit and tympanies and multi-tiered cymbals, and a bass player who had the four strings on his bass split up between two amps, one for the bass parts and the upper strings for melodies-- they were really great. The Pike even had a hall of mirrors, as well as the Cyclone Racer wooden coaster, and a classic Laff-in-the-Dark style dark ride, with a pair of truly creepy laughing automatons up above the entrance. The place was getting kind of run down though, and ultimately what probably killed it off was the discovery when in the Laff-in-the-Dark ride, one of the dummies arms fell off and a human skeleton was found to be inside. I think the area now is the parking lot for the convention center.
It really is a shame. My cousin was married on the Queen Mary in 1979 and my family were regular visitors in the 1960s and 1970s. I loved seeing the propeller shaft through that window they added. It was great -- brass and polished hardwood, Art Deco furnishings, large spaces, etc. I always loved visiting it. It was a fair drive from our home in the San Gabriel Valley, but it was always worth it.
@@JimBo-ho8qw must've been very late 60s then as they where still doing the conversion in 1969
In 2017 we took a cruise out of Long Beach. When we returned, we spent the night on the Queen Mary.
The evening started quiet and as expected and then I went out to do some night photography of the ship and whatever I found.
As I wandered through the decks I heard music - 1940's swing music, so I followed it. In the lounge, I thought that I'd gone back in time. Everybody in the lounge appeared to be in the 1940s. There were men in military uniforms of the day. there were women that seemed to be form that time as well.
I went back to the cabin and woke my partner. We dressed in our formal wear from our cruise and headed back to the lounge. We danced and had cocktails and for just one night, we went back in time. It was enchanting.
The city of Long Beach is actually stepping in to restore it. It was in our local news here in Los Angeles last month, I wana say.
I lived by the queen Mary in Long Beach for a long time. The repairs they did to fix queen Mary was poorly done, as well as they had a movie theater for a spongebob ride, and I was the only one in it when I went. It’s sad to see it’s disarray
I remember when I went in 2018-19, a lot of the windows and some doors were boarded up with wood. It’s sad to see what happened to it, but I’m not too surprised with its bankruptcy
I imagine most of the repairs were cosmetic. Pretty sure that ship will never be in sailing condition ever again.
@@ericp1139 are you at all worried of her getting sold for scrap, because i'm rolling with the notion that this will sadly be her fate.
I mean aquitania was scrapped due to how poor her condition was due to being do old. A freaking piano fell through the cieling of one of her dining rooms
@@acenosce3334 at this point, I don’t see any other route besides getting scrapped. Nobody is pitching half a billion dollars to fix that ship up. Ships were never meant to be permanent fixtures; the ocean eventually takes everything away.
@@ericp1139 Goes to show that nobody cares about her anymore. no longer relevant. She's going to be lost forever at this point and that will be the reality we'll be forced to accept.
It's all driven by profit. her value as scrap iron is far greater than her historical value.
I hope you can cope with it if that is announced.
This makes me so sad. I worked there from 1983 to 1985 and it is still my favorite job experience. It was a great place to work in those years. We had such fun. The village was vibrant with local shops and bars. There were fireworks every night. It was crowded all summer. I hated working in the dome, but I luckily mostly worked in a kiosk on the ship that overlooked Long Beach. I hadn’t been on board for almost 30 years when I visited a few years ago. I never saw a ghost when I worked there, but walking around the empty decks and remembering how full of life it was felt spookier to me than any ghost.
I grew up going to the Queen Mary with my parents, went on dates there, and had sorority dances there in college. The ship was christened 4 days before my dad was born and came to Long Beach the year I was born. I hate to see it in disrepair. It was always such a beautiful and iconic place to visit. I hope it can be saved.
My dad sailed "The Ghost" to Europe to fight. I first toured her in the late 80's or early 90's. Im a big fan of art deco so i fell in love. The "haunted tour" was simple walk around with story telling, especially the pool. Maybe a decade or so later, we went back with two kids in tow and spent a night aboard. The First Class cabins ARE small. The fancy restaurant, Churchill's (?) was great except for the dress code. Now they added a wild multi-media ghost tour, it was cool! I remember they still has the AA guns up on the deck. The Goose was gone when we went there with the kids but I remember it being very cool!! Oh yeah, took the kids on the sub tour, too! It was pretty brand new when we were there. Sad story.
As a former Wrather Hotel Security Officer, I am really shocked at the Queens health. I have been on almost every inch of that ship. Places no tour could take you. It is amazing. The ghosts were fun to deal with too. I worked there in 1983 I believe. A great place for a young man to work and walk for 8 hours a day. Lots of girls and good food. My ex wife worked in the village at the fudge store before I worked on the ship. Great memories. Lots of stories to be told. Of course the best was taking every new hire up to the bridge for inspection just as the ships horn would sound. Bring a change of underwear for that event.
Wow I'd love to hear some of your stories. I myself have snuck into certain "forbidden" areas as a guest in years past and was struck by the enormous size and how easily I could get lost down there.
I'm sorry...ghosts?
@@mrcolz9373 We called the events "Ghosts" but of course I have no proof other than personal experiences. Ghost is as good a label as "Unexplained activities".
@@cop4hie oh, haha. It's been my dream to visit the Queen Mary, and the ghost thing was sorta at the back of my mind. However this whole situation kinda threw a rock at that.
@@mrcolz9373 If you have any interest in the Queen, I would plan a visit very soon. It doesn't look good for her right now. I worked there in the 80's and it was a rust bucket below decks then. I don't know what keeps her afloat. BTW If she sinks she is not going to sink more than a few feet. She is floating because if they sat her on the bottom it would break her back.
We stayed in the Queen Mary one night. We did the tours. Just a beautiful ship adorned with types of wood that has been long exintinct. An Iconic vehicle, I hope its saved!
Me to. Stayed there overnight and loved walking along the deck at stupid o'clock in the morning. Long Beach shrouded in fog. Ive done the tours and actually visited it many times when I visited LA. But think long beach isn't the best area for her. I hope this ship gets saved. Shes a stunner. Hopefully one day I can fly over and see her again.
Wouldn’t it be so incredible for there to be a absolutely giant museum space with historic boats and ships like the Queen Mary
I visited the ship in 2003 when my dad (83) and I made a United States round trip from the Netherlands. He stayed outside but I took him inside for a couple of minutes so he also had been on board! It means a lot to me nowadays, since he passed away in 2010. I hope the ship can be restored forever and ever!
Growing up in this area all my life, I have always seen the Queen Mary as a magnificent piece of not only Long Beach history but of World history. It breaks my heart to hear the actual condition she’s in today :((
As a resident of Long Beach, I feel this.
Me too. It might have made it if they built the aquarium and other stuff out there.
Same here.
Long Beach must ensure this ship's future whether the city it'self or the community.
@@theminipetabyte4610 Long Beach has a long history of poor decisions and mis-managed funds, so don't count on it.
Irvine here, I feel the agony too.
She did it boys! She’s back in action again!
I spent a weekend at the Queen Mary, and I thought it was fun. However, over time, the historical aspects of the ship have been forgotten, as expected. I don't see how young people from outside the local area could be attracted to it.
Blow it up n ppl will be interested
You couldn't be more wrong...
This is the one time that Disney SHOULD have been allowed to develop a park.
The city seriously shot themselves in the foot when they rejected the park proposal.
lol
I just said this myself. More dumb decisions in California.
All environmental bs from City of Long Beach they loss millions because of their 5 ft of sea removal,... I worked at Imagineering when they were doing this project
And Disney wasn’t going to play their games . Long Beach thought they had Disney over a barrel guess not who’s in trouble now.
Sad the truth of Long Beach politics are told just what they want released.
@@mariablackwell3249 So true. California is a mess.
This could be a case for Government intervention; A full refurb and repair program would create hundreds of local jobs for the construction and engineering industries, as long as contracts were awarded on that basis. The trickle-down from that would be significant, right down to the hot-dog stand on the corner.. A mini Roosevelt's New Deal.
I went to Dark Harbor in 2019, and it was an awesome event. The haunted mazes that they set up inside the ship felt creepy in a way that mazes created from scratch rarely do, and the attractions they set up outside the ship were great as well. Really hope that the new owners (whoever they end up being) can find a way to continue this!
It seems that pushing haunted ship tours would not encourage people to stay the night in a room.
@@joeottsoulbikes415 that's not true. People travel here FOR the ghost tours.
@@stacefacemarie interesting. I think I would be adverse to sleeping in a ship someone had just told me ghost stories about. But I can see people feeling it was exciting, thrilling, fun or what ever. Thanks for making me think of the up sides.
@@joeottsoulbikes415 You're welcome. There's a LOT of history of the Queen Mary, and documented stories, so Ghost Adventures, Lore, etc add to her mystery. Here in Long Beach, we have odd stories too from the war, so she fits in.
I used to live in Long Beach and always have admired the Queen Mary and also had a chance to board her and just be amazed at everything I looked at. This is truly sad for the ship
My great grandfather was the Captain on Queen Mary and he is still alive today in the age of 130! It's quite amazing really.
fake 💀💀💀
@@ahhhhhahhaaa5053 okay, Sherlock.
130?
A very good restauration! Like to see his doctor.
The Queen Mary was one of the highlights of my 2012 trip to the US. I'd love to set foot aboard her again. It will be truly depressing if she isn't saved. There's nothing else like her left.
Thank you so much for this attention. She really needs it right now and seeing more and more people make videos on her warms my heart
I’ve lived in LA for 10 years (just moving in Dec. 2021) the special events hosted yearly on the ship and surrounding dock area were magnificent. Dark Harbor at Halloween 🎃, Queen Mary Chill during the Christmas/winter season with ice skating and ice sculptures, to their NYE event where each event room is a different Themed party and fireworks off the stern are all unmatched events. The city of Long Beach just took over control of the ship in 2021 I believe so there is hope that the glory will live on.
It would be a shame that such a gorgeous ship were lost, we must join forces to save this beloved maritime jewel PLEASE!!!
Fuck this ship
A necessary story to understanding how pivotal The Pond was. My grandfather arrived in England via the Queen Mary and the thought of her being scrapped is bewildering.
Nearly all grandfathers of that time (including mine) are already scrapped ....so...you know...
Perplexed as to why thoughts of a dry dock for the ship to get it out of the water was not considered as early as possible. As it would clear almost all routine hull maintenance.
dry docks are expensive and the wait times for docks that take something of her size are pretty long
yeah i mean it makes sense that sitting in water for 90 years isn't sustainable
@@calderhall1794 Build the dry dock around her at Long Beach? I bet they don't cost as much has been wasted on this over the years.
Ships aren't designed to live out of water... by which I mean they are best supported by water and if dry docked for long periods the hull will start to settle and become deformed. Especially once structural corrosion sets in. At which point there is no way back and ship will just end up scrapped sooner or later.
Best way to preserve a ship is afloat with regular maintenance including dry dock visits. Which is very expensive so instead ships tend to get minimal maintenance and just start rotting away.
@@x91w
It's called a "dry birth" not a dry dock, has been done with other ships (mostly warships) of historical value. Cut's down on maintenance costs for sure, maybe they'll consider it.
Just saw an article in the SFGate that a recent inspection report shows that it is now in danger of capsizing. Yikes!
I did stay there once back in the early 90s. On our first night, we stayed in one of their historic rooms but ended up switching to one of their updated rooms due to leaky faucets and lots of creaking keeping us up all night long. Also, the funniest moment was being up on the top deck and watching my mom hit the ground when they blew the horns.
When the Queen Mary arrived in Long Beach in 1967, I was a teenager.. My buddy and I went to it soon after it was opened (don't remember exactly when this was). As we were roming around the ship, for the heck of it tried to open a door that was suppose to be locked, and it opened. We ended up after a while of roaming around where we were not suppose to be, in an area of the ship that had cabins that looked like they had not been occupied for a long time even before she arrived in Long Beach. Most of the cabin doors were closed, and It did not look like a bomb went off, but close. I can only speculate that parts of the ship may have never been restored after the arrival in Long Beach. I will never forget that adventrue.
As a local who has been here once, this is quite horrific. Such a beautiful piece of history being harmed like this is just awful.
Same here
There in lies the problem. You've only been there once. It's really not that engaging beyond a single visit. Not enough tourists put it on their list.
@@billl1127 yeah if only the plans weren't ruined. Even so, this ship will probably still stand since so many locals might call for strange preservation ideas like a museum or something. The hotel may have to be gutted for this ship to survive.
This whole situation is a little misleading to people who just hear about. The city of Long Beach owns the ship. The people who filed for bankruptcy was only the company that maintains the ship, correct me if I'm wrong.
@@michaeldoesarts well hopefully LB does something...
My father returned from WW2 to America on the Queen Mary in 1946.
I have been to the Queen Mary a few times and the last time I was there was in 1993. It is a beautiful ship with an awesome history. Hopefully someone can rescue the decaying ship and make it nice again. I hope it isn't scrapped.
I used to stay there when in LA on business in the late 1980s. It was inexpensive (with free parking), elegant and was the only earthquake-proof hotel in SoCal. I spent a lot of time exploring the ship and appreciated the great art deco decor.
I toured the Queen Mary at its mooring in Long Beach. As an engineer, I was very impressed with the engine room. The horn was sounded at noon- plenty loud. A shame if it winds up being scrapped.
My father played in the band on the Queen Mary's last voyage from Southampton to Long Beach. He took lots of pictures and the first time I went on the ship I recognized virtually everything. The ship is too big to go through the Panama Canal so it had to go around Cape Horn.
At 80,000 tons, I doubt if the Queen Mary could not go through the Panama Canal. My father was stationed in the Canal for 30 months (41 to 44') &
I've been through it on a larger ship, over 100,000 tons in 2013!
Ron Gendron OK. That's what they told my father.
I stayed on the queen mary a few times and loved it. Yeah the room is super basic and the boat doesnt rock so that kills the main feature of staying on a boat. But it still was a fun novelty. I even got to go in the submarine and loved walking through it. Didn't realize its been closed for so long. Felt like just a few years ago.
I highly recommend visiting the queen mary to see the lower decks and engine room. Its surprising how much access is given, most parts aren't roped off and you can go through doors you wouldn't think would be operable by the public.
I think the main problem with accessing the queen mary is that you have to go to long beach and that is a long drive for anyone in LA or OC. Its almost just one way in, the 710 south. Miss the exit and you need to do some serious backtracking. I doubt a revitalization of the surrounding area would provide the crowds. They did that with the aquarium. While the aquarium gets good crowds, the surrounding restaurants and shops have been having trouble the last 10 years.
I was 11 when Dad chartered a fishing boat to take us out for her final miles into port 12/9/67. Biggest spectacle of my life still. The skipper served the best dang burger I've ever had as well. God Save the Queen! The Grey Ghost, her memories & Those Who Will Always Remain deserve nothing less.Thanks City of Long Beach!
I walk over the slipway where she was built most days, 10 minute walk from my house. My grandfather worked in the yard, which is long gone, but Clydebank is still proud of the great ships built here. Hopefully she can be saved and returned to her former glory.
My grandfather helped build her , he was a caulker . My grandparents lived in Yoker ( think that's how it's spelt ) in Clydebank .
Proud to be a Bankie! 🚢
Who knows? Maybe if America cannot save her , then maybe the British can summon the will , and money of course. But someone would need to rally the nation to it.
my grandfather helped build her; he was a riveter. my great uncle was an engineer on her for 3-4 years (both renfrew boys). i stay on her whenever i'm down in socal. when i first told the staff of my connection to the ship i was given vip treatment. even saw ship's mainfesto's with my great uncles name and signature. for myself it's always a great event when i stay on her but ... and perhaps it's inevitable; but the ship is absolutely in disrepair. the location is also terrible. it is not easy to get to and isolated from everything. if they had put her right downtown in long beach (entirely plausible) it definitely would have been a success. sadly with this location it will not IMO ever operate as a successful hotel. most of my family are still in and around renfrew. my father worked as an engineer on the bank for years, used to take the renfrew ferry every day. i used to ride my bike along the bank whenever i visited. never a dull moment in clydebank.
My rock band use to play on Queen Mary LB. We had the run of the ship and went below decks where people didn't go. It was kind of spooky. You could feel the vibes and spirits of long ago. Then later on, I gave a presentation to the city of Long Beach for a large entertainment project at the QM site. Lots of time and energy went into helping revitalize the area conceptually when QM was in trouble in late 80's & 90's. I have a feeling that eventually everything will be sold off the ship and it will once again become a great hotel... for the fish off Cabrillo beach.
I think it’s insane how throughout all of this time I had been visiting the vessel 2006-2016 I never was aware of any of this going on
I visited her in 2015 and stayed 2 nights. It was in good shape. It is haunted and fascinated. I hope someone save her for future generations.
If this ship is scrapped then imma rip my hair out
That will solve it! Brilliant!
The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There's zero way it gets scrapped. Maybe a museum will take over at some point.
@@alexhousakos The ship is listed... lol... nautical humor
In retrospect I should have seen it coming. And I work in the shipping industry so it kinda comes out naturally
Are you Bald ?
My Father's friend, Doug Adams RIP, was the gunner's mate aboard the Queen Mary while she was a troop transport. Her actual top speed was classified. He said it was 42 knots! She had to travel without escort because the destroyers could not keep up.
If it was classified how did he know, him being just a gunners mate? Your dad's friend was just blowing smoke up your a## . The Mary could never go anywhere near 42 knts. She sometimes traveled without escort because even at speeds of 30 kts or so it would have been extremely difficult for a sub to target her. The sub would have to be very lucky and be almost right in the path of the ship. Destroyers of that era could match any speed the Mary could do.
@@johnstudd4245 It is extremely hard for a ship of her size to go even 40 knots, you would have to fit more engines into the ship
I think your father's friend was having you on. Sailors like to do that. :)
Queen Mary achieved almost 33 kts during her sea trials but she was able to achieve average speeds of around 32 kts during long voyages so it's quite conceivable that her top speed was more than 33 kts if they really pushed it. It wouldn't have been anywhere near 40 kts though.
@@WeddingVegetables Doug certainly was a story teller. Since I posted this comment, I have watched a lot of videos about WWII era vessels. A top speed closer to 33 knots is much more likely.
@@johnstudd4245 and how do you know all this to be right mmm 🤔
When I lived in Los Angeles, in the 2000s, my friend was good friends with the owner of the gift shop. We would go there often. I knew a secret way to get in to take a tour of the bottom of the ship where they usually had the ghost tours. I swear to God, I felt like a ghost cat me in the back when I was down by the pool area. There are some great CZcams videos of ghost encounters and such on CZcams. I’m glad to hear it’s reopened again.
Super history super haunted it needs to be saved forever
OMG this is so sad to hear ☹ She was such beautiful historical ship. It's devastating to see her falling apart. Fingers crossed she is somehow saved 🙏🚢
She will be, we all just gotta keep a little hope
My grandparents sailed on the Queen Mary 3 times to Ireland back in the 50's when we lived in N.Y. city. Hope someone can save this great ship.
Her American counterpart is clinging to life as well from what I've read. SS United States is alive...for the moment.
@@thunderbird1921 My grandparents crossed on the SS United States in 1956. It needs to be saved. It still holds the Blue Riband record which was set on its maiden voyage.
Queen Mary is a special ship. I visited her in 2011. The Art Deco design is just awesome. It would be a shame to see her go.
That’s crazy! I have gone to the queen Mary many times, and my friends attended prom there a while back. Hopefully something is done that saves the iconic ocean liner I used to visit
Damn I did not know Queen Mary was in that bad of shape
Metal surrounded by salt water ... only gets better with age ...... something like fine wine ...
when i went as a kid in the 90s it was already a bit rough looking, but theres such a charm about it thats hard to describe, like you can feel the history. sadly though i dont think it has a future at this point. eventually someone will decide to just take out whatever valuable materials are left and the hull of the ship itself will probably be turned into a reef, along with the soviet submarine.
LOL have you ever been on the Queen Mary? It's decrepit
@@AuntieSocialNetwork yeah its about time for her to be gutted and put to rest. many people have tried to make it profitable again, but it just isnt. the only way left to make any sort of money out of it is salvage, selling the valuable metals and auctioning off the furnishings.
@@cwg9238 yup, the first thing they did was auctioned off most of the old expensive items, Chandeliers, and so on and put in cheap replicas. yea its the scrap heap for her. she can join our military carrier fleets. Brownsville tx.
They really need to save this ship, it really is unique in this world. Even if they have to haul it back into a drydock and replace sections of the hull, it cannot be allowed to just rot
Somehow i don't see any hope of her being saved. She's likely going to the scrapper regardless of how historically significant she is.
The question is whether she can even withstand movement to drydock. It might make more sense to build a drydock where she sits; the drydock used to originally convert her to a floating hotel no longer exists in Long Beach. She would have to be moved to San Diego, I believe.
@@nathanaeljonesmyfsd That's what i was thinking. Place props underneath the ship while it sits there in the water, drydock the area then pump out the water. Corrosion is no longer a significant issue (can be addressed much easier)
That takes a lot of money
@@leewahler3058 Hence the $300 million repair estimate.
Glad she still is around. One of the last examples of the heyday of ocean liners
I have sailed out of the carnival cruise terminal next to the QM multiple times and a few times with friends, I do know that the cruise terminal helped the QM because a lot of people stay there the night before there cruise. Whats sad is that two of the ships that were based out of Long Beach (the Carnival Inspiration which I have been on and the Carnival Imagination) were scrapped because of Covid so the QM lasted way longer than those I guess. I remember every Saturday they would have a event just around the boarding time of our cruise and I would watch people board the QM and listen to the live music coming from outside. Dang this video brings back to many from before Covid.
My dad, an American joined the Canadian army in 1939. He went to war on the Queen Mary. It was converted to a troop ship and could outrun the German subs
that is a cool story, thanks for sharing
Why would an American join the Canadian army? I thought Canada only attracted the draft dodgers.
@@danieltoth3900 Because Canada joined the war a whole 2 years before the US, some Americans were brave and eager to fight before pearl harbor. Draft dodgers came here to get away from the Vietnam War, because Canada was smart enough not to get involved in that conflict.
I visited the Queen Mary in 1973 with my Gramdma and parents, it made a life long impact on me.
Great for you
I spent the night on the Queen Mary about 6 years ago. It was a wonderful experience for my wife, son and myself. Late at night, my son and I wandered all around the ship. We had a great time exploring all on our own. I remember it very fondly. Thanks for this video.
If you want to save the RMS QM you need to get it out of the water and cover it. I have been around boats all my life, people do not realize the deleterious effect salt water has on materials. And fresh water (rain) has it's own bag of tricks as anyone who has ever owned a wooden boat will attest to. Drain the pond it is floating in, lift the vessel straight up a few feet above spring tide and back fill the pond and extend the shoreline (land reclamation) to provide a wider margin away from the shoreline (or move the vessel towards the parking lot a few yards. Now build a steel reinforced glass structure 118 ft wide x 181 ft tall x 1019 ft long, include gangways on the building for tourists to climb around on. The glass should include UV protection and the building should be fitted with dehumidification. And the vessel should be sprayed with products to slow down galvanic corrosion. The vessel will last 100+ years if you do this. All this can be achieve for a fraction of the cost of $300,000,000 (3M) the video mentioned. Good luck. P.s. the funnels will probably need to be replaced with fiberglass replicas for safety reasons, they might collapse under their own weight someday.
The funnels were replaced during her conversion in 1968 as they collapsed when being removed in order to remove most of her boilers and two of her engines.