I found myself aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor last night while I was waiting to shoot a roller derby match at the arena next door. As the sun had just set, there was some really cool light so I ran around the various decks of the boat and tried to get some photos. It was also interesting to wander into history for an hour or so.
When the Queen Mary first sailed in 1936, the ship was considered the greatest of its kind ever built. It is almost 300 feet longer than the Titanic and as the ship’s website says, “the elite of high society considered her the only civilized way to travel.” However, as air travel became increasingly popular and cheap, big ships like the Queen Mary went out of style.
Now, the ship is permanently docked in Long Beach Harbor and serves as a hotel, conference center, and host to about 3 different fancy restaurants. There is also a really cool bar in the bow of the ship that is straight out of the 1940’s complete with a band that plays music from that time period.
Anyway, here are the photos I got while wandering the “sport deck” (still complete with shuffleboard markings by the way…):
A couple takes a stroll along the top sport deck below the iconic smokestacks of the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach Harbor.
A janitor mops the wooden floors of the room that once served as the captain’s quarters on the bridge of the Queen Mary.
A couple pauses to kiss while taking an evening stroll along the top deck of the Queen Mary
