On Monday morning, Cunard cruise line’s Queen Mary 2 will reunite with the Queen Mary for the first time in 20 years. The ships will share a special whistle salute at 7 a.m. before the Queen Mary 2 continues on to dock in the Port of Los Angeles.
Named after the Queen Mary and boasting one of the Queen Mary’s original whistles, Queen Mary 2 is the world’s only ocean liner still sailing. It set off on its maiden voyage in January 2004 and is known for year-round transatlantic crossings.
Queen Mary 2 is currently on a world voyage, a 108-night cruise visiting over 30 ports of call, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore and Cape Town. It has been 17 years since Queen Mary 2 last stopped in Southern California.
“[Queen Mary 2] rarely comes to the West Coast, and so obviously we saw this as an opportunity to build this into their itinerary and have them come by and do a salute to the past. That’s what’s neat about this event, is it’s a blending of new and old,” Dylan Matteson, director of experiences at the Queen Mary, said.
The brief reunion between the Queen Mary and Queen Mary 2 is a celebration for both ships. For the Queen Mary, it kicks off a celebration of the ship’s 90th anniversary since its maiden voyage in 1936. Queen Mary 2 is celebrating its first voyage through the Panama Canal.
The reunion “reflects our past, present and future, reminding us of Cunard’s distinct connection to maritime history and the generations brought together by our timeless elegance, enriching experiences and one-of-a-kind journeys around the world,” Cunard President Katie McAlister wrote in an email to the Long Beach Post.
The public is invited to watch this “royal rendezvous” on an early-morning harbor cruise. With narration by a Queen Mary ship officer, guests will be able to learn more about the evolution of ocean liners from The Queen Mary to Queen Mary 2 while observing both ships from the water. Tickets are $53 and can be purchased on The Queen Mary’s website.