UPDATE Wednesday, June 1, 12:39pm | The Queen Mary celebrated the 75th anniversary of her maiden voyage with hundreds of well-wishers Friday night.
Queen Mary spokeswoman Rebecca Chappell said that guests at the celebration traveled from as far as the United Kingdom just to attend the event.
Revelers in period costume, former crew members from the ship’s heyday, past travelers and a group of World War II squadron members who reunited aboard the Queen Mary for the first time since she carried them across the North Atlantic during her service days as the Grey Ghost were among those in attendance, she said.
A General Manager’s Champagne Reception and Commemorative Ceremony honoring the Queen Mary’s storied past kicked off the festivities.
During the ceremony, proclamations issued by the California Senate and Assembly, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Long Beach City Council, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal were presented. Additionally, congratulatory letters were received from the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and the Cunard and Steamship historical societies.
Chappell said the merriment continued Friday night with a Captain’s Dinner inspired by original menu items from the ship’s inaugural cruise in 1936, themed entertainment and a fireworks display.
The weekend also marked the debut of the all-new 75th Anniversary Tour and paranormal Spirit Box Tour — both of which will run through the rest of the year — as well as an art installation featuring 25 winning submissions from the ship’s recent “75 Years of Queen Mary Memories” contest. The installation spotlights short stories written by people whose lives were touched by the ship in some way and will remain on permanent display as part of the ship’s historic exhibit.
For more information, visit QueenMary.com or call 800-437-2934.
May 26, 12:15pm | This Friday, the Queen Mary will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its May 27, 1936, maiden transatlantic voyage.
The weekend-long festivities are set to be “filled with pomp and ceremony,” according to the ship’s website, and will include “distinguished guests, Big Band music, war stories, historic tours and culinary creations.”
Friday will feature a sold-out General Manager’s Reception and Commemorative Celebration followed by a Captain’s Dinner Buffet that begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the dinner are $39.95, and reservations can be made by calling 877-342-0738.
Lectures will be given on Friday and Saturday, with topics and speakers to include Bruce Vancil with “Art Deco and the Liners,” Chris Butler and the Blue Riband speed record attempt during the maiden voyage and Bill Keene with NORMANDIE, the French Rival. The lectures are from 1 to 2 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Jim Ziegler and the Swingsations will provide entertainment in the Observation Bar from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday night, and the Jennifer Keith Quintet is set to perform Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Additional entertainment will be available in the Starboard Lounge, where a themed piano bar will be open on Thursday and Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Friday night’s festivities will culminate with a 10 p.m fireworks display.
According to the ship’s website, the Queen Mary’s storied history goes something like this:
Commissioned by the Cunard Steamship Company and built on the banks of the River Clyde in Scotland, the Queen Mary’s maiden transatlantic voyage took place May 27, 1936, from Southampton, England, to New York City. Considered the grandest ship ever built, bigger even than the Titanic, she shuttled the elite of high society across the Atlantic for more than three decades. From celebrities like Fred Astaire to dignitaries such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Winston Churchill, she carried some of the world’s most renowned personalities and political leaders.
She was also drafted into service and outfitted as a troopship at the start of the World War II in 1939. Deemed the Grey Ghost due to her new camouflaged grey exterior, she joined the Allied Forces and played a crucial role in their success. She set war records by sailing a total of 569,429 miles and transporting 765,429 military personnel including wounded soldiers, war brides and children. When the war ended, she was restored to her former glory and continued passenger service until retiring to her current home in Long Beach in 1967
Click here to obtain additional information on the anniversary celebration.