Queen Mary - New Info?
 

I have reservations at the QM next month, paying only 85.00 a night (connected)and I am sure they will put me in a great room. I travel to LA all the time (business) and I thought this would be something quirky to do. Last few times I have stayed at the Beverly Wilshire and the Four Seasons... so I am accustomed to nice hotels. I am taking my 17 daughter along for the trip and she will have to do her own thing during the day.
Can anyone tell me anything new about the QM? Any thoughts or comments?
Thanks!

Someone has to know something...?

Not sure what you are asking--if your daughter will be left alone on the ship for more than a day I think she'll get bored. We spent an entire day touring the QM in January and it was fascinating--what a grand old ship! That said, most 17 year olds would rather hang by a Beverly Hills pool, in my opinion. The QM is pretty isolated since it's literally on a Long Beach pier. What other questions do you have?

The QM will be fun. Not super-luxurious, but a grand old Deco-style boat. It is not too far from the great Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Village, which has some nice little shops and eateries. If your daughter roller-blades, she can skate from there all the way to Belmont Shore, where there are more stores and eateries. A lot of Cal State Long Beach students hang out there. Closer to the boat, Pine Avenue has some great restaurants. However, not really much to do for a teenager. Work with the concierge at the QM to get some fun things for your daughter to do.

Long Beach is a very pleasant place to live; it's not nearly the tourist destination that LA or even Huntington Beach is. We citizens enjoy Pine Avenue, Shoreline Village (it's a bit hokey, sure, but it has some great places for dinner, drinks and views), and Belmont Shore. Tourists stay busy up in LA, but the few that come here are beginning to see the charm.

I have stayed on the Queen Mary three times. I love the experience but it is not fancy.
You stay in a restored first class cabin with one or two portholes. The cabins have some original furnishings and wood panels.
Try to get a room on the starboard side for a view of Long Beach and the harbor.
You have run of the ship after the day trippers leave and it can be romantic and a little spooky.
The first class bar in an art deco masterpiece and a fun place for drinks. Fine dining is at Churchills on the upper aft deck.

I stayed at the QM for a week ten or 15 years ago, and my room had no portholes. My company had booked me there at government contractors' rates, so maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway, when you book be sure to book a room with an outside view.

When I was there, the front desk staff were rude and unaccommodating and the room-service chicken salad was wonderful, buit I suppose those might have changed!

Thanks so much for the tips. The skating idea is great! I have an outside room confirmed, I will make sure to ask for a starboard side!
I thought I could send her to the aquarium but wondered if it was really worth it? If it is not incredible, she will be bored... we've been to some great aquariums in our travels.
Anyone know? I'll do a search for the topic, too.
Thanks again.

Whoa!! Someone grab the Snob-O-Meter before it blows!

A few comments:

anonymous: New owners at the Queen Mary. Not sure if it's independently operated or affiliated with a hotel chain (it used to be with Sofitel).

TxTravelPro: The Aquarium of the Pacific is a very fine facility. It compares well with Monterey-- although I think that those who pan the AOTP just have a pro-Northern California bias; if it were a twin of Monterey, they would still complain. Check out aquariumofpacific.org.

I would hope that you will have time to bring your daughter down to Huntington Beach. It's more set up for tourists, and I think she'll think the whole "Surf City" vibe is really cool. Then you can continue down the coast to Newport Beach-- get a shopping fix at Fashion Island, stop at the little shopping village among the hoi-polloi of Orange County.... You know. Then return to the land of us working stiffs up in Long Beach!

Snob? Whatever...
I have decided to go to the aquarium. The rest of the trip will be shopping and I think your suggestions of Huntington Beach and Newport are right on target.

Oh, one thing to remember: On the weekend, if the weather is good (and by noon it should be gorgeous), Huntington Beach will be a zoo-- parking lots fill up quick, and locals and tourists will be milling across PCH in vast mobs. I'd try to get there relatively early, park, grab lunch on the pier maybe-- just kinda hang out.

If you're desperate to hit Chanel, Versace, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Tiffany's, Gucci, Armani and Donna Karan all under one roof, you'll of course want to hit South Coast Plaza in sunny, suburban Costa Mesa (it's off the 405, so a mile or so inland). Not quite as charming as Fashion Island (and no Niemann-Marcus), but much more efficient as a "high-end shopping overdose" destination. Bring walking shoes and your most accommodating credit cards.

Thanks again, rjw! If you are ever in the DFW area (or even connecting flights) hope over to the Grapevine Mills mall at the end of the North airport exit. Yep, it's just an outlet mall... with one great difference... a superb Neiman Marcus "Last Call" outlet.
Not only is there the traditional left overs, there are designer samples that were never sold in the stores. I have found some excellent deals!
I'll have to spend some time in West Hollywood as my daughter likes to hit all the funky shops. She also drags me to Santee Alley for super cheap summer clothes a new Cheongsam and sliced mango!
Thanks for all the help!

I'm not really a "shopper", I'm more of a "buyer"-- it's a guy thing. I can only "shop" for electronic doodads, PC equipment and CDs/DVDs. But hey, that sounds kinda cool.

Funky shops? OK, you're going to Melrose. You'll have a great time!

TxTravelPro, I didn't know they had a Last Call outlet at Grapevine Mills! I generally don't like outlet malls, but I'll do Last Call anytime. Is it always open? Can't tell you the # of times I've driven past that mall and not stopped.

We had a traveling version in Tampa, but it hasn't been back now in a couple of years and I wonder if it's because they've opened this outlet? It'd only be here a couple of months each year, then gone until the next year. Are the designer samples all 2's and 4's?

Another great store in the Dallas area is the Horchow Catalog Outlet. Good stuff!! Our son got a beautiful leather chair and ottoman there, not a thing wrong with it that I could find. It used to be on Beltline in Richardson, but when we were there last it had moved out to Plano...Preston and Park? Coit and Park?

Interesting thread on the Queen Mary. Saw it while we were there, but we were staying at the Hyatt, were there for the Grand Prix and didn't have time to get over. I used to work in that area a zillion years ago, and lived in Belmont Shore, Glendora Ave. This was the late 60's...don't know if it was a cool place then...if it was, we weren't aware of it. :>

OliveOyl: Belmont Shore doesn't really strive for "cool". The whole city of Long Beach just can't achieve that rarified height of "cool". I say this living there and loving it, and it isn't mean if it's true. It's a gritty, real city with lots of fun things to do-- if you know where to look.

Belmont Shore is a CSULB student hangout because it's fun and it's close by campus. LB residents go to Belmont Shore for good shopping and good restaurants (with one truly great one, Shenandoah Cafe-- and a new possibility, Bono's). If you want "cool", you go to Blue Cafe downtown for some blues or jazz (depending on who's playing).

Don't know if it was true in the 60s, but Belmont Shore has some of the most expensive real estate in LB (THE most expensive is on Naples Island), and to own in the Shore is a true sign of Having Arrived. At least in Long Beach.

rjw_lgb_ca, We didn't "own". We were just 3 sorority sisters, recently graduated from UMass and out in the world for the first time. It was only a small apartment bldg, art deco cool (which wasn't cool then), and still there last time I was back. It was an area with a fair number of single junior officers, and single young teachers, two blocks from the beach and party every evening. What more could we have asked of the world at that point in our lives? :LOL

Naples even then was beautiful and an expensive spot. Our area was just cute little homes, all close to the beach. Great memories. (Yes, my husband today was a junior officer then).

I think I know the building! I used to live in a little apartment house (20 units on 2 floors) on Ocean (at Prospect), maybe 7 or 8 blocks west from Glendora (close to the Pool). I bought a little place in Belmont Heights-- farther from the ocean (5 blocks), but a quick walk to Christy's, my favorite Italian restaurant in California (she just opened Bono's, her homage to her late father's Palm Springs place).

Ours was even smaller than yours I think, maybe 10 or 15 units, also two floors. I'm so glad that area hasn't changed, but really was surprised to see our old bldg still standing--it was old back then!

It is a small world. I hadn't thought about Glendora Arms in years, and we were at Meteor Crater outside Flagstaff this past Thanksgiving, being given the rim tour of the crater, and the guide introduced himself and told a little about himself before asking us to do the same. You could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather when he said he'd just retired to AZ from the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. Instant memories.

Memories are hazy of it now needless to say, but I do recall another apt just a ways up from ours..and there weren't all that many in the area. Was it another art deco building?

Nope, mine was a mid-60s courtyard building. I do, however, know of a few Deco-style apt houses in the Shore (two which are virtual twins are about 5 blocks apart).

Definitely a small world. Getting smaller. Once everybody learns to get along, it'll be perfect!

Hi Olive,
Last Call seems to have a good variety. I think they get stuff everyday.
There is also a Bag and Baggage outlet at Grapevine Mills. I have bought some great Kipling and Tumi pieces there.
If I did not work at the a/p I would have a lot more money! Between GVM and Southlake Town Center I spend loads of money!
I have not been to Horchow in years... since it moved anyway. Sam Moon is pretty good if you have a chance. It's on 35E and 635 (Harry Hines) The damn place is always packed.
I can't wait to get to Long Beach.
I just love it when I get to go to California. I'm off to Montreal next week... major shopping there, too!
Cheers!

Topping for Maggi

TxTravelPro...just saw your post above! Does the Bag and Baggage usually have Tumi or is hit or miss? We really need another piece--'course it's probably the most popular size that I'm after, making it even less likely I'll find it.

Horchow is wonderful--really good bargains on high end things...I'm not familiar with Sam Moon. Please don't tell me I'm losing my shopping edge!!

Nothing new, but an annecdote of old and a true story:

I believe they now charge to enter/board the Queen Mary, however it was not always so. Originally you could board the Queen Mary at any time and without paying, and they had a disco where young people would go to dance, drink, and hang out. This was also during the "streaking" phase, or fad.

One warm summer evening a rather inebriated fellow dropped all his clothes and began running around the deck streaking, but at some point during his escapade decided to jump ship and go for a swim. Some of his friends saw him jump over the side and ran to the railing expecting to see him swimming, but never spotted him. They became concerned rather quickly, and reported the incident.

The Queen Mary was pulled into Long Beach harbor, and then deeply mounted in mud to hold it solidly in place (don't want to upset the guests). In jumping feet-first from such a great height, the inebriated young man shot straight through the relatively shallow water and became tightly lodged in the muddy bottom. Divers found him a day or so later drowned amongst the seaweed, stuck in the mud up to his chest.

Various lodgers have reported ghosts during their stay, ...so be sure to tell your teen-aged daughter to be very wary on warm summer evenings around the Queen Mary.

Hey, thanks, Tx! Not only did I get travel advice but shopping tips to boot!

Another haunting report, supposedly there's a former seaman that was killed somewhere below deck. I saw it around Halloween on some ghost show. Forgot the particulars, but I know he's supposed to haunt below deck.