Queen Mary-worth the drive?
 

We have 4 days in Beverly Hills. Is it worth driving to the Queen Mary? I have an interest in it, but was told it's far away.

I suppose it would depend on how strong your interest is in it. It's nothing spectacular for the average tourist, but some people obviously enjoy it, or it wouldn't still be open. Long Beach isn't that far from Beverly Hills if you drive at the right times of day. But get stuck in traffic and it could be hours.

There are a lot more interesting things to see in the greater Los Angeles area.

We visited many years ago when the Spruce <BR>Goose was next to it. It made it more worth the trip. We actually stayed on the Queen Mary for accomodations.We also had a personal tour that let us look into areas that were not on the regular tour. That also made it worthwhile. It is a beautiful ship with pictures on the walls of celebrities living it up in days gone by. It is a living museum.Having said the above I don't think it would be worth it to drive over there just for the tour unless you really are fascinated by old ships.The nearby shopping nearby is not very intersting either (even thogh they tout that in the brochures).Hope you have a great time in CA

If you have an interest in the ocean, about 2 years ago the Aquarium of the Pacific opened in Long Beach. That may make the trip more worthwhile, if you combine activities.

that gor me thinking..I believe the ferry to Santa Catalaina embarks at the Queen Mary..Now that would make it worthwhile.

its OK....although i wouldn't make a second trip there. the engine room was closed when we were there......so there wasn't much to do except walk on the deck and have a drink at the bar at the front of the ship....there were a couple of "display cabins" that you could view and a large interior area with a gift shop etc (i'm not familiar with ship terminology).

I'd put it in the "it's OK" category. We too visited while the Spruce Goose was there, and that made the trip worthwhile. Also, there were guided tours around the ship that made the experience entertaining for kids. But that was a few years ago -- don't know if they still do that. <BR>Should you go? I dunno. What else is on your list?

This March I plan to see the Mary one more time. The last was in 1963 for going back and forth between NYC - Calais - South Hampton - a wonderful ship and a magnificent experience. She made the trip in 5 days.

What happened to the "Spruce Goose"? Is it still in a location where the public can view it?

I think the Spruce Goose got bought and moved up to Washington State somewhere. Not sure if it's available for viewing. <BR> <BR>My cousin got married on the Queen Mary around 15 years ago. The reception was on the deck and was fun, but we kept having tourists stop and join in and drink all of the champagne. Not mush else to do on the ship but crash wedding receptions. <BR> <BR>Spend your time in LA doing something a little more exciting.

Do they offer "haunted" tours of the Queen Mary or is it the luck of the draw once you get there?

Actually, Sharon, the Mary wasn't haunted. But in the stern bar there was a juke box with a copy of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - which was of course the biggie in late 1963. But no ghosts. She was wonderful. Coming back to the US, the QM was in one enormous storm, and it took 6 days. She handled it fantastically. Her top speed was classified - she was able to out run U-Boats in WWII. Her average distance per day going over was 776 nautical miles. Thanks for this opportunity to reminisce.

I enjoyed the tour -- but you have to think about what else you'll do in L.A. during your four days. <BR> <BR>Really enjoyed the history film of the Queen Mary, including $$$ the Germans put up to anyone who could sink her, and the staggering number she hauled in WWII -- troops, war brides, etc. <BR>