Our 5-Night Stay Aboard the World’s Most Haunted Ship—The Queen Mary — Part 1

A Look Back At One of Our Top 10 Most Memorable Family Vacations

Part 1

by Kim Hansen, Co-Founder and Artist, JK Hansen Studios

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Planning Our Annual Family Summer Vacation

As parents to a teenage son and daughter, my husband and I were challenged with planning our annual summer family vacation the four of us would ALL enjoy.  One thing our family had in common was the love of the ocean. We were on a tight budget. So flying was out. Our destination would need to be within a few hours’ drive. At the time, we were living in Arizona. The closest ocean to us within the U.S. was in California. Our family had already vacationed at Disneyland. So I crossed that off the list.  I wanted to find a rental right on the water. After searching several rental options, I quickly narrowed the choices down and set my focus on southern California.

Meet the Hansen’s!

John, Kim, Destiny, Lance–and Riley, our adopted, toothless, rescue dog

The Queen Mary — Hotel

After searching the internet for waterfront vacation rentals, I was surprised to learn the Queen Mary ocean liner was actually a hotel permanently docked on the waters in Long Beach, California.  The ship offered 347 original first-class staterooms and suites at reasonable rates with a glimpse into what transatlantic travel was like during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

I became intrigued and read up on the history of the ship.  I learned the Queen Mary has long been regarded as the world’s most haunted ship and declared by Time Magazine as one of “America’s Top 10 Most Haunted.” Something stirred inside me. I have always been drawn to history and supernatural events. Some might refer to me as a ‘Sensitive.’ This was the perfect combination.  I had to find out more.

Bob Hope Performing on the Queen Mary in 1939. Photo on right–Queen Elizabeth

During peacetime, the luxury ocean liner had 2.2 million passengers, including British Royalty, dignitaries and Hollywood celebrities like Bob Hope, Mae West, and Judy Garland. During World War II the Queen Mary was retrofitted to serve as a troop ship and was dubbed the “Grey Ghost.” It carried 810,000 military personnel from 1939-1946.  When the war was over, the Queen Mary was retrofitted back to a luxury ocean liner. Due to the popularity of air travel, the old world luxury ocean liner was becoming obsolete. In 1967, the Queen Mary was officially retired and has been docked since in Long Beach, California as a full-service hotel, historical landmark, and entertainment venue.

Convincing the Family

I called a family meeting and presented the idea of spending our summer vacation aboard the Queen Mary. Given the history and the idea of staying on board the world’s most haunted ship—and right on the water—it didn’t take much convincing. I booked us a 6 day/5 night stay in one of the ship’s family staterooms with a harbor view. We were all looking forward to this family vacation and couldn’t wait to hit the road!

Let the Adventure Begin!

After an 8 hour road trip, we finally reached our destination.

We checked in at the front desk then made our way down the long hallway to our room.

The moment I stepped inside our room the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I have always been a ‘Sensitive’ when it comes to the paranormal. I felt as if I was an intruder being watched.  Looking around the stateroom it was as if I was transported back into time. The main bedroom had beautiful authentic polished wood paneling, original 1930’s artwork, two operable portholes, a luxury king size bed with pillow top mattress, a gorgeous wooden built-in wardrobe, two chairs, end tables, and flat screen TV. In the wide hallway adjoining the two rooms was a couch where my son would sleep, which led to another bedroom with a single bed for my daughter, and then the bathroom.

The portholes were a hit with the kids! There were seagulls flying around right outside the open portholes. I was surprised one didn’t land on the ledge.

Let’s Go Shopping!

After unpacking we went shopping, took a stroll around the main level of the ship, the bridge, and upper deck–then grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Promenade Cafe.

The shops were beautiful and the shelves were stocked with elegant gifts, souvenirs, and books written about the history of the Queen Mary.

Stacks shop was the cutest! Greeting its customers were two life-sized teddy bears—one dressed as the Captain, the other as a bell boy.

Lunch at Queen Mary’s Promenade Café
It’s the only full-service restaurant open for breakfast and lunch

Original Captain’s Quarters. The room was sealed off, but guests and tourists could view it through the glass windows.

After familiarizing ourselves with the main part of the ship and Captain’s bridge we headed to the upper deck.

Wedding ceremonies are performed aboard the Queen Mary, among other spectacular events.

The kids had fun exploring the Sun Deck!  My daughter found the shuffleboard area, while my son cut loose on what looked to be an old dance floor. We later learned it was where the original First Class Gymnasium was once located. The original floor was laid with black and white marbleized squares of Korkoid creating a checker-board design—perfect to break some moves!

Sir Winston’s Restaurant & Lounge—5-star dining with seaside views.

Destiny and Lance under the life boats.

Red British Phone Booths! Remember payphones?  My kids don’t. Lol.

John and I relaxing on the Sun Deck of the Queen Mary. These chairs are the original deck chairs made from teak wood.

Fun Fact: The Art Deco design on the Queen Mary was enhanced by the use of 56 different types of woods from all over the world, which earned the Queen Mary the nickname “Ship of Woods.” Six of those woods are now extinct.

Time for Dinner

It was our first night aboard the ship, but we wanted to see what the surrounding area had to offer. We started driving and ended up across the harbor at Shoreline Village.

Boardwalk at Shoreline Village

Shoreline Village is a popular waterfront boardwalk with quirky shops, restaurants, and whale watching excursions styled after a Cape Cod fishing village. We parked our car and set off on foot.

We had worked up an appetite after exploring the village and we were ready for dinner.  It was a beautiful evening. So we wanted to find a place to eat near the water that served seafood. Parkers’ Lighthouse was the perfect choice for dinner. We were seated on the main floor in their waterfront patio. The restaurant was known for its mesquite grilled fresh seafood and spectacular views which included a full view of the Queen Mary.

With full tummies, we made our way to the car and drove back to the ship. It was nearing twilight when we arrived. The ship and surrounding area took on a different ambiance at night with all the colorful glowing lights. As we pulled into the Queen Mary’s parking lot we noticed another little village adjacent to us. We walked over to take a look. The entrance was marked with a large overhead sign that read “Queen Mary Seawalk.”

The village looked like a quaint European town. It was eerily quiet. The streets were empty—the stores all locked up. It looked and felt like a ghost town. We were curious so did a little research. Since 1967, when the Queen Mary was permanently docked, the city of Long Beach has brought in several firms, including Walt Disney Co., to manage the ship and develop its adjacent property (Seawalk Village.) Disney came up with an elaborate plan that would have covered a much larger area but opted out in 1991 to focus on building an addition to Disneyland–Disney California Adventure.

After the sunset, we returned to the ship. We were excited—because tonight the Queen Mary was offering its overnight guests a self-guided ghost tour—which meant we were free to explore the deepest, darkest, most haunted innards of the Queen Mary.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our stay aboard the world’s most haunted ship — the Queen Mary.

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Queen Mary books and gifts: JK Hansen Studios Amazon Shop