Queen Mary hotel in Long Beach

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Hi, returning from years of cruise hiatus, and contemplating a West Coast cruise this fall.  The hotel I'm almost settled on is the Queen Mary hotel, which is right next to Port of Long Beach.  One of my passions, also biggest weaknesses, is history.  So Queen Mary is just the ticket.  Rooms are $150 a night tops, no shuttle is needed to get to the pier, food isn't obscenely overpriced like at most hotel restaurants, and oh, the views!  If I so desire, I'll even ride a bus or Uber it to a nearby In-N-Out Burger, which don't exist in my area.  Plus, I'll get to stay on a historic ship overnight, then board a modern ship next morning.  How cool is that!

 

Anyway, what are everyone's experiences with the Queen Mary hotel?  Rooms?  Public areas?  Restaurants and bars?  Historic photo opportunities?  General safety?  Also share the location of the nearest In-N-Out Burger, if you know it; it's on my food bucket list.

 

Tell all.

Edited June 22, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01
adding a request.

[Heidi13]

Didn't stay on board, but visited for the Sunday Brunch and toured the ship. Cabins are generally small and basic by today's standards. Ship is a classic liner with excellent finishing. We enjoyed an excellent meal with good service.

 

If your are a history buff and cruising with Carnival, go for it.

[katstoy]

Can’t tell you about the Queen Mary but when you go to In-N-Out order a double double animal style and fries extra extra well done. You won’t regret it!

[LandlockedCruiser01]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

Didn't stay on board, but visited for the Sunday Brunch and toured the ship. Cabins are generally small and basic by today's standards. Ship is a classic liner with excellent finishing. We enjoyed an excellent meal with good service.

I'll be cruising solo, and I'm a dude to boot, so space is a last priority for me.  Well, I draw the line at staying in a capsule hotel (like the ones in Tokyo), but still.  I'll be spending much of the time putzing around the ship and looking at the skyline, anyway. But it's good to remember, so I'm not surprised at the cabin size.  Do the cabins have TV and wifi?

 

1 hour ago, katstoy said:

Can’t tell you about the Queen Mary but when you go to In-N-Out order a double double animal style and fries extra extra well done. You won’t regret it!

That's what I'm planning to order.  Animal style fries, too. ☺️  And if I can't get to an In-N-Out, I'm getting a meal delivered.  It gotta be as good as Guy's Burgers on the ship.  (Which I've yet to try; the ships I sailed had the regular burgers at the time.)

[hallux]

Google Maps has a great search feature, this is specific for hamburger places near the Queen Mary - 

https://www.google.com/maps/search/Restaurants/@33.7579884,-118.208348,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m11!2m10!3m6!1sRestaurants!2sThe+Queen+Mary,+1126+Queens+Hwy,+Long+Beach,+CA+90802!3s0x80dd30d89c406b95:0x55db333697f8fe34!4m2!1d-118.1903235!2d33.7526356!5m1!6sgcid:hamburger_restaurant!6e5

 

Page 2 has the first of the chain you're looking for...

[princeton123211]

Hotel has has some nice updates over the past few years to bring its rooms in line with a nice 4 star hotel (it wasnt always that way-- was a bit rough for a few years not too long ago). Well worth booking a suite or at very least a former first class stateroom-- the converted rooms that don't have the wood paneling are a little bit drab. 

[Husky61]

The closest in-n-out is about a 15 minute drive from the Queen Mary.  It is on Spring street in Long Beach.😃

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

You need to stay onboard you won't be disappointed.  We have stayed twice and where just there in January for a cocktail before going out to Catalina for the weekend.  She reeks of history.  The food is good to very good depending on where you eat.  But the main object is the history and it's all over.  Safety isn't an issue as she's pretty isolated.  Downside is she is pretty isolated.  There's really nothing around so you're fairly stuck onboard.  You can walk across the parking lot to the cruise ship check in.  

[LandlockedCruiser01]

7 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

You need to stay onboard you won't be disappointed.  We have stayed twice and where just there in January for a cocktail before going out to Catalina for the weekend.  She reeks of history.  The food is good to very good depending on where you eat.  But the main object is the history and it's all over.  Safety isn't an issue as she's pretty isolated.  Downside is she is pretty isolated.  There's really nothing around so you're fairly stuck onboard.  You can walk across the parking lot to the cruise ship check in.  

I think I remember reading about a shuttle bus that runs from Port of Long Beach to downtown Long Beach; it might even be free.  So if I feel inclined to putz around Long Beach, I'll use that bus.  If not, I'll mostly likely Uber it; something tells me the walk between these two locations isn't pedestrian-friendly.

 

I'll probably pack some beef jerky and potato chips from home, in case the restaurants on Queen Mary aren't open late.

[Keys2Heaven]

23 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Hi, returning from years of cruise hiatus, and contemplating a West Coast cruise this fall.  The hotel I'm almost settled on is the Queen Mary hotel, which is right next to Port of Long Beach.  One of my passions, also biggest weaknesses, is history.  So Queen Mary is just the ticket.  Rooms are $150 a night tops, no shuttle is needed to get to the pier, food isn't obscenely overpriced like at most hotel restaurants, and oh, the views!  If I so desire, I'll even ride a bus or Uber it to a nearby In-N-Out Burger, which don't exist in my area.  Plus, I'll get to stay on a historic ship overnight, then board a modern ship next morning.  How cool is that!

 

Anyway, what are everyone's experiences with the Queen Mary hotel?  Rooms?  Public areas?  Restaurants and bars?  Historic photo opportunities?  General safety?  Also share the location of the nearest In-N-Out Burger, if you know it; it's on my food bucket list.

 

Tell all.

 

 

Hi. My wife and stayed on QM the day before our Hawaii cruise this past April. We booked a deluxe king harbor view and were extremely pleased with the room. My wife said she had one of the best night sleeps that she could remember in that cabin. We did use a noise generator to drown out any noise from adjacent cabins and it worked for us.

 

The cabin was in fairly decent shape, but it is not new. Still a lot of "history" if you know what I mean. If you go in with that expectation you won't be disappointed, but some folks on Trip Advisor expected a lot more.

 

The only negative for us was the observation bar. Really wanted to enjoy this place, but overpriced, horrible drinks, and slow service turned us off. Oh, the coffee shop was good and prices in line with Starbucks, which they serve. Didn't eat at any restaurants, but someone who cruised with us did and said it was horrible and overpriced. You'd be better off to venture over to Shoreline Village and grab a bite over there. Plenty to choose from.

 

For a one-night stay pre-cruise, definitely worth it.

 

 

[VentureMan_2000]

You can take a water taxi ( $5 ) across the water to Shoreline Village.  There are a few places to eat there:

https://ridelbt.com/aqualink/#1549564644500-cfc5fdab-1aea

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Is it even possible to walk from Queen Mary to downtown Long Beach?  The area is probably not pedestrian-friendly, I get that.  But is it legal and safe, at least?

[hallux]

5 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Is it even possible to walk from Queen Mary to downtown Long Beach?  The area is probably not pedestrian-friendly, I get that.  But is it legal and safe, at least?

For what it's worth, Google Maps will give you walking directions from the QM to the Aquarium (the first place you get to when you cross that bridge), if it'll give you to the Aquarium you should be good to go for anywhere on that side.  "Safe"?  I can't say...

[Keys2Heaven]

12 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Is it even possible to walk from Queen Mary to downtown Long Beach?  The area is probably not pedestrian-friendly, I get that.  But is it legal and safe, at least?

 

Yes, you can walk to Shoreline Village and that's a safe area (at least it seemed safe to us). But, if I remember right, there is a shuttle that runs from the QM to shoreline village every so often.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Keys2Heaven

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

"Downtown Long Beach"? I don't think I would walk there from the QM.  Legal and possible, yes.  Good idea, no.  

[naxer]

On 6/23/2019 at 11:56 PM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Is it even possible to walk from Queen Mary to downtown Long Beach?  The area is probably not pedestrian-friendly, I get that.  But is it legal and safe, at least?

 

As others have said, possible? yes.  Not recommended though.  With a free shuttle bus, there's no need to be walking alongside a road like that.  Last time there, taxis that were available popped us back and forth for $5 off meter.  

Edited June 25, 2019 by naxer
grammar

[cfralc]

There's nothing better than waking up on the Queen Mary, going out on deck with your coffee and seeing the cruise ship you will board in a few hours!  Very exciting! 

[princeton123211]

29 minutes ago, cfralc said:

There's nothing better than waking up on the Queen Mary, going out on deck with your coffee and seeing the cruise ship you will board in a few hours!  Very exciting! 

I would say, though, that the better view is once you're on the cruise ship looking back at Queen Mary!

[Husky61]

42 minutes ago, cfralc said:

There's nothing better than waking up on the Queen Mary, going out on deck with your coffee and seeing the cruise ship you will board in a few hours!  Very exciting! 

I cn think of many things better than waking up on the Queen Mary, like the Husky football team crushing the Ducks.😀

[cfralc]

wow...I enjoyed staying on the Queen Mary the night before our cruise.  That's all I was trying to say.  

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Thanks for the friendly replies so far, everyone.  I'm proud to announce that I made my initial deposit!  So I'll be staying at the Queen Mary for sure now.  Keep the friendly tips coming.  I started a roll call too.

 

Oh, and the free shuttle bus?  It's called the "Passport", and it runs every 20 minutes from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM.  Not a bad way to have a pre-cruise night on the town.  Just keep your usual wits about you, obviously.

Here's the link: https://ridelbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PASSSPORT.pdf (Adobe Reader required)

Edited June 26, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[tutuwahineLV]

Hi Landlocked,We stayed on the QM in March, after our cruise. Two words, LOVED It!  quaint, qwerky, quiet,  worked perfectly for us.  Loved the history.  The rooms were beautiful.  True a bit shabby and wear-worn, but look how old the Grand Dame is.   Cabin did have tv and wifi. we had no issues with either.  No AC, but open those portholes and the breeze is wonderful.   Would I do it again?  in a heartbeat.  so nice to experience something that is not cookie cutter, sterile box.   

Be sure to walk to the end of the hallway and try to see the other end..... will freak you out.  They just don't build em like this anymore. 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

16 hours ago, tutuwahineLV said:

No AC, but open those portholes and the breeze is wonderful.   Would I do it again?  in a heartbeat.  so nice to experience something that is not cookie cutter, sterile box.   

Be sure to walk to the end of the hallway and try to see the other end..... will freak you out.  They just don't build em like this anymore. 

Wow, no AC.  I get that an old ship like Queen Mary can't be retrofitted with AC, but was it possible to sleep without it.  What was the local weather like?  It's nice to know that you can get fresh air; even the best HVAC systems don't hold a candle to it.

 

What's there to be freaked out about?  Are the hallways haunted?  (I'm not a big believer of paranormal.)  Or is it something about how they look, like a long never-ending tunnel, or something?

[tutuwahineLV]

Slept well,  there is the original 'system' that brings the air in.  Hard to describe. could be adjusted from warm to cool, so it circulated the air a little better than just having the port holes opened.  Kept the room quite comfortable, for us anyway.  

 

As for the hallways, it's something about how they look.   you'll notice a difference from the hallways on the modern ships, as its curved, and they are longer uninterrupted hallways than on the 'new' ships.  If you stand at one end, and look towards the other.......you can't see the other end, unless you're down near floor level.   Also hard to describe, just something you have to experience.  from mid ship, you can see both ends  just fine.  

 

There is also an evening 'ghost walk' tour that you might want to do.  Covers the ship from top to bottom, stem to stern, and goes places that the general public doesn't usually get to see.  I found it very interesting.  The guide was very knowledgeable, and entertaining. 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

1 hour ago, tutuwahineLV said:

There is also an evening 'ghost walk' tour that you might want to do.  Covers the ship from top to bottom, stem to stern, and goes places that the general public doesn't usually get to see.  I found it very interesting.  The guide was very knowledgeable, and entertaining. 

I think I want to do the tour.  Is it free (or discounted) for hotel guests, and if not, how much is it?