November 7, 2023
In September of 1967, Mal and his family took The Queen Mary across the Atlantic from New York City to Southampton, England, on one of the iconic ship’s final voyages. Soon after, it was retired from service and entered into its new life as a hotel in Long Beach, California. Fifty six years after he last stepped on board, Mal went for a visit, along with our daughter-in-law, Kylie. This is Mal on board back then (in bow tie).
And this is Mal on board now.
At an overall length of 310.7 meters and a weight of 81,237 tons, The Queen Mary held 2,140 passengers and 1,100 crew. That might seem big but it doesn’t compare to today’s largest cruise ships. The Wonder of the Seas, for example, is 362 meters long, weighs 236,857 tons and holds up to 6,988 passengers. Here is the actual Queen Mary.
And here is the lego version, which just happens to be the world’s longest lego model of a ship. At 25’11” long, it is made of approximately 250,000 bricks.
We walked the decks
And the beautiful wood paneled halls.
We visited the Bridge
And the Captain’s cabin which was tucked in behind the Bridge. Not his main cabin, which we expect would be much fancier. This is the one he used in potentially dangerous seas where his leadership might be urgently needed.
We played a little shuffleboard
Spoke on the phone.
Checked out the bar
And, finally, the engine room.
Special thanks to Kylie for indulging Mal on his trip down memory lane.
Mal and Lauren 