THE QMI BLOG

June 2024
 
We’re halfway through the 2024 year and it’s full steam ahead for the Long Beach Queen Mary!

QMI Restore the Queen has built a stronger partnership with the City of Long beach, the ships owners and Evolution Hospitality, the official care takers of the Queen Mary. It’s an all hands on deck effort!

Great News! The City of Long Beach recently shared a comprehensive update about the ship, including its increasingly positive financial forecast, expanded operations and attractions, upcoming preservation, and refurbishment projects, and plans for future development. The ship welcomed visitors back on board in December of 2022. Since October 2023, over 118,000 guests have come onboard and they continue to oversee the completion of more than 25 major projects and other improvements, with many more underway.

The Queen Mary is thriving once again, and Evolution Hospitality’s goal is to create an experience that we can all experience only at the Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary’s financial outlook for the 2024 fiscal year is optimistic, with an anticipated end of year earnings of approximately $3.6 million from hotel, attractions, and special events activities and approximately $4 million generated from the Carnival Dome and associated parking garage revenues. This forecast takes into consideration continued expenses that support the phased reopening and expansion of the ship, and projects even stronger earnings in the subsequent years ahead.

Approximately $45 million was utilized for reopening costs to ensure the ship’s structural safety and integrity, onboard preservation and restoration projects, and guest amenities and attractions.

Upcoming Preservation, Refurbishment and Expansion Projects:

The city continues to identify projects that address the ship’s preservation, refurbishment, maintenance, and expansion. Several projects planned for 2024 include:

• Hotel room renovations and repairs
• Elevator upgrades
• HVAC controls
• Repair/repainting of the third smokestack.
• Sun Deck expansion
• Return & renovation of the “Ghosts and Legends” tour.
• Collaboration with nonprofit partners to identify and fund historic restorations projects.
• Return of live music, special events and music festivals at the Queen Mary Park
• Review of a possible temporary waterfront amphitheater
• Installation of automated parking improvements
• Demolishment and paving of the vacant English village and other unused structures on the site.

 
Earlier 2023 completed projects:

• Installation of boilers, heat exchangers, new piping
• A new bilge pump system
• Mechanical equipment for support and an emergency generator was completed.
• Upgrades to the ship’s main boarding entrance
  Onboard restroom repairs
• Flooring replacements
• Ceiling paint and tile repairs

 
QMI Restore the Queen, with donor support has raised the funds for our first onboard restoration project. Exciting details will be shared with you first and we genuinely appreciate your patience. All donations collected have been held in trust for the Queen Mary projects and all our administrative expenses are 100% board funded.  Every donor dollar raised is allocated directly to the Queen Mary’s preservation!

With a donation of $ 25.00 or more to QMI, you will receive a limited-edition lapel pin to proudly wear showing your donor support and belief in preserving the RMS Queen Mary.

QMI will host a special event onboard honoring the 90th Anniversary of the original launching of the RMS Queen Mary in September of 1934. Details will be shared in the months to come. Save the dates for the weekend of September 26-28th, 2024 and be sure to check out the Queen Mary’s website for many upcoming events.

As a donor and supporter of the Queen Mary’s restoration or original areas of the ship and preservation of her history, you will receive emails on events, fundraising goals, project status and more! We appreciate your support, and hope we can count on it, again.

Feel free to email us with any questions, suggestions, or anything “Queen Mary” you’d like to share!
 
Thank you,
 
Mary Rohrer
Executive Director
 
www.Qmi.Care
 
 

Notice anything different?

April 1st, no kidding; the first tours of the ship resumed. We were on the first of these and are excited to share with you some of the improvements we saw onboard. The Long Beach Mayor was in attendance, reaffirming the city's commitment to the ship. 

After a countdown lead by commodore Everette Hoard, the ship's horn sounded, announcing the reopening of the ship.
We boarded, scanned our QR codes & assembled in the staging zones for the Glory Days Historical Tour.

Some early visitors to the Queen Mary may recall a classic car on the forward decks, this wasn't just any classic car. When she first opened as a hotel, museum, and tourist attraction in Long Beach, the British National Motor Museum loaned the city Her Majesty Queen Mary's Damiler double six.

The following are the key points discussed by representatives at the luncheon: ​

After 2+ years of being closed to the public, the city has reopened the Queen Mary to limited tours. They graciously invited QMI board members, Kate Vescera and Brendan Ryan to join a tour. Commodore Everett took a small group around the promenade deck (the rest of the ship is still closed for renovations and filming). 

Overall the ship looked to be better cared for than we'd seen her in a while, the lighting was improved, everything looked like it had been treated to a deep clean.