New rooms, tours, activities: Queen Mary is royal again ... but at a huge cost
Repairs for the Queen Mary have cost the city of Long Beach more than $45 mil- lion over the last eight years, according to city records obtained by The Times, a hefty bill as the city looks to keep the historic ship on a fledgling path toward prof- itability.
Repairs have included more than $3 million for rust and hull repairs, and $3.35 million for bulkhead repairs
removing lifeboats. More repairs — both essen- tial and costly — to keep the 90-year-old ship operational are still expected, but city officials are optimistic the financial headwinds the ship has battled are easing. Last year, the Queen Mary generated more than $12.6 million in revenue, including more than $3 million in profits between June and October.
For the end of fiscal year 2024 — the first year the ship has been fully operational since it was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic — city officials expect the aging ocean liner to bring in a “modest profit” of $3.6 million.
“From an operating per- spective, the Queen Mary can now support operat- ing expenses with regular operating revenue,” city officials said in a statement. “All revenue generated is being invested directly back to the ship and vicinity.”
But the records from the city, first reported by the Long Beach Business Jour- nal, have offered a glimpse
into the significant costs that have come with the city’s effort to keep and preserve
iconic vessel.
At one time, the Queen Mary was dubbed the world’s fastest and most luxurious cruise ship. Among its celeb
rity and royal guests were the Duke and Duchess of Wind- sor, Bob Hope and Elizabeth Taylor, who paid extra for her poodle. It also transported soldiers to the European front during World War II.
After Long Beach bought the Queen Mary from the Cunard shipping com- pany in 1967, various firms were brought in to manage the vessel and develop adja-
property.
In 2021, the city took over the Queen Mary amid wor- ries that it was not being maintained. City officials at the time were aware the ocean liner was in dire need of repairs.
Since 2021, city officials said they’d completed at least 25 major projects on the ship.
Most of the $45 million that has been spent on the ship, city officials said, has come from revenue from the Queen Mary or related subleases.
Since the Queen Mary reported seeing a profit last year, city officials have touted the ship and what they say has been an economic success.
Since October, city officials say more than 118,000 people have visited the vessel, and the ship is once again becoming the center of the city’s plans.
Hotel capacity on the ship has been expanded to 200 rooms, and onboard activities have expanded to 22 guest tours, exhibits and other activities.
“The Queen Mary is thriving once again,” Steve Caloca, general manager for the contracted operator, Evolution Hospitality, said in a statement. “From new Art Deco floors and staircases in the Main Hall, to the restored Observation Bar overlooking our beautiful city of Long Beach, there is so much to do when visiting the Queen.”