Hotel reviews: Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, California – Part 3

“This is W6RO on the Queen Mary calling CQ, CQ, CQ.” For 15 years, every Thursday morning, I would adjust my ham radio frequency, rotate the antenna south, and listen for that call. That was the day that my parents took turns being guest operators in the radio room on the Queen Mary. Sadly, they’re both deceased now, but I still admire my QSL (postcard) from the Queen Mary verifying our contacts. The radio room was recently re-named The Nate Brightman Room for the ham radio operator who thought up the idea of having a permanent radio room aboard the QM during its final voyage from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:off ice:smarttags” />Southampton, England to Long Beach in 1967. During the six week trip which went around Cape Horn, the volunteer ham radio operators took over 3000 messages by wireless radio.

Visiting the radio room is just one of the many fascinating places on this floating museum. The Queen Mary is an elegant hotel in the Long Beach harbor. Convenient free shuttles take visitors back and forth to the center of Long Beach. Guests should remember that the elegance of the Queen Mary is that of an earlier age not the uniform faux-riche of hotel chains today. Each cabin is unique and while the carved wood banisters and room appointments may have a few scars, you need only close your eyes to imagine ladies in rustling taffeta putting away their dresses for the long ocean journey.

Construction on the Queen Mary, originally known only as “Yard Number 534″ was begun in December of 1930 by John Brown & Company Shipbuilding and Engineering Shipyard in Clydeback, Scotland. The ship was to be one of Cunard’s two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York. Construction was halted during The Great Depression but Cunard applied to the British Government for a loan to complete “534.” The loan was given on the condition that Cunard merge with their rival, White Star Line. Both agreed and the Queen Mary was finished and launched in 1934. Completion took over 3 years and cost 3 and million pounds sterling. During World War II, the QM was used for troop transport but after the war she and her running mate, RMS Queen Elizabeth resumed their Atlantic passenger voyages and continued them for two decades.

Originally Cunard had planned on naming the ship “Victoria,” but when company representatives asked and received permission from King George V to name the ship after “Britain’s greatest queen,”