Renovations

Staterooms (ongoing) - Replaced carpet, new curtains, bed duvet, bed skirt, new pillows, replaced lamps, painted the ceilings, and replaced wallpaper in bathrooms. See pictures of Staterooms today.

Lifeboat restoration (ongoing): current project, full restoration of 7 of 22 lifeboats to date.

Chelsea Chowder House & Bar (2010) - Complete renovation of the dining room including removal of carpet, changing of fixtures and creation of a bar in the restaurant. See pictures of Chelsea Chowder House today.

Wedding Chapel (2010) - Original second class smoking-room, complete renovation undertaken. See pictures of The Wedding Chapel today.

Stacks aboard THE QUEEN MARY (2009) - Formerly the Shell Castle, this retail outlet was converted to a Queen Mary signature store. Replaced carpet, painted, repaired wall paneling, revamped lighting, added original furniture and fixtures as part of display, new signage and added merchandise.

Queen's Salon (2010) - New carpet, replaced curtains, refurbished front door at port side, restored the brass frames on windows at entrance.

Grand & Windsor Salons (2009) - Removal of wall between Grand and Windsor Salons to expand the square footage. The room can be two distinct rooms or one large room. New carpeting, paint, draperies, lighting fixtures updated with energy efficient bulbs.

Promenade Café (2010) - Complete renovation: replaced carpet, wallpaper and window treatments, painted ceiling, added built-in heated buffet station, new chairs, added grab and go bakery/coffee shop. New dishware, plating presentation, menu, uniforms, menu boards, new packaging and fresh baked goods, wider coffee selection and healthier lifestyle products.

Sir Winston's Restaurant & Lounge (2009) - Removed paint from the original windows in Sir Winston's lounge to reveal the magnificent view of downtown Long Beach for the first time since the ship arrived. Painted entry, outside wall and ceiling, new carpet, window treatment, new chairs, table settings, silverware, glassware, candles, napkins, menu items updated to reflect sustainability and farm-to-table ingredients, wine and cocktail lists updated.

Hotel entrance (2010): A complete update to the wharf entrance, including exterior painting complementing the Cunard colors, new furniture and lighting.

Internet Wi-fi (2009) - Access points throughout the ship.

Water line (2008): Ship had to be listed in order to paint the waterline Promenade Deck (2008) - Interior teak deck completely refinished.

Main Hall (1998) - flooring Art Gallery 2000 - R Deck (was a portion of the third class dining room, was a meeting room and then converted to the present art gallery).

THE QUEEN MARY's three smokestacks were repainted to their unique "Cunard Red" color. A new contractor and paint were employed to extend the longevity of the color.

It was no small task to build the scaffolding around the smokestacks with the painters in harnesses sitting on suspended swings. Actual measure of the three stacks is: forward, 70.5 feet, sloping back to the middle stack at 67.5 feet, and the aft smokestack is 62.25 feet.

Before painting, the surface of the stacks was abraded to promote adhesion, and then two coats of paint were applied by brush and roller. For QUEEN MARY passenger safety, the contractor applied the paint with rollers rather than the usual spraying method. The project was completed in December.

The "Cunard Red" color has an interesting history. In the 1830s, Robert Napier, a British shipping engineer who improved and developed the steamships that would become the first of the Cunard line, was faced with a dilemma. The heat in the smokestacks reached such high temperatures that conventional paints of the day would bubble and peel off. The painters developed a clever solution. A mixture of bright ochre and buttermilk was applied. With the heat of the smokestacks, the paint mixture literally "cooked" onto the stacks and stayed put. The resulting orange/red color, accented with a broad black band at the top of each stack and black lines on the flanges, was to become Napier's trademark and, later, the identifying mark of all Cunard liners. The tradition remained, even though paint manufacturers had discovered a way to delete the buttermilk from the formula long before THE QUEEN MARY was launched!

One of the first restoration projects after a hiatus was the restoration of the teak deck. Following a year of testing possible methods for the work, the project began on the port side of Sun Deck in October of 1995.

A special crew of company engineers removed the teak planks (which average 2" in thickness) from the deck, and the usable pieces were split in half, sized and prepared for re-use. Complete restoration of the port side of the Sun Deck took a little over 1 1/2 years.

Work then commenced on the Sports Deck in June 1997, and this entire area was finished in a year. The 20,125 square feet of teak deck restored to date has a price tag of $898,000.00!

Then work began on the starboard side of Sun Deck. Beginning first at the aft of the ship, engineers completed the stern of the Sun Deck, which included the stairway and the area adjacent to the Verandah Grill.

Formally the first class restaurant & nightclub, converted into a fast food restaurant and then returned use as a banquet space.

By far, the Verandah is the most dramatic of our restoration projects. When THE QUEEN MARY was retrofitted by the City of Long Beach in 1967, the former Starlight Nightclub AKA Verandah Grill was turned into a fast food hamburger and hot dog outlet to better serve the expected tourists. Today the Hollywood Deli is a fast-food restaurant serving guests, and the Verandah has returned to the elegant ambiance of the 1930s and 1940s.

Because Sir Winston's, the signature restaurant, is immediately above the Verandah Grill, the Verandah Grill is now a venue for catered events.While major work has been completed, more is needed.

The beautiful balustrade was replicated out of wood by THE QUEEN MARY's own carpenters so that the original etched glass pieces could be reinstalled. The original metal balustrade has never been restored, and we are looking for the original plans in order to replicate the balustrade in metal.