Dear Friend —

Yesterday, in one of my final acts as mayor, I had the honor of helping reopen the Queen Mary to the public. Since it closed due to the start of the pandemic, our goal has been to not only preserve and restore the ship and its history but also assure our community that it will be well maintained so that visitors from around the world can continue to enjoy it for generations.

In the past months, we have addressed the most critical repairs securing the ship’s structural stability, maintaining safety and preserving its history. Our work is not over though, and we will continue to identify and enact other needed repairs and preservation projects over the course of this next year and well into the future.

This first phase of reopening commenced this week and provides opportunities for the public to tour some of the most historic areas of the vessel, witness the repairs we have worked so hard to make and enjoy the rich history of the ship by learning from our distinguished Commodore. The limited tours were fully booked by the end of the first day of announcing the opportunity — a strong testament to just how much people care about the Queen.

Efforts are well underway to get the hotel, restaurants, bars and shops onboard ready to reopen in early 2023, and I look forward to returning to the ship next year when these great elements are back open for business.

Lastly, we were also excited to announce the launch of a first-ever annual membership program for the Queen Mary. For $150 annually, members will be allowed admission onboard the ship, as well as other perks.

You can find out more about this great new program and what it goes to support by visiting LBheritage.org/queen-mary. 

Lastly, I want to thank our City team for all they have done to get the Queen Mary back open for people to enjoy, and the Long Beach Heritage Foundation, Evolution Hospitality and the Queen Mary Heritage Foundation for their partnership in developing and taking on our incredible new membership program.

The future is bright for the RMS Queen Mary, and I look forward to supporting this iconic Long Beach landmark for years to come.

Thank you and Go Long Beach,

Mayor Robert Garcia