The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim
The Queen Mary from the Long Beach Harbor. Photo Courtesy: Advanced Photography Student
October 20, 2022
After carrying passengers from 1947 to her retirement in 1967, the Queen Mary was sold to Long Beach. Her last operators, Urban Commons Queensway, left her in turmoil after neglecting necessary repairs and being sued for fraud after stealing $2.4 million from a COVID-19 relief loan in November, 2021.
Now, the ship is in dire need of costly renovations that have left the City of Long Beach with multiple imperfect options. Ideally, the city would transfer the Queen Mary to the Port of Long Beach so they could pay for it. But, if they don’t want her either, the city could maintain it for the next 25 years for $150-$175 million or conserve it for the next 100 years for $200-$500 million. Ultimately, if these options are deemed too expensive, the city may have to sink the ship at a cost of $105-$190 million.
According to the Long Beach Post, political officials are heavily divided on the issue as some believe the Queen Mary is not worth spending money on due to its lack of revenue and high repair costs, while others have developed a strong sentimental connection to the ship and would hate to see it go.
“I think we should invest and spend the money,” says QUEST senior Jazmin Fabia, “[otherwise] it’s like oh we can’t see the Queen Mary.”
Citizens can, “call or write the mayor and see if they can influence it,” says Dr. Rudman, Millikan teacher of AP Government, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Research, “start writing letters to the editor [and] to local publications, or even hold a rally to try and raise public awareness.”
Photo Courtesy: Advanced Photography Student
This debate coincides directly with the upcoming mayoral election for Long Beach on November 8, 2022, with the new mayor, either Suzie Price or Rex Richardson, having a large influence on the decision.
All in all, the Queen Mary has been the core of Long Beach for the past 55 years and will undoubtedly strike intense grief or relief in the hearts of people in our community when a decision is made.
Emma Crocker • Oct 26, 2022 at 8:51 am
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled, “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim.” The article describes the current crisis surrounding the Queen Mary’s condition and the debate on whether to sink the ship or pay for renovations. Before reading this article, I had a small amount of knowledge of the status of the Queen Mary. I knew about the poor condition it is currently in after finding out about its closing. However, I was unaware of the costly debate occurring between those in support of renovating the ship and those who deem it too expensive. I found it surprising that it would cost up to 175 million dollars to only conserve the ship for the next 25 years. After seeing that this debate coincides with the mayoral election in Long Beach, I wonder about the opinions of each candidate on the matter. After being a staple to the city for 55 years, what will be the reaction to the big change if political officials do decide to sink the ship? I relate to the sentiment of the ship expressed in the article by those who believe in paying for renovations as it is an iconic monument that I have grown up with. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article and believe it did a good job of laying both sides of the argument out in an informative manner.
Katherine Williams • Oct 25, 2022 at 12:50 pm
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “The Queen Mary Sink or Swim”. I’m interested in the debate between maintaining the ship or getting rid of it, and I was curious about the specifics in each argument. The article mentions the cost of maintaining versus sinking the Queen Mary, and the sentimental value it holds to some. On the topic of prices between each option, where does the money come from? Is there something more important the city (if they decide to take possession of it)
could finance? Should this specifically be a priority? While the economic aspect of this argument is extremely important, I was wondering about the environmental impacts of sinking the ship. How does this affect local wildlife? What are the long term effects of dumping it in the ocean? If we do decide to finance the Queen Mary, what are the pros if no revenue is being made? Can it serve a purpose in the near future or is it simply a relic of our past? I’d be interested to further investigate the topic so I can voice my opinion to our local authorities, so thank you for introducing me to the subject.
Natalia Ramos • Oct 21, 2022 at 2:02 pm
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim.” The article covers some of the history of the Queen Mary and the decision that citizens and leaders of Long Beach are having to make about the importance of having the Queen Mary and whether she is worth spending revenue on to keep around. As a person who was born and raised in Long Beach and has been a lifelong student of the Long Beach Unified School District, it is interesting to learn about the different opinions concerning the importance of the Queen Mary, being that I see her as a staple in the community. Prior to reading the article, I had no idea about the condition her last operators left her in which resulted in the Port of Long Beach being left with extremely costly repairs that are needed to preserve her integrity and keep her around. The article demonstrates that differing opinions on the subject can be discussed with citizens of the community, pointing out that the Queen Mary has been in Long Beach for 55 years, which suggests that no matter what your opinion on the subject may be, everyone will notice if she is removed. The article also provides a basis of understanding views that oppose those that want to keep her around, explaining that she does not make enough revenue to sustain herself. Issues about the appearance of the city are ones that all citizens should be aware of, so thank you for introducing me to this topic and making the article readily available to those concerned with what is happening in Long Beach.
Steve Ke • Oct 21, 2022 at 2:02 pm
On October 20, 2022, the article, “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim,” by Shane Texeira was published in the Millikan Corydon. I found the article really interesting and very informational. As a Long Beach citizen, I have had many fond experiences with the Queen Mary and believe it has become a special cultural icon for the community. Especially during festivals, I had a great time being on the ship and learning about its legends. Previously, I knew that the RMS Queen Mary had been deteriorating in the harbor for quite some time and had to be closed in 2020 due to the Covid Pandemic. Before I read the article, I didn’t know that Queen Mary was at the center of politics and debate in the 2022 mayoral election. Even though the ship is expensive to maintain, it is a historic ship that has been with us for many generations. I think that it would be a good long term investment for the city of Long Beach to keep on preserving the ship because it is a very popular tourist destination for the people visiting the city. What would the economical and social impact of the ship sinking have on the community? Thanks for sharing this insightful article.
Matthew Temple • Oct 21, 2022 at 1:56 pm
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim”. In the article it says that to conserve the ship for the next 100 years, it costs anywhere from $200 to $500 million dollars. To sink the ship, however, it would also cost $105 to $190 million. For such similar prices, I wonder why the people of Long Beach wouldn’t try to raise money to save the Queen Mary. Is there a fundraiser to donate money to for helping the ships cause? Because of the fact that the last owners mistreated the ship so badly, I feel like the Queen Mary definitely deserves better treatment . I was also surprised when you said that the Queen Mary doesn’t make much revenue. Being a hotel and a venue for the Christmas ice festival Chill, I would have thought that it made enough revenue to sustain itself. Many people would pay money to see that the Queen Mary stays in Long Beach. The Queen Mary has been a significant historical symbol of Long Beach for the past 55 years and I hope that the people and the city decide to raise money and preserve the ship. Thank you for raising awareness to this cause.
Tressa Schneider • Oct 21, 2022 at 1:52 pm
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “Queen Mary: Sink or Swim”. The article explains the current situation that is the Queen Mary needing costly repairs. This has resulted in a division of opinions on what the best solution is to do with the ship. This was a new topic to me, and I wasn’t aware of the ongoing debate about the Queen Mary, however, the article clearly explained the issue along with various options on what the city can do with the ship. The student opinions on the issue also gave me valuable insight on the issue. The article mentioned that this debate is going on as we approach the next mayoral election for Long Beach, with the two candidates being Suzie Price or Rex Richardson. I was wondering if either of the candidates have made their opinion public on what they think the best thing to do with the Queen Mary is, as this may be a factor that voters consider. I personally can see both sides on what to do with the ship, as part of me wants the city to pay the costs to keep the ship since it has become a recognizable and iconic attraction for Long Beach, but I also understand that this would be very costly, and there might be more important or urgent uses for the money.
Angelique Rios • Oct 21, 2022 at 12:01 pm
On October 20 of 2022, Shane Texeira wrote the article “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim.” The article mentions that the city would transfer the Queen Mary to the Port of Long Beach so they could pay for it. This part of the article is a little confusing. How would they move this ship? I would assume it’s too delicate a move considering that it’s almost 90 years old. Another question that I had about this part is, wouldn’t Long Beach still pay for the Queen Mary? The Port of Long Beach is still in Long Beach so wouldn’t it mean we would still have to pay for it or is it paid by the state or another income. Whatever the case is, I hope they find a solution to solve this problem. The Queen Mary is important to Long Beach because like you said, it’s been around for the past 55 years so why should they take it away now. I understand that this project will cost a lot of money but I think it would be worth the trouble. Not only is the Queen Mary just a ship but it’s a huge tourist attraction.This ship has the ability to bring in a lot of revenue from tourists and locals, that I’m sure it would quickly pay Long Beach back from these expenses. Its museum, hotel, and a place where you can have nice meals but the main attraction is, it’s a place known for paranormal activity which has brought paranormal investigators from all over the world to investigate the famous hauntings of the Queen Mary. In the end I hope that both politicians, Suzie Price or Rex Richardson make the great choice to keep the Queen Mary Swimming for years to come.
Justin Kawamoto • Oct 21, 2022 at 11:51 am
On October 20, 2022, Shane Texeria wrote the article ¨The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim¨. This article talks about the Queen Mary requiring repairs but due to accusations of fraud in the company Urban Commons Queensway, it’s leaving the city without $2.4 million dollars and the city without repair. This now leads into the argument of whether or not the huge vessel is worth investing in or demolishing to save the city money and how the mayoral election could affect the result. Personally I believe that investing in the ship is crucial to maintaining the scenery and history of Long Beach as a whole. While the $200-$500 million to conserve the ship for the next one hundred years is a steep price, I personally believe it is worth the hefty price entirely. The iconic Queen Mary and her silhouette on the horizon is something amazing to see whenever you pass by the grand ship. She really does tie the whole scenery of the beachy city together. Even when I go out to eat, there are many restaurants that lie next to the water where customers can eat a nice meal and take in the view of the historic ship. That is precisely why the removal of the ship can only cause grief as this is a huge part of Long Beach’s history over the years. I really do thank you for taking time to create this story and putting it out there for people to realize what a huge part of history could be gone very soon.
Maya Ng • Oct 21, 2022 at 10:10 am
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “Queen Mary: Sink or Swim”. The article informs that the Queen Mary is in desperate need for renovations and repairs that are pretty expensive. Some options stated in the article are for the city to transfer the ship to the Port of Long Beach and they would pay for the costs, or the city itself could maintain the ship where the costs range in the hundred millions. However, if the City of Long Beach is unable to pay for them, they will unfortunately have to sink the ship. I am very surprised because I never heard anything about the Queen Mary in risk of destruction, especially since I live near the area and have passed by the ship ever since I was born. This topic is a very divided issue among those who think the ship should stay or that it’s not worth the money. I personally think that we need to spend the money to keep the ship since it’s a deeply valued historical artifact that is treasured by many people. The Queen Mary has always been a significant aspect that I have associated with Long Beach. Thank you for sharing this and hopefully Queen Mary can be saved.
Jayden Icasiano • Oct 21, 2022 at 9:58 am
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim.” The article mentions that the Queen Mary is in danger of getting sunk for good after being a historical landmark in Long Beach. From my understanding, the Queen Mary is in danger of being destroyed because her last owners neglected her and were caught for fraud during the Covid pandemic. With this being said, is there any way we civilians could raise money to repair the historic ship? Is there any way we could start a petition to show the City our support for the boat? All around Long Beach murals, paintings, and the general public all know about the Queen Mary, so is there any way we could save her? When thinking of the Queen Mary, I think of the historical history of the ship and its historical ties to the city, so I would hate to see her go.
Smiley • Oct 20, 2022 at 5:48 pm
Personally I get rid of it, it’s been one big headache from the get go. Between the Queen Mary and the spruce goose, I would have kept the spruce goose. Another thing if our mayor now have not done anything about it do you really think that theses two candidates will? I have no faith in either of them as on Saturday they couldn’t answer questions as they would go around them. I believe they are like this mayor and only going for political reasons to help them advance we need someone that is not a lifer politician like everyone that’s in the office right now wasting money.
Charl • Oct 20, 2022 at 2:48 pm
She definitely should be saved! Iconic symbols should not be simply discarded because of financial mismanagement, the financial part should just have stricter oversight!
Paul Babcock • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:58 pm
I say sink it. Why not sell for scrap for a $1.00. Could also sell the interior of the ship and its fittings separately and then scrap. It is time to end this. The City has mismanaged this ship for many decades and has not provided proper management and over site of the operators and the operations.
Olivia Lopez • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:44 pm
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled “The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim”. This article mentions the different costs associated with either continuing to repair the Queen Mary for the next several years or letting it sink into the Ocean. Additionally, the article also mentions how the Queen Mary first came into disrepair when necessary upkeep was neglected by the last operators of the Queen Mary. I really appreciated this being mentioned as it was something I was unaware of and allowed me to better understand the situation. I feel this is especially important to mention as it can be easy to assume the ship simply came to be this way because of age, and this fact adds necessary context to the situation. Moreover this article also mentions how the City of Long Beach may transfer the Queen Mary to the Port of Long Beach, in order to be relieved of the responsibility of continuing to repair it. Again I feel this was a wonderful inclusion of information as it once again offered more context to the situation as whole. Including the aspect of mayor elections and how that could affect what occurs with the ship was also a good aspect to include that I feel showed a broader image overall of how the Queen Mary could affect and be affected by outside sources. This was simply a wonderful article overall, though I do wish the environmental impacts of letting the ship sink had been included, and provided a wealth of information concerning the current situation of the Queen Mary.
Gisell Giron • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:44 pm
October 20, 2022
Dear Corydon Editor,
On October 20, 2022, Shane Texiera wrote an article titled, “The Queen Mary : Sink or Swim”. This article mentions the potential idea of preserving the Queen Mary or sinking the iconic ship completely. I agree with the article when it states that there would be grievances in the occasion of Queen Mary’s sinking. The options the city has announced seem to have left the involved officials in a stalemate. The potential plans to deal with the Queen Mary the article has mentioned has left me with a few questions, and concerns. What would the sinking of the Queen Mary entail? How does this affect the environment? How will the port of Long Beach pay for the ship’s repairs if transported there? For many years the Queen Mary has been used as a visual representation of Long Beach. Politicians are using the Queen Mary as a bargaining chip rather than taking a look at what the Queen Mary represents to all inhabitants of Long Beach. The inclusion of a Long Beach teachers statement demonstrates the city-wide love for this vessel. The sinking of the Queen Mary wasn’t brought to my attention and I would like to thank you for making the community aware of this issue. Giving the community options to exercise their voice to help save the Queen Mary is also greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Gisell Giron, Grade 11
Michele • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:36 pm
WE MUST KEEP THE QUEEN MARY FOREVER AND FOREVER IN LONG BEACH❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Emily Temblador • Oct 20, 2022 at 11:57 am
On October 20, Shane Texeira wrote an article titled ¨The Queen Mary: Sink or Swim¨. In this article it mentions the controversial decision on whether or not to restore the Queen Mary. This has been a discussion I’ve heard being talked about since 2020. During the pandemic, news went around that they were likely going to close down the Queen Mary permanently. As the article mentions, the price to restore the ship is in the range of millions of dollars. But, to properly destroy and dispose of the ship, it also is in the money range of a million dollars. Although many public officials and others believe that restoring the Queen Mary is a waste of money, they have to keep in mind the historical significance that this ship holds. The ship has been a significant piece in historical events such as World War II, where it was being used as a troopship, and being known to be the fastest and biggest one during that time. Not only was it known to be used as a warship, but when it retired in Long Beach, it served as a hotel, attraction, and a venue. If you ask anyone raised in Long Beach if they have ever seen the Queen Mary or gone inside it, most of the time, they likely have. The Queen Mary has become not only a significant historical piece overall, but especially for Long Beach. Thanks to this article, it hopefully makes more people be informed about this decision, so we can preserve the Queen Mary for the years to come.