Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

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tango15
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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#21 Post by tango15 » Fri May 14, 2021 9:03 am

Ex-Ascot wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 6:18 am
I thought that they just did tours but see it is much more than that. The officer on the home page is not very realistic. How many senior NR officers did they have in it's heyday? Erm. [-X

https://www.queenmary.com/tours/tours-exhibits/
That is so wrong. One is reminded of the Black and White Minstrel Show. (strange they never show that on TV any more, isn't it?).

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#22 Post by Ex-Ascot » Fri May 14, 2021 9:13 am

Off topic but a friend told us that they are not at all PC in China. He has a clip of an advert for soap powder for washing machines. They put in a black guy and he comes out yellow with slitty eyes. Actually not so great they should have the result white.

His wife, who is as black as the ace of spades, thought that it was very funny.
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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#23 Post by Rossian » Fri May 14, 2021 10:21 am

Back on topic with a serious question. At what point do we stop trying to preserve everything old?
Most things (incuding ourselves) have a finite life span, so why don't we let these things crumble into dust?

The Ancient Mariner

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#24 Post by Undried Plum » Fri May 14, 2021 11:37 am

Rossian wrote:
Fri May 14, 2021 10:21 am
At what point do we stop trying to preserve everything old?
When nobody can make a profit or earn a living out of it, usually. Else, when somebody's vanity and/or pride runs out of cash.

RY Britannia in Leith docks makes a bloody fortune in normal non-Covid times. When the daily takings were exceeded by the daily maintenance costs due to Cv19 restrictions, they stopped public admissions pro tem, and will resume after the big lift-off on May 17. It's all about money - and vanity.

As a Lloyds 'name', I have no control over which individual policies are underwritten with my capital, but I greatly hope that my Marine Risk Nameco hasn't bought any risk in the matter of fire insurance for RMS Queen Mary. It's just so fukkn predictable that there will be an 'unexpected' fire on that ship.

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#25 Post by G~Man » Fri May 14, 2021 3:51 pm

om15 wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 5:56 pm
I would have thought that she had earned enough dough as a tourist attraction to pay for her upkeep.
They do, and it is also a hotel----I have stayed on it many times as I have an office within 2 minutes walk. The problem is Covid has shut it down for the last year and there is very little up keep taking place, therefore it will need major work to make sure it it safe and still habitable.
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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#26 Post by Undried Plum » Fri May 14, 2021 4:09 pm


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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#27 Post by G-CPTN » Thu Jun 03, 2021 3:40 pm

Queen Mary left to sink
Queen Mary could sink within two years if she does not undergo more than £16million in urgent repairs.

And that’s just a fraction of the work needed to restore the fading vessel to her ­former glory.

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#28 Post by Ex-Ascot » Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:46 am

You would think that some nautical minded billionaire would step in. It would be a drop in the ocean for him. ^#(^
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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#29 Post by unifoxos » Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:24 am

If I were a billionaire I don't think I'd be rushing to, in effect, prop up an ailing company unless I had a good connection with it - like a major share interest.
Sent from my tatty old Windoze PC.

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#30 Post by ian16th » Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:49 am

unifoxos wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:24 am
If I were a billionaire I don't think I'd be rushing to, in effect, prop up an ailing company unless I had a good connection with it - like a major share interest.
Plus major tax concessions.
Cynicism improves with age

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#31 Post by G~Man » Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:38 pm

The City of Long Beach has taken over and hopefully she will be preserved:

Long Beach Press Release

6/4/2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 060421
Subject:
City of Long Beach Regains Control of the Queen Mary for First Time in Over 40 Years
Prepares to enter into contract with Evolution Hospitality to maintain ship’s daily operations, and further prioritizes historic preservation
Contact:
Kevin Lee
Kevin.Lee@longbeach.gov
Chief Public Affairs Officer

Long Beach, CA – For the first time in over 40 years, the City of Long Beach will regain full control of the Queen Mary, effective today, June 4, 2021. The City is committed to preserving the historic Queen Mary, ensuring the ship is properly restored and cared for.

“For the first time in decades, Long Beach has full control of the Queen Mary. We will be fully engaged in the preservation of this historic landmark and are incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” said Mayor Robert Garcia.

This swift action comes after the sudden decision by current lessee, Urban Commons Queensway LLC, to surrender its existing leases and file a motion to formally reject the leases through the bankruptcy process. The current lessee was in default of several provisions of the leases, including failure to maintain the ship caused in part by decades of deferred maintenance by former operators of the ship.

To protect the safety and stability of the Queen Mary, on Tuesday June 8, 2021, Long Beach City Council will consider the immediate authorization of $500,000 in Tidelands Critical Infrastructure funds to begin testing and design work for the most critical repairs recommended in recent inspections, including bulkhead repairs, lifeboat removal, and the installation of an emergency generator, temporary bilge pumps, and water intrusion warning systems. City staff are actively identifying additional funding options, to be presented to Council at a later date, to cover these immediate repairs, which are currently estimated to cost a minimum of $5 million. As part of the transaction, the City will also regain control of the surrounding properties which includes over 40 acres of parks, cruise terminals and parking lots. This will provide a historic opportunity for the City and its partners to reactivate and refresh these areas for public use, special events, and filming opportunities which provide important revenue-generating activities to support the Queen Mary.

“I am excited about this once in a generation opportunity to set the course for future preservation and development of our City’s icon,” said Councilwoman Cindy Allen. “This is a chance to enhance our stewardship of the Queen Mary and I look forward to working with my colleagues to lead the upcoming discussions. We know this is a big undertaking, and we are committed to doing right by our community who hold the Queen Mary dear in their hearts.”

While costly investments for the ship’s capital repairs have not been made through the City’s General Fund but rather through private operators of the ship, invested funding from revenues generated on site has nearly doubled over the past 15 years. Approximately $23.3 million was invested in the last five years, compared to approximately $12.3 million in the ten-year period before.

The ship will remain closed to the public while critical repairs are completed, as it is faster and more cost efficient to complete this work when there are no visitors present. The City Council plans to hold a study session to discuss additional options and strategies for preserving the Queen Mary.

Additionally, the City is prepared to immediately enter into a $2 million contract with Evolution Hospitality, a third-party hospitality management company with experience managing boutique hotels and resorts. Over the past 11 years, Evolution Hospitality has served as a third-party contract operator and has a proven ability to manage the unique day-to-day operations of the Queen Mary Hotel and surrounding property. The City’s proposed contract with Evolution Hospitality will extend for a period of six months with the option to renew for an additional sixth-month period if necessary. As part of that caretaker agreement with Evolution Hospitality, the City will retain Historic Resources Advisor John Thomas, who has served in this role aboard the Queen Mary for nearly a decade, so that the historic treasures aboard the Queen Mary continue to be protected. To ensure continuous safety and security of the Queen Mary and surrounding properties, City Council action to enter into contract with Evolution Hospitality is anticipated at the next City Council Meeting on June 8, 2021.

The City last had day-to-day control of the Queen Mary in 1978 and, prior to leasing to private companies over the last few decades, the Port of Long Beach held ownership until 1993. At the request of the City Council, the Port of Long Beach is currently conducting a study of resuming ownership of the Queen Mary and surrounding properties. The Port expects to return to the City Council with a report later this summer.

The Queen Mary has been a landmark of the Long Beach shoreline since it first arrived in September 1967 and has greeted over 50 million visitors from around the world. When open and operating, the Queen Mary is a critical economic generator for the City. According to an extensive economic impact study published in May 2020, the ship provided over 1,300 jobs, produced nearly $94 million in economic output, and generated $3.3 million in tax revenue annually to pay for important citywide public services.
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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#32 Post by G-CPTN » Sat Jun 05, 2021 4:29 pm

Possibly good news.

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Re: Fears over future of historic liner RMS Queen Mary

#33 Post by FD2 » Sat Jun 05, 2021 7:20 pm

Thanks G-Man fingers crossed.

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