A Plan To Put Queen Mary Back Into Service But It Seems Too Good To Be True

[Jerry Nuovo]

An organization has a plan to buy the Queen Mary from the City of Long Beach,California and put her back in to service.Here is their website http://www.thequeensproject.org In my honest opinion this all seems to be pie-in-the-sky.Because there are many hurdles for this organization to overcome before their idea actually happens.Such as back in 1967 when Cunard sold the Queen Mary to the City of Long Beach there was a clause in the contract that prohibits the City of Long Beach from sailing the Queen Mary back out to sea with fare paying passengers.The website says that after buying the Queen Mary,she would be towed to a shipyard in San Francisco where renovations to make her seaworthy would be done and that it would cost about $1.5 Billion to do the renovations and that the renovations would take about 48 months to complete.The organization is even asking for donations.Are they kidding me? I would not even donate a penny for this charade and for $1.5 Billion why not build a new full size identical replica of the Queen Mary? And then there are the trademarks on the name Queen Mary which are probably owned by Cunard/Carnival Corp.Any comments on this proposal which is really a charade anyway? Regards,Jerry

 

[Joe Russo]

how creepy is the ship's tour with that animated British guy?
Is this an April fools joke?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Honestly, I wouldn't go anywhere near this. While it may be possible from an engineering/mechanical standpoint to completely strip down and refurbish the ship so that she's capable of moving under her own power, it's hardly a practical or cost-effective proposition.

 

[Dave Gittins]

The strange sound you hear in the distance is my cats laughing, in concert with Michael's.

Still, it would be cool to see Queen Mary doing 45 knots, escorted by flights of flying pigs.

 

[James Carey]

If there weren't crazy ideas and people to go with them, we would have much less to talk about.

 

[Jerry Nuovo]

Joe Russo wrote "how creepy is the ship's tour with that animated British guy? Maybe that animated British guy is one of the ghosts that haunt the Queen Mary. LOL Regards,Jerry

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Actually, while my cat's are laughing, the more level headed one of the bunch (Catherine The Great) is suggesting that perhaps somebody should ring up the bunko squad.

I don't care how nice that website looks, the whole thing just smells!

 

[John Clifford]

quote:

...the more level headed (cat) of the bunch (Catherine The Great) is suggesting that perhaps somebody should ring up the bunko squad.

Not to mention having the 'men in the white suits' pay a visit on anyone who is serious about contributing money to this proposed scheme.

Right now the ship is top-heavy, of any group would have to invest 'serious money' to get the ship stabilized, lest it tip over, and ensure a likely 'Express ticket to Alang'.

Put this idea on the shelf with the plans to build a replica of the Titanic, as well as the Titanic Casino in Las Vegas.

For me, I'll wait to attend the launch of a U.S. Navy vessel named 'Michael Standart'.

 

[Dave Gittins]

Michael was honored in advance by the Russian tsar, whose yacht was called Standart. They knew he'd be a great guy!

 

[Dave Gittins]

You can see Standart here.

http://www.maritimequest.com/yatchs/standart/

Alas, Standart is also a brand of vodka. As the Americans say, go figure!

 

[Jason Schleisman]

One word:

"wuhld"

 

[Michael H. Standart]

One of the things I didn't see mentioned on the website was weather or not Long Beach was interested in even selling the ship.

These entreaupenaurs said they would buy the ship after raising the money, but unless I see that "For Sale" sign hanging off the bow, I don't think these people would have any standing to just go into city hall and say "Here's the money, now give us the ship."

>>Alas, Standart is also a brand of vodka.<<

Cool. Give me the hooch. You can keep the yacht!

 

[Cody Gentry]

I think it's an interesting matter.
Rather laughable, but still interesting.
Personally, I have mixed feelings.
I would not want the RMS Queen Mary to be
dismantled, but other other hand, it would be
magnificent to see her in her original glory.
Perhaps no answer is the right answer.

 

[Stephen Brooke]

This seems that it could be a money making scam....be aware..quite apart from messy legalities, extensive rebuilding to even make her seaworthy- plus further work to make her SOLAS compliant, all of which are possible but highly unlikely especially in the current economic climate... there are rumours of this possibly being a Nigerian based scam. Id love to be proved wrong though..

 

[Russell Friesen]

Here's the article from the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_12233662

The article says that the group wanting to buy her is a "Las Vegas entertainment company". Personally, I'll believe it when I see it, especially the 45-knot speed, and there are so many other problems with this scheme that I think it will die on paper. Also, while Vegas might have the money to pull off something like this, I can't see this venture being profitable for them, and Las Vegas entertainment companies aren't in business to lose money.

Russell