Titanic's Welded Hull

Nostalgia is the big thing at the moment. Everything old is new again. Old actors are making a comeback, old TV shows that got axed decades ago are making a comeback, old fashion is coming back, bands that broke up decades ago are reforming. Queen Mary definitely fits into the category of Nostalgia, and I found this article earlier that might interest you......

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/30/local/me-queen-mary30

The general concensus is that it could be done. And I don't see why it's not worth atleast trying, the ship is just sitting there doing nothing after all....I for one would take sailing on the Queen Mary over any of the newer cruise ships any day.

Michael....I'm used to losing bets.
 
>>The general concensus is that it could be done.<<

Lot's of things could be done, but just because it's a technical possibility doesn't mean it's especially realistic or even worthwhile. Long Beach has had the ship for over 40 years and has managed to lose money more often on her then not. Nobody is going to pony up the $1.5billion proposed in the article you linked to just for a one off voyage, and there are a lot of reasons, both legal and practical why they wouldn't try it for more then one.

Bottom line: It ain't gonna happen.
 
Michael:

If I were a billionaire, I would be the first to invest in it, because as you say it is running at a loss doing what it's doing, but a Queen Mary that is infact up and running, especially in time for the Titanic centenary, would make some major profits. Especially at the moment with the whole nostalgia-fest thing happening.

Still, believe it or not, I agree with you....not gunna happen. Unfortunately.
 
>>but a Queen Mary that is infact up and running, especially in time for the Titanic centenary, would make some major profits.<<

Queen Mary 2 anybody?

Already up and running, in very good condition, not requiring any refurbishment, no stability issues bordering on the near suicidal, and already bought and paid for.

What's questionable is whether or not Cunard would be interested in sending the ship out there to the wreck site for the occasion of the centenery.
 
But that defeats the purpose of nostalgia. The Titanic is old. So is the original Queen Mary. The QM2 is not. That's like taking an Ipod to a vinyl record convention. You would get a LOT of interest out of the QM making that voyage and would make a LOT of money out of it.

As for Cunard....you'd probably be wasting your time asking them at all, you'd have to ask Carnival since they run the show these days....
 
>>As for Cunard....you'd probably be wasting your time asking them at all, you'd have to ask Carnival since they run the show these days....<<

So ask. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and if the market is there, they just might be inclined to do something about it.

Assuming that somebody was inclined to do something with the original Queen Mary, the time to set things in motion would have to have been something like five years ago.

They needed to have a plan in place at about that time and they didn't. (Still don't!)

They needed the funding to make it happen. (They don't have it.)

They needed to have long lead procurement of the needed componants for hull/structural repair and to rebuild the propulsion plant accomplished about 18 months ago. (They didn't)

They needed to have the ship in drydock right now. (They don't)

Nostalgia's interesting but it doesn't get a ship in the water in all respects ready for sea if they try to do something at the last second.
 
Well it's fair to say that the idea of sailing the Queen Mary again is a lot more feasible and likely to happen than a Titanic II being built. It just might be worthwhile putting the idea forward to Cunard/Carnival, although i'd imagine someone has already done so.....

Stupid question time: Does Cunard/Carnival still even own Queen Mary? If not, who does?
 
>>Stupid question time: Does Cunard/Carnival still even own Queen Mary? If not, who does?<<

The City of Long Beach. The people who actually run it are hired by the city to do so and hold a lease to the ship.
 
Will do Michael. Apparently there isn't a direct e-mail address to them on their website....it's like replying to a post on here, you have to enter your message and put your reply e-mail there. Strange.
 
If Cunard has a problem here, since the vessel actually belongs to the City of Long Beach, perhaps your efforts could be utilized elsewhere. I happen to know of a very nice, much more seaworthy liner just waiting for rescue. She is in Philadelphia, and reputedly has a structurally sound hull. She could go to sea for around 500 million or less, and could run circles around the Queen Mary, At least the Queen Mary has a life, the SSUS does not.
 
Steven:

That's fine (what is this ship btw?) but it's not about how fast they can go or how luxurious they are or even how much they cost, for the Titanic centenary, it's all about history, and getting as close to that as possible.

If only the Olympic was still around.... ;-)

No reply from Cunard yet.
 
>>That's fine (what is this ship btw?) <<

That would be the S.S. United States, and I'm afraid she's a long way away from being seaworthy, being an essentially gutted hull. About the only thing I can say in her favour is that the propulsion plant hasn't been cut out so there won't be any serious stability issues to deal with.
 
Perhaps I should re-phrase that. I was suggesting that The SSUS was in a condition that she could be made to operate again as a ship. It would be scary to even put a hawser on the QM, and think you were going to tow her anywhere. At least you could transport the SSUS somewhere to refurbish her. Even the Olympics, although decades older, had a better reputation for seaworthiness. Does anyone know if a picture of the QM doing her famous roll (2 or 3 degrees from capsizing) exists. that event would have put the Wilhelm Gustloff incident in 2nd place as the worst disaster. I heard that the bridge wing was almost in the water. I have stood in that spot more than once and daydreamed about that. It is a long way down.
 

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