The Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Have Royal Family Reunion in Long Beach

The Queen Mary got a royal visit from her “niece” today when the Queen Elizabeth pulled into an adjacent dock, marking the first time a modern Cunard liner has docked and disembarked passengers in Long Beach harbor.

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The Queen Elizabeth, in the midst of a global cruise, docked on a foggy morning within sight of the Queen Mary, which is permanently moored in the harbor. The original Queen Elizabeth was the Queen Mary’s sister ship. The two ships made more than 2,000 trans-Atlantic crossings when they were both in service for Cunard.

“It’s a dream come true to have a Cunard ‘queen’ docked here with the Queen Mary,” Queen Mary Commodore Everette Hoard told the Long Beach Press- Telegram.

To mark the occasion, admission to the Queen Mary was free all day. The Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to leave the harbor at about 6 p.m., with an accompanying fireworks show launched aboard the Queen Mary.

Officials said prior visits by Cunard vessels were restricted to the vessels floating nearby, not docking.

As part of the day’s events, Queen Mary officials dedicated a Ship Model Gallery on the Promenade Deck, marking the beginning of an effort to create a “world-class maritime museum and learning center” aboard the ship.

The gallery includes models of ships including Titanic, Lusitania, Britannia, Oregon, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2.

• City News Service