DID YOU KNOW?
The Queen Mary was transformed into a troopship during World War II. She was long considered one of the grandest ocean liners in the world, known for carrying Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries across the Atlantic. In 1940 she was painted a camouflaged grey color and stripped of her luxurious amenities. Dubbed the "Grey Ghost" because of her stealth and stark color, the Queen Mary was the largest and fastest troopship to sail, capable of transporting 16,683 troops at 30 knots. The Queen Mary carried 765,429 military personnel from New York to Great Britain, a standing record for the most passengers ever transported on one vessel.
After the end of WWII, the Queen Mary began a 10-month retrofitting process, which would return the ship to her original glory. On July 21, 1947, the Queen Mary resumed regular passenger service across the Atlantic Ocean, and continued to do so for nearly two more decades. On October 31, 1967, the Queen Mary departed on her final cruise, arriving in Long Beach, California, on December 9, 1967. She has called Southern California her home ever since. The Queen Mary is now a floating hotel, attraction and event venue, home to three world-class restaurants and an icon in Southern California.
