New rooms, tours, activities: Queen Mary is royal again, Long Beach says. But at a whopping cost

LOS ANGELES -- Repairs for the Queen Mary have cost the city of Long Beach more than $45 million over the last eight years, according to city records obtained by The Times, a hefty bill as the city looks to keep the historic ship on a fledgling path toward profitability.

Repairs have included more than $3 million for rust and hull repairs, and $3.35 million for bulkhead repairs and removing lifeboats.

More repairs — both essential and costly — to keep the 90-year-old ship operational are still expected, but city officials are optimistic the financial headwinds the ship has battled are easing. Last year, the Queen Mary generated more than $12.6 million in revenue, including more than $3 million in profits between June and October.

For the end of fiscal year 2024 — the first year the ship has been fully operational since it was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic — city officials expect the aging ocean liner to bring in a "modest profit" of $3.6 million.

"From an operating perspective, the Queen Mary can now support operating expenses with regular operating revenue," city officials said in a statement. "All revenue generated is being invested directly back to the ship and vicinity."

But the records from the city, first reported by the Long Beach Business Journal, have offered a glimpse into the significant costs that have come with the city's effort to keep and preserve the iconic vessel.

At one time, the Queen Mary was dubbed the world's fastest and most luxurious cruise ship. Among its celebrity and royal guests were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Bob Hope and Elizabeth Taylor, who paid extra for her poodle. It also transported soldiers to the European front during World War II.

After Long Beach bought the Queen Mary from the Cunard Line shipping company in 1967, various firms were brought in to manage the vessel and develop adjacent property.

In 2021, the city took over the Queen Mary amid worries that it was not being maintained. City officials at the time were aware the ocean liner was in dire need of repairs.

One study in 2017 estimated it could need up to $289 million in repairs and renovations, and court documents showed about $23 million in repairs were needed to keep the once majestic ship from capsizing.

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