A long distance shot, captured 5/26/11, from a marina on beautiful Queensway Bay, adjacent to the beautiful Aquarium of the Pacific in beautiful Long Beach, California. If my back wasn't hors de combat at the time as a result of visiting the Aquarium, I would have hiked over to the old girl for some dramatic photographs. ZOOMable. RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily on the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line (known as Cunard-White Star Line when the vessel entered service). Built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland, Queen Mary along with her running mate, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, were built as part of Cunard's planned two-ship weekly express service between Southampton, Cherbourg, and New York City. The two ships were a British response to the superliners built by German and French companies in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Queen Mary was the flagship of the Cunard Line from May 1936 until October 1946 when she was replaced in that role by Queen Elizabeth. After several years of decreased profits for Cunard Line, Queen Mary was officially retired from service in 1967. She left Southampton for the last time on 31 October 1967 and sailed to the port of Long Beach, California, United States, where she remains permanently moored. Much of the machinery, including one of the two engine rooms, three of the four propellers, and all of the boilers, were removed, and the ship now serves as a tourist attraction featuring restaurants, a museum, and hotel. The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has accepted the Queen Mary to be part of the Historic Hotels of America. Source: Wikipedia free encyclopedia. I've been on board the ship at least three times, twice as a visitor and once as a guest at an anniversary party. Anchors aweigh.