Interesting facts about the RMS Queen Mary
The ship was named after Mary of Teck, the wife of George V. The king died shortly before the ship's maiden voyage. Legend has it that Cunard wanted to name the ship Victoria, but after asking the king for permission to name the ship "after Britain's greatest queen," he replied that his wife would be delighted.
She was 1,019.4 ft (310.7 m) long and weighed 81,237 (GRT). She captured the Blue Riband in August 1936 (awarded to the fastest ship to cross the Atlantic), lost the title to SS Normandie in 1937, but recaptured it in 1938, with average speeds of 30.99 knots (57.39 km/h; 35.66 mph) westbound and 31.69 knots (58.69 km/h; 36.47 mph), holding it until 1952 when she was beaten by the new SS United States.
On board facilities included two swimming pools, beauty salons, libraries, nurseries, a music studio, a lecture hall, dog kennels, prayer rooms, a telephone connectivity to anywhere in the world. There were 30,000 lamps on board, a garage for 36 cars, and an acre of kitchens to prepare the 50,000 meals served during each crossing.
The ship is said to be haunted by prisoners of war who died on board. Paranormal television shows have made numerous visits to the site in Long Beach, California where she has been moored since 1967. The ship is now a popular hotel with 3 separate restaurants.
