PHOTOS: Queen Mary plans for a makeover
The Queen Mary, a fixture in Long Beach since 1967, is undergoing long-overdue upgrades. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The first-class indoor swimming pool is a stop on the Ghost & Legends show on the luxury liner, which was built in 1934. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Posters of Laurel and Hardy and other Hollywood stars adorn the promenade deck. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The Verandah Grill, once the nightclub for elite passengers, is one of 14 meeting and banquet rooms totaling more than 80,000 square feet. It has a sunken dance floor and hand-painted murals. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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The Queen Mary’s new management company, the Delaware North Cos., plans to restore the ship to much of its Art Deco splendor while incorporating modern-day amenities. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The company that leases the Queen Mary signed an agreement with the city of Long Beach to spend more than $5 million on improvements over a two-year period that began in 2008. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Seventy-five of the 314 hotel rooms on the Queen Mary have been renovated so far. Delaware North has refurbished the original portholes and bathtubs and added flat-screen televisions, hair dryers and iPod docking stations. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Ray Sorge serves as a history guide and chaplain on the Queen Mary. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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At least a third of the Queen Mary renovations are completed, according to city officials and Delaware North representatives. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)