Summerween: Inside The Top 10 Real Hauntings aboard The Queen Mary

Monica Hernandez

3 months ago

So some have started this trend of celebrating Halloween during the summer. It started with the TV Show Gravity Falls back in 2012. While some people just can’t wait for Halloween and celebrate it during the summer, others are just stocking up and getting prepped. Retailers are happy to oblige of course, I mean after all the holiday decorations in the stores seem to be up way sooner than expected anyway so why not start with Halloween in July/August. You can read more about the trend here along with a list of retailers that have their Halloween decor out.

Keeping inline with the Summerween trend, I thought about my ghostly adventures aboard the Queen Mary. Some may not of heard of the the RMS Queen Mary, aka the ‘Grey Ghost’ especially if you are not a local. There may be even more that are not aware that this ship is not only a historical artifact; it’s one of the most haunted spots on the planet. I’ve read so many ghost stories about it, and now there is an on-going paranormal investigation you can actually join called “The Grey Ghost Project”. You would think, this is just more hype to sell tickets, well actually no. I can tell you from first-hand experience, I had 3 paranormal interactions with the ghosts on-board, all in one day. As if that wasn’t enough, at the time I wasn’t even aware the Queen Mary was haunted!

So, if you believe in the paranormal, you’ve got to check out why the Queen Mary is such a magnet for the supernatural. Trust me, the eerie vibes are off the charts! If you are NOT into the paranormal, you may want to steer clear, you just never know who you’ll see or what will happen.

Historical Background

Okay, so here’s the lowdown on the RMS Queen Mary. Launched back in 1936, this ship was a big deal as an ocean liner until World War II hit. During the war, she got a major makeover, painted grey, and turned into a troopship, which is how she got the nickname ‘The Grey Ghost.’ But things took a dark turn on October 2, 1942, when she collided with the HMS Curacoa, and sadly, 337 men lost their lives. After the war, she went back to being a luxury liner until 1967, when she found her forever home in Long Beach, California. Now, she’s a floating hotel, tourist attraction, and event venue, but with a twist—she brought along some ghostly guests. Spooky, right?

The Queen Mary’s Haunted Reputation

The Queen Mary’s haunting reputation is well-earned. She has been featured on Time Magazine’s list of the “Top 10 Haunted Places,” and numerous paranormal encounters and ghostly apparitions have been reported. The ship’s storied past, including mysterious deaths and wartime tragedies, contribute to its eerie aura.

Paranormal Tours and Investigations

The Queen Mary has fully embraced its haunted reputation with several paranormal tours, including the “Haunted Encounters Tour” and the “Paranormal Ship Walk Tour.” For those eager to delve deeper, the “Grey Ghost Project” offers an interactive experience where guests join paranormal researchers in investigating active paranormal locations on the ship. Additionally, the “57 Ghosts: A Theatrical Séance Aboard the RMS Queen Mary” promises an even more immersive supernatural experience.

Dark Harbor Halloween Festival

For those seeking a seasonal thrill, the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Halloween Festival returns after a 4 year hiatus from September 20 to November 2, 2024. This extensive Halloween event includes haunted attractions and festivities both on the ship and in the surrounding harbor. Pre-sale tickets for Phase I have already sold out, but you can still sign up for the next round of ticket sales.

If you really want to be immersed in the whole experience, you can also purchase the Dark Harbor VIP package or the Dark Harbor Evil Express package returning this fall on select nights during Sept. 20 – Nov. 2, 2024. Both packages include overnight stays on-board the Queen Mary, priority access passes to the festival activities and more.

This ship isn’t just a piece of history; it’s packed with paranormal vibes and creepy stories. Whether you’re a total skeptic or a hardcore believer, the ghostly experiences on this legendary ship are something else. If you’re into the supernatural, it’s a must-visit. But hey, if ghosts freak you out, maybe steer clear. It’s all about your comfort level with the spooky stuff!

My up-close and personal experience with the ghostly guest’s of the Queen Mary.

Alright, so back in the early 2000s, I was on a corporate team-building event on the Queen Mary. I thought it would be a typical day of meetings and activities, with no thoughts of ghosts or paranormal stuff. Especially since Disney managed the Queen Mary and the Spruce Goose from 1988-1992, I expected a more ‘touristy’ Disney-like vibe.

Anyway, during some free time, a co-worker and I decided to explore the ship. We ended up on this eerily empty deck with a long hallway of guest rooms leading to a large open area with swinging doors that looked like they led to a kitchen. Further down, there was another set of double swinging doors. We didn’t see anyone, but we could hear people talking, kid’s laughing, and splashing!

Then, out of nowhere, a waiter in a white jacket and black pants appeared and walked through the double doors into the kitchen. We kept going, thinking there was an indoor pool/lounge area for guests. As we got closer, the same waiter appeared again, walking in the same direction into the kitchen. He glanced at us and pointed toward the pool. The weird thing was, we never saw him come out of the kitchen; we only saw him walk in twice. Later, I found out that during WWII, the chef was murdered by the kitchen staff because they didn’t like his cooking. Maybe that explains the ghostly waiter. Chilling, right?”

When we got closer to the sounds of people talking, laughing, and splashing, we tried the double doors, but they were locked. We looked through the windows, and it was dark, but the scariest part was, there was no water in the pool and no-one was around!

So, we left, very quickly and rejoined our group. We were taken on a tour of the ship as a group and one of the stops was …. “The haunted pool”. I froze! I hung back trying to get a grip as I walked into the pool area, the guide explained some people hear splashing, laughing, talking, and kids playing running around the pool. Whoa! I can definitely confirm ALL of that is exactly what I experienced a few minutes earlier. Ahh, but those ghostly guests, weren’t done with me yet. As, I stood on the upper deck overlooking the pool along with another 50+ of my co-workers, I felt something lightly pulling on my pant-leg, I was wearing nylon socks and they kept slipping down. Every time I pulled them up they would just slide down. The people next to me noticed I was struggling with my socks, and someone said something like the ghost is touching you! She said it so loud, the tour guide shouted out to me, are you wearing nylons! I said yes and she said one of the ghosts here is a little girl that is absolutely fascinated with nylons since that was a huge trend back in her days. OMG!

So, has the Queen Mary been cleansed?

the Queen Mary at Sunrise — Queen Mary at Sunrise – Photo by Monica Hernandez

A few years back, my mom’s super religious friend joined a prayer group who felt certain places needed some spiritual healing. One of their spots? The Queen Mary. I never told anyone in my family about my experience on-board the Queen Mary so I was shocked when I heard about this prayer group.

Surprisingly, the management was cool with the prayer group and let them have their prayer meetings on board. They’d walk around, pray quietly, and then leave. They did this for a few months, and eventually, they claimed they hadn’t heard of any more paranormal activity. Did they really cleanse the ship? Honestly, I have no idea since I haven’t been back to check it out myself.

Apparently management has now fully embraced the hauntings and are now trying to capitalize on the hauntings with tours, a Halloween festival and paranormal investigations.

The Top 10 hauntings aboard
the Queen Mary

The Queen Mary was Featured as Time Magazine’s Top 10 Haunted Places

Stateroom B340: Okay, so let’s spill the tea on Stateroom B340. This room is notorious for some seriously intense paranormal activity. According to the Queen Mary’s website, a man was mysteriously found dead in there. They don’t give many details about what happened, but people have reported some creepy stuff like the faucet running and lights turning on and off. Some reported a dark, shadowy figure standing at the foot of the bed. Spooky, right? Due to popular demand, you can now book this room for overnight stays. I couldn’t find a way to reserve it online, but apparently, you can request it when you call for reservations. If you’re brave enough, that is!
Engine Room: An engineer’s spirit lingers here, perhaps still tending to the ship’s machinery. The daily tour will take you down to engine room and the infamous watertight door 13 where some have reported hearing a wrench banging on the door.
The Lady in White: Alright, so there’s this ghostly figure known as the Lady in White on the Queen Mary. People have seen her floating around the Queen’s Salon, which used to be a first-class lounge. No one really knows who she is, but she’s always spotted in a long white evening gown, dancing to music that no one else can hear. It’s super eerie and totally fascinating!
1st Class Pool: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Okay, so here’s a creepy story from my own experience on the Queen Mary. My co-worker and I kept hearing splashing, people talking and children’s laughter echoing near these double doors that were locked. We seriously thought it was open to guest since I kept hearing people talking and splashing around in what looked like an in the indoor pool area. But when we went in to check it out, there was no one there—it was dark, and get this, there wasn’t any water in the pool! Talk about spooky vibes!
Boiler Room: Let me tell you about the boiler room on the Queen Mary. People have reported hearing agonized screams and the sound of metal grinding down there. Some say it’s the spirits of the men from the HMS Curacoa. I’ve also heard about ghostly sightings of a little girl holding her doll, and there have been EVP recordings capturing eerie voices. Plus, shadowy figures along the cat-walk.
Young Girl by the Pool: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
So there’s this ghost of a little girl named ‘Jackie’ who supposedly haunts the poolside on the Queen Mary. I actually experienced this one firsthand. While on a guided tour, something kept tugging on my pant leg. I was wearing nylon socks (part of the corporate ‘uniform’ back then), and they kept slipping down like something was pulling them off. My co-workers noticed I was struggling with my nylons, and our chatter caught the tour guide’s attention. She asked, ‘Are you wearing nylons?’ I said ‘yes,’ and she laughed a bit, explaining that the young girl who drowned there is fascinated with nylons since they were a new accessory for women during her time! OMG, it still freaks me out!
Ship’s Officer Poisoned: So there’s this story about Officer Stark on the Queen Mary. He accidentally drank cleaning fluid, thinking it was gin. Yikes! People say his ghost still shows up in his Cunard Line officer’s uniform around the Captain’s Cabin, the Sun Deck, and the Promenade Deck. It’s pretty wild to think about running into him somewhere on the ship!
Hatch Door 13: An 18-year-old crewman was crushed in the hatch door during a routine drill. People say his ghost still haunts the area. You might hear someone running behind you and whistling, and some folks have even found grease spots on their faces that look like fingerprints. It’s seriously creepy.
The Waiter: PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
So ghostly figures are a common sight on the Queen Mary. I swear I saw a ghostly waiter by the haunted indoor pool, heading into what looked like the kitchen. He appeared twice, walking through the double doors, but I never saw him come back out. Less than a minute later, I saw him again, walking in the same direction, but this time he looked at us and pointed to the haunted indoor pool. I had no idea the kitchen area was haunted by a waiter until I did some research for this post. Turns out, during WWII, the chef was murdered by the kitchen staff because they didn’t like his cooking. Horrifying, right?
The Halls of the Lower Decks: so the lower decks of the Queen Mary are seriously unnerving. There are cold spots so icy that you can see your breath when you walk by. And if that’s not enough, you might even spot ghostly figures dressed in 1930s clothing. It’s like stepping into a time warp of eerie hauntings!”

The Queen Mary is one of those tourist spots that you might want to think twice about visiting, especially if you’re not into or freaked out by paranormal stuff. Some people go there looking for ghostly proof, while others steer clear, not wanting to risk bringing home an uninvited ghostly guest. I haven’t heard of anyone actually getting a paranormal attachment from visiting, but hey, who knows what could happen?