For modern day ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts, visiting the Queen Mary isn’t optional.
– Updated 2/9/2020
Although the famous ship now has a permanent home in the Long Beach Harbor, its history is very long and full of fear and mystery.
There are loads of haunted tours in the Los Angeles area, and it can be difficult even for a local to discern which is the best creepy bang for the buck.
Click Here To Book A Queen Mary Haunted Tour.
After all, you can wander around the city yourself and look up haunted places online.
Some of the tours really are worth it, though, and we think this Queen Mary haunted tour review is a good case for this particular one.
We like the Queen Mary tour, if that’s not clear, even with its little quirks and imperfections.
There are loads of things to do, and there’s just so much to learn that having it presented to you by a professional just enhances the experience.
Plus, you’ll have someone to turn to when the ship inevitably spooks you.
It’s damn creepy on there, especially in the most haunted areas.
The ship has known service as a cruise liner, a World War II troop transport, and even an escape vessel for refugees, and each of those eras has left its psychic mark.
There’s a lot going on below decks, and some of it is outright disturbing.
There’s so much to see and do that it’s easy to spend a several hours or even a full day.
Of course, it’s a hotel and major tourist attraction too.
Read on for a Queen Mary haunted tour review, going through each of the options they offer.
You’ll learn which parts of the tour are aimed at authentic spooks and frights, and which are more for fun.
Whether you’re hoping for a genuine paranormal encounter with the legendary Queen Mary ghosts, or just a nice time with the family, you’ll find good info here.
Features & Benefits
There are a large number of tour packages and events available on the old ship, but of course this is a review of the Queen Mary’s haunted tours.
We’re laser focused on the paranormal themed options, which include the following.
- Shipwalk – This is a self-guided tour through the known haunted areas of the ship, including the Queen Mary’s infamous haunted room B340. So much weird stuff has happened in this room, up to and including people being physically grabbed by invisible creatures, that the room is no longer available for overnight stays. The Shipwalk takes place after hours so you can get the full creepy effect of the darkened passageways, and it really is an excellent way to gain a feel for the place.
- Ghosts & Legends Show – A combination of a guided tour and a special effects extravaganza, Ghosts & Legends is a fun romp through the haunted rooms of the Queen Mary. The guides are quite knowledgeable and will regale you with their own twisted version of the story behind the Queen Mary. Throughout the tour, you’re sure to witness some very strange happenings thanks to some special effects magic. This tour is scary, but not too scary, and it’s a great opportunity to bring the kids.
- Haunted Encounters Tour – Another guided tour, this one focuses more on the real-life hauntings that have been reported. This tour is your best bet to get some great pictures of the Queen Mary, as your guide will take you all over the ship, including around the exterior. The engine room is a highlight here, with its very well-documented haunting by a World War II sailor. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the White Lady who sometimes manifests near the ship’s pool.
- Ghost Sighting Scavenger Hunt – This is part of the Haunted Encounters tour, and is squarely aimed at the kids. They’ll love looking for spooky items on the list, and a completed hunt can be turned in for a prize. Strictly family-friendly.
- Paranormal Investigations – This is an opportunity to join a real ghost hunter on a guided tour through the ship. It’s aimed at aspiring paranormal investigators, and you might even get the chance to handle some equipment like an EVP recorder. It’s a little pricey, though, and in our opinion there’s a bit of flawed logic at work here. Real ghosts and spirits don’t reliably show themselves night after night, and certainly not to large tour groups.
- Observation Bar – After a long evening of exploring the ship, you’ll probably have worked up a pretty good thirst. The Queen Mary graciously serves up both classic and ghost-themed cocktails in the Observation Bar, and they’re pretty tasty! We recommend a Singapore Sling to really take the edge off, especially if you found yourself more spooked than you expected during the evening’s proceedings.
What Makes It Different
The Queen Mary is unique for its wide range of very well-documented ghosts and spirits whom come from a number of different time periods.
Each chapter in the ship’s history has left it haunted, and the supernatural encounters just keep piling up.
It’s also rare that an attraction that is so built up as, well, an attraction maintains so much of its genuine creepiness and ghostly feel.
The Queen Mary’s ghost tour prices are generally quite good because they want to appeal to a large number of people, but take the right tour and you still have a shot at actually seeing something you didn’t expect.
This is a Queen Mary haunted tour review, not a review of all the different things to do on the Queen Mary, so we won’t even get into things like the historical World War II exhibit.
The sheer amount of history onboard is apparent, though, and the sense of place and story is palpable as you explore the decks.
Plans & Pricing
So there’s a lot to choose from on the Queen Mary, especially if you’re looking for some scares.
Since you’re reading a haunted tour review, one must assume you are!
Most of the tours and shows on the ship are available separately, but the package deals are where it’s really at.
- Shipwalk – $44.00 per person
- Paranormal Investigations – $79.00 per person
- Dining with the Spirits – $134.00 per person
- Haunted Encounters Passage (BEST VALUE) – $24.89 per person
We did a thorough review of all the options and packages, and we’ve concluded the Haunted Encounters Passage is by far the best bang for your buck.
It includes all of the following:
- Shipwalk (You’ve already saved a bunch of money here!)
- Ghosts & Legends Show
- Haunted Encounters Tour
- A short introductory film to the Haunted Encounters Tour
- Ghost Sighting Scavenger Hunt
- And even a souvenir paranormal passport to commemorate your visit
About the only things you don’t get with the Haunted Encounters Passage are the Paranormal Investigations tour and some included food.
As mentioned above, we’re not wild about the Paranormal Investigations tour.
And you can feel free to visit the Observation Bar, or any of the several restaurants on-board, or just disembark at the end of the night and grab some Taco Bell on the way home.
The Haunted Encounters Passage is especially family-friendly, or makes a great, fun date.
It’s really a fantastic value, and we highly recommend it.
Although some pieces of the deal like the Ghosts & Legends Show are available in other packages, the Haunted Encounters Passage is the by far the largest collection of Queen Mary haunted exhibits, and the best value for your money.
So that’s the result of our Queen Mary haunted tour review.
The Haunted Encounters Passage isn’t 100% perfect, but it gives you just so much to choose from, and for such a low price, that it is the clear winner.
Potential Drawbacks
The only issue with the Haunted Encounters Passage in our mind is that some of the attractions are a bit too touristy.
The Ghosts & Legends Show in particular is a little bit hokey at times, with some dated effects, but it’s a fun time.
Bring the right people, and you’ll have a fine time laughing at some of the oh so scary “real ghosts” you’ll see during the show.
The food onboard is overpriced as it is on any major tourist attraction.
Bring some snacks and a couple bottles of water so you don’t have to pay “theme park prices”.
Save that cash for the Observation Bar!
Conclusion
Updated 2/9/2020 – At the end of this tour review you may be wondering, is the Queen Mary ship haunted?
Well, we think so.
It’s been built up and commercialized, but the history is real.
The stories are real.
And the ghost sightings, believe it or not, are very real.
As we said above, a visit to the Queen Mary is an absolute must for any serious paranormal buff.
Whether you hope to do some ghost hunting of your own, or just enjoy a day on the water with your friends or family, you really can’t go wrong with the Queen Mary.
The only hitch is all of those dozens of tours and packages available.
We hope this review of the Queen Mary’s haunted tours has been helpful in that regard.
During the booking process you’ll have multiple tour options and packages to choose from but we feel the clear winner is the Haunted Encounters Passage; It beats the others on both price and content.
Click Here To Book A Queen Mary Haunted Tour.