The world’s “most haunted” cruise takes the phrase “ghost ship” to a new level, with almost 50 people dying aboard.
The Queen Mary set off from Southampton on her maiden voyage in 1936. At least 47 people have died on the ship, with reports of more being unsubstantiated.
“Not only does the Queen Mary offer a transatlantic history, but it is known as one of the most haunted destinations in America,” Chris Wilmoth, the director of marketing at the Queen Mary, told Travel + Leisure.
“The unique history of the ship allows us to offer one-of-a-kind and authentic experiences that delve into the paranormal, from evening tours and ghost investigations to overnight stays in our most haunted stateroom, B340.”
Certain spots on the ship are reportedly better for ghostly encounters than others. One is the hatch food known as Shaft Alley – the site of a gruesome death in 1966 that saw a crewman crushed to death.
An 18-year-old crewman was crushed under a watertight door after all in the engine and boiler rooms were ordered shut. His ghost is now seen, with him hustling, running around and asking if people have seen his wrench.
Another man died in Stateroom B340 in 1948. Twenty years later, a woman staying in the room woke up to the bedsheets being pulled off her and a man stood by the bed. When staff arrived after she screamed, the man disappeared.
Since, guests report hearing knocking on the door and the bathroom lights turning on. Maids have also seen taps being turned on and bedsheets pulled off.
In 1989, two maids were cleaning the Mauretania Room when they saw a man sitting on a chair on the dance floor. When another maid came to help, he vanished before their eyes.
Guests report seeing a number of ghosts at the first-class swimming pool: a young woman in a tennis skirt, a woman in an old wedding gown with a little boy in a suit, and a little girl in a blue and white dress.
The Queen Mary now sits in Long Beach, California, as a floating hotel with multiple on-ship hotels and rooms with experiences including shopping and ghost tours.
