The Last Call of a True Queen...

In the local area of Long Beach, such attractions as the Queen Mary dazzle the city lights, creating a welcoming atmosphere to its popular name. But across the Vincent Thomas Bridge is another portion known for its nautical history and, frequently visited, Ports O’ Call.

While the many restaurants and museums bring in tourists regularly, the port of San Pedro carries cruise travelers to and from every destination around the world. Some cruise ships come often, while others make special calls in the height of popular interest. One of which made its call on Sunday, March 30, for a final farewell.

Since 1975, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (popularly nicknamed QE2) has graced the port of Los Angeles on her countless world cruises to numerous destinations. Once a year she has proved impressive to the locals of Southern California, making her final passage exciting, and rather mournful.

At 963 feet long and 105 feet wide, the QE2 houses a capacity of approximately 1,791 passengers and crew. Thirteen decks (ten for passengers) tower the piers and landscapes, her enormous single smokestack topping off the incredible superstructure with Cunard Line’s historic name and nostalgic culture.

As many came to see QE2 at Pier 92 for the last time, some enthusiasts who could not sail the booked-solid cruise got the privilege of touring the ship, many very excited and with their cameras at the ready for what would truly be a memorable visit. As QE2’s already-passengers lazed around in ultimate luxury, VIP guests ran from lounge to corridor flashing a well-kept memory into their cameras. An elegant lunch in the Mauretania Restaurant met many visitor taste buds as only a historic ocean liner could serve.

The ships onboard faculties and passenger accommodations are unlike those of a typical cruise ship. Since 1969, the QE2 has gone through many renovations, but always keeping with the style of an old transatlantic ocean liner; her sleek charcoal-gray hull, expansion of portholes, and wide upper decks fitting the classic standard of sophisticated travel.

After QE2’s last World Cruise, she cozied a Norway, Europe, and a Mediterranean travel season from June to August 2008. By November, she ended her career as a travel vessel with a 16-day cruise where she retires to the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai as a hotel and tourist attraction like her predecessor Queen Mary back in 1967 to Long Beach, California.

While the QE2 is usually accustomed to leaving at 10:00 pm at night, she departed San Pedro at a special time of 5:00 pm in the afternoon. Waiting patiently as the Vision of the Seas departed before her, many spectators lined Ports O’ Call and various restaurants to have time for a final remedy before such a landmark would leave, only to never return.

Once ready, the beloved Queen Elizabeth 2 took her leave unexpectedly from her stern; something that, as comical as it looked, served a salute, a final bow as the curtain fell for the last time on a cherished landmark never to cross Los Angeles waters again. The onlookers, some with tears in their eyes, thinned out the further the ship moved, some with deep sentiment stood for a while and eventually, themselves, left as the QE2 reached the open ocean.

The QE2 has left California forever, but memories of the liner sitting peacefully at San Pedro, only to be sailing off to another fun location, will always remain, her ghost leaving an imprint to San Pedro harbor. And as she will be a permanent hotel in Dubai, like Long Beach’s beloved Queen Mary, the new Queen’s to take her place, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and the 2010 Queen Elizabeth, will mark a new era to San Pedro’s harbor, to remind Southern California that they are not without a Queen.