Queen of seas reigns no longer (Queen Mary)
The Queen Mary luxury liner, which went from monarch of the sea to tourism tool over the years, has become a royal headache.
The owner of the lease to operate the 72-year-old ship and her 365-room on-board hotel was forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year in a dispute over $3.4 million in back rent with the city of Long Beach. The city purchased the Queen Mary in 1967 to help it compete for visitors.
Now, a court-appointed trustee is trying to sell the 66-year lease and rights to develop 45 acres of land near the ship, which once carried Winston Churchill, Fred Astaire and Bob Hope in Art Deco elegance across the North Atlantic.
"The ship has been pilfered," said Traci Wilson-Kleekamp, a former Long Beach activist. "It's falling apart."
Read entire article at Baltimore Sun
The owner of the lease to operate the 72-year-old ship and her 365-room on-board hotel was forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year in a dispute over $3.4 million in back rent with the city of Long Beach. The city purchased the Queen Mary in 1967 to help it compete for visitors.
Now, a court-appointed trustee is trying to sell the 66-year lease and rights to develop 45 acres of land near the ship, which once carried Winston Churchill, Fred Astaire and Bob Hope in Art Deco elegance across the North Atlantic.
"The ship has been pilfered," said Traci Wilson-Kleekamp, a former Long Beach activist. "It's falling apart."