Time in the Harbor
Long Beach, CA
If you’ve never stayed on board the Queen Mary, you absolutely should. And why not this weekend?
Install yourself in a history-heaped stateroom of an iconic British ocean liner, enjoy casual-but-delicious seafood in Belmont Shore, and be gondoliered through the holiday canals of Naples Island.
As always, your hotel, meal and experience are all bookable in a click.
Sat. Dec 20 - Sun. Dec 21, 2025
This weekend is no longer available.
Scroll for the full story of the weekend.
Why here?
There’s something about faded grandeur.
When the Queen Mary took its maiden voyage in 1936, it was the jewel of Cunard-White Star line. There were (and are) exquisite Art Deco details throughout the interior: intricate woodwork, large-scale art pieces, and a dining room with a mural of the Atlantic’s European and American shores. During a voyage, there was a small crystal that moved across the scene to mark the ship’s progress in real time.
The Queen Mary no longer sails. Her staterooms are now hotel rooms, and the ship, which sits unmissably in the harbor, makes for one of the most interesting ways to spend a night in Long Beach.
Do the accommodations show some wear? Yes, but that’s history for you. Will your room be spacious? No, it’s a cabin on an ocean liner built nearly a century ago. Are there the walls thin? Incredibly so.
But these things are pretty easily offset.
Walk the Queen Mary’s beautiful old promenade. Poke around the engine room, get a drink at the observation lounge, and, well, feel the place.
It was used as a troop transport during World War II (carrying more than 15,000 at once — still a record). Winston Churchill planned the D-Day invasion on board during one crossing. It’s bigger than the Titanic. It has 10 million rivets.
So go to Long Beach this weekend. Traipse the decks of the ship, have seafood at the terrific local favorite Roe, and take an evening gondola ride through the canals of Naples Island.
And don’t mind the tight quarters. The history is giant.
This weekend in Long Beach, discover…
The stay.
The Queen Mary
We just wrote a novella bout this above, but you stay here for the experience.
Amazing Art Deco details, and the ship itself is very wanderable via a self-guided tour that’s included with the room.
You’ve got reservations for two on Saturday night.
Belmont Shore
Disembark from your hotel and rove along 2nd Street, a couple of blocks from the ocean. It’s the main small business drag, and it traces along the edge of the Pacific; a mile-and-a-half stretch of boutiques and stores, art studios, pastry shops.
It’s light on the kitsch, heavy on authentic Long Beach feel. There’s a world class dog beach up the block too.
The day.
The find.
Blue Windows
A favorite in the Belmont Shore neighborhood. It’s a gift shop ostensibly, but full of singular pieces and well-designed wares. Jewelry, stationery, clothing, Long Beach-specific things.
A great stop-in that’s in the heart of the 2nd Street stretch.
The food.
Roe
A local seafood-go-to for more than a decade. Executive Chef Rigo Bonilla makes the menu here; coastal cuisine, craft cocktails, and a stellar wine dinner program too.
There’s the restaurant of course, but there’s also a stand-alone fish market, with poke, chowders, and hand-cut fish prepared daily.
You have reservations at 7pm on Saturday evening.
Signal Hill
Secretly one of the hands-down best views in Southern California.
Venture a bit inland and you’ll discover Signal Hill, which is actually a separate city. But interestingly, it’s entirely surrounded by Long Beach; a municipal island of sorts.
The stand-out feature is the hill. Drive up the steep grade to the top, and find a small, very nice park that serves as an observation deck. There are arresting views looking south to the ocean and north to Los Angeles.
The tucked away.
A Gondola through the Canals
Tour Naples Island in the best way possible: propelled by a charming gondolier.
Naples is an all-together stunning neighborhood that’s marked by mid-century and Mediterranean-inspired architecture. It’s all perched close to the narrow waterways that course through the place, and it’s something to see.
This time of year, the homes are fully decked out for the holidays. Many are marvels.
Tour starts at dusk on Saturday night.
The evening mood.
One-night stay for two aboard The Queen Mary . Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025.
Pre-paid dinner at Roe. Table for two, already reserved at 7pm,
A private gondola tour of the Naples Island waterways, all aglow for the holidays.
You’ll receive a detailed itinerary after booking confirmation.
Book it all in a click.
This weekend is no longer available.
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