If you love cruise, but do not have the time or money, spend a night on the Queen Mary – a historic ship that gives you the taste of a real cruise. The Queen Mary in Long Beach is not going anywhere soon. But really does not need to – there is plenty to keep you occupied for a night or a weekend. Pulling up to this giant ship ready to board with a suitcase recalls the scene in Titanic where passengers are on board excited about running, while the well-heeled are having their trunks portaged and their cars up on board. While the Queen Mary is small by the standards of cruise ships of today, it seems very powerful from the parking lot. The elevator and along the walkway you go, as The Love Boat're still leading the Mexican Riviera. The first thing that hits you, once on board, is that this ship historcal – is like entering the lobby of a grand historic hotel with its period furnishings, although many aspects of the ship and its suburbs have been updated 1960, years later the ship. It 'also emerged during this visit on weekdays, many people on board, are participating in a kind of conference – whether business, social or family-oriented. After check-in at the lobby, we were anxious to see what our accommodations on board were like. Ours was a bit 'larger than a standard cabin, though not huge. We had two king beds, and all that one might reasonably expect in a luxury hotel room, with plenty of cabinets and work areas and a bathroom that, although small, offered both fresh and salt water, hot and cold . We ship ona, so good, but we had the telephone service and TV. We also had a porthole – you could ask for a vision of the port, as we had a pretty ordinary vision of the basin and the construction nearby. Then it was off to explore this big ship. Launched in 1934, the Queen Mary made 1001 Atlantic crossings before his retirement in 1967. During its heyday, this was the way in which elite America's shuttling between the United States and Europe, and so the ship was equipped to make this trip as comfortable as possible. As you move around the ship on a self-guided tour, you'll find a lot of shows – all the gifts with their decidedly British influence in the decoration. Wood in many of these areas gives a sense of the meeting room, while the original paintings and artwork help complete the atmosphere. Outside, the old wooden bridges made it easier to imagine you are in the open sea, taking the daily walk and enjoy the scenery of the vast ocean. But more interesting are some of the areas normally inhabited by the crew – the crew area, radio room, the wheelhouse. All around, one begins to recognize the Queen Mary is truly a museum – this is a big, beautiful old ship should not be confused with the gleaming, modern ships of today. Charm that extends to the ship's restaurants where you can choose from fine dining at 4 star Sir Winston, the slightly less spectacular Chelsea or the surprisingly good Promenade Cafe, where we had a wonderful dinner at reasonable prices. We also made a point of taking a couple of special tours. The Ghosts and Legends Tour plays for the reputation of the ship to be haunted and is the version of Mary Queen of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Through special effects and an over-the-top tour guide, this little adventure 45 minutes is to put a little 'fear of brightness to the visitors. We were actually more intrigued with some of the places in the ship that this tour will take you, as the engine room and a covered area, all poorly lit to maximize the Spooky. Moored next to the Queen Mary is the Scorpion, a Russian submarine of the Cold War that seems to be in good enough shape to head towards the sea. Visitors can walk or see all the compartments in this ship claustrophobic and wonder at the ability of the sailors trapped inside this machine for weeks at a time like the submarine patrolled underwater to avoid detection. It 'a fascinating self-guided tour – only to be agile enough to pass through the trapdoor on duty, which act as a passage between the compartments. The area of Long Beach is a colorful waterfront, with lots of restaurants and tourist attractions and major hotels. Worth carving out a morning or afternoon to go and see the Aquarium of the Pacific, just opposite the harbor of the Queen Mary. Animals Ocean Home to more than 12,500, the aquarium features 19 major habitats and features 32 focus. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the exhibits and each found a fascinating and fun for oldsters as well as young people. Obviously one of the best known pieces at Aquarium of the Pacific is Shark Lagoon, the Aquarium newer. With more than 150 sharks, the lagoon includes large sharks, rays and shark touch pools where you reach down and feel them how to swim. There is much more at the Aquarium also exhibits on Southern California / Baja, Northern Pacific and the tropical Pacific. The Aquarium and the Long Beach Harbor are a good complement to the Queen Mary "tour" and help create a complete travel experience. Finally it's time to check out of your dressing room and you realize that may be more one-time experience – a stay at the Queen Mary would be the perfect romantic adventure at any time. It combines elegance, novelty and history to make this experience a completely different from that of the average flight. AT A GLANCE WHERE: The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach Harbor, an easy 90 minutes drive from San Diego or less from most of Los Angeles. WHAT: The Hotel Queen Mary, the actual ship that made 1001 Atlantic crossings, a sea to go home to some of the most famous people in America. WHEN: Midweek is always better if you can do because you will have less people on board. If you go on a weekend be sure to reserve well in advance. WHY ': history, charm and ability to remain on board a cruise ship the first of its time. Numerous restaurants and attractions in the vicinity of the harbor Colored Long Beach. We especially recommend the Aquarium of the Pacific neighbors such as: the contact with the Queen Mary at (562) 435-3511.