LONG BEACH - The Queen Mary in Long Beach will be offering free admission Tuesday as the historic cruise liner is visited by its sister ship the Cunarder Queen Elizabeth.From 1947 to 1967, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth crisscrossed the North Atlantic on their appointed schedules, many times sighting one another in mid ocean. The sightings were relished by passengers, captains and crew alike. The last time the two sisters met was Sept. 25, 1967, when the Queen Mary was eastbound on her last transatlantic voyage. Commodore Geoffrey Marr stood at attention on his flying bridge of the Queen Elizabeth; Capt. Treasure Jones was in the same position on the Queen Mary. As the two ships closed on one another, the lights were flashed on and each captain doffed his hat as the whistles pierced the sky in a farewell salute. Free access to the Queen Mary will be offered from 4-9 p.m. The best public viewing location will be on the Queen Mary's promenade deck, at the aft (back) part of the ship. Commodore Everette Hoard will provide commentary. There will also be live entertainment and a fireworks display. The event is open to the public.

********** Published: March 7, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 47