By Lou Hirsh and Jelena Schulz

Officials in Long Beach, California, face tough decisions in coming months when it comes to ensuring the long-term viability of the Queen Mary, which is at risk of literally sinking without urgent repairs. But the ocean liner-turned-hotel and tourist attraction has seen — and survived — more than its share of physical and financial peril since it was built and launched from a Scotland shipyard 87 years ago.

The fact that it's now the only permanent U.S. hotel that was once a cruise ship shows the inherent difficulty in trying to keep such an endeavor afloat for almost nine decades, most of that time in one place, a purpose for which it wasn't designed. But during its history, there’s been plenty of variety, from the glitz and glamour of leisure cruises taken by a host of celebrities and global dignitaries including Walt Disney and Winston Churchill to shuttling thousands of Allied troops during World War II, painted gray with its portholes blacked out to avoid enemy detection in treacherous water.

After its retirement to Long Beach in 1967, there were rough financial waters to navigate. The ship underwent a significant renovation and conversion to become a major tourist draw and community focal point for holiday celebrations, weddings and other special events starting in 1971. It also went through management changes and corresponding financial troubles, shutting down completely for a brief period in late 1992 before reopening with an updated management structure.

“You need to have a very strong constitution to take on and pull off the conversion of a ship for something like a hotel,” said John Thomas, a longtime architect and the city’s historical adviser for the Queen Mary.

“The challenge for Long Beach is that it had to be converted not only in terms of aesthetics, but also in terms of the mechanics," he said. "You have electrical systems and water and sewer systems and all of these things in a structure that’s permanently docked but goes up and down with the tides.”

Another pivotal moment has arrived for the Queen Mary, as the city embarks on the most urgent of what will likely be more than $40 million in necessary repairs to maintain the ship and keep it from literally capsizing. And this summer, officials are expected to decide on new long-term strategies to keep it afloat financially as a vital community and economic asset. Options include establishing a public-private foundation as well as seeking federal monument status that comes with significant regular funding for preservation and maintenance.

“It was built in another country, but for its place in serving the war effort, in bringing immigrants to a new life in the United States, I think it is very much deserving of monument status in the U.S.," said Thomas.

“This ability to be able to come aboard a property and go back in time, I think it’s very significant,” he said. “There are so few historical buildings or other places where you can do that anymore.”

At stake now is the future of a waterfront institution. Before last year’s pandemic closing, it greeted 1.5 million annual visitors. Those visitors and event operators spent $115 million on ship-related activities, generating $200 million for the Los Angeles regional economy, according to consulting firm Beacon Economics.

Here’s a timeline of key events in the life of the Queen Mary: