Queen Mary Christmas returned for the 2nd annual event post “Chill”. Queen Mary Christmas’s inaugural season was fun but took some getting used to since the event took place completely on the ship. This year, they did a hybrid but with majority of the activities on the parking lot. Santa’s Captain’s Quarters, Storytime with Mrs. Claus, and the Gingerbread House decorating section were returning favorites. So how did the rest of the event fare?

We liked that the majority of the event was on the parking lot, which was reminiscent of Chill from a couple of years back. By having it in the parking lot, it gave the feeling of a Winter Wonderland; at least in Los Angeles. Another key change was the ice skating rink. The ice skating rink was on the top deck of the ship last season; which made it difficult to really ice skate and go fast because of the limited space. The ice skating rink was a lot bigger this year, about 3 times the size as last year; which gave it more room for newbies to maneuver. They have moved it back down to the parking lot where it was originally and along with it; the Christmas Tree. The tree is not the same from last year as there was a tree lighting and a makeshift tree made by a string of lights on the top of the ship. It was definitely fun last year because of the tree lighting ceremony paired with live performances and the Claus’s at tree lighting time. However, given time constraints and a limited amount of space up top; it made more sense to make the tree a part of the skating rink. We remembered struggling to get back and forth to hit all the timed events just to make it in time for the tree lighting ceremony.

So what’s on the ship? On the ship is the returning Polar Express 4D mini-movie, Gingerbread House decorating, an indoor sweets cafe, performance stage, and Santa’s Captain’s Quarters and Storytime with Mrs. Claus. Gone are the promenade shops and performers in the lobby which made us sad, but we understand because of spacing issues. The shops are still there, they were just not open for the event. The upper decks are still open for guests to walk around and take in the view of Long Beach.

For the rest of the activities, they are ground level on the parking lot. This provided a lot more spacing and easier walking. Guests can do the red carpet when they first enter and then pose in front of all the other photo-ops throughout the event. Food vendors were a’plenty and we heard it was the same delicious vendors that serve at the county fair. Whether you are seeking snacks, sweets ‘n treats, a full meal, some ice cream, or adult beverages; Queen Mary Christmas offers all that and more. It really is quite a “winterfest” that has something for everyone. We appreciated the move by the management to bring it back down to the lot in order to space things out and clear any potential congestion. This event is perfect for the family, for date-night, or Christmas/Holiday display and themed activity fanatics.

(Click on Image for Photo-Journal)

For more info, visit:

https://www.queenmary.com/calendar-of-events/qmchristmas/home/