We recommend restoring all three original dining rooms on R deck for expanded and upgraded banqueting services aboard the Queen Mary. The banqueting experience on the Queen Mary would be truly unique, truly Queen Mary, and absolutely unrivaled for elegance, grandeur and quality in all of Southern California. The distinction between hospitality and banqueting services and the use of separate rooms for their presentation capitalizes on the Queen Mary's ocean liner design and heritage. It will completely set the Queen Mary facility apart from and above all others in the region.

• The restoration would bring the banqueting capacity of the Queen Mary to seat 1500 persons at one time on R Deck -- excluding the Club Queen Mary Dining Room.

A close look at the deck-plans for R Deck (below): as completed in 1936; as converted between 1968 – 1971; and as we propose it be restored will highlight the many business benefits of this initiative.

First Class Dining Room – Grand Salon and Windsor Room

Two spaces were created from the first class dining room during the Long Beach conversion. Now called the Grand Salon and the Windsor Room, we propose to retain both. Combined the area could once again seat 800 in a single seating. The paneling, art, lighting fixtures and lighting scheme would be fully restored.

• To allow for their integration into a single large room as desired we recommend changing the aft end of the Windsor Room by the introduction of moveable partitions.
• When used as a single grand space the original fore central entrances (to the Windsor Room) would be used. In this instance the side entrances now used as fore entrances for the Grand Salon would function as bar spaces.
• Grills based on the design of the cast silver doors that once enclosed the aft grand entrance would separate the bar areas from the main area.
• The aft grand entrance and staircase would be restored.
• Both rooms would be refurnished with tables and chairs based on the original design, albeit stackable.
• The center of the main room could be cleared for dancing using storage space directly beneath accessed via service elevators added into the engine room uptakes that still exist in this room.
• The corridor on the port side of the central kitchens added during the Long Beach conversion would be retained, the walls paneled in wood and the floor treatment upgraded.  This corridor was created by Diner's Club to provide a public link between these two dining rooms.  We see large portholes cut into the inboard kitchen wall that would allow banqueting guests and guided tourists to see into the original kitchens (see rendering below by Jeff Taylor).
• The theme of this room and the menu would focus on the Celtic traditions of the British Isles.
• A new kitchen would be created in the core area linked to the re-established service core of the ship.
• Banqueting storage would be created in the bow area.
• The corridor that now exists between the back of the third class dining room and the first class dining room would be upgraded as the Chief Steward's Lounge.

A rendering of the proposed corridor between the first and second class dining rooms, by Jeff Taylor

A rendering of the proposed corridor between the Third and First Class dining rooms.

• The R deck service entrance in this corridor would be closed and plated over. See the article on logistics for a detailed description of recommended service delivery approaches to the kitchen and cold storage arrangements.
• The private dining rooms would not be restored. The art from these rooms and/or replicas would be used in the dining room of the Club Queen Mary.

Second Class Dining Room – Officers' Dining Room

We recommend fully restoring and enhancing this once beautiful room. Linked to the first class dining room by the restored corridor alongside the kitchens, it will can accommodate 400 people.

• Used as the officer’s dining room during World War II, this aspect of its heritage would be subtly highlighted in the décor.
• The entrance hall would be fully restored for shared use with the Club Queen Mary.

Third Class Dining Room

We recommend re-establishing this dining room, restoring the paneling and ceiling treatment and upgrading the floor treatment and furnishings for banqueting use seating 300 people with a more contemporary round table set-up.

• The theme of this room and the menu would focus on the Celtic traditions of the British Isles.
• A new kitchen would be created in the core area – linked to the re-established service core of the ship.
• Banqueting storage would be created in the bow area.

Central Kitchens and Linkages

The central kitchens were last remodeled during the Long Beach conversion of 1968-1971. We recommend they be restored/remodeled for continuing use.

• New cold storage would be created on D Deck that today is directly below R deck as 50% of C Deck was removed in the conversion.
• Cold storage would be linked to the central kitchens by a pair of new service lifts and stairs installed in the aft engine hatch.
• Deliveries would be made to services entrances on D deck – either at the bow, or a new one at the stern.