The Hauntings of The Queen Mary

Is the Queen Mary Haunted?

Many people think that the Queen Mary is haunted, though the author of this web site has never, during countless visits to the ship, seen anything spooky at all.

By (unbelievably) popular demand, here are a few of the stories commonly circulated about the ship's supposed ghosts.

Click on the pictures to expand them to full size

John Pedder

Perhaps the most famous of the hauntings stories. Pedder was killed by being crushed in a watertight door in 1966 during a routine drill. During the conversion of the Queen Mary to a hotel only a few years later, after all the workmen had gone home for the day, a security guard was patrolling at night with a german shepherd dog. Apart from the dog, he was alone on the ship. Approaching a particular watertight door on D Deck, his dog went wild, obviously afraid, and refused to go any further.

The guard looked around, thinking that the dog must have sensed an intruder, but could find nobody at all. The dog had never behaved like this before.

Suddenly, the quiet was disturbed by a noise which the guard described as like "metal rolling quickly towards them". The noise became so loud that the guard ran for his life.

Today, this area of the ship has undergone substantial change, and the watertight door in question has been removed completely during the 1967 conversion to a hotel. Today, the space is occupied by a new escalator leading up out of the engine room exhibit.

The area may still be haunted though: a tour guide coming out of the engine room saw a darkly clad figure behind her as she left the area on the escalator. Having seen his face, she later identified him as Pedder from photographs. The figure disappeared when she turned away from it briefly.

The Shaft Alley Spectre

Keep a look out for this one as you tour the engine room. Shaft Alley is the long space which provides access to the Queen Mary's propeller shafts.

Many people have seen him over the years. The ghost is dressed in blue-grey overalls, with black hair and a long beard.

Shaft Alley (Port Side) Today

The Swimming Pool

Long said to be the most haunted area on board the ship many people have heard voices here and have felt a presence. Often the sounds of people having fun in the pool are heard, but on investigation there is no-one there.

Some people are supposed to have seen wet footprints appearing - with no feet making them!

Many years ago now, a medium was invited on board the ship and she identified the swimming pool dressing boxes as being the center of the spiritual activity on board the Queen Mary. She called one of the boxes "a portal to another realm".

This is one of the most original, untouched areas of the ship. You can see the swimming pool and the dressing boxes area only via the Queen Mary's guided tour today.

The Swimming Pool Dressing Boxes

Photographs courtesy of a very brave Dave Champagne.

Personally, I remain unconvinced that the ship is haunted (I'll believe it when I see it!). I do however respect the testimony of many god-fearing people who never wanted to see anything, who believe they now have seen things, or heard footsteps following behind them (a very common story indeed).

Mail me if you've had any experiences yourself, and I'll try to see if there are any patterns to them, or recurrent incidents.