Whether you spend the night or just a day, you can take a guided tour of the liner's public areas, former officers' quarters, infirmary and the bridge. There is fine dining on board at Sir Winston's, a formal restaurant, and Cafe Promenade, a bistro on the promenade deck. The docking area, called Queen Mary Seaport, is near Ocean Boulevard. There's also waterfront biking, jogging paths and access to public beaches. Pine Avenue, the heart of downtown Long Beach, is nearby, lined with art galleries, restaurants and sidewalk cafes.
Long Beach is Southern California's most important port of call for cruise ships.
And the Revenue Cutter Californian, a tall ship with full rigging, takes passengers onto the high seas for an afternoon or a day or on overnight voyages of three to five days. The Californian is both pleasure craft and training ship, so you may sit back and relax or man the sails or the helm. Gondolas ferry tourists through the canals of Naples Island, an exclusive residential neighborhood. Gondoliers sing, serve refreshments, and regale those on board with tales of the waterfront homes. In late fall, passengers are likely to see whales, and once on the island, the Catalina Conservation Society offers tours to see buffalo and other wildlife.