Uncovering the Queen Mary's deepest secrets

Denis Akbari, USA TODAYThu, October 1, 2026 at 7:20 PM UTC

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The Queen Mary's reputation as one of Southern California's most haunted destinations stems from a history marked by death, mystery, and decades of ghost stories.

During a visit aboard the historic ocean liner, First Officer Danny Rangel shared stories behind the ship's paranormal reputation.

According to Rangel, more than 60 deaths were recorded onboard during the Queen Mary's sailing years. The ship also served during World War II, when many more deaths are believed to have occurred.

"We don't have an exact number of how many deaths occurred during the Second World War, but one of the captains was on board during that time," Rangel said. "It was his belief that they were experiencing one death every four hours."

If true, Rangel said, that would amount to more than 11,000 deaths during the ship's seven years of wartime service.

The stories aren't limited to the distant past. Rangel recalled an experience from about two weeks earlier while opening the engine room for the day. As he passed the infamous Door 13 near a defunct escalator staircase, he said he saw what appeared to be a shadowy figure standing at the top of the stairs.

"I shined my light up there and saw nothing at all," Rangel said. "But when I turned my light back off, the figure was back."

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Rather than investigate, he continued with his day.

"I kind of moved on about my day, figuring, well, if they're not bothering me, I'm not going to bother them," he said.

Rangel believes one theory may explain why so many ghost stories are tied to the ship.

"There is a theory that people will want to spend eternity at one of the places that they had the best time of their lives," he said. "And there's no doubt that countless people have experienced some of the greatest times here on board."

And when visitors arrive, Rangel said, that's when the spirits seem most active.

"When the people are here, that's when the spirits seem to like to come out and play," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Uncovering the Queen Mary's deepest secrets

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