The RMS Queen Mary
“For me, it is that the Queen Mary lives! She is doing pretty much what she was designed to do over 80 years ago, and that is to be lived in. Admittedly, now she only breasts the oceans of time and her passengers are time travelers, if you will. But her compelling allure lives, along with that almost tangible magic that is hers alone. I am so very proud to call Long Beach my home, because we own the most celebrated ship since Noah’s Ark.” Honorary Queen Mary Commodore Everette Hoard
“Having investigated haunted locations in the past, and being an intuitive and a medium since I can remember, the Queen Mary is one of the most haunted locations in America. There is absolutely no question in my mind. She has her own energy, which makes the experience even more fascinating to me. Truly, I cannot wait to go back and explore the Queen Mary, and have the opportunity to communicate more in depth with those who wait to be heard. “ Cher Garman, The Chicago Files
“I grew up in Long Beach and have visited the Queen Mary as a child, but when I came back as an adult, as I walked around, I took a deep relaxing breath and felt ‘home.’ There was a sense of immediate peace and belonging throughout my whole body. From then on, I visited frequently and took many tours, mostly the paranormal ones. Eventually, I ended up getting a job on board, which I still hold today. I feel very fortunate to get to spend so much time on such a unique historical property.” Amanda Ashley, RMS Queen Mary Employee
“I like to say that the ship is filled with spirits from the past and present. I feel once a person passes, their energy must go someplace. Tragic ends aboard the ship as well as those with a peaceful transition can make way back to the place their love dearly. It’s been said many times that the Queen Mary is alive, a ship with a soul. As the wise man Gandhi said, ‘Where there is love, there is life.’ Her pulse can only get stronger.” Joe Bertoldo, RMS Queen Mary enthusiast
“Built for the arts of peace and to link the old world with the new, the Queens challenged the fury of Hitlerism in the battle of the Atlantic. Without their aid, the day of final victory must have unquestionably been postponed.” Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
“Today, we come to the happy task of sending on her way the stateliest ship now in being. It has been the nation’s will that she should be completed, and today we can send her forth no longer a number on the books, but a ship with a name in the world, alive with beauty, energy and strength! May her life among great waters spread friendship among the nations!” King George V – Queen Mary launch day.
Photo courtesy of Queen Mary Archives
Photo courtesy of Queen Mary Archives
Photo courtesy of Queen Mary Archives
Nicole Strickland
“Nicole brings her serene energy to investigations, and it is absolutely a pleasure to work with her. She has a reverence and respect for the spirits, and is respectful and considerate not only to the spirits, but to the people she is with. Nicole has captured some phenomenal EVP, many of which have been caught while on board the Queen Mary, her favorite “haunt”. She has educated herself on the history and happenings on the Queen of the Seas, and we have enjoyed several evenings with her on this wondrous ship, as well as investigations in Southern California, which include impressions and experiences on a personal level, regarding the death of a cherished family member. Just recently, Nicole had a significant experience while at a cemetery in Alpine. When she told us about it, imagine our amazement that it completely coincided with a personal experience that we both (Dawn and Sharon) had shared together. It was enlightening and comforting. Nicole is humble about her intuitive experiences, and we look forward to further investigations and shared-experiences in the future with Nicole.” Paranormal Researchers, Dawn Gaudette and Sharon Gaudette Hieserich
“Nicole Strickland is a tireless researcher, author, lecturer and Southern California Area Research Director for the Ghost Research Society as well as having her own group. Her latest book, “Haunted Queen of the Seas” is featured in the Stacks store aboard the Queen Mary and is one of the best-selling titles in the Ghost Research Society Press. Miss Strickland is a no-nonsense and practical paranormal investigator that constantly strives for 100% all the time and never settles for second-best. Her ghost hunting techniques are highly regarded and meld very nicely with the strict standards and protocol of the Ghost Research Society and the paranormal community in general. Miss Strickland is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the current modern age of paranormal research!” Dale Kaczmarek
President of Ghost Research Society
“Nicole is my ‘go-to gal’ for Queen Mary history and ghostly activity. Her approach is both professional and informative. Having worked with Nicole several times in the past, she has never disappointed nor displayed anything but pure heart, experience and professionalism. I highly recommend reading her work and booking her for your next radio interview or conference! One of the best in the field and truly one of this community’s sweethearts!” Todd Bates of Haunted Voices Radio
“Nicole Strickland is not merely a ghost hunter. This is not a person that you’ll find searching for random bumps in the night, but a true researcher of the unknown, the paranormal and the unexplained. Not content to sit back and simply read about the work done by others, Nicole is out actively investigating the mysteries that still exist when it comes to ghost and hauntings. There are few who can match her passion and drive for answers about the supernatural and I consider her one of the most dedicated researchers in the the field.” Troy Taylor, Founder, American Ghost Society
”As History Ambassador for the San Diego History Center, I am always on the look-out for experts in their field who can provide another means to learn about the past. Paranormal investigation, and delving into Spiritualism, is always a hot button item for the public, especially as San Diego claims to possess America’s most haunted house. This claim is part of the folklore of the region, and storytelling is the most compelling way we can engage with myths, legends, and tall tales – the essence of folklore.
Nicole Strickland has been the paranormal researcher and storyteller of choice for my guests over the years as she understands the genre deeply, and shares key clues, identifies strategies, and demonstrates equipment used in the investigation process that is engaging, thought-provoking, and an intelligent way to approach what might otherwise be a skeptical subject for some people. She puts the science of paranormal investigation in the hands of the participants so they are actively immersed in the experience to whatever degree they feel comfortable.
Nicole is a passionate paranormal researcher and author, the founder of the San Diego Paranormal Research Society, and is sought out nationally to serve on panels, radio shows, and television interviews in regards to this topic. As she is so thorough in her approach to every investigation or request for understanding of the paranormal phenomenon, Nicole imparts assurance and instills confidence in her clients and participants in your audiences.
She also shows empathy to the energies and spirit forces that she might come across in her experiences. She realizes the gift that she has been given to serve as a connection between two worlds, and doesn’t take that honor lightly. As a result, she will tell you directly that she is not a ghost hunter. Though she doesn’t deny that there are many avenues to pursue when connecting with the spirit world, her approach is one expressing understanding, a willingness to listen, and to offer assurance to those who are unable to fully cross-over. These are the characteristics that make Nicole highly sought after and what makes her such a vital resource in the paranormal community today.” Gabe Selak, History Ambassador, San Diego History Center
“If it came down simply to her successful writing career and foundational work in the field of ghost research, I would find plenty of reasons to admire my friend Nicole Strickland. She is an exceptional person whose drive, laser-focused energy and gift of gliding prose justify her booming popularity. But there is another trait Nicole possesses, which sets her apart from the crowd of paranormal investigators and that is her passionate affinity for places and people whose stories echo history across time and oceans.
Just absorb her works on the legendary RMS Queen Mary and you will come as close to time travel as you are likely to experience. The Haunted Queen of the Seas; The Spirited Queen Mary: Her Haunted Legend and RMS Queen Mary: Voices From Her Voyages all create a smartly readable look at seafaring opulence during peacetime and an urgent re-purposing of a world-class luxury ship during the Second World War.
Meticulously researched and studded with narratives that read like love letters to a legend in repose, Strickland’s works allow the departed souls of the ship’s crew, guests and military personnel take readers page by page on a brisk cruise through the various eras of the Queen Mary as “a prodigy of the seas,” to borrow the author’s phrase for a vessel still shimmering today in retirement at California’s Long Beach Harbor. The big boat endures as elegantly as ever but apparently is stacked from hull to upper decks with an eerie historical residue told in captured whispers by a host of restive voices. In their mirth and mourning, anger and angst, these highly distinct spirits noisily persist in a safe harbor, united in devotion to a glorious past.” Gary Mantz, Co-host, Mantz and Mitchell
1150 KKNW Seattle
