Our event will be held in the Royal Salon on the Promenade Deck of the Historic R.M.S. Queen Mary.

On May 27, 1936, the Queen Mary departed from Southampton, England embarking on her maiden voyage. She boasted five dining areas and lounges, two cocktail bars and swimming pools, a grand ballroom, a squash court and even a small hospital. The Queen Mary had set a new benchmark in transatlantic travel, which the rich and famous considered as the only civilized way to travel. She quickly seized the hearts and imaginations of the public on both sides of the Atlantic, representing the spirit of an era known for its elegance, class and style.

Since her retirement from the sea as an active liner in 1967, the Queen Mary has never been more popular as an iconic Southern California attraction, hotel, and venue for special events. The ship carried some 2.2 million passengers in peacetime and 810,000 military personnel in the Second World War, but in Long Beach, an estimated 50 million people have visited.

Guests are invited to get an up close and personal look at the Queen Mary through informative guided tours. From the ship's groundbreaking construction and royal launch as the most luxurious and technologically advanced ocean liner at the time, to her duty as a troopship during WWII, to her golden days of the 1950s, to her earning the nickname, the "haunted ship," the Queen Mary's history is full of action, adventure, romance and paranormal activity. Explore the ship bow to stern, inside and out, and hear unique stories, facts and insights about the Queen Mary with tour expert guides.

Enjoy inspired meals and the classic sophistication of the 1930's in the ship's on-board restaurants & bars, experience the Queen Mary's world-famous Royal Sunday Brunch in the Grand Salon, or venture out and explore other great restuarants and attractions that Long Beach has to offer.

Book your cabin today, at: https://queenmary.com/

(Room accomodations, tours, and restaurant meals/reservations are the responsibility of each guest and are not included-in or associated-with Titanic Anniversary Weekend's registration fees.)

LAURA DECKER WARD

Laura Ward's paternal grandmother, Celena Alexander Yasbeck Decker, was a Titanic survivor. Celena, affectionately called “Celiney,” was a raven-haired, Lebanese 15-year-old bride on her honeymoon when she and several family members boarded the RMS Titanic around 7 p.m. on April 10, 1912 in Cherbourg, France. 

Walter Lord contacted Celena and interviewed her several times throughout the years when composing "A Night to Remember". He credited her in A Night to Remember specifically “providing far more interesting narratives and re-creating the atmosphere in steerage.”

SHELLEY BINDER

Shelley's great-grandmother Leah Aks and great-uncle F. Phillip Aks were among around 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster.

While Leah had made it safely onto a lifeboat as Titanic foundered, she had lost track of her baby. She was tormented for several days aboard the Carpathia before she discovered that he was alive. She was so completely traumatized by the experience that, by her own description, she was in and out of the hospital for 10 months suffering from a 'nervous collapse.'  Shelley's Grandmother was born 11 months later.  

ALEXANDRA BOYD

ACTRESS / SCREENWRITER / DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / AUTHOR / PODCAST HOST

Cast as First Class Woman in James Cameron’s Titanic, Alexandra is also the writer, director and producer of the feature documentary Ship of Dreams: Titanic Movie Diaries (2025) and co-hosts the popular podcast Titanic Talk. Her forthcoming book, The Titanic Diaries to be published by The History Press in 2027, looks into the life of a jobbing Hollywood actor and features a collection of more of the on set diaries written by Alexandra’s fellow Titanic cast mates. The diaries in her film and book give voice to never before told behind-the-scenes stories from the set of Titanic and touch upon the emotional and psychological realities of being a small part of a global and cultural cinematic phenomenon.

Alexandra’s other acting credits include Mr Holland’s Opus, From Paris With Love and one of Britain’s best loved primetime soaps, Coronation Street. She has directed several short films and written a number of screenplays including her directorial debut feature, Widow’s Walk (2019) set and shot in her native Suffolk, UK.

www.alexandraboyd.co.uk 

www.shipofdreamsfilm.com

REBECCA KLINGLER

Titanic movie fans will recognize Rebecca as the 'Mother at Stern', telling her son it would "...all be over soon" as Titanic foundered. Her diaries from on set of the movie are featured in Alexandra Boyd's project, 'Ship of Dreams: Titanic Movie Diaries'.

Her credits also include roles in 'The Green Mile', 'LA Confidential', 'Parks and Recreation', 'How I Met Your Mother', and 'The Odd Couple'.

JAMES PENCA

First taken in by the great Titanic story through "Titanic: Adventure Out of Time" as a six-year-old, James is now proud to consider himself - above all else - a Titanic storyteller. This skill serves him well as the host of the "Witness Titanic" podcast and Creative Director of "Titanic: Honor and Glory." Previously, James worked as a Reseacher for RMS Titanic, Inc. and was honored to join their 2024 Titanic Expedition, during which he lead the search and rediscovery of the lost "Diana" statuette that once graced Titanic's First Class Lounge.

James will be busy throughout this year's Titanic Weekend on The Queen... hosting the real-time sinking with the "Titanic: Honor and Glory" team, recording a live episode of "Witness Titanic", hosting the first Titanic Anniversary Weekend CONCERT, and so much more.  | Witness Titanic

PAUL CARGANILLA

Paul is the host and producer of the "Titanic: Legacy" podcast.

After a 15-year career as an actor and event host in the Southern California Disney theme parks, he became an award-winning independent screenwriter, director, filmmaker, podcaster, and writer. He recently e-published a [FREE download] romantic thriller with scenes on the Queen Mary: "Somewhere: A Second Time".

Paul was invited to participate as an emcee/interviewer in the first Titanic Weekend [hosted by the Titanic Book Club] on the Queen Mary (2024). He then had the honor of independentally organizing and hosting the 'Weekend' last year (2025). This year, he is thrilled to be partnering with James and T.H.G. to bring Titanic Weekend back to the Queen Mary for the third consecutive year.

He's excited to see the friends he's made over the years at this event... and can't wait to meet new friends and fellow enthusiasts in 2026! | www.TitanicLegacyPodcast.com

MATT DeWINKELEER

Matt has been creating a digital Titanic for over a decade, having extensively researched the magnificent ship's tiniest details. His 3D Titanic visuals are famous in "Titanic: Honor and Glory," and thousands worldwide have used his super-detailed Titanic deck plans for their research including Titanic Expedition 2024. Matt is also the manager and executive producer at Vintage Digital Revival.

Titanic: Honor and Glory

KYLE HUDAK

After catching the Titanic Bug in the late 90s, Kyle soaked up all the knowledge he could while sketching Titanic and building her from paper and foam. After tinkering with 3D modeling and creating a Titanic for “Virtual Sailor,” he joined Titanic: Honor & Glory's precursor project in 2010 before moving to THG. Initially tasked with making a basic hull and cleaning up models, Kyle has in recent years led the research and modeling teams in THG’s effort to rebuild Titanic virtually. Kyle's specialization has been in recreating the core structure of the ship from the keel bars to the top-most deck plates. He also conceived and led the development of THG’s new virtual recreation of the Harland & Wolff shipyard.

SARAH BRENNEMAN

Sarah gained an interest in ships all the way back in 1997 with the release of ‘Titanic’, which sparked a lifelong love of the great ship and its many mysteries. Since then, she has worked on a variety of maritime history projects, most notably as a longtime writer and researcher for YouTube channel "Oceanliner Designs," which focuses on the histories of notable liners such as Titanic, Lusitania, Empress of Ireland, Queen Mary, and many more.

Oceanliner Designs (YouTube)

PETER HARWELL

Peter Harwell is a digital documentation specialist whose work focuses on correlating Titanic expedition imagery with historic plans to identify, map, and contextualize artifacts across the Titanic wreck site. During the 2024 expedition, his research helped inform imaging opportunities in the field that contributed to the successful location of the long missing Diana of Versailles statuette. He also serves as a contributing researcher for "Titanic: Honor and Glory," supporting the project’s historically accurate virtual reconstruction through artifact study, interiors research, and wreck site analysis. 

TIM BAKER

Tim Baker is an actor, screenwriter, and author of the Titanic-centered novel, "He Jumped First".

​On the surface, he may be little more than an iced coffee enthusiast, yet below the waterline, he is driven by a lifelong love for history, Art Deco, the timeless glamour of Old Hollywood, and, of course, old ships.

​His connection to the Queen Mary is deeply personal; he previously served as her Chief Officer, where he conducted extensive research and scripted the tours and events that preserve the ship’s vibrant legacy. Tim is honored to be back aboard this "Grand Lady" to commemorate this Titanic Anniversary Weekend.

BRAD PAYNE

Brad's passion for the Titanic began with the initial discovery reports, sparking his curiosity about the ship’s enduring mysteries. This enthusiasm evolved into a dedicated research journey, culminating in over a dozen published papers and a presentation at the University of Puget Sound. His first published book, “11:40 Analysis of Evasive Manoeuvres & Damage Assessment on RMS Titanic,” has received widespread acclaim.

His up-coming book: "Titanic: Conception to Completion", will be dropping in 2026!

Brad is also the founder of the Facebook group 'Titanic Legacy Society'. You can view Brad’s research as well as his impressive collection of artifacts and memorabilia on his website bradmpayne.com.