The Grey Ghost Project: A Paranormal Investigation on The Queen Mary

I had the opportunity to experience The Queen Mary in a way I haven’t before. The historic ship hosts a special attraction called The Grey Ghost Project. “Grey Ghost” is the name the vessel garnered when it was used for military transportation during World War II. The project, however, is not at all like the other tours offered and is a methodical, hands-on paranormal investigation of the ship. It’s a novel approach that produced interesting interactions.

To commence the evening, our lead paranormal investigator and guide, Becca, gave our group a brief overview of what to expect. Since it is a real paranormal investigation, there are no special effects implemented to create artificial encounters. She was very transparent and explained that there was no guarantee that we would witness any ghostly activity. Since they initiated The Grey Ghost Project in October 2023, it has been an ongoing scientific exploration of paranormal occurrences on board. With every investigation they’ve conducted with groups like ours, they’ve been documenting video footage and unusual incidents in attempts to piece together the enigma of the haunted ship.

Our guide had a suitcase of paranormal investigation equipment for us to access and use. A few included electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, a spirit box, and even a talking teddy bear. She also brought along a camera to record the excursion. She informed us how the devices worked and how to interpret them. At the commencement, every individual also received a Grey Ghost Project badge and eye mask. More on that later.

We began by descending into what felt like the bowels of The Queen Mary. It was fascinating walking through these lower levels that are typically off limits to the public. Although parts of the ship have been renovated, certain areas still bear the signs of its age, reminding visitors of its long, eventful history.

Our first stop was the infamous haunted swimming pool. If you’re just spending a casual day on the ship, the closest view you can get of the pool is from behind double doors on one of the upper decks. You have to peek through the glass to glimpse what you can. We were taken straight into this vicinity. I soaked in every detail, from the lonely slide to the shallow depths of the pool tile floor.

Becca set up the investigative equipment and kicked off the session by asking out loud if there were any entities that were near that wanted to communicate with us. We were all welcome to pose our own questions to see if we would receive any responses. She told us that certain questions can pique a spirit’s interest and incite activity. It was creepy and entertaining hearing the toy bear chime in with simple phrases that were along the lines of, “I like music.”

Most people in our group, including myself, were hesitant to jump in and throw out questions, but it got easier as the night went on. The main guidelines for asking questions were to avoid triggering topics, keep them simple and phrase them in present tense. I tried to ask at least one question in every room we visited because I wanted to be actively involved in what was happening. I think you get the most out of the experience by participating.   

Although not much interaction occurred in the swimming pool area, that changed as we continued our investigation. It was much to my delight that we were taken inside suite B340. It’s believed to be one of the most haunted guest rooms on the ship and plenty of strange incidents have been reported by people who’ve spent a night in here.

This is where we implemented the Estes Method, a technique that relies on sensory deprivation to communicate with spirits. There were two sets of headphones that blocked outside noise and were connected to a spirit box, which picked up on radio broadcasts. The apparatus is used as a tool to allow ghosts to communicate messages through the radio frequencies. Two volunteers were allowed to try at a time and were instructed to speak out loud whatever words they could make out. The lights were dimmed, and once all the necessary equipment was set up, the volunteers put on their eye masks and sat on the bed. The rest of us took turns asking questions.

Things got quite interesting when two sisters participated and tuned into the spirit box. When you’re wearing the headphones, you can’t clearly hear the other person. All voices sound muffled and barely audible. I know because I wore the headphones later in the evening. The siblings frequently picked up on the same words and would say them almost at the same time. An interesting narrative unfolded between our questions and their responses. It seemed we contacted a spirit who expressed disappointment with their son. One of the paranormal devices also kept lighting up yellow consistently, which was a color that signaled we were making contact with some sort of energy.     

I tested the Estes Method at our next spot, the Rope Locker. The space was bathed in red light and very chilly and hollow echoes resounded all around. When our guide initiated conversation, the yellow light on one of the apparatuses had lit up, indicating there was likely a presence. I put on my eye mask and the headphones. Besides loud static, all I could hear were fragments of voices and music. It took a while before I picked up on any clear words, and a lot of what I made out was from Spanish broadcasts. I must admit it was a little intense having everything blocked out except for the noise emitting from the spirit box. But I’m so glad I had the opportunity to experience the technique on a haunted vessel.

Our final destination was the isolation ward. My husband tried out the Estes Method here and he, as well as other volunteers, picked up on and spoke out several interesting phrases. That concluded our paranormal investigation and we all bid farewell to whatever spirits may have joined us. We ascended to the upper decks and it was back to the land of the living.

The Grey Ghost Project is currently hosting nighttime investigations on weekends. It’s three hours and includes plenty of walking, so make sure you’re prepared to be active. If you’re searching for a unique way to explore The Queen Mary, I recommend this experience. None of the other tours offer this level of interaction. On a side note, Becca shared with us that actor Elijah Wood had joined one of their investigations!

We were also informed that we get access to the footage of our investigation as well as previous ones, so we can review and study them. I learned plenty of fascinating details while taking part in The Grey Ghost Project and enjoyed immersing myself in a paranormal adventure. For a brief period, I was able to truly connect with the historic vessel’s haunted past.   

Where to Stalk

The Grey Ghost Project

The Queen Mary