The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Hosts Its First Ever Summerween Event

For the first time ever, The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor presented a special summerween event, Feast: Butcher’s Blackout. It was held this past June on Friday the 13^th, a very fitting date for such a blood-soaked affair, with a second date added on June 14^th due to an unprecedented response. The creators behind Dark Harbor decided to bring Halloween to the historic ship early this year. Horror and haunt enthusiasts definitely showed up and the attraction sold out both days. I’m a huge fan of Dark Harbor, so there was no way I was going to miss attending opening night.

First, I have to share the madness I encountered just to purchase tickets. I signed up to the early access list and when it was my turn in the online queue to select a time slot, they were literally selling out faster than I could blink. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to snag any tickets, but fortunately there was availability for 7 p.m. on lucky Friday the 13^th.

Now, onto the main attraction. Butcher’s Blackout broadens the narrative of the Feast maze that has been part of past Dark Harbor events. The Feast maze focuses on the bloody deeds of The Chef, a butcher on the ship who had ambitions to become The Queen Mary’s head chef. After many years in his role, he became infuriated serving snobbish first-class passengers. So, he took it upon himself to remedy the issue by slaughtering them one by one.

Butcher’s Blackout shares the origin story of the demented chef. The haunt was set up inside the ship on the lower level near the engine room. As the name suggests, it was completely dark. We were given red glow sticks to navigate our way through the attraction. There was no way I could take pictures or record, but I wanted to immerse myself in the experience anyway.

It was interesting how the maze played with our senses. Since I couldn’t see objects and figures clearly, I had to rely on other senses, such as touch and hearing, to get to the finish. It was very humid in this part of the vessel, which added to the ominous atmosphere. There were gory displays showcasing dismembered bodies being served for dinner. Jump scares were spread throughout the attraction, and you never knew what you would encounter as you rounded another corner or entered a different room.

Suffice it to say, I survived and at the end of the haunt was an even grander feast awaiting guests—Spirits of Dark Harbor.  The bar was serving cocktails and mocktails and the décor was to die for as there were heads and human remains on platters and tables. I even had an encounter with the infamous Chef but got away unscathed.

I’m glad Dark Harbor decided to host a haunt during summer. It got me amped up for what scares they have in store this Halloween season. The attraction took about 10 to 15 minutes to walk through. The bar area filled up fast as patrons were making their way out of the maze. The entire bottom portion of the ship was really warm, so I stayed only a few moments before going to get some fresh air on the upper decks. However, there were plenty of seating areas for people to mix and mingle while imbibing libations.

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is slated to return this September, and announcements will be made as the time nears. You can sign up on their website to get updates and be the first to hear about ticket sales.

Where to Stalk

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor official website