DISQUS

Dooley · 1 year ago

Awesome! Theo, I know you had a blast writing this one.

Well done

Theo Douglas · 1 year ago

Dooley,
Thanks, and thanks for reading it.
I did enjoy writing it. I learned a lot about Klingons and Vulcans--and myself.

Queen Scary · 1 year ago

Wow that just proves the Queen Mary truly is cursed!!!!. Deep six her and put a stadium there ASAP.
Or load her and the sub with C4 and run them into the Breakwater and bring back the waves and have a nice diving wreck.....or not.

Martin · 1 year ago

Theo, sorry to say, but you got this one all wrong. The dispute between SEE and the new Queen Mary entity (after the old one filed for bankruptcy late last year after the first exhibit components were already delivered) was over damages that SEE had due to the fact that the Dome should have never been put on the rental market. There were over 40 (!) leaks in the roof that kept damaging the exhibit throughout the run. One Saturday the entire front entrance was flooded so SEE had to put up pallet "bridges" to accomodate the 2,000+ visitors outside to be able to access the Dome. Also, there were some other issues with the QM such as the outragous increased parking fees that the patrons were charged. SEE decided not to pay for the $200,000 "extras" because it had substantial claims against the QM. The initial rent was paid in full and in advance.
SEE has created and built this amazing and highly acclaimed exhibit which will now open in San Diego on June 21 and will continue touring the US for the next 5 years. The promoter that SEE had hired to handle the tour was asked to leave the project after the Long Beach run. The change of ownership has nothing to do with the QM situation (which was eventually settled) or the change of the promoter. This has been an internal arrangement between SEE and its financiers and irrelevant to the continuation of the tour. A new promoter has been hired.

SeeTours Sucks · 1 year ago

Ok the parking was insane but leaking come on. Pallets cost 5 bucks each and what if you have other problems during the five years are you gonna bug out without paying. Sh*t happens and yes it rained when you were here but then you stiffed your promotions people too. Why were they asked to leave ? Was the opening to big for you that you had to put up to many velvet ropes. All those many flash bulbs ? See should stop blaming the QM and take the responsibility by the horns.
Look out just a warning San Diego has this thing called the sun, don't hold out because of not enough shade or sun-screen.

Live Long and Hope You Prosper Martin

Trek Fan · 1 year ago

As a Trek fan, I am really glad it all got straightened out. The exhibition is, as others have said, opening in San Diego (at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, already home to some unique REAL space ships) on the 21st, and will be even better than it was before - and more affordable and accessible, too. Free parking, anyone? Hoorah!

RealMcCoy81 · 1 year ago

Trek fan, nobody says Hoorah anymore. Not even me.

It's at the Air & Space museum, all right. I've seen the trucks & hoisting & banging--lots of work in progress.

Trek Junky · 1 year ago

The San Diego Air and Space Museum just updated their website to make it official.

Star Trek: The Exhibitions

http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/

I watched the video commercial and it looks to be really cool! I really like the fact that parking is free. Hate paying for open space. In any case I've also heard that SEE is no longer running things and that a new company has taken over. So the Exhibit is new and improved!

Jimmy · 1 year ago

I love Star trek and had the opportunity to work on this exhibit starting last November and now for the Long Beach load-out (there it was called Star Trek the tour) and the San Diego load-in. Our company built several sets. For the upcoming tour the promoter dumped a lot of good stuff that will not continue on the tour. San Diego doesn't come close to what the show was in Long Beach. Not even half the size.Too bad. I overheard the supervisor talking about a lot of water damage to most of the costumes and the bridge. They had to replace a lot so be aware of San Diego not being the real stuff. It should still be OK but there is certainly nothing new and improved. A lot lost.

Andy · 1 year ago

Moooommm! I can't find my tricorder and Vulcan ears!....Can you drive me to San Diego in the station wagon? I'll promise I'll move out of the basement if you drive me there. Pleeeeeeeease Moooooooommm!

Doctor Future · 1 year ago

Hilarious, Andy. Of course, the fact that exhibitions like this allow you to step into an awe-inspiring science fiction world that is extremely entertaining, while looking at future technologies that might make all of our lives better, and a positive and hopeful vision of the future, doesn't appeal to anyone other than the stereotype you make fun of. Of course, those people DO exist, but exhibitions like that have mass, wide-ranging appeal.

Jimmy, I don't believe you are who you claim to be. I've heard a lot of insider stuff about this exhibition, and it is going to be the best ever... all the best stuff will be in San Diego. Personally, I can't wait.

Next Generation · 1 year ago

"Jimmy" sounds suspiciously like a disgruntled SEE employee who lost the job after messing up in Long Beach. Sad to see them trying to drag down the whole show with their bitterness.
From what I am hearing from Trek fans who are GENUINELY in the know, this new version of the exhibition is going to be much, much better. A whole reboot of the concept, with the best stuff on display.

Instead of spreading false internet rumors, I'm going to go and enjoy myself in San Diego.

straight shooter · 1 year ago

San Diego will be smaller, and not all pieces will be traveling there (whether these are the "cooler" pieces or not is debateable). There was some damage to set pieces (mostly water stains on carpets), but all the props and costumes were fine.

Sadly, most of the folks at SEE Touring were doing a kick ass job andhad nothing to do with the money SNAFU.

Hope the tour goes well for the fans sake.

UnionMonkey · 1 year ago

The only thing that I know of that was really cool in Long Beach and is not in San Diego was the fullsize TNG bridge. Instead, they have a smaller TNG bridge photo-op, still with Picard's chair that you can sit in. But everything else looks to be there. The Guardian of Forever is even better, more like a fullsize shooting set then isolated like it was before. They've added a Klingon commander chair and backdrop that you can sit in, and other cool stuff.

I got to see both, and I like this one better. It's more refined, elegant, more... Star Trek.

I agree, many of the SEE folks were excellent, a shame it all went wrong. The new company are awesome.

BSnomore · 1 year ago

Why doesn't everybody stop writing this garbage (who are you kidding and who reads this anyway? And who cares?). Do you really think that the Star Trek fans are that stupid. We know that all of these "comments" are written by each opposing marketing fractions and not by real fans. Fact is - whatever was built for Long Beach is part of the exhibit in San Diego. So what's the big deal? How can it be "new and improved" - IT'S THE SAME GREAT STUFF! Unfortunately the attendance in Long Beach was poor. The reasons? Certainly not the quality of the highly acclaimed exhibit that SEE built. The venue and marketing sucked so the old promoter got fired right after Long beach. So now there is a new one, great. So what? SEE still deserves credit for creating the most popular Star Trek exhibit ever. That's what they do. So just stop all of this BS and enjoy the exhibit in San Diego and leave the politics out. The Museum in San Diego is great and the exhibit is great so live long and prosper!

J. David Riva · 1 year ago

Hi there. I am one of those employees that "lost his job" on the Star Trek Tour. In fact I was the Creative Director of the entire thing. I am relieved and happy to see BSnomore's comments. He is absolutely right. It is still wonderful and a great opportunity for all of us fans to experience the cream of the trek crop in a beautiful atmosphere. I was happy to have been a part of this project, as I was also proud of the London "Adventure". There is no doubt that you will find this to be an enjoyable day out and I want all the fans to know that there are no serious reductions of either quality or authentic pieces as far as I can discover. Again - as one of the creators I can only say that this is worth your time, we didn't work for years building this thing for it to be hokey, and apart from one set - it's al there. Finally, all the people down at the San Diego Air and Space museum are consummate professionals - unlike the last hosts- and that will add a needed element of sanity to the event. I am planning to go to the opening (if invited). See you there.

Zardoz · 1 year ago

I just saw it at the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. It is freakin' awesome!!

BSnomore · 1 year ago

I thought we were done with the marketing BS. Can someone who has actually been there write something REAL? I hear the attendance is not good at all, so is it the "new and improved" exhibit or perhaps the actual Star Trek franchise?

Steve Davis · 1 year ago

BSnomore - who made you judge and jury?

I went to it this week. It was packed out. It had the good stuff that the Long Beach one had. It also had other stuff that I hadn't seen there. And I got to meet and talk to some people who had worked on the TV series.

If every time someone enjoys this exhibit says so here and you shoot them down, who is the BS artist, in truth, "BSnomore" ??? It's just silly.

Mr. Riva, thank you for your insighful and interesting comments, which told us a lot.

Mulgrewpie · 1 year ago

Attendance not good? BSnomore, you are the Bs-er. I was there in the middle of the week. There was a line out the door when I arrived. A line out the door when we took a lunch break. A line when we left in the late afternoon. It looked pretty popular to me. I'm told it is that popular every day. It's a great community feel being there, like being at a concert with fans.

The cool thing is, you wind around some real Apollo flown spacecraft and spacesuits while you wait to get in, so that was fun. The wait was short and it was well regulated and spacious inside so it never felt crowded.

I am planning to go back when Comic-Con is on.

Kurt · 1 year ago

I just attended the San Diego exhibition, and was disappointed. I'd read an MSN article describing the Long Beach exhibit, and the SD one was half the size. The Next-Gen bridge was missing. No Picard's chair. No Quark's bar. No Crusher's sickbay. The transporter and Guardian displays were lame money-grabbers and....$27 for a picture postcard of you on the transporter. A very very limited amount of stuff. The whole thing took 45 minutes to see. The sci-fi museum in Seattle is five times the exhibition this is.

LongBeacher · 11 months ago

Kurt, I am wondering if you went to the same place as me. I thought it was amazing. Rather than focus on what was not there, I focused on what was... and had an amazing experience. The rest of the museum was a lot of fun, too, and was included in the price.

Kurt · 10 months ago

I went to the exhibit in Balboa Park, San Diego. I guess that Picard's chair was there, just stuck in a corner or something and we missed it because we were expecting the entire bridge. The whole thing took 45 minutes to get through, taking our time. That's weak. A friend of mine went, and was equally disappointed. I just attended the one in Phoenix, and it's much better. I think it's the stuff that was in Long Beach. The NextGen bridge is there, Kirk's chair, Crusher's sickbay, engineering, Quark's bar, the Orb, etc. The San Diego one was mostly mock-ups to get your (expensive) picture taken. I've seen the Vegas exhibit, the Seattle one, San Diego, and now Phoenix. San Diego was bar far the weakest.

LongBeacher · 7 months ago

Hi Kurt,

No disrespect, but your message doesn't really make sense. The stuff in Phoenix and the stuff in San Diego both came from the same sources - one had the TOS bridge, the other the TNG bridge, but otherwise they were / are the same great exhibitions.

Duane · 1 year ago

So where can one get a schedule of cities and dates for this "new" tour? Please let me know trekwars3000@hotmail.com