Queen Mary turns 80 with free ship-shaped cake and a big prize

Visitors to the Queen Mary in Long Beach on Friday can sink their teeth into the onetime luxury Cunard cruise ship, which turns 80 this year. The ocean liner-turned-hotel will be immortalized in a 20-foot replica cake that will serve more than 1,000 people who turn out for the free reception.

There’s something else special about the ship-crafted dessert. One slice will include a Queen Mary souvenir pin. It’s not edible, but can be exchanged for a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 from England to New York City.

It’s all part of a free admission day to mark eight decades since the ship was launched Sept. 26, 1934, on the River Clyde in Scotland. Highlights of the event:

— A look and taste of the cake designed by Jose Barajas of Mmm Cakes that will be “as close to scale as flour and frosting will allow,” a news release about the event says.

— The cake will be cut by several people, including one of its former passengers, June Allen, who came to America aboard the ship after World War II as a war bride.

— Discounts on tours ($10 each), including an Anniversary Tour that focuses on design and construction of the ship, and parking ($5).

The Queen Mary has a brilliant history as a cruise ship (200,000 people turned out when the ship was launched), a troop ship during World War II (it carried as many as 16,000 troops) and as a Southern California hotel.

The reception begins at 4 p.m. in the Grand Salon and continues through 7 p.m. It’s free and open to the public.

Info: Queen Mary 80th Anniversary