The Ocean Liner Story S/S Great Britain (1843) to RMS Queen Mary 2 (2004) and Beyond
~ Ocean Liner ~ Troop Ship ~ Cruise
Liner ~ Residential Condominium Ship ~
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RETURN
TO THE LOBBY
THE OCEAN LINER VIRTUAL MUSEUM
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The passenger ocean liner is,
without question, the greatest of all man-made construction, especially
as exhibited at the peak of its development from the 1930s onwards.
They were as large then as any skyscraper or any of the world’s
greatest railway stations. But unlike these edifices, locked to the
earth, static upon their foundations, the passenger ocean liners,
fitted with machinery as large as that of any power station, were
powerful, mobile monuments of man’s engineering prowess. Cleaving the
waves at anything up to 30 knots, they were the leviathans and monarchs
of the oceans, and truly were floating cities. In times of war the
ocean liners were often requisitioned for use as troopships and thus
played a key role in transporting large numbers of troops to and from
the war zones.
In their heyday there was great rivalry between shipping lines, especially on the transatlantic route, as the liners were symbols of national prestige and you had to be the fastest and the best. It was the ocean liners and their scheduled liner routes linking Britain (and other ocean liner countries) with the diverse corners of the world that enabled people for the first time to travel long distances between continents on a regular basis.
Today the passenger ocean
liner continues to evolve and adapt to new roles. Since the decline in
their
scheduled liner routes in the 1960s and 70s, they have become cruise
liners and a holiday destination in their own right often becoming
luxurious floating resorts with unparalleled amenities. Now in the
early 21st century there is the emergence of the cruise liner as a
"residential condominium ship" with the first example being The World
launched in 2002. Thus cruise liners have evolved into floating
communities with permanent on board "ocean residences". However some
"residential condominium ships" also have on board suites for
traditional cruise guests. In this gallery we give you an insight into the illustrious history of these great ships from their earliest times to the present day. We hope you enjoy this gallery as much as we have enjoyed writing it. We hope it inspires you to explore the great story of the ocean liner further. |
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19th Century 20th Century 21st Century The Romance of the Ocean Liner Ocean Liner Style The Transatlantic Liners The Trans Pacific Liners The Mailships to the Tropics Honouring the Last Classic Ocean Liners |
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(c) Cruise Ship History Collection 2018 including www.thecunarders.co.uk A TRANSPORT BRITAIN WEBSITE |