PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING: This is a message for only a select few people about to comment: This is NOT a popularity contest between the these ships. Personally, Queen Mary is my favorite ship of all time, so it MAKES SENSE that I would have her as #1. I apologize if my mind is not a replica of yours and if my favorite ship is not your favorite ship. I'M NOT trying to make it seem like Queen Mary was better than any of them, nor am I trying to ignore the accomplishments of other liners. This video is not about "Top 10 best liners of all time", no, this is "MY Top 10 Favorite Ocean Liners". Just because Titanic or Olympic are not on the list doesn't mean I can't appreciate them or find them beautiful, it just means I have other ships I favor a bit more then them.
@@jjsmith4829 most people hate my answer to this question. But I have two criteria for what ship makes my "favorites list". Beauty & History. SS Normandie had a very very short history, by no fault of its own, but nevertheless there isn't much history of mention. As for beauty, I prefer ships with more subtle beauty, something as they say is "understated". I think of the Queen Mary as a woman dressed in a smart cocktail dress, ready for any occasion, but to me, Normandie is like one of those runway models dressed in something really silly and impractical that no one would wear to any occasion. Sure, the runway model is dressed in clothes designed by the world's best designers...but the funky clothes aren't something even most celebrities would wear. Therefore, the runway model arrives over-dressed to every occasion.
For me, RMS Olympic i is one of the most beautiful liners ever built. The open promenade on A Deck, the balance of the 4 funnels and two masts, the sheer and camber. Just perfection!
It was a sister ship to the Titanic and the Britannic they were almost identical. all the same length, and all with four funnels. there were very little differences. Titanic being the most oppulant of the three.
@@musicauthority7828 Titanic's closed promenade deck made it the best looking out of the three ships in her class. It had real aesthetic beauty with a perfect balance from the bridge section all the way back to the stern.
I'm slightly upset that at least Olympic didn't make the list, but I understand this is your list and you have different takes than I do. Even my own top 10 ocean liners keep changing throughout the years! Titanic will always be my favorite, since she was the one that got me into ocean liners in the first place and just looks right in my opinion. As much as I admire the Cunard liners, for instance, there are always some minor details that put me off, like, as much as I love QE2, she doesn't have enough sheer. I also love SS France/Norway, but her breakwater looks like a snow plow. Perhaps if RMMV Oceanic ever had been a thing, I would have liked her even more than Titanic.
I’m so glad the Queen Mary is finally getting it’s badly needed repair and restoration work. I love visiting her (even if only viewing from afar) when I am in Long Beach. She is so majestic and historically significant that it would be a tragedy to lose her.
Alex, I can't say enough about your narration, information and use of old B&W photos and film. I was HAPPY to see you included RMS AQUITANIA, so underaided by so many. Thanks again for the HARD work you put into your videos.
@@AlextheHistorian Did you get my email the other day? It's about a video on youtube that happened to show by chance the Aquitania in the breakers yard.
Yes, The Aquitania is definitely my favorite ship. I wish it bridge looked more like the Olympic classes bridge but other than that it was a wonderful liner and a mighty steed.
I'm glad to see Queen Mary 2 made the list! People tend to think that ship is ugly or "too much like a cruise ship", but I think Queen Mary 2 is much more that a boxy cruise ship. Queen Mary 1 is also my favorite ship!
Nice to see some love for the Rex! Kind of a forgotten liner given she had such a brief run before the war. Kind of ironic that the Italian line should bet so heavily on two ships to be lost tragically.
Great list! Though I would like to correct a couple inaccuracies regarding Aquitania. Aquitania was launched on April 21, 1913, not April 21, 1914. She also isn’t considered a sister ship to Lusitania and Mauretania, but was just a running mate.
Trivia: Robert Reed (from TV show The Brady Bunch), out of his own pocket, took the "Brady kids" on the QE2 to England and then back again to New York. There were some shenanigans during the return trip. Read Growing Up Brady by Barry Williams.
Wonderful list! I agree with many of the choices - certainly your number 1! Those who are casual liner fans might be surprised Titanic isn't number 1, but as you learn more she settles into her proper role as one of many beautiful ships. Many of your viewers will have their own favorites, and that's part of the fun. There's a lot to discover, and appreciate, in the history of the great liners.
Thanks! Yes I once started out as a Titanic fan, the only ship i cared about was Titanic, but like you said, after you learn about more ships, Titanic settles into place
Another fantastic video as always !! Kudos Alex !! Wonderfully written script and faultless narration.You put such emotion and loving care in your speaking voice!! The choice of photos and live action film clips was great!!! I applaud your choices. Ten Magnificent Ships !!! All beautiful and noteworthy!! I was pleased and surprised at the inclusion of one of my all time favorites, SS France (1912) !! A truly beautiful classy ship inside and out. So often sadly overlooked in a crowded field. PS. Everyone, these lists are always subjective, no matter who is writing them ! And this is America, where everyone has a right to express their opinions!! So Back Off trolls, haters and overindulged “ Helicopter “ children!! Anyway Alex , you rock ! And keep up the fantastic job!!
A good list with some surprises to be sure. My list is as follows... 1. SS United States, as the only great liner and only Hales Trophy winner to fly under the Stars and Stripes I have a special place in my heart for this beautiful ship. 2. SS France circa 1960, the last of the 1000 footers, the last of the great French Line ships. She holds a special place for me because I actually traveled aboard her in her second life as SS Norway. It broke my heart to see her scrapped. 3. RMS Mauritania, she and her sister Lusitania were the first of the quadruple screw turbine powered liners. She had a long and prosperous life and she is forever linked in my mind with Sir Arthur Rostran, who became famous as captain of the Carpathia during the Titanic disaster. 4. SS Normandie, one of the most innovative ships ever built and certainly one of the most beautiful. She was tragically gone before her time, thanks to a fire during her conversion to troop carrier while in the care of the US Navy in early 1942. 5. SS Il de France, innovative in a different way from the Normandie. The Il de France was the great divide in marine interior decorating. Period revivals had been the standard before she came on the scene but she established Art Deco afloat and became so famous for her interiors she created what some historians refer to as Ocean Liner Style interior design. 6. RMS Queen Mary, a superlative ship for a superlative company. She would be the last Cunard, indeed the last British Blue Ribband holder and while I find her interior design and her exterior devoid of creativity or daring one can not argue with her long and illustrious career or her yeomen service as a troop carrier in WW2. 7. SS Europa/SS Liberte, the ocean liner that refused to die. This ship sank at her fitting out birth just weeks before she was scheduled for her maiden voyage then sank again in Le Havre harbor after striking the submerged wreck of the SS Paris. But in both cases she was raised, repaired and put into service as one of the largest and fastest ships afloat. It was her and her sister ship SS Bremen who kicked off the second major round of Blue Ribband wars as she and Bremen finally took the speed crown back from the RMS Mauritania after an incredible quarter of a century as reigning champion. 8. RMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ocean liner ever built until the advent of RMS Queen Mary 2. Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary dominated the Atlantic in the last years before the advent of air travel and her end was nearly as tragic as SS Normandie, burning and sinking in Hong Kong harbor in the early 70s. On her maiden voyage she was captained by Sir James Bissett one of Sir Arthur Rostran's junior officers on the Carpathia. 9. RMS Olympic, she led a far longer and more prosperous life than either of her tragic sisters and was certainly well loved by her passengers and crew alike. Now she is barely known to history outside of her connection to Titanic which has it's own kind of tragedy for such a fine ship. 10. SS Andrea Doria, another ship who's career was tragically cut short in early middle life thanks to her collision with SS Stockholm. She was a beautiful ship inside and out and she was the first of the post WW2 Italian Liners. Honorable mentions... Ships that I love but which did not make this list include Titanic, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Rex, Aquitania, Paris, France circa 1910 and the original Oceanic.
I have been a ocean liner fun since second grade and I am still a big fan of ocean liners and I really appreciate that people make these kind of videos. everytime I watch these kind of videos I get to learn more ships and I feel inspired and I have my own ocean liner models and one day I hope to be a person like you Who inspires people like me
That’s a respectable list. Such magnificent ships. I must say, my list would include Carpathia; not because she was a spectacular ship, but from what I understand she was a good ship, a trusted workhorse, helped Cunard reposition for solvency, and, of course, for another obvious reason. Watching this made me realize the British were not very good at naming ships in the later years. Four Queens, two with simply “2“ tacked on.
The naming of Queen Elizabeth 2 was an accident. But it was a name that came to be loved and so when the next Queen Mary went into service, they wanted to remind people that she is merely named after another magnificent vessel.
Just thought I'd share my list of favourite ships, in no particular order: 1) RMS Titanic 2) MV Britannic/Georgic ('30's) 3) SS Rex/Conte Di Savoia 4) SS Leviathan 5) SS Paris (1921) 6) SS France (1912) 7) SS Andrea Doria 8) RMS Lusitania 9) TSS Normandie 10) RMS Queen Mary And if I can add a couple more: 11) SS Empress of Britain (1931) 12) RMS Homeric (1913)
The Queen Mary is also my favorite ❤. The thing that matters the most for me is the interior of the ship, and even knowing that the Normandie was more luxurious, if I was to travel aboard her, I wouldn't feel confortable; and I don't say that because I don't like the Normandie, she is on my top 10, but for me a ship not only needs to be beautiful, it also needs to make you feel cozy, so that you can relax and have a good voyage
I like your list. Personally, I think the Titanic gets more coverage than it deserves, ironically, because it sank! These days, only people like us remember The Olympic, yet it was virtually the same design! Thank you for the video!
@@frankcarino7643 Besides, Queen Mary was butchered in the end, so there's that. Plenty of people would like to see how the ship from 100 years ago looked like, but no, they went for easy way, just gut everything out and put big profit margins xD
RMS Olympic is my fav tbh. The fact she overlived her 2 younger sisters and have had a remarkable career during ww1 and just was scrapped because of the great depression makes it my nr. 1
Awesome list! I sure wish there were more preserved, imagine the Aquitania or Olympic as a floating hotel somewhere. Well I guess the reality just makes the Queen Mary that much more special
@Alex the Historian great video as always! Just little corrections regarding the Rex: the Conte Di Savoia wasn't her sister ship, not at all. They were designed separately for two different lines (Rex for the Navigazione Generale Italiana and the Conte for the Lloyd Sabaudo), but these merged and the two rivals became running mates on the same route. Some key differences include the Rex being significantly larger and older in terms of interiors (Rex also was one of the last liners with a clipper stern while the Conte had a modern cruiser stern) and the Conte had much more modern interiors. The Conte had the innovative giro-stabilising system, which the Rex didn't have since they were two completely separate ships. By the outbreak of WW2 in 1939 until the Italian declaration of war in 1940 the Rex and Conte were some of the last liners still operating commercially between Europe and North America and a lot of Jews had escaped on them. By 1944, the Kingdom of Italy had already signed the armistice and joined the allies, but the Republic of Salo in the north, a puppet state of Germany, had both liners under control. Rex's fittings had already been looted by the Germans when it was probably being towed to block the harbour or to ground it, and thus it was sunk by RAF and SAAF planes.
I see. I found a lot of incorrect information. That disappoints me. Well this is why I tell people I never make a history video about a particular subject unless I've had several months to develope it, because when people ask me to do "quick research" this is exactly what happens. Well thank you for pointing these things out, I've just looked up a few different websites that confirmed your information
@Alex the Historian no problem at all pal! Unfortunately this is a pretty common misconception all over the internet and worse I have read entire books that copied and pasted wrong information from old Wikipedia articles (333 Schiffe, die man kennen muss! is an example), and there's little that can be done about that. If you're looking for great sources, I strongly recommend you read books by Maurizio Eliseo (by many considered one of the top historians in terms of ocean liners) or Paolo Piccione. They also help with a website entirely focusing on the legendary Italian liners, and it's called, you guessed it, italianliners.com, it's worth checking out. If you have any doubts, be sure to ask me, I'll help!
1) MV QE2 2) RMS Queen Mary 2 3) SS Andrea Doria 4) SS United States 5) RMS Queen Mary 6) RMS Olympic 7) RMS Aquitania 8) RMS Mauretania 9) SS France 10) RMS Titanic
My list... I favor 19th century ships 10) RMS Titanic 9) SS City of New York 8) RMS Britannia 7) RMS Mauretania 6) RMS Persia 5) SS Elbe 4) SS City of Rome 3) RMS Connaught 2) SS Brother Jonathan 1) SS Great Eastern If I was alloted an 11 and 12 11) RMS Queen Mary 12) SS Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse
@@uniquely.mediocre1865 No, im saying that some of these ships are from the 1900s (20th-century) and arnt from the 1800s (19th-century). You say that the the mauritania is one of your favorite 19th-century ships when it was actually built in the 20th century.
My list: 10.oslofjord (1948) 9.ill de france 8. SS france (second one) 7. mauretania 6. stockholm (not the one that collided with andrea doria) 5.rms franconia (20s) 4.stavangerfjord 3.queen mary 2.queen elizabeth 1. ms oslofjord (1938)
You did it! Yeah, your list was slightly surprising in some areas. Namely the inclusion of Kronprinz Wilhelm and exclusion of Olympic. The former is one I don't believe I've EVER seen on a top 10 before, fascinating a story as he had. And the latter, being Titanic's older sister aside, had one of the most legendary careers of any liner in history. But, I figured that she'd have to battle it out with Mauretania for the #2 spot, and I gave Mauretania the advantage. In other areas though, I wasn't surprised, least of all with your #1. Wonder who saw that coming. 🤣 But seriously, she's a solid choice, a solid ship, and I firmly back your decision. I think what it was about your list that amazed me wasn't so much who was on it, but more so in what order you put them in. As for my top 10, the list is likely to change a bit later, specifically near the end. It was near impossible for me to make such a ranking since there are so many liners I am deeply fond of, but I feel pretty comfortable with what I have as of now. The criteria here was basically which ships stirred my imagination the most. They are as follows: *1. Titanic -* Pretty obvious one, but for the life of me I just couldn't bring myself to replace her. Like many, she was the ship that got me into liners, and after an epic journey that saw me meet and learn about so many of the other liners, great and small, I still believe that she is the most beautiful vessel I've ever laid eyes on. What really draws me into her though is her character. I believe every ship has an individual personality and I'm sure you not only agree, but understand exactly what I mean. Titanic was supposed to be the greatest ship in the world, yet would've had the challenge of making a name for herself in the shadow of Olympic and then newer, larger vessels. Her sinking ensured she'd be in no one's shadow, albeit not the way anyone planned, and not only do I feel like I can just relate to her a lot, but I am also filled with the resolve to not let her sinking be what ultimately defines her. *2. United States -* If Titanic were to go on to live the life she deserved, the Big U would be in the number one spot. She's everything I could ever want in a ship: big, sleek, fast, blue _(even if it is just the tip of her funnels),_ built right here in the USA, an engineering MASTERPIECE, and all sucked in with gorgeous good looks. To put the cherry on top, she's also the first ocean liner I've ever come across in person. All in all, she is just awe-inspiring. *3. Queen Mary 2 -* I don't care what anyone says: QM2 is just as stunning a ship as all the old liners. Being the first ocean liner built this century and also a technological marvel in her own right, this one is an especially personal connection to me, as she was launched just mere months after I was born, and I feel both of us are partaking in the same dream to shoot for the stars and make history. *4. France -* The 1960 liner. She's just beautiful. She was the spiritual daughter of the Normandie and gave France one last chance at having a ship of state to behold. She served as the last hurrah for the Golden Age of transatlantic liners, and in her new, perhaps even more successful life as the Norway, she gave birth to cruising as we know it today. If it weren't for that boiler explosion, I'd bet you everything that she'd still be here today, and I'm honored that my life at least briefly intersected with that of this legendary liner. *5. Queen Elizabeth 2 -* There is perhaps no ship that I have watched more documentaries of and come back to repeatedly than the QE2. For a few years I was part of the online forum, The QE2 Story, the first online forum I've ever joined. And I couldn't stop asking questions, because this ship was the one that single-handedly saved the transatlantic run and design-wise, she was the biggest game changer of them all. For so many years she was the last transatlantic liner in service, and if fate would've had it that way, once she went out, that'd be it. So I hold this ship in very high regard, and btw you may have noticed by now that my top 5 consists mainly of modern liners. *6. Olympic -* What a story this ship had. At one point, she almost took Titanic's place for my #1 spot. Once again, she had one of the most legendary careers - stories actually - of any liner, imho second only to the Queen Mary, and in my other, very firm opinion, the most powerful, to which I won't bother going off about it. Big Old Boats already did a fantastic job on that. *7. Queen Mary -* Lucky #7! And it suits her. This is perhaps the most famous ship of all time whose name isn't Titanic, and the stories about her that you've shared only make my fondness for her grow. May she stay with us all the way to the end of time. *8. Mauretania -* If I had to pick a Cunarder with a career second to the Queen Mary, it'd have to be this absolute great. Whenever I think of the Blue Riband, Mauretania is perhaps the first ship that comes right into mind. She held it in both directions for a combined 22 years, longer than any other liner save of course for the Big U, and even after the Bremen took it generations later, the old greyhound nearly won it back, shattering her previous records every single try. It'd be the coolest thing ever if she pulled it off. Speed aside, she also led one of the finest careers of any ship to set out to sea, and earned the praise and adoration of the entire world. And she had interiors that I believe very strongly inspired those of the Queen Mary, specifically what made them so beloved: while Lusitania was the prettier ship in my view, Mauretania just had that warm, cozy atmosphere that would've made me feel right at home. To think that if it weren't for the Great Depression, she could still be here today. *9. Britannic -* While there was no way I couldn't have all three Olympic-class sisters here, this proved to be a bit of a tough decision, since Britannic wasn't around for that long. In fact, she never even saw passenger service, but to spare myself from going any longer than necessary, the more I think about it, the more her personality seems to remind me of Titanic. The theme of having so much going for you and yet having so much to live up to. For the few months that she sailed as a hospital ship, she proved she was more than capable of living up to it. In fact, she probably already had. *10. Vaterland -* Now here's one you don't see every day. First off, I HAD to have a German liner in the list: when Germany isn't out causing world wars, they are cranking out works of art and architecture that set the standard for which all others are matched. Vaterland once again represents to me the theme of untapped potential, when he was transferred from his successful but very brief life in Germany to America. We never did a great job at operating him, and when he was sold for scrap, no one save for one soul came to wish him good bye. Still, he ended up being our first superliner, the job Mr. Gibbs did on him helped that man's career take off, and then he also bore the name of the Biblical sea monster, Leviathan, which I think is really, really cool. That took a while. 😪
10.SS Rex 09. SS New York 08.Queen Mary 2 07.SS Titanic 06.SS Olympic 05.Queen Mary 04.RMS empress of Ireland 03.SS Traffic 02.SS France 01. RMS Oceanic
This list is very interesting and each choice is a quick informative page My list 10. Kaiser Wilhelm Der Große 9. Andrea Doria 8. Lusitania 7. Aquitania 6. Titanic 5. Queen Elizabeth 2 4. MV Britannic (1930s) 3. United States 2. Olympic 1. Britannic in her WSL Livery
I'm serious I love RMS Britannic as she feels soo unique out of the Olympic trio. The pipe organ, the children's playroom,the new areas. I would've loved to see Britannic like that irl had she survived
Oooh, a top ten ocean liners video, time to get angry! (clicks play) Actually, I like this list. It's unique, a lot of very atypical picks. Interesting choices for sure. I wish the original Queen Elizabeth got more love, she had some very pretty interiors but lived perpetually in QM's shadow.
Yeah I had never intended to make this video because I figured since Titanic wasn't on it, people would yell at me, but I knew I had a unique list and thought, hey people might like it! Yes I agree, Queen Elizabeth was marvelous
It's nice to see a list that is more than the same big famous ones everyone does and you certainly did your research picking some comparatively obscure ships.
Just fyi.... the hikawa maru is also a surviving pre ww2 ocean liner. MV Astoria (formerly stockholm) is sort of still in service... it was operational up to covid, then was sold but hasnt started cruising again under the new ownership thus far
My top ten favorite ocean liners: 1. RMS Queen Mary (1936) 2. SS Normandie (1935) 3. SS France (1960) 4. RMS Olympic (1911) 5. SS United States (1951) 6. RMS Queen Elizabeth (1938) 7. RMS Mauretania (1906) 8. RMS Lusitania (1906) 9. RMS Caronia (1947) 10. SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1937)
the queen mary 2 is my number 1 favorite ship because of the cruise-ship like looks. i rlly thought queen mary 2 was a typical cruise ship and that she was the only ocean liner in service till this day (2023) it came last week to my place in sydney like 2 weeks ago but i didn't have a chance to see it.
Your decision regarding Titanic might surprise some, but not me. In many ways, Titanic is more famous for her death than for her life. IMO a truly great ship is beautiful, dependable, and enduring. I give you full credit for citing the Oceanic on your top 10. It's a novel choice, I believe you're the first liner historian I've seen to do so.
1. RMS Queen Mary 2. SS Great Britain 3. RMS Olympic 4. SS Normandie 5. RMS Queen Elizabeth 6. RMS Queen Mary 2 7. RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 8. SS Bremen 9. RMS Titanic 10. SS United States
My current Top 12: 1. SS/MS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969-2008) 2. RMS Olympic (1911-35) 3. RMS Aquitania (1914-49) 4. SS Ile de France (1927-58) 5. RMS Adriatic (1907-34) 6. SS United States (1952-69) 7. MV Britannic (1930-60) 8. SS France/SS Norway (1962-74, 1980-2003) 9. SS Europa/SS Liberte (1930-39, 1950-61) 10. SS Belgenland (1923-36) 11. RMS Majestic (1922-36) 12. RMS Empress of Britain (1931-40)
Your list is identical to mine! Different reasons of course, but this was an awesome video! My Great Grandmother emigrated from Germany on the Kronprintz Wilhelm. I have a great picture of that! And I've slept on Queen Mary in Long Beach. Neat bookends 😃
It all makes sense now! I knew Queen Elizabeth's interiors were Art Deco...but something was off about that in my thinking. And now I can see the modernism in her design.
My list would probably be: 1. SS United States 2. SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse 3. RMS Olympic 4. SS Andrea Doria 5. RMS Mauretania 6. RMS Majestic 7. SS America 8. RMS Queen Mary 9. SS Leviathan 10. RMS Aquitania
You and I share the same #1. The Queen Mary has been a deep part of my life since I first visited at just four years old. I even proposed to my wife aboard her. ❤️ The Lizzie would be my #2 as she took my grandfather from his hometown of SF to Sydney during WWII...the only time in history either of the original Cunard Queens would have any reason to be here. Nice to see the German four stackers represented...they don't get nearly enough attention as they should. 🤗 And I just gotta say...I like the Lucy just a bit more! 😝
I don't blame the choice of choosing Queen Mary, afterall she was one of my favorites. Titanic is my #1 favorite mostly because of both the Movie and just how Beautiful she is. It was also my favorite childhood movie. Once again, i fully respect your opinion.
Even one of the Olympic Class ships deserves to be on the list at least because of their unmatched design. In my opinion the wasn’t a ship designed as lineal, symmetric, simple and gorgeous as the Olympic class liners have been designed ever! Could cry that you didn’t included one of them 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Each of us have our own prejudices which lend our hearts one ship over the other. If both exterior and interior aesthetics were the most salient characteristics of the "best ocean liners of all time," I would place in the top positions: SS Normandie, SS L'Atlantique, SS France (II), RMS Queen Mary 2, RMS Titanic. The elegant, brilliant, and revolutionary design of Normandie is inescapable - revolutionary bulbous bow to balanced stern - unobtrusive funnel uptakes - prow to flagstaff - grand multi-story rooms hitherto impossible at sea - aesthetic glory both inside and out - affords her pride of place among all the great liners of the world's history. She remains the final COLLECTIVE word in maritime aesthetics, hotel, engineering, and luxury.
USS United States was the never-built super aircraft carrier that was almost built in her place. It's just SS United States for the passenger liner. XD
My favorites are pretty similar, but 10 would be Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, omit QE2 and add a tie for 7 among all three Olympic sisters, omit SS France and add for 3 the SS U.S., and 2 would be S.S. America. Fun video!!
Ngl something about the Lusitanias lines looks so simple and elegant, I think it looks better than the aquatania because it’s smaller and the proportions work better. Titanic got me into ocean liners but honestly I think the Olympic class kinda looks a bit sterile compared to Cunarders.
@jdslyman never even thought about it that way, yes they had some differences, but you are right the interiors were nearly identical, the Lusitania and sisters all had different style interiors, and they were far from identical (aquatania might be arguably a totally different class)
Great list! I'm gladly surprised by your inclusion of the SS Rex, which gets often overlooked despite its grandeur and beauty. My personal list would go like this: I. SS Andrea Doria II. RMS Queen Mary III. RMS QM2 IV. SS Normandie V. RMS Berengaria / Imperator VI. SS Rex & SS Conte Di Savoia VII. RMS QE2 VIII. SS France IX. RMS Mauretania X. RMS Aquitania
Hi Alex my name is Nick and I'm from the Netherlands, I just wanted to mention that we also have a classic ocean liner preserved here in the Netherlands, she's called the SS Rotterdam, you should do some research on her she has quite a interesting history.
They were the best ships ever produced. my Grandmother immigrated to the US from England. aboard a Cunard Line ship in the late 1920s. because my father was born in the US on 06-08-1930. my Grandmother told me stories about the Titanic. she was nine years old at the time. I remember her telling about the great loss of life. and people looking for their loved ones after the tragedy. there's a distinction between the White Star Line ships. and Cunard Line ships. all White Star Line ships are designated by having IC at the end of their names. and all Cunard Line ships were designated by IA at the end of end of their names. except for the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth ships. which were produced later. even though the Titanic never completed it's maiden voyage. it's still one of my favorite ships.
Alex, excellent production! Cool that Rex was on the list. I’ve always been fascinated by Normandy. It had some beautiful lines. PS. I always though RMS stood for Royal Mail Steamer. Did I have that wrong? All the best
It really doesn't matter. Royal Mail Ship; Royal Mail Steamer; Royal Mail Steamship. From what I've seen it's generally one of those three terms. You can take your pick, although I'd say Royal Mail Ship is the better term, as it covers all types of ships: sailing vessels, steamers, diesel-electric, nuclear if anyone decided to do that, etc.
Kaivara is right, it really doesn't matter because it generally refers to those three terms. Today it means Royal Mail Ship, that's why the Queen Mary 2 is referred to as RMS. She's not a steamship so it wouldn't make sense to call her that. And before there were steamships, there were masted sailing ships that held the title RMS.
My favorite ocean liners would be If 15 were allowed 15) SS Rex 14) RMS Queen Mary 13) SS America 12) SS Bremen 11) SS Normandie If only 10 10) RMS Lusitania 9) RMS Oceanic 8) RMS Olympic 7) RMS Aquitania 6) RMS Mauretania 5) SS United States 4) RMS Queen Mary 2 3) SS France 2) RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 1) RMS Queen Elizabeth (by far) Nice vid and I actually can agree with yer list
List update: 15) SS Rex 14) SS America 13) RMS Lusitania 12) RMS Aquitania 11) RMS Queen Mary 10) SS Bremen 9) RMS Olympic 8) SS United States 7) RMS Oceanic 6) RMS Queen Mary 2 5) SS France 4) RMS Mauretania 3) RMS Mauretania (1938) 2) RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 1) RMS Queen Elizabeth and IJN Yamato (like actually Yamato had and an AC and Heater + it was actually very luxurious for a battleship)
Seems as if you like Cunard liners, can't blame you, Cunard probably made the most beautiful, innovative and succesful liners ever, and they deserve to be on the list.
Mine are 10) Queen Elizabeth 9) America, 8) Caronia ('49), 7) Nieuw Amsterdamn, 6) France ('12) 5) L'Atlantique 4) Paris 3) Ile de France 2) Empress of Britain ('31) 1) Normandie
I went from LeHarvre, France, to NYC on the SS United States in 1963. I was 14 years old at the time. My father was in the Army and there were a lot of dependents being put on it. It was was heavily subsidized by the US Government. If war broke out in Europe, it was to be used as a troop ship. The propulsion system was classified Secret. It was quite a treat and very luxurious, and even published a daily paper. The crossing took 4 days plus a number of hours. The last I heard the ship is docked in Philadelphia. It's been completely gutted and is rusting away.
I spent a portion of my honeymoon aboard the Queen Mary. Good choice! Love this list. We don’t need no mo Titanic! (Or, as my wife says … Jack! Jack! Jack! Jack! Jack! …)
6:46 She wasn't a sister ship to either the Lusitania or Mauretania. She was a running mate, meant to compete with the size and speed of White Star's Olympic Class.
I'm not sure "compete with the speed" is quite correct. True she was more in line with the Olympic Class in terms of speed, but that made her slower. She was big, luxurious, but "slow" like the Olympic Class, as opposed to her "smaller" slightly less luxurious but faster step sisters.
I notice most of the ships had either 1, 2 or 4 funnels. The QM1 was one of the few (or only?) of the major ships that had 3 stacks. An admittedly superficial aspect of an ocean liner, but something about the number 3 makes me think of the 3 sides of a pyramid. Or a certain type of symmetry of the first odd number after 1. Four funnels make me think of the Titanic, while 1 or 2 of them look like the crown of a ship isn't yet complete.
My top favourite ocean liners would be the 1. RMS Adriatic 2. RMS Majestic 3. RMS Britannic 4. RMS Lusitania 5. SS Great eastern 6. SS France 1960 7. RMS Queen elizabeth 8. SS United states 9. SS City of new york 10. Kaiser wilhelm der grosse
1:21 I was wondering when I saw this view if today we would be able to make paints strong enough to resist the abrasion of the speed combined with the seas that this bow has undergone during the crossing? 🌊🚢
Some improvements were made to the formula of the paint, but the thing that protects the paint even more today, is the bulbous bow at the front of the ship, it reduces the bow wave and pushes the seas aside, preventing the paint from getting sheered off.
Only one of those three meet the criteria of my statement "last remaining transatlantic ocean liner built prior to World War II". And that would be SS Great Britain,
Another great video. Can I put in a word for the Great Western - first ship to steam across the Atlantic on a regular service. Also the Great Britain - first transaltlantic liner built of metaland with a propeller instead of paddle wheels. this ship is still preserved in Bristol.
PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING:
This is a message for only a select few people about to comment: This is NOT a popularity contest between the these ships. Personally, Queen Mary is my favorite ship of all time, so it MAKES SENSE that I would have her as #1. I apologize if my mind is not a replica of yours and if my favorite ship is not your favorite ship. I'M NOT trying to make it seem like Queen Mary was better than any of them, nor am I trying to ignore the accomplishments of other liners. This video is not about "Top 10 best liners of all time", no, this is "MY Top 10 Favorite Ocean Liners". Just because Titanic or Olympic are not on the list doesn't mean I can't appreciate them or find them beautiful, it just means I have other ships I favor a bit more then them.
i respect that this list is YOUR top ten list but I have to ask, why did the SS Normandie not make your top 12?
@@jjsmith4829 most people hate my answer to this question. But I have two criteria for what ship makes my "favorites list". Beauty & History. SS Normandie had a very very short history, by no fault of its own, but nevertheless there isn't much history of mention. As for beauty, I prefer ships with more subtle beauty, something as they say is "understated". I think of the Queen Mary as a woman dressed in a smart cocktail dress, ready for any occasion, but to me, Normandie is like one of those runway models dressed in something really silly and impractical that no one would wear to any occasion. Sure, the runway model is dressed in clothes designed by the world's best designers...but the funky clothes aren't something even most celebrities would wear. Therefore, the runway model arrives over-dressed to every occasion.
For me, RMS Olympic i is one of the most beautiful liners ever built. The open promenade on A Deck, the balance of the 4 funnels and two masts, the sheer and camber. Just perfection!
It was a sister ship to the Titanic and the Britannic they were almost identical. all the same length, and all with four funnels. there were very little differences. Titanic being the most oppulant of the three.
@@musicauthority7828 Titanic's closed promenade deck made it the best looking out of the three ships in her class. It had real aesthetic beauty with a perfect balance from the bridge section all the way back to the stern.
Britannic also had the forward section of the promenade deck closed, same as Titanic.
@@benzalkionium I Didnt like the "poop" deck of the Britannic made her look less balanced.
@@lukeclays9644 ... Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic all had the same poop deck.
I'm slightly upset that at least Olympic didn't make the list, but I understand this is your list and you have different takes than I do. Even my own top 10 ocean liners keep changing throughout the years! Titanic will always be my favorite, since she was the one that got me into ocean liners in the first place and just looks right in my opinion. As much as I admire the Cunard liners, for instance, there are always some minor details that put me off, like, as much as I love QE2, she doesn't have enough sheer. I also love SS France/Norway, but her breakwater looks like a snow plow. Perhaps if RMMV Oceanic ever had been a thing, I would have liked her even more than Titanic.
same, though i prefer the normandie over the france/norway
I’m so glad the Queen Mary is finally getting it’s badly needed repair and restoration work. I love visiting her (even if only viewing from afar) when I am in Long Beach. She is so majestic and historically significant that it would be a tragedy to lose her.
Alex, I can't say enough about your narration, information and use of old B&W photos and film. I was HAPPY to see you included RMS AQUITANIA, so underaided by so many. Thanks again for the HARD work you put into your videos.
Thanks Mike! Yes Aquitania is overlooked by many people
@@AlextheHistorian Did you get my email the other day? It's about a video on youtube that happened to show by chance the Aquitania in the breakers yard.
@@jetsons101 ok
Yes, The Aquitania is definitely my favorite ship. I wish it bridge looked more like the Olympic classes bridge but other than that it was a wonderful liner and a mighty steed.
I'm glad to see Queen Mary 2 made the list! People tend to think that ship is ugly or "too much like a cruise ship", but I think Queen Mary 2 is much more that a boxy cruise ship. Queen Mary 1 is also my favorite ship!
QM2 is a very elegant and beautiful ship, especially by modern standards.
Normandie would be my #1. Her aesthetic is flawless.
This
Same
I agree although my heart belongs to QE2. I have sailed on her three times and met my husband on a New York to Southampton crossing in 1976. ❤
Oceanic is my favourite :-) These pure sleek lines and huge funnels HMMMM wonderful!
im not suprised Queen Mary is your fav but i understand why she truly is a beautiful vessel (and i do strongly agree to your list)
Nice to see some love for the Rex! Kind of a forgotten liner given she had such a brief run before the war. Kind of ironic that the Italian line should bet so heavily on two ships to be lost tragically.
Great list! Though I would like to correct a couple inaccuracies regarding Aquitania. Aquitania was launched on April 21, 1913, not April 21, 1914. She also isn’t considered a sister ship to Lusitania and Mauretania, but was just a running mate.
Trivia: Robert Reed (from TV show The Brady Bunch), out of his own pocket, took the "Brady kids" on the QE2 to England and then back again to New York. There were some shenanigans during the return trip. Read Growing Up Brady by Barry Williams.
Wonderful list! I agree with many of the choices - certainly your number 1! Those who are casual liner fans might be surprised Titanic isn't number 1, but as you learn more she settles into her proper role as one of many beautiful ships. Many of your viewers will have their own favorites, and that's part of the fun. There's a lot to discover, and appreciate, in the history of the great liners.
Thanks! Yes I once started out as a Titanic fan, the only ship i cared about was Titanic, but like you said, after you learn about more ships, Titanic settles into place
That got me me mad TITANIC ALL THE WAY
Another fantastic video as always !! Kudos Alex !! Wonderfully written script and faultless narration.You put such emotion and loving care in your speaking voice!! The choice of photos and live action film clips was great!!! I applaud your choices. Ten Magnificent Ships !!! All beautiful and noteworthy!! I was pleased and surprised at the inclusion of one of my all time favorites, SS France (1912) !! A truly beautiful classy ship inside and out. So often sadly overlooked in a crowded field. PS. Everyone, these lists are always subjective, no matter who is writing them ! And this is America, where everyone has a right to express their opinions!! So Back Off trolls, haters and overindulged “ Helicopter “ children!! Anyway Alex , you rock ! And keep up the fantastic job!!
Thanks Michael!
A good list with some surprises to be sure. My list is as follows...
1. SS United States, as the only great liner and only Hales Trophy winner to fly under the Stars and Stripes I have a special place in my heart for this beautiful ship.
2. SS France circa 1960, the last of the 1000 footers, the last of the great French Line ships. She holds a special place for me because I actually traveled aboard her in her second life as SS Norway. It broke my heart to see her scrapped.
3. RMS Mauritania, she and her sister Lusitania were the first of the quadruple screw turbine powered liners. She had a long and prosperous life and she is forever linked in my mind with Sir Arthur Rostran, who became famous as captain of the Carpathia during the Titanic disaster.
4. SS Normandie, one of the most innovative ships ever built and certainly one of the most beautiful. She was tragically gone before her time, thanks to a fire during her conversion to troop carrier while in the care of the US Navy in early 1942.
5. SS Il de France, innovative in a different way from the Normandie. The Il de France was the great divide in marine interior decorating. Period revivals had been the standard before she came on the scene but she established Art Deco afloat and became so famous for her interiors she created what some historians refer to as Ocean Liner Style interior design.
6. RMS Queen Mary, a superlative ship for a superlative company. She would be the last Cunard, indeed the last British Blue Ribband holder and while I find her interior design and her exterior devoid of creativity or daring one can not argue with her long and illustrious career or her yeomen service as a troop carrier in WW2.
7. SS Europa/SS Liberte, the ocean liner that refused to die. This ship sank at her fitting out birth just weeks before she was scheduled for her maiden voyage then sank again in Le Havre harbor after striking the submerged wreck of the SS Paris. But in both cases she was raised, repaired and put into service as one of the largest and fastest ships afloat. It was her and her sister ship SS Bremen who kicked off the second major round of Blue Ribband wars as she and Bremen finally took the speed crown back from the RMS Mauritania after an incredible quarter of a century as reigning champion.
8. RMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ocean liner ever built until the advent of RMS Queen Mary 2. Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary dominated the Atlantic in the last years before the advent of air travel and her end was nearly as tragic as SS Normandie, burning and sinking in Hong Kong harbor in the early 70s. On her maiden voyage she was captained by Sir James Bissett one of Sir Arthur Rostran's junior officers on the Carpathia.
9. RMS Olympic, she led a far longer and more prosperous life than either of her tragic sisters and was certainly well loved by her passengers and crew alike. Now she is barely known to history outside of her connection to Titanic which has it's own kind of tragedy for such a fine ship.
10. SS Andrea Doria, another ship who's career was tragically cut short in early middle life thanks to her collision with SS Stockholm. She was a beautiful ship inside and out and she was the first of the post WW2 Italian Liners.
Honorable mentions... Ships that I love but which did not make this list include Titanic, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Rex, Aquitania, Paris, France circa 1910 and the original Oceanic.
All of them looks very gorgeous!
I have been a ocean liner fun since second grade and I am still a big fan of ocean liners and I really appreciate that people make these kind of videos. everytime I watch these kind of videos I get to learn more ships and I feel inspired and I have my own ocean liner models and one day I hope to be a person like you Who inspires people like me
Queen Mary as number one, good man, I cannot fathom it being any other vessel. I LOVE the Queen Elizabeth but for all the history it has to be the QM.
That’s a respectable list. Such magnificent ships. I must say, my list would include Carpathia; not because she was a spectacular ship, but from what I understand she was a good ship, a trusted workhorse, helped Cunard reposition for solvency, and, of course, for another obvious reason. Watching this made me realize the British were not very good at naming ships in the later years. Four Queens, two with simply “2“ tacked on.
The naming of Queen Elizabeth 2 was an accident. But it was a name that came to be loved and so when the next Queen Mary went into service, they wanted to remind people that she is merely named after another magnificent vessel.
My list:
1- RMS Titanic
2- RMS Olympic
3- RMS Britannic
4- RMS Lusitania
5- RMS Oceanic
6- RMS Mauritania
7- RMS Majestic
8- RMS Aquitania
9- SS France
10- RMS Carpathia
11- RMS Queen Mary
12- RMS Queen Elizabeth
The "Olympic class" at the top I see with the obvious being the favourite ❤️
@@laylaleannejepson7 Yea without question, I like very very much the design of the the Olympic class ships.
@@josegabrieldelgadoalonso487 yes they're beautiful 🙂
Mine is top 3 is
1- RMS Lusitania
2- RMS TITANIC
3- S.S Andrea Doria
Thank you for including Carpathia! She’s on my list.
Wow, I'm two DAYS older than Queen Mary 2... I take that as an honor
Just thought I'd share my list of favourite ships, in no particular order:
1) RMS Titanic
2) MV Britannic/Georgic ('30's)
3) SS Rex/Conte Di Savoia
4) SS Leviathan
5) SS Paris (1921)
6) SS France (1912)
7) SS Andrea Doria
8) RMS Lusitania
9) TSS Normandie
10) RMS Queen Mary
And if I can add a couple more:
11) SS Empress of Britain (1931)
12) RMS Homeric (1913)
The Queen Mary is also my favorite ❤. The thing that matters the most for me is the interior of the ship, and even knowing that the Normandie was more luxurious, if I was to travel aboard her, I wouldn't feel confortable; and I don't say that because I don't like the Normandie, she is on my top 10, but for me a ship not only needs to be beautiful, it also needs to make you feel cozy, so that you can relax and have a good voyage
I agree 100%
Wonderful video! I appreciate the brief history and curated photos and videos of each ship. Thank you!
Glad you to see you enjoyed it!
I like your list. Personally, I think the Titanic gets more coverage than it deserves, ironically, because it sank! These days, only people like us remember The Olympic, yet it was virtually the same design! Thank you for the video!
I agree Daniel!
We all wish Olympic was turned into a hotel like the Queen Mary
@@frankcarino7643 Besides, Queen Mary was butchered in the end, so there's that. Plenty of people would like to see how the ship from 100 years ago looked like, but no, they went for easy way, just gut everything out and put big profit margins xD
Great video! I agree with you on the Queen Mary but for me Olympic would’ve needed to be on there somewhere.
Alex I also love the Queen Mary it is my favorite to
Very nice amazing oceanliners
I love the older German liners especially also :)
RMS Olympic is my fav tbh. The fact she overlived her 2 younger sisters and have had a remarkable career during ww1 and just was scrapped because of the great depression makes it my nr. 1
Queen Mary will forever be my favorite ship of all time. She was and is a work of art.
I love queen mary 💕
Whew I was getting nervous for a second that Mauritania wasnt going to make the cut but there she was at number 2!!
Awesome list! I sure wish there were more preserved, imagine the Aquitania or Olympic as a floating hotel somewhere. Well I guess the reality just makes the Queen Mary that much more special
Been on a QE2 cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. Marvellous experience! Once in my life I was able to see sun at midnight local time.
@Alex the Historian great video as always! Just little corrections regarding the Rex: the Conte Di Savoia wasn't her sister ship, not at all. They were designed separately for two different lines (Rex for the Navigazione Generale Italiana and the Conte for the Lloyd Sabaudo), but these merged and the two rivals became running mates on the same route. Some key differences include the Rex being significantly larger and older in terms of interiors (Rex also was one of the last liners with a clipper stern while the Conte had a modern cruiser stern) and the Conte had much more modern interiors. The Conte had the innovative giro-stabilising system, which the Rex didn't have since they were two completely separate ships. By the outbreak of WW2 in 1939 until the Italian declaration of war in 1940 the Rex and Conte were some of the last liners still operating commercially between Europe and North America and a lot of Jews had escaped on them. By 1944, the Kingdom of Italy had already signed the armistice and joined the allies, but the Republic of Salo in the north, a puppet state of Germany, had both liners under control. Rex's fittings had already been looted by the Germans when it was probably being towed to block the harbour or to ground it, and thus it was sunk by RAF and SAAF planes.
I see. I found a lot of incorrect information. That disappoints me. Well this is why I tell people I never make a history video about a particular subject unless I've had several months to develope it, because when people ask me to do "quick research" this is exactly what happens. Well thank you for pointing these things out, I've just looked up a few different websites that confirmed your information
@Alex the Historian no problem at all pal! Unfortunately this is a pretty common misconception all over the internet and worse I have read entire books that copied and pasted wrong information from old Wikipedia articles (333 Schiffe, die man kennen muss! is an example), and there's little that can be done about that. If you're looking for great sources, I strongly recommend you read books by Maurizio Eliseo (by many considered one of the top historians in terms of ocean liners) or Paolo Piccione. They also help with a website entirely focusing on the legendary Italian liners, and it's called, you guessed it, italianliners.com, it's worth checking out. If you have any doubts, be sure to ask me, I'll help!
Yeah I just found them when I was confirming your information
@@AlextheHistorian Magnifico!
1) MV QE2
2) RMS Queen Mary 2
3) SS Andrea Doria
4) SS United States
5) RMS Queen Mary
6) RMS Olympic
7) RMS Aquitania
8) RMS Mauretania
9) SS France
10) RMS Titanic
Good list - surprising in part: in particular, my list would surely have included SS United States.
Gotta agree with you on your #1 pick. She was my #1 pick too. I love that ship.
My list... I favor 19th century ships
10) RMS Titanic
9) SS City of New York
8) RMS Britannia
7) RMS Mauretania
6) RMS Persia
5) SS Elbe
4) SS City of Rome
3) RMS Connaught
2) SS Brother Jonathan
1) SS Great Eastern
If I was alloted an 11 and 12
11) RMS Queen Mary
12) SS Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse
19th century=1800s
20th century=1900s
@MrSponkMan, what they were saying is that they favor 19th century ships, but that doesn't mean they don't have some 20th century ships on their list.
@@mrsponkman I'm aware... if you notice my list mostly contains ships from the 1800s, but that doesn't mean I don't love ships from the 1900s
@@uniquely.mediocre1865 No, im saying that some of these ships are from the 1900s (20th-century) and arnt from the 1800s (19th-century). You say that the the mauritania is one of your favorite 19th-century ships when it was actually built in the 20th century.
@@mrsponkman umm... both me and Alex have explained the misunderstanding... so if you still don't get it, reread what we said.
Queen Mary is the greatest liner to ever set sail. No other resumes come close...
My list:
10.oslofjord (1948)
9.ill de france
8. SS france (second one)
7. mauretania
6. stockholm (not the one that collided with andrea doria)
5.rms franconia (20s)
4.stavangerfjord
3.queen mary
2.queen elizabeth
1. ms oslofjord (1938)
You did it! Yeah, your list was slightly surprising in some areas. Namely the inclusion of Kronprinz Wilhelm and exclusion of Olympic. The former is one I don't believe I've EVER seen on a top 10 before, fascinating a story as he had. And the latter, being Titanic's older sister aside, had one of the most legendary careers of any liner in history. But, I figured that she'd have to battle it out with Mauretania for the #2 spot, and I gave Mauretania the advantage. In other areas though, I wasn't surprised, least of all with your #1. Wonder who saw that coming. 🤣 But seriously, she's a solid choice, a solid ship, and I firmly back your decision. I think what it was about your list that amazed me wasn't so much who was on it, but more so in what order you put them in.
As for my top 10, the list is likely to change a bit later, specifically near the end. It was near impossible for me to make such a ranking since there are so many liners I am deeply fond of, but I feel pretty comfortable with what I have as of now. The criteria here was basically which ships stirred my imagination the most. They are as follows:
*1. Titanic -* Pretty obvious one, but for the life of me I just couldn't bring myself to replace her. Like many, she was the ship that got me into liners, and after an epic journey that saw me meet and learn about so many of the other liners, great and small, I still believe that she is the most beautiful vessel I've ever laid eyes on. What really draws me into her though is her character. I believe every ship has an individual personality and I'm sure you not only agree, but understand exactly what I mean. Titanic was supposed to be the greatest ship in the world, yet would've had the challenge of making a name for herself in the shadow of Olympic and then newer, larger vessels. Her sinking ensured she'd be in no one's shadow, albeit not the way anyone planned, and not only do I feel like I can just relate to her a lot, but I am also filled with the resolve to not let her sinking be what ultimately defines her.
*2. United States -* If Titanic were to go on to live the life she deserved, the Big U would be in the number one spot. She's everything I could ever want in a ship: big, sleek, fast, blue _(even if it is just the tip of her funnels),_ built right here in the USA, an engineering MASTERPIECE, and all sucked in with gorgeous good looks. To put the cherry on top, she's also the first ocean liner I've ever come across in person. All in all, she is just awe-inspiring.
*3. Queen Mary 2 -* I don't care what anyone says: QM2 is just as stunning a ship as all the old liners. Being the first ocean liner built this century and also a technological marvel in her own right, this one is an especially personal connection to me, as she was launched just mere months after I was born, and I feel both of us are partaking in the same dream to shoot for the stars and make history.
*4. France -* The 1960 liner. She's just beautiful. She was the spiritual daughter of the Normandie and gave France one last chance at having a ship of state to behold. She served as the last hurrah for the Golden Age of transatlantic liners, and in her new, perhaps even more successful life as the Norway, she gave birth to cruising as we know it today. If it weren't for that boiler explosion, I'd bet you everything that she'd still be here today, and I'm honored that my life at least briefly intersected with that of this legendary liner.
*5. Queen Elizabeth 2 -* There is perhaps no ship that I have watched more documentaries of and come back to repeatedly than the QE2. For a few years I was part of the online forum, The QE2 Story, the first online forum I've ever joined. And I couldn't stop asking questions, because this ship was the one that single-handedly saved the transatlantic run and design-wise, she was the biggest game changer of them all. For so many years she was the last transatlantic liner in service, and if fate would've had it that way, once she went out, that'd be it. So I hold this ship in very high regard, and btw you may have noticed by now that my top 5 consists mainly of modern liners.
*6. Olympic -* What a story this ship had. At one point, she almost took Titanic's place for my #1 spot. Once again, she had one of the most legendary careers - stories actually - of any liner, imho second only to the Queen Mary, and in my other, very firm opinion, the most powerful, to which I won't bother going off about it. Big Old Boats already did a fantastic job on that.
*7. Queen Mary -* Lucky #7! And it suits her. This is perhaps the most famous ship of all time whose name isn't Titanic, and the stories about her that you've shared only make my fondness for her grow. May she stay with us all the way to the end of time.
*8. Mauretania -* If I had to pick a Cunarder with a career second to the Queen Mary, it'd have to be this absolute great. Whenever I think of the Blue Riband, Mauretania is perhaps the first ship that comes right into mind. She held it in both directions for a combined 22 years, longer than any other liner save of course for the Big U, and even after the Bremen took it generations later, the old greyhound nearly won it back, shattering her previous records every single try. It'd be the coolest thing ever if she pulled it off. Speed aside, she also led one of the finest careers of any ship to set out to sea, and earned the praise and adoration of the entire world. And she had interiors that I believe very strongly inspired those of the Queen Mary, specifically what made them so beloved: while Lusitania was the prettier ship in my view, Mauretania just had that warm, cozy atmosphere that would've made me feel right at home. To think that if it weren't for the Great Depression, she could still be here today.
*9. Britannic -* While there was no way I couldn't have all three Olympic-class sisters here, this proved to be a bit of a tough decision, since Britannic wasn't around for that long. In fact, she never even saw passenger service, but to spare myself from going any longer than necessary, the more I think about it, the more her personality seems to remind me of Titanic. The theme of having so much going for you and yet having so much to live up to. For the few months that she sailed as a hospital ship, she proved she was more than capable of living up to it. In fact, she probably already had.
*10. Vaterland -* Now here's one you don't see every day. First off, I HAD to have a German liner in the list: when Germany isn't out causing world wars, they are cranking out works of art and architecture that set the standard for which all others are matched. Vaterland once again represents to me the theme of untapped potential, when he was transferred from his successful but very brief life in Germany to America. We never did a great job at operating him, and when he was sold for scrap, no one save for one soul came to wish him good bye. Still, he ended up being our first superliner, the job Mr. Gibbs did on him helped that man's career take off, and then he also bore the name of the Biblical sea monster, Leviathan, which I think is really, really cool.
That took a while. 😪
Number one Queen Mary Me: well that was not a Surprise.
10.SS Rex
09. SS New York
08.Queen Mary 2
07.SS Titanic
06.SS Olympic
05.Queen Mary
04.RMS empress of Ireland
03.SS Traffic
02.SS France
01. RMS Oceanic
Whats ss titanic?
SS Titanic is the "maiden" name of RMS Titanic. If the Royal Mail ever breaks their contract with the ship, the ship reverts to SS.
@@AlextheHistorian ohhhhhh thanks
This list is very interesting and each choice is a quick informative page
My list
10. Kaiser Wilhelm Der Große
9. Andrea Doria
8. Lusitania
7. Aquitania
6. Titanic
5. Queen Elizabeth 2
4. MV Britannic (1930s)
3. United States
2. Olympic
1. Britannic in her WSL Livery
I'm serious I love RMS Britannic as she feels soo unique out of the Olympic trio. The pipe organ, the children's playroom,the new areas. I would've loved to see Britannic like that irl had she survived
Oooh, a top ten ocean liners video, time to get angry! (clicks play) Actually, I like this list. It's unique, a lot of very atypical picks. Interesting choices for sure. I wish the original Queen Elizabeth got more love, she had some very pretty interiors but lived perpetually in QM's shadow.
Yeah I had never intended to make this video because I figured since Titanic wasn't on it, people would yell at me, but I knew I had a unique list and thought, hey people might like it! Yes I agree, Queen Elizabeth was marvelous
It's nice to see a list that is more than the same big famous ones everyone does and you certainly did your research picking some comparatively obscure ships.
Just fyi.... the hikawa maru is also a surviving pre ww2 ocean liner. MV Astoria (formerly stockholm) is sort of still in service... it was operational up to covid, then was sold but hasnt started cruising again under the new ownership thus far
Yes I knew that about Hikawa Maru
My top ten favorite ocean liners:
1. RMS Queen Mary (1936)
2. SS Normandie (1935)
3. SS France (1960)
4. RMS Olympic (1911)
5. SS United States (1951)
6. RMS Queen Elizabeth (1938)
7. RMS Mauretania (1906)
8. RMS Lusitania (1906)
9. RMS Caronia (1947)
10. SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1937)
the queen mary 2 is my number 1 favorite ship because of the cruise-ship like looks. i rlly thought queen mary 2 was a typical cruise ship and that she was the only ocean liner in service till this day (2023) it came last week to my place in sydney like 2 weeks ago but i didn't have a chance to see it.
Your decision regarding Titanic might surprise some, but not me. In many ways, Titanic is more famous for her death than for her life. IMO a truly great ship is beautiful, dependable, and enduring.
I give you full credit for citing the Oceanic on your top 10. It's a novel choice, I believe you're the first liner historian I've seen to do so.
Thanks! Yes I agree about Titanic. People really only love it because it sank.
1. RMS Queen Mary
2. SS Great Britain
3. RMS Olympic
4. SS Normandie
5. RMS Queen Elizabeth
6. RMS Queen Mary 2
7. RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
8. SS Bremen
9. RMS Titanic
10. SS United States
I think my TOP 3 ocean liners would be QM, QE and Normandie, I love these fast and enormous ships with Art Deco designs.
Titanic or Queen Mary are tied for my favorite, Olympic, Normandy, SS Norway (France), and SS Rotterdam though would all be on my list too.
Love your videos, Alex!
Thanks!
people overlook a lot of the smaller liners, especially some of the coastal liners a lot of which are still with us today.
My current Top 12:
1. SS/MS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969-2008)
2. RMS Olympic (1911-35)
3. RMS Aquitania (1914-49)
4. SS Ile de France (1927-58)
5. RMS Adriatic (1907-34)
6. SS United States (1952-69)
7. MV Britannic (1930-60)
8. SS France/SS Norway (1962-74, 1980-2003)
9. SS Europa/SS Liberte (1930-39, 1950-61)
10. SS Belgenland (1923-36)
11. RMS Majestic (1922-36)
12. RMS Empress of Britain (1931-40)
Nice video Rlly enjoyed it
Your list is identical to mine! Different reasons of course, but this was an awesome video! My Great Grandmother emigrated from Germany on the Kronprintz Wilhelm. I have a great picture of that! And I've slept on Queen Mary in Long Beach. Neat bookends 😃
It all makes sense now! I knew Queen Elizabeth's interiors were Art Deco...but something was off about that in my thinking. And now I can see the modernism in her design.
Yeah its actually quite fascinating to see the differences in their two Art Deco styles.
My list would probably be:
1. SS United States
2. SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse
3. RMS Olympic
4. SS Andrea Doria
5. RMS Mauretania
6. RMS Majestic
7. SS America
8. RMS Queen Mary
9. SS Leviathan
10. RMS Aquitania
You and I share the same #1. The Queen Mary has been a deep part of my life since I first visited at just four years old. I even proposed to my wife aboard her. ❤️ The Lizzie would be my #2 as she took my grandfather from his hometown of SF to Sydney during WWII...the only time in history either of the original Cunard Queens would have any reason to be here. Nice to see the German four stackers represented...they don't get nearly enough attention as they should. 🤗 And I just gotta say...I like the Lucy just a bit more! 😝
I don't blame the choice of choosing Queen Mary, afterall she was one of my favorites. Titanic is my #1 favorite mostly because of both the Movie and just how Beautiful she is. It was also my favorite childhood movie. Once again, i fully respect your opinion.
Awesome, my friend. 😍💕 Big like. 👍 Have a good day. 🤗✨
Rms queen Mary is also my favorite since I heared about it in 2nd grade
Britannic is my #1 Favourite, she just looks so awesome
Even one of the Olympic Class ships deserves to be on the list at least because of their unmatched design.
In my opinion the wasn’t a ship designed as lineal, symmetric, simple and gorgeous as the Olympic class liners have been designed ever!
Could cry that you didn’t included one of them 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
It's just my list...its not like it was a list of the greatest liners of all time. It's a list of my favorites. The Olympic class are not my favorite
@@AlextheHistorian i respect that.
Your content is great!
I absolutely agree
Each of us have our own prejudices which lend our hearts one ship over the other. If both exterior and interior aesthetics were the most salient characteristics of the "best ocean liners of all time," I would place in the top positions: SS Normandie, SS L'Atlantique, SS France (II), RMS Queen Mary 2, RMS Titanic. The elegant, brilliant, and revolutionary design of Normandie is inescapable - revolutionary bulbous bow to balanced stern - unobtrusive funnel uptakes - prow to flagstaff - grand multi-story rooms hitherto impossible at sea - aesthetic glory both inside and out - affords her pride of place among all the great liners of the world's history. She remains the final COLLECTIVE word in maritime aesthetics, hotel, engineering, and luxury.
Great list but I would of included the current Blue Ribbon holder the SS United States...
USS United States was the never-built super aircraft carrier that was almost built in her place. It's just SS United States for the passenger liner. XD
Top 5 ships, cuz 10 is too hard
5. USS Laffey
4. Aquitania
3. USS Missouri
2. Rms Olympic
1. USS enterprise (CV-6)
My favorites are pretty similar, but 10 would be Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, omit QE2 and add a tie for 7 among all three Olympic sisters, omit SS France and add for 3 the SS U.S., and 2 would be S.S. America. Fun video!!
Ngl something about the Lusitanias lines looks so simple and elegant, I think it looks better than the aquatania because it’s smaller and the proportions work better. Titanic got me into ocean liners but honestly I think the Olympic class kinda looks a bit sterile compared to Cunarders.
I agree 👍
@jdslyman never even thought about it that way, yes they had some differences, but you are right the interiors were nearly identical, the Lusitania and sisters all had different style interiors, and they were far from identical (aquatania might be arguably a totally different class)
Great list! I'm gladly surprised by your inclusion of the SS Rex, which gets often overlooked despite its grandeur and beauty.
My personal list would go like this:
I. SS Andrea Doria
II. RMS Queen Mary
III. RMS QM2
IV. SS Normandie
V. RMS Berengaria / Imperator
VI. SS Rex & SS Conte Di Savoia
VII. RMS QE2
VIII. SS France
IX. RMS Mauretania
X. RMS Aquitania
great list :) keep up the good work.
Excellent! Thanks. I’ve visited this great ship in the LB Harbor! I look forward to staying as a guest now as a hotel!
Fabulous, thank you
I'm surprised neither the Titanic or Olympic are on this list. Still a good list though
1. RMSLusitania
2. RMS Queen Mary (1st)
3. SS Titanic
4. Andrea Doria
5. SS Kaiser Wilhelm
6. RMS Mauretania
7. RMS Olympic
8. RMS Aquitania
9. MV Britannic
10. HMHS Britannic
Hi Alex my name is Nick and I'm from the Netherlands, I just wanted to mention that we also have a classic ocean liner preserved here in the Netherlands, she's called the SS Rotterdam, you should do some research on her she has quite a interesting history.
Oh yes, I know about SS Rotterdam :)
@@AlextheHistorian I've also sent you an email with an offer, you don't have to accept it of course but I'm feeling generous
Lovely video, thank you Alex! Nice music too ♥️
Thanks!
@@AlextheHistorian it's ok 🙂 I'm not a subscriber but I watch alot of your videos x
They were the best ships ever produced. my Grandmother immigrated to the US from England. aboard a Cunard Line ship in the late 1920s. because my father was born in the US on 06-08-1930. my Grandmother told me stories about the Titanic. she was nine years old at the time. I remember her telling about the great loss of life. and people looking for their loved ones after the tragedy. there's a distinction between the White Star Line ships. and Cunard Line ships. all White Star Line ships are designated by having IC at the end of their names. and all Cunard Line ships were designated by IA at the end of end of their names. except for the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth ships. which were produced later. even though the Titanic never completed it's maiden voyage. it's still one of my favorite ships.
I have a feeling that the Queen Mary must be on this list :p
Forgot to say that the interior of QE2 reminds me of the 1967 Tomorrowland.....
Same style 😎
Alex, excellent production! Cool that Rex was on the list. I’ve always been fascinated by Normandy. It had some beautiful lines. PS. I always though RMS stood for Royal Mail Steamer. Did I have that wrong? All the best
It really doesn't matter. Royal Mail Ship; Royal Mail Steamer; Royal Mail Steamship. From what I've seen it's generally one of those three terms. You can take your pick, although I'd say Royal Mail Ship is the better term, as it covers all types of ships: sailing vessels, steamers, diesel-electric, nuclear if anyone decided to do that, etc.
Kaivara is right, it really doesn't matter because it generally refers to those three terms. Today it means Royal Mail Ship, that's why the Queen Mary 2 is referred to as RMS. She's not a steamship so it wouldn't make sense to call her that. And before there were steamships, there were masted sailing ships that held the title RMS.
My favorite ocean liners would be
If 15 were allowed
15) SS Rex
14) RMS Queen Mary
13) SS America
12) SS Bremen
11) SS Normandie
If only 10
10) RMS Lusitania
9) RMS Oceanic
8) RMS Olympic
7) RMS Aquitania
6) RMS Mauretania
5) SS United States
4) RMS Queen Mary 2
3) SS France
2) RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
1) RMS Queen Elizabeth (by far)
Nice vid and I actually can agree with yer list
List update:
15) SS Rex
14) SS America
13) RMS Lusitania
12) RMS Aquitania
11) RMS Queen Mary
10) SS Bremen
9) RMS Olympic
8) SS United States
7) RMS Oceanic
6) RMS Queen Mary 2
5) SS France
4) RMS Mauretania
3) RMS Mauretania (1938)
2) RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
1) RMS Queen Elizabeth and IJN Yamato (like actually Yamato had and an AC and Heater + it was actually very luxurious for a battleship)
Seems as if you like Cunard liners, can't blame you, Cunard probably made the most beautiful, innovative and succesful liners ever, and they deserve to be on the list.
I just realized the list of your favorite ocean liner was half of the Cunard ship 🚢
I LOVE THE QUEEN MARY
Mine are 10) Queen Elizabeth 9) America, 8) Caronia ('49), 7) Nieuw Amsterdamn, 6) France ('12) 5) L'Atlantique 4) Paris 3) Ile de France 2) Empress of Britain ('31) 1) Normandie
I went from LeHarvre, France, to NYC on the SS United States in 1963. I was 14 years old at the time. My father was in the Army and there were a lot of dependents being put on it. It was was heavily subsidized by the US Government. If war broke out in Europe, it was to be used as a troop ship. The propulsion system was classified Secret. It was quite a treat and very luxurious, and even published a daily paper. The crossing took 4 days plus a number of hours. The last I heard the ship is docked in Philadelphia. It's been completely gutted and is rusting away.
I spent a portion of my honeymoon aboard the Queen Mary. Good choice! Love this list. We don’t need no mo Titanic! (Or, as my wife says … Jack! Jack! Jack! Jack! Jack! …)
Update: Very Sorry Alex, Queen Mary boats are being scrapped and hauled away. Was thinking of you regarding all your efforts to Save.
It’s extremely unfortunate that these ships were all scrapped. They deserved better!
My top 5:
5 Queen Elizabeth 2
4 Aquitania
3 britannic III
2 vaterland/leviathan
1 olympic
6:46 She wasn't a sister ship to either the Lusitania or Mauretania. She was a running mate, meant to compete with the size and speed of White Star's Olympic Class.
I'm not sure "compete with the speed" is quite correct. True she was more in line with the Olympic Class in terms of speed, but that made her slower. She was big, luxurious, but "slow" like the Olympic Class, as opposed to her "smaller" slightly less luxurious but faster step sisters.
@@ChrisCooper312 Now that I look back on my comment two years later, I agree with your point.
I notice most of the ships had either 1, 2 or 4 funnels. The QM1 was one of the few (or only?) of the major ships that had 3 stacks. An admittedly superficial aspect of an ocean liner, but something about the number 3 makes me think of the 3 sides of a pyramid. Or a certain type of symmetry of the first odd number after 1. Four funnels make me think of the Titanic, while 1 or 2 of them look like the crown of a ship isn't yet complete.
My top favourite ocean liners would be the
1. RMS Adriatic
2. RMS Majestic
3. RMS Britannic
4. RMS Lusitania
5. SS Great eastern
6. SS France 1960
7. RMS Queen elizabeth
8. SS United states
9. SS City of new york
10. Kaiser wilhelm der grosse
1:21 I was wondering when I saw this view if today we would be able to make paints strong enough to resist the abrasion of the speed combined with the seas that this bow has undergone during the crossing? 🌊🚢
Some improvements were made to the formula of the paint, but the thing that protects the paint even more today, is the bulbous bow at the front of the ship, it reduces the bow wave and pushes the seas aside, preventing the paint from getting sheered off.
13:36 There are 3 other remaining ocean liners before ww2 that still exist. SS Great Britain, Doulos Phos, and Hikawa Maru
Only one of those three meet the criteria of my statement "last remaining transatlantic ocean liner built prior to World War II". And that would be SS Great Britain,
Doulos - now there is an unlikely ship with a fascinating history. Born in Virginia, now in Indonesia, from what I understand.
Another great video.
Can I put in a word for the Great Western - first ship to steam across the Atlantic on a regular service.
Also the Great Britain - first transaltlantic liner built of metaland with a propeller instead of paddle wheels. this ship is still preserved in Bristol.