How is an Ocean Liner Different to a Cruise Ship?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มิ.ย. 2024
- Today, I'm excited to delve into the most frequently asked question that comes my way-What exactly is an Ocean Liner? Cruise ships are frequently labelled 'ocean liners' in newspapers today but they couldn't be more different. Intended for completely opposite purposes, ocean liners and cruise ships are actually built to achieve their specific goals. Today we'll explore those differences and learn just what an ocean liner actually is.
Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels- from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!
#OceanLiners #CruiseShips #ShipDifferences #ShipContrasts #LuxuryTravel #MaritimeHistory #OceanVoyage #CruiseVacation #ShipSpotting #TravelAdventure #OceanCruising #ShipLovers #ShipEnthusiasts #ShipComparison #FloatingHotels #NauticalLifestyle #CruiseExperience #OceanExploration #TravelDifferent #SeaAdventures #titanic #history #facts - บันเทิง
Hope you guys enjoyed the video, more specifically my analogies for what an Ocean liner and Cruise ship are! 😂
I reckon you got it just right.
I really enjoy this video. I wish they could bring back the mighty Ocean Liners to today, I heard an Australian billionaire named Cliven Palmer started a project years ago to build an actual real working replica of the TITANIC, of course called TITANIC II. But it's not finite yet. If wanted to see an Ocean Liner on the seas today, which one would you like to see? If had to choose, it would be the first original R.M.S. QUEEN MARY. Of course they would have a do a lot of work to get her seaworthy again. Merci for showing this video. OH! I almost forgot, it also be interesting and amazing to see a working replica of the S.S. LUSITANIA.
@@ryanpoulin5144 Normandie - most beautiful of them all, a marvellous sea-keeper (the Queens' crews said they could "roll the milk out of a cup a' tea"), stunningly beautiful inside (to where passengers found it intimidating and preferred Queen Mary), AND turbo-electric! I'm pretty sure Cliven Palmer has given-up on building his Titanic; it resurfaces every couple of years but never gets built... 😢
@@yknott9873 I hope TITANIC II gets finished. In a way, what famous ship would you like or love to see replicated? For me, I would have to say, LUSITANIA, NORMANDIE or even Titanics sister BRITANNIC.
@@ryanpoulin5144 ; You can forget about Palmer's Titanic II. It was just a lot of hot air. it was designed to help make him well known, get us to play those DVD's he mailed us, and vote his party in power so he could be PM and do a little corruption. But us Aussies were not that stupid. He doesn't need Titanic II now.
Mike's work really is the glue that holds the ship together in the Ocean Liner community, with his splendid art illustrations & informative videos.
He's doing gods work.
Your friend and mine. Mike Brady
I used to be his lover
He's the rising tide that lifts all ships!
is the SS France still in service as a cruise ship?
Skirted the edge of a Cat 3 hurricane in the SS Norway. Venues were closed, most pax stayed in their cabins, plenty were seasick. Me and a few other diehards planted ourselves on the foredeck, in the teeth of the storm. Her deep keel, knife-like prow, narrow beam and long length ensured she rode out the waves with a very regular and predictable pitch, with hardly any yaw, as if completely unperturbed by the storm. What a ship!
us too. there was a carnival ship near us having a much worse yaw, the movement was alarming. this happened when the Norway was circling miami because the port was closed due ro the storm.
What a story !
That sounds quite the unforgettable experience. Probably exciting as long as you know you’re safe.
What happened to the 3 cats? They stop fighting? Uh, meow, baby.
“Boxy floating apartment blocks” what a great description of today’s cruise ship
A friend of mine once described the cruise he took as "A giant hotel on a hull". Being a naval/ship geek, he pestered the crew, discovered that yes, there were a few tours of the ships belowdecks and engine spaces, and happily made friends with the sailors on board whilst crawling through machine spaces, marveling at the huge engines, and, having shown a knowledge of how to conduct himself properly, was actually allowed on the bridge. They didn't usually allow passengers in many of these places, but he sweet talked his way in, and had a great time, returning smelling of oil, diesel nd sweat while his wife smelled of suntan lotion and fruity drinks.
Your friend described modern cruise ship perfectly. They're designed for maximum interior space and look like floating hotels, because that's essentially what they are.
Sounds like both of them had an amazing time!
Wow, the original "France" was a real stunner of a ship. Absolutely gorgeous. The QM2 looks like a real ship, graceful and powerful, compared to the modern box cruise ships. Thanks for a clear and interesting video as always.
Technically, that one's not the original SS France. My great grandfather rode to WW1 on the original (nicknamed the Versailles of the Atlantic), and she, as an *oceanliner*, accidentally sank a British destroyer. Whoops.
QM2 is stunning. I love her.
@@mizalcor A beautiful ship, not a resort hotel and spa stuck on a ship's hull. Years ago, I read a descritption of cruse ships as "mostrous neon-lined refugees from Vegas or Reno".
I'm so surprised that a Prairie landlubber who's addicted to "Mayday" , Mentour Pilot and 74Gear always looks for you videos! your charming delivery, vivid visuals and interesting topics, are awesome . I especially adore your sea/sky/sun portions. They are so beautiful, I love them . Thank you :)🎉
SS France (1962, she was actually the third liner called France) is my second favorite ocean liner of all time. She was probably the most beautiful liner, too. I have a model of her on my nightstand beside my bed, along with a model of my #1 favorite liner, RMS Queen Mary.
Kinda shows how the incredible can become mundane, then taken for granted fairly quickly. Went from miracle anyone ever managed a crossing, to crossing relatively safely, to crossing regularly to 'Why are you so slow, cross faster!' Honestly hadn't thought of the distinction between Liners and Cruise Ships before, this does a great job of going over the differences and history. Thanks as always for all your hard work!
Well said! The Queen Mary 2 is the only ship I want to try and sail on today. I do hope they build another liner to replace her when the time comes. Another interesting fact as well about the QM2 is that they used about 1/3 _more_ steel in her hull than in an equal size cruise ship to add strength for the harsher conditions she may need to go through.
Same
If you do get the chance to sail it, going from Southampton to NYC is really nice since you get to add an hour on most days as you cross the time zones of the Atlantic. In the other direction, you'll keep losing an hour.
I've done it 8 times and trust me it's so worth doing it's like luxurious and formal yet chill
Me too!!
The older ocean liners are so much prettier than the ugly, boxy cruise ships of today
The ocean liners are ugly boxes just like the contemporary ones. Don't be stoopid.
@@SosgamingYT1 ocean liners are just boxes with some tubes on top of them and some black paint. Still massively overrated.
@@insertname9736my opinon is that their bows and sterns look better then the cruise ship wedges
I sailed on the Norway with some friends in the 1990’s which was towards the end of the ship’s career. Prior to sailing on the Norway I had been on many other cruises but the Norway was special. She was large, had unique large cabins, big venues, and two large main restaurants that kept many of the original designs that were included in the France like the ceiling paintings. The ceilings were something I had never seen before on a ship. I’m not sure she would have been successful today but the timing was perfect for when she was introduced. When I was young Demand to sail on her was off the charts as she was so big when compared to the other ships of that time. Royal Caribbean had not yet built the Sovereign of the Seas and their other ships were about a third of the size of the Norway. I do remember there was a small exhibit on board the Norway showing the transition from the France as an ocean liner to the Norway as a cruise ship. Great video!
I went on a cruise on the Carnivale, of the Carnival Cruise Lines. This was a 3 day cruise from Miami to the Bahamas in 1985. She started life as the Empress of Britain in 1953, running between Montreal and Liverpool. A great example of an ocean liner converted to cruise service.
I think the term "cruise liner" best suits Queen Mary 2. She's built as an oceanliner, yes, but her superstructure is undeniably a cruise ship, they have to make it like that so it doesn't lose money.
Just becouse it has a tall superstructure doesn't make it a cruise ship.
By that logic cruise ships from the 1950's should also be considered ocean liners becouse they have a regular superstructure.
For us North Americans, I always use this comparison: cruise ships are Class A motorhomes. Looks like a bus, but will not take the pounding of a line-service bus. Designed to cruise along in a voyage. Ocean liners are like motor-coaches, MCI / Prevost. Designed for millions of miles of day in day out schedule service with Greyhound.
It's good to see the differences between ocean liners and cruise ships be set and more noticeable now. It's become much more common for people and media to think ocean liners were just old cruise ships. Which some were, but most were not. Thanks for making this mike.
This was especially interesting to me, because the only cruise I’ve been on was on the QM2. To be blunt, I hated the experience. It did not meet any of my expectations of what a cruise would be, and as you noted, the layout of the ship is confusing and at times inhospitable. I commented at the time that I think I would have appreciated the experience much more of we were actually going somewhere, instead of just being there for pleasure.
I also found the entire experience ridiculously overpriced, pretentious bordering on pompous, and frustratingly close to being in a floating retirement home. Coupled with the complete lack of customer service on the part of Cunard, I swore off cruises and especially Cunard for life after that experience. But, none of that is the fault of the ship. You’ve helped me understand part of why it failed to meet expectations, and to better appreciate the QM2 for what she is.
12:21 Great video, Mike. I was fortunate enough to have sailed aboard SS Norway, 30 years ago as a young man. For me, Norway had seemed to possess a rather aloof aura about her, not impersonal, but rather like seeing a dear friend at their place of work when there is little time for socializing. I've never had a better night's sleep than when I was aboard the great ship and somehow she just seemed to gently rock a person to sleep within an aura of tranquility, almost like a baby in their mother's arms. I later cruised aboard Carnival Destiny, when she was brand new, and although I enjoyed that ship, she didn't have nearly the same emotional depth or prestige as Norway. Norway was a "mature" ship for "adults" it seemed, at least to me. Occasionally I still have actual dreams of Norway and can still vividly recall walking along her decks and feeling the sun and sea breeze upon my face. I also fondly recall her many restaurants and traversing the scented passageways of her interior as though it were last week. The liner had a very gentle roll about her which was intermixed with the soothing sounds of her scuppers and machinery while underway. Norway was a tranquil ship yet also one possessing a slight degree of vanity as well it seemed, for at one point during our journey Norway overhauled a Carnival ship which was ahead of us. - With smoke rolling from her "funneled wings", Norway effortlessly passed the other vessel on the open sea, side by side, the two ships separated by a mere 100 meters, our port to their starboard. The decks of both ships were lined with passengers vigorously waving to each other. Norway then quickly left the newer ship far behind within her wake. It was an awesome display of raw horsepower and company pride for Norwegian Cruise Lines that day. I also recall with clarity that throughout our entire voyage, the crewmembers of Norway were all to happy in elaborating that Norway had been created as a "Transatlantic Liner" and not a cruise ship, this fact was a great source of pride for the crew and it showed. As mentioned in the video, Norway couldn't enter most harbors because of her draft but she did have "Tenders" on her bow which would be lowered to ferry passengers to and from land, it was a fun way to go ashore. Another fond memory for me is that the TV in our cabin had one channel that played a 24/7 video of John Maxtone Graham's "The Only Way To Cross", a video that I still love to this day. …I will always have a special place within my heart just for Norway. Thanks for awakening these fond memories within me.
Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed reading about your experience aboard the SS Norway!
when I was a child my parents took me on a cruise on the SS Norway. I remember small bits and pieces but when I look at old photos of the ship I can't help but smile. For some reason the Norway is the only ship I've been on that 30+ years later I still remember it's name.
You seem like you would enjoy an in and out hamburger. Make it animal style😊
It is a good day when another ocean liner designs video comes out
video is absolutely stunning. Thanks for all the information mike! i couldnt really explain to someone the differences between oceanliners and cruise ships. Thanks. keep up the good work!
Thanks Spiros! Now you can just tell them Titanic was a big bus. :)
yes XD yes i will. thanks again for the info.@@OceanlinerDesigns
Another excellent video and explanation. I’m old enough to remember proper liners passing Spithead in the 50s and 60s. Nowadays I wonder where the line is drawn between liners and some of the larger Baltic, Mediterranean and Pacific ferries.
I think I recall reading that,in the days of sail and before wireless communications, Lloyds allowed sufficient time to elapse for a ship to complete a voyage at one knot before assuming its loss.
Many thanks for your work, it’s absolutely fascinating.
I think we can consider some cruise ferries as the heirs of ocean liners. Maybe more "sea liners" considering they tend to do shorter crossings, rarely more than 30 hours.
Some ferries have an ocean liner look, like Brittany Ferries' Bretagne, with her massive bow and partly rounded stern.
Great video, Mike! Man you so quickly became my absolute favorite TH-cam channel!
So glad you're enjoying it and thanks so much for your wonderful support :)
I have travelled the Atlantic run on the QM2 and the crew gives all passages a map, that folds down to about the size of a credit card. I kept it with me at all times as the ship a bit of a puzzle to get about. A truly lovely ship and wonderful trip that I recommend to everyone. I will point out, it still has various classes with certain dinning rooms and features reserved for Queen's Grill, Princess Grill, and Britannic classes.
I mourned the passing of ocean liners, and I loathe the shape and concept of cruise ships. I would *love* to sail on the QM2, but probably never will. 😢 My wife keeps nixing the idea because I can barely swim. I keep saying "But I can dog-paddle in a life vest to get to a life-raft." But she still says no. - sign-
@@bearalohalani The only swimming you would do while aboard the QM2 is in the swimming pool and you can stand up in it and walk out. It isn't that deep.
@@bearalohalaniThere is an outdoor paddle pool aft on Queen Mary 2 and the shallow indoor pool in the spa.
I am an ocean liner nerd and I live in Los Angeles California, I go visit the Queen Mary as much as I can and don't get bored walking around
For hours
Your channel is the absolute best when it comes to ocean liners! Keep up the phenomenal work Mike👏🏻👏🏻
I'm a 47 year old Aussie Autistic Bloke, and I love drinking in new information. I've always loved Liners and the lessons they provided us.
With you, Mate, I'm always learning new stuff, and it's bloody awesome.
Keep working as hard as you do and keep working those delicious little details. It really REALLY shows ❤
I've always been fascinated by big ships ever since i can remember. Ocean liners have always had a very special place in my heart. I grew up with the Titanic craze so i guess it shouldn't be surprising.
The way you explain things just makes it so easy to understand. When you are in Bristol, you can't forget to get the Matthew a go as well!
Makes me glad the queen mary 2 still carrys the translantic crossing tradition its worth the 7 day trip
with her reserve that could be in 4 days!
Absolutely love this channel! I’ve been here for a good few months now. I love it! Always showing family members and friends your work! It’s amazing!!! Thank you for taking the time to educate us❤️ love from England🏴
Thanks so much for watching! I'm visiting the UK at the moment, I love your country!
@@OceanlinerDesigns oh nice! Hope you enjoy your stay. I’m from Newcastle, north east of UK.
Your channel is the absolute best! My interest in liners and ships come from my fortunate experience of traveling across the Atlantic in 1961 on NAL, either Stavangerfjord or Oslofjord2. Can't find passenger lists for 1961. Took 7 days. I was 6 at the time but clearly remember it all, an adventure! I have stationary and my mom kept a diary. This was in mid April and my dad and i went on deck once, cold, windy, rough seas with no visability. One day off exploring (later to find out my parents had alerted crew i was missing) I visited each deck, pool, followed a chambermaid working, and the 'engine' room or some mechanical room. Nothing was locked in those days. Caught my finger in a door, exploring was over, parents retrieved me from the doctors. There was wide staircases and halls, our stateroom for four had 2 upper berths, spacious enough. We flew back on SAS (probably bc my dad was seasick everyday lol) To me, liners are luxury, cruise ships are too busy and crowded.
Finally, a video that addresses the difference between cruise ship and ocean liner.
Love waking up to a new video!
Here in the US, all buses are "junk" class. So taking the bus here is miserable.
However, in Mexico the bus system runs from "Junk" class all the way up to first class then Executive class at the top. So if you want to almost fully lay down with a comfortable leg rest, watch videos or music with your own headphones, make yourself some hot instant coffee or tea, use then men's room or ladies room and eat a sandwich or drink provided when you get on the bus, enjoy. Only two seats on one side and just one other seat on the other side. Big wide comfy seats. However, Executive class isn't any good for sightseeing as they mostly run at night so that you can sleep at night and arrive in the morning.
I think that this is a good example how the ocean liner class system has actually carried over to a real bus system. Pay more, get more.
Thanks for all the great videos!
the cruise ship is a bathtub and an ocean liner is just a beautiful ship
Both of them are ugly boxes.
Mike, great work as always! I always look forward to your videos. As to your last thought of whether a cruise ship could be an ocean liner, perhaps Cunard's Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth could fit the bill. They are cruise ships based on the Vista-class design (used in Carnival, Holland-America, P&O, and others) but are modified for more transatlantic runs. They have more steel and a higher freeboard than cruise ships, but lack the speed and layout of an ocean liner. In theory, they could do crossings, albeit not as fast or quite as comfortable as QM2.
To give the simplest explanation possible - all of the really heavy stuff is in the hull and under the waterline - all of the fuel, ballast tanks, storage and most of the machinery. By contrast the superstructure is full of windows and lightly built, so it's a lot lighter than it looks.
There are also a lot of engineering systems keeping the ships stable, such as stabilisers which work like aircraft wings underwater.
Man every time the video is about to come to a close I wish there were 30 more minutes I could watch/listen too.
Hey Mike - I only found your channel about a month ago, but MAN is your content fantastic! Every video you put out is simply fascinating. Keep it up!!
Another great and very informative video. My passion with ships started with cruiselines, but quickly diverged into oceanliners thanks to your well-organized and thoroughly presented work! Can't wait to see the next one. :)
SS Norway... Our FIRST cruise and truly the most memorable. Our cabin had a bathroom nearly as large as our remaining cabin. Towels dried on a steam-heated towel rack. We sailed near Cuba where a military jet passed below our vantage point on the Promenade deck. Miami used an entire boarding facility with two main gangways.
Largest Pax sip in the world at the time. Not crammed together and a wonderful experience with much to explore. Got in a full gale (maybe a "storm" with acquaintances on smaller ships in misery from the zea state. Our portholes were washed by waves that were regularly 20 footers. Being sn oceanliner, she was equipped with handrails on passageways. Hold on or be dancing! The crew said it was the heaviest weather they had seen and they were thankful to be on the Ss Norway.
Silly me, I told my wife I was voing on deck. Stood directly above the bridge and nearly had my hands peeled loose. Waves hit broadsides and broke into heavy water flying upwards, propelled straight up by the winds, and fully saturated with water, curving above the twin funnels to pas over the ship (Water went up; I never got wet.) Those funnels topped at 17 "stories/decks" a ove the waterline.
Weather kept us from stopping at Freeport but the ship gave us plenty yo do. A private island soon after (an industry first) was exquisite.
I miss SS Norway. Her scrapping after a (preventable!!!) boiler explosion was sad, but by then large cabin suites were added to the top deck and made her a party barge, in my view. Then easier to accept the scrappers torch.
Always love the wealth of information you deliver in the way you do.
The SS France was one of the best-looking post-war Ocean Liners. How about a vid explaining why and how Sheer was built into older ocean liners. Thanks for your time, work, Great Narration and posting.....
mike
You have a very good speaking voice. Smooth, articulate, warm and clear.
Thank you for all your hard work Mike, maybe now TikTokers will stop calling Titanic a cruise (Hey Hope is free isn´t it?)
Doubtful… some people are impossible to teach and will even argue with you about it. Makes my ears bleed lol.
started watching your videos a few days ago and I'm hooked. keep up the good work.👍
Much prefer an ocean liner than a cruise ship to cross the Atlantic Mike . Queen Mary 2 for me . Love your channel and this vid . Well done.
Its worth it a nice 7 day trip and it's really for couples that don't have kids that just want to get away from everything
Hi Mike! Excellent video as always. 👋😎 👍🚢
When he says ocean liners were a different beast and shows the Olympic. Ole Reliable Badass.
This is great! I learn something new with every video, and watching the animations of these beautiful ships glide over the ocean, wow, Thank you Mike
I was lucky to do a trans-Atlantic crossing on the QE2 and loved it.
Thoroughly enjoy your fine work, Mr. Brady. Thank you.
I enjoyed this video. One other thing I used to look for to differentiate ocean liners from cruise ships was that on ocean liners the bridge was the high point, whereas it seemed that cruise ships would have an observation lounge on top of the bridge. NCL added one to the France, after she became the Norway
I was on the QM2 for my 40th bday in 2008. At a champagne reception a passenger remarked to the Commodore what a fine cruise ship he had. The withering gaze from the ccommodore I will always remember as he said to the passenger. " Sir...this is a ship of the cunard line...she is not a cruuuuuise ship" fantastic.
My aunt sailed from New York to Europe on the France in the 50's and always spoke very fondly of it. It all sounded so exotic and fancy to us when she would tell us stories in the 60's.
Great video! I’ve always said the difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner is the difference between a city bus and a party limo (so it’s funny to hear you use the exact same phrasing)! One of them provides transportation from one point to another… the other TECHNICALLY takes you from one place to another, but that’s not really the point.
I really enjoyed your videos micheal! i learned a lot from you, thank you for taking your time making these woderful learning experiences for us. you've inspired me to learn more about history. from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!!
Wonderful video as always Mike! So glad I found your channel.
Thank you Mike for this very well presented video. I now understand much better the difference between the ocean liner and cruise ship.
I have always looked at the big cruise ships with the question of why don't they just tip over? I know it's all in the design, but they seem to be far too tall to remain stable in any but the most calm of seas.
The ocean liner just because of it's freeboard, different draft, and hull design looks like it would be extremely stable in any type of water.
Different designs for different purposes.
Today's cruise ships may look ungainly and top-heavy, but they're actually quite stable. All the heavy stuff -- engines, machinery, fuel, water ballast -- is at the bottom.
I travelled on QM 2 ten years ago into New York. I was made to feel like a VIP. Sailed through a force 10 and they didn’t even close the outside pool. Great fun. Wonderful experience.
I saw the Norway a few times in my youth docked at the Port of Miami. I was in awe, to this day it is still the largest moving thing I have ever seen first hand.
Excellent video, well presented and informative. Thanks!
If possible it would be interesting to have a review of modern cruise ship hull designs. My experience with these floating towns is limited to avoiding them whilst sailing accross the shipping lanes off southern California. I've noticed that new ships no longer have either a Raked or Clipper bow but a Plumb bow. I know cruise ships run for harbor at the first sign of foul weather, but I don't understand reverting to a bow profile that guarantees a "drenching" experience. Thoughts?
When it comes to cruise ships they're designed to have as much interior space as possible. If I remember correctly bright sun films here on TH-cam has some videos that include an interview with someone that designed a few cruise ships and they discuss some of the reasoning and changes from ocean liners
My parents are American, but my dad worked in Europe for a time, and I was was born oversees in 1970. Air travel was available, but my mother was terrified of airplanes and we took the QE2 back and forth a few times. I have a couple memories of running around a theater and of the ship's slow rocking in a storm. So, I understand your point about going through the storms.
I just started watching clips from this channel, and wondered, "I wonder what the difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship are" - and then this popped up in my feed. What a great gem of a channel to find! Would love to see a clip on the history of the SS Noronic, speak of early cruise ships! Great videos!!
Babe wake up, new ocean liner designs video is out.
Great video! Informative and so enjoyable . Thank you!
I remember being on a cruise in the 90's that stopped at St. Thomas, which had a pretty sizeable dock. 4 cruise ships, including ours., were docked that day. However, anchored just offshore, was the Norway. She was too big to fit into the St. Thomas harbor.
We were in Charlotte Amalie harbor in 1988 and off in the distance was the Norway as it was so large and couldn't dock. It was broadside to the harbor so you got a really good look at it - so elegant! It was a little misty that day which added to its mystique.
Enjoyed this video, especially all the illustrations.
You have truly covered all the bases or should I say ports on this video presentation. You're exemplary for putting on a good show. Always learning something new and interesting on your TH-cam channel. Thank you, you're a great teacher 🍎
Every time I hear the phase "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm your friend Mike Brady.." I get excited because I know what follows is going to be some interesting and exceedingly well produced and presented content. Great job!
Another excellent video, Mike. Thank you!
Phenomenal graphics, excellent narration, happy to have found your channel
I'm glad yer a friend. I needed a real fascinating and informative show and not some crummy world news of today. I appreciate your hard word and dedication. Thank you, Skipper. :)
Great stuff, this video - as always!
I’ve been waiting for this video since the dawn of time
As every your friendly, comprehensive erudition stylishly beguiles, informs and entertains, all topped by the fact that the camera loves you!
Yours is a daily go-to site as it seems to personalised just for me.
Rob
I know the difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship already, but I still wanted to watch this because these videos are great. Keep it up.
I learned a lot here, thank you!
Well done as a lways, Mike! As a regular QM2 traveller, I want to thank you for calling her out as the absolutely unique treasure that she is!
Good on you Mike! Amazing talent!
Very well explained!
You likely know more about this than I do - I envy your ability to study liners! 😍 As I understood it, the liner is not like a bus - the liner is like a taxi, in that it picks you up where you are and takes you straight to your destination with no unnecessary stops in-between - the major difference being, "THAT Liner" is going to New York, so if you want to go to Valencia you wouldn't get on it.
The defining feature of a "liner" is that it leaves where it is and proceeds directly to its destination - a very different thing from the vast amount of earlier shipping, which was in the business first-and-foremost of carrying CARGO. The ship would not take passengers until the holds were full however long that took. so there was no way of knowing beforehand when it would leave, and would then go to where they had cargo to unload; and if it happened to be where some of the passengers had paid passage to, they'd get off there - and if the ship is given a new lot of cargo that goes somewhere other than along the route to where a particular passenger wished to disembark, he was out of luck; he'd just have to wait until it was profitable for the ship to call at his intended port, or leave the ship at an intermediate stop and make his way overland to his destination.
The liner on the other hand, announces "This ship is scheduled to leave THIS port every second Friday, and will sail a straight LINE from here, will arrive in THAT port the following Wednesday - it will then leave THAT port on the Friday and sail a straight LINE here, arriving back HERE on the second following Wednesday" (the straight-line being where the name "liner" came from). "Therefore our passengers may plan on when they'll arrive THERE, when they may depart THERE and when they may plan on returning HERE." Rightly speaking, the biggest factor in liners as you point-out, was fitting them with engines, whereupon they could plan a realistic schedule - sailing ships depended on the weather, and if it was foul for their intended route - or if they got caught in a storm that blew them down into the Doldrums - there's no telling when they'd get there, if at all.
A few examples - you're correct that early days of travelling by sail could be awful, and awfully dangerous. Early sailing ships crossing the Atlantic were called "coffin brigs" by passengers; a quarter of them were lost during the voyage, and the seacoasts of both Old and New Worlds were carpeted with wrecks. And ships getting iron hulls was a slow and careful process; the famed clipper Cutty Sark had an iron skeleton but the hull was of wood. Depending on your destination, another factor in all this was the Suez Canal; the annual tea clipper race bringing the new tea from China was attended with breathless excitement in London, and fortunes were won and lost betting on it - the most famous race being between Ariel and Taeping, which left Canton on the same tide and arrived in London within twenty minutes of each other, sharing the prize, but the first tea of the year was already in London, having arrived by steamer through the Suez Canal several days previously - and sailing ships were unsuited to travelling the Suez Canal.
Most of this was from (memory, the book being) John Maxtone-Graham's "The Only Way To Cross" - and if you tell me it's all nonsense, I'll take your word for it. Cheers!
You really do incredible work Mike!!! 👍✌️
Thanks Mike I absolutely love your channel .
Your appreciation for oceanliners is unrivaled my friend
Truly love your videos 🚢
I love the QM2. Saw her in Southampton as Covid came to an end, and pre refit. She looked tired and rusty. Saw her more recently though, and she looks fantastic. A beast of a ship built for parting the Atlantic ocean.
In February 1953, my mother and I sailed on the SS America to France. 30 years later, my wife & I sailed on the QE2 from Southampton to NYC in June 1983. My only other "sea" voyages were across the Irish sea on car ferries in August 1977 and on car ferries from Germany to Denmark; Copenhagen, Denmark to Malmo, Sweden; Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Finland and Gothenburg, Sweden to Frederickshavn, Denmark in June & July 1981. I was living in Bremerhaven, Germany when the SS France was being refitted into the SS Norway.
Thanks, that's a great explanation
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your informative and well researched content. Growing up in the sixties and seventies, I was very fascinated with ocean liners. This was partly because my grandfather would frequently travel to Poland to visit relatives, always crossing the Atlantic on the Batory and later the Stefan Batory. I was enthralled by accounts of his experiences. Although I have traveled to Europe by air several times, I am excited to finally take a westbound crossing next May on QM 2, for my return from England. And may I also add, that in addition to liking your content, it is very refreshing to see a young man so polished and well dressed. Greetings and Happy Holidays from Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
My mom once said if I got into vet school she would take me on a Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossing. I actually did get in, and while our finances aren’t ready right now, I’m hoping that once I graduate and make a bit of money I can still take her up on the offer. Long live the ocean liner! ❤
Great video as always sir
growing up on Bruny Island, still watch many cruise ships come through to Hobart
Great job. Very interesting. SS France was a stunner!
I wasn’t sure before I watched but I guessed it right! The OL is for travel and the CS is for vacation. Nice video!
Great informative video Mike! Cheers Matt from OZ
G'day Mike, I continue, as a subscriber, to really enjoy your videos. My background is in military aviation and I'm a military historian now. As far back as I can recall I've had a desire to travel on a true ocean liner. I'm nearly 70 and I can still hear the stories of my extended family, some of whom travelled on famous liners, like the Queen Mary, when they were converted into troop ships. Others were lucky enough to be passengers on the old liners towards the end of their 'glory days'.
My wife and I spent a great morning watching the QEII come up the Derwent River on her last voyage to Hobart. I had been invited to a luncheon put on for her Captain and senior officers. During his address to the diners, the Skipper confessed that the weather on the approach to the mouth of the Derwent was so bad that, to quote him, “…I nearly lost it…”.
No minor statement from a Master who regularly crossed the North Atlantic.
Only a couple of years before that we had been living and working in Dubai. We didn't know at the time we watched the QEII come into Hobart that, soon, she would be going to Dubai on her very last voyage to, sadly, be sat on a concrete block in the Dubai Creek and decked out as a luxury hotel. I'm so glad I'll never get to see her there; I'd find it way too sad.
Many years before that, I had a chance to go onboard the SS France when she made her only trip to Sydney on the 16th of February 1974.
I had been pen pals with a member of her crew and we were given an 'insiders' tour of that magnificent ship. We saw what was then regarded as the biggest champagne cellar outside of France. The rest of her cellars would make a Master of Wine weep tears of joy. I was in the Air Force back then and with our meagre pay, a voyage on her was completely off the radar.
These days my wife and I could easily book a suite on any one of the dozens of cruise ships that visit Hobart each year but that will never happen.
We have looked a few of the larger ones over while docked here and the more we saw of them the more we wanted to avoid them.
Crossing Hobart's Tasman Bridge, from a distance, modern cruise ships remind me for all the world of 'live cattle transports'.
I'm no maritime expert so it always baffles me how those vessels don't simply roll over, the way they tower above the water with such a small draught.
We are hoping that the QM2 will be sailing for some years yet as she is on our 'bucket list', or, perhaps, a voyage on one of the smaller Cunard vessels. They, at least, resemble their older 'sisters', the true ocean liners of old.
Thanks again, Mike for your wonderful channel. I'm keen to see your website to check if we can purchase one of your outstanding illustrations of the Grand Ladies of the Sea.
Cheers, Bill H.
Just watched this is my grandpa after school, he quite enjoyed it
Great video! I love cruising, but it all started with ocean liners. I've stayed on the stationary Queen Mary in long beach and one day hope to go on QM2. I would've loved to have been on SS France/Norway, but in the end these ships almost always disappear and are lost for good. Your videos help tell the story of the golden age of ocean liner travel and preserve those memories for future generations to enjoy. Thank you. Scott
Another awesome informative video Mike.
Stunning video.