Hey everyone! This was reuploaded because a company is giving me copyright trouble over footage used in my Normandie video. Just to be safe and avoid any extra headache, I re-edited this video to remove Normandie clips that might be a problem. This video was a lot of fun and I wanted to get it back up for people to enjoy. Like I say in the video, a big part of being an enthusiast is learning more about these great ships and picking your favorites. Hope you enjoy it and let me know your favorites!
Agreed Normandy is the most beautiful, classy and technically superior to them all...gorgeous..albeit not for the tourist class like the profit making Cunard ships
Agreed on the Olympic over the Titanic, it would have been interesting had all three survived. Personally I have a soft spot for the QE2, she looked striking and modern at the same time as did Canberra.
She looked her best after they replaced her original stack during the repower. Going with that fatter traditional 3 band with black top design was the finishing touch on making her a beautiful liner. When I sailed aboard Norway in 87 she happened to be moored alongside us when visited St Thomas. It was so incredible to see these two Transatlantic legends in those beautiful surroundings.
QE2 was arguably the most successful ocean liner in history, carrying over 2.5 million passengers and sailing close to 6 million nautical miles during her 39 year career; her maiden voyage was on May 2, 1969, and she completed her final voyage on November 27, 2008.
It's interesting to view the deck plans and photographs of the Olympic after several refits, expanding and upgrading her tourist and tourist third class accommodations. She became even better.
Worthy of honourable mention is RMS Carpathia. Poky, old and small, thanks to her rescue of all the Titanic survivors means she had an impact on history that makes her a ship and crew that deserve to be remembered.
And her heroic race through treacherous conditions, dodging icebergs, the engine room crew caning her mercilessly to 17 knots when 13 knots was her top speed... All under the steady hand of the great Captain Arthur Rostron, really was the stuff of legend. Unlike many legends, though, it needed no embellishment. Imagine being in one of Titanic's lifeboats, wet, cold, and in shock... starting to wonder if anyone will ever come... Then you see a skyrocket on the horizon, exploding in a shower of brilliant sparks. Then another, only this time closer. The pattern continues, with each rocket being a bit closer than the last. Numb and dull-witted as you feel, logic tells you the rockets have to be coming from somewhere- it's got to be a ship. And when she appears, all lights blazing, it's likely the most beautiful ship you've ever seen. So it's hard not to love RMS Carpathia.
I think this list is more about the superficial qualities than their story, but the Carpathia's story certainly makes her special to everyone who cares about these ships.
I’m glad you included the Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship my grandmother sailed on for her annual Caribbean cruise. I also agree with Olympic over Titanic. I also have an affinity for Berengaria as she brought my dad & grandparents to the US and away from Nazi Germany in 1936.
I started my career as a bell boy on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam and stayed with HAL for 3 years before we were replaced with Asian crew. I have fond memories of sleeping on D deck, below the water line. It's there where I learned to work hard an met friends I still see 55 years after. She was a magnificient ship, a work of art and a pleasure to sail on. Later adventures on ss Statendam and ss Rotterdam V added to the experience and learning curve, I would'nt have missed is for anything, thanks for your What shall I call it, movie, film, documentary, whatever I loved it.
Imagine an alternate timeline where the Normandie incident never happened. Would she have still been scrapped or would she be preserved as a museum ship?
Preserved. Especially with De Gaulle as president, that boat wouldn’t be sent to the scrappers. The French were mega pissed about the Ile De France being scrapped, and also when the France was sold to NCL.
Honestly, these kinda make sense. Especially Aquatania since your ancestor to actually rode it and it was one of your reasons to be so intereted in the history of these ships. Also, the Olympic was also nicknamed Old Reliable because of her war service. And I love their reasoning for using her as a troop transport, she sailed faster than the u-boats and I think some battleships.
And my first ship was the gorgeous SS France in May 1962 - we were moving to Geneva Switzerland and my mother refused to put the dog on a plane - been sailing ever since! Incidentally the Kennel on the France was the most palatial ever with cuts of sirloin like humans would be lucky to get!
I love SS France. While Normandie owns my heart and will always be my number 1, France was a truly remarkable achievement. She had one of the most gorgeous hull shapes of any ship, and was actually bloody fast. She clocked over 35 knots on her trials, and was second only to SS United States in top speed. Considering she had 50,000 less shaft horsepower than Big U, that's rather impressive. I can't help but wonder what speed she could have achieved with 250,000 shp... There's an awesome aerial photograph of SS France on her trials where she's clearly hauling ass, looking like a giant speedboat with massive amounts of spray surrounding her. That must have been one hell of a ride. Vive la France, & vive le paquebot 'France'! I think you and I may very well be the two people who fully appreciate the exquisitely beautiful RMS Queen Elizabeth. Why she doesn't get the recognition she deserves as one of the greatest liners of all time is beyond me. Her dramatic dash across the Atlantic in wartime grey remains legendary, and her subsequent service in WWII was the equal of Queen Mary's, although we only seem to hear about QM's. She had one if the most beautiful and balanced designs, and was lovely from every angle. It's tragic that things didn't work out in Florida, otherwise she may still be with us.
The thing is, _United States_ never did use all of her power either. On her maiden voyage that shattered _Queen Mary's_ record, Big U was using around 60% of her available power. We will never know, what she could do. And your point about _France_ is spot on, she had the most beautiful lines of any liner ever!
I looked at the United States 🇺🇸 almost every day when I went to pick up bananas in Philadelphia on the Delaware River, I was just feet away from it ! I really hope they somehow restore it !
This channel is one of my favourites. There's something about these majestic old ships. Like many people, my interest began with the RMS Titanic disaster. The ship sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, on a cold April night in 1912. The unspeakable horror of the depths, the dreadful yet awesome power of the sea. The crashing of the waves. The hull of the wrecked ship, rusting away at the bottom of the ocean. There is a deep-seated, primal fear about it. Looking at pictures of that scene of desolation, it's enough to send a shiver down the spine. But I have to agree with Big Old Boats. The RMS Olympic was the more successful ship. A true survivor, which came through the First World War, even ramming an enemy submarine and coming out alive. Good to see the Olympic on this list.
As an avid “Titanophile”, I do agree with your choice of the Olympic. Titanic was only a slightly larger copy with a few rewrites to address passenger complaints from the Olympic, like enclosing the forward promenade decks in glass. Those windows had to be opened when Titanic’s First Class women found it difficult to enter the lifeboats from the boat deck above (another reason why modern ships place their lifeboats on lower decks). It’s one way to distinguish photos of Olympic and Titanic. (There’s actually a conspiracy theory suggesting that White Star switched the ships’ names before Titanic’s sailing). Olympic was the first and she sailed for decades and through a war. She survived her two sisters. Her fittings were scraped and I believe you can still see sections of the interior in some English hotels. Including half of the famous staircase and the infamous lounge panels.
But the switch theory has been debunked, I believe. Because the expeditions to the Titanic wreck has found that the propellers have the yard number given to Titanic, 401, engraved to the propellers implying it is Titanic.
There's so much more different than simply the half enclosed A deck promenade though. Titanic's B deck layout was completely different from Olympics. The Olympic had a second wrap around promenade on B deck that was rarely used by passengers so they scrapped it and filled B deck with extra luxury 1st class suites including two parlour suites with private promenades. Titanic also had the cafe Parisien built to resemble a french sidewalk cafe that the Olympic lacked and only obtained years after the Titanic sank.
Dimensionally the titanic wasn’t really even marginally larger. As far as height, length, and beam they were as near identical as building practices allowed/ Titanic was something like 4 feet wider at her widest point because they extended the bridge wings out over the sides slightly on her. The gross tonnage difference was just down to changes in floor plan.
Over a year and I’m finally seeing this video. It’s scary how much I agree with you. I’m also a fan of weird ass funnels! I’ve also sailed on the QE2 twice and can understand why she’s not on this list.
No liner has ever been more breathtakingly beautiful inside and outside than the Normandie. The aesthetic perfection of that great lady has never been replicated, not even by the French themselves.
I and a fellow hitch hiker laid our sleeping bags where we'd been let off, quite late, on a pitch black night, on a barren, gravel parking lot, October 1969, near Ft Lauderdale, FL. Waking up, there was the Queen Mary, 100 yds away, berthed alongside this wasteland, looking equally travel worn to ourselves. Streaked with rust, she was. A staggering sight before the first coffee...
That actually would have been the Queen Elizabeth, who was sold by Cunard to some Florida property developers as a tourist attraction. They went bust, and the Elizabeth was sold on to C.Y. Tung and her sad fate in Hong Kong harbour.
I sailed on the Raffaello in 1973 or 1974. My parents booked us on a Caribbean cruise out of NYC when I was a small kid. I remember how beautiful she was and it started my lifelong love of cruising.
Yes, I VERY MUCH agree with the choice of Normandie For #1, Her interiors were the definition of beauty, The funnels are really considered, and especially that they were designed to have extra luxury for the 3rd ventilation funnel, the design of the hull, and main superstructure. Mwah!, You are the pinnacle of our community: the ocean liner community, and I wish you an amazing life.
I love your videos! This list is impeccable. For her interiors, the Aquitania is my favourite. I have long admired her. For the exteriors, the Normandie. Thank you for another lovely video!
I totally agree with you, SS Normandie was the greatest ocean liner of her era, I also have a soft spot for the Olympic glass of White Star. AWESOME VIDEO buddy...
Tell whoever that company is who's giving you copyright trouble after all this time to shove it, because unless they recorded that footage themselves, I don't know who they think they are to tell you to not share videos of a famous liner that has likely been seen over and over again. That aside, nice to see this video is back up. Not gonna say anything that I haven't already said, except that France (Norway) is now officially #4 on my Top 10 list, behind QM2, US and Titanic respectively. Once again, your list is very interesting - different from many I typically come across, but one that I fully understand and support. Really cool seeing some of the less iconic liners earning a position in the spotlight. :D 🔱
This was a lovely list! I like the unscripted natural feel of this too and I can feel your love of these beautiful stately ladies and that's even better. I look forward to your future videos 🧡
I absolutely love the Olympic, and I totally agree with what you said about her too! The only difference is that she is at my number 1 spot. Overall this video was great! Keep it up 👍
I always wanted to cruise on Cunard QEII. It have heard she needs refurbishment. I did do an Atlantic Crossing. With air travel getting worse, if you have time doing an Atlantic crossing is really super. Ship travel is amazing.
I really love the RMS Mauretania as my great grandmother traveled on it to Scotland in 1920 to visit family. The ships from these periods are the most beautiful works of architecture In my personal opinion. Ive always loved ships. I so badly wish I could travel in time and take some beautoful colored photography of some of these liners.
3:24 putting the glass of water on top of the engine order telegraph is a pretty sweet flex to be quite honest. But then to show it set to "Full Ahead" lol like yeah, that's cool. The Big U was fucking cool. But while were at it, _United States_ is a top 5 ship, come on now. I know it, you know it, and by god, the American people know it.
Sometimes the old-fashioned look is a benefit, which allows to have a glimpse of what it would've been like to stand on the well deck aboard the Titanic. So what you said about the Queen Mary as being her flaws simply a classic look to me.
Hey! I love hearing differing opinions on these sort of things, I personally would put the Queen Mary on the top spot, as she was my introduction to ocean liners and overall maritime history. RMS Mauritania would’ve easily taken number two or three, with Olympic being up there, and I do have a soft spot for the Kaiser ships as well. Though it’s really interesting to see your list and I’ll never have anything against a differing opinion ☺️
Gotta say the same, Queen Mary's my favourite! I'm probably biased, but for me she has always had a special place in my heart cuz she's the first ocean liner I had ever heard about and she's actually what got me into maritime history. Oh yeah and not to mention she's the only one I've ever seen with my OWN eyes! I mean how cool is that! There aren't any other liners on this list that you could say the same about, she's the one only one that you can still visit and board and see with your own eyes! And I think that itself beats out anything else as far as having a personal connection goes. To me that moment I saw her from the Carnival terminal in long beach I was absolutely awestruck and it was a beautiful sight. And then sitting on the cruise ship all throughout the evening and watching the sunset behind her...I mean what a way to make a first Impression into the world of ocean liners than to see one of the most famous ones with your own eyes! So yeah for me The Queen Mary holds that special place in my heart!
As a former cruise ship musician, I have my favorites. Leonardo da Vinci, my first ship, was one of them. I love your channel and your comments...and your voice! Thank you and keep up the good work.
This is my new favourite account, I like your narration and mix of obvious love for the subject with an occasional affectionate irreverence. Keep up the great work!
I don't know if this is off topic, but in addition to the ones you mentioned, one ship that fascinates me is the Great Eastern. It is probably the most famous ship of the second half of the 19th century. Originally designed to carry passengers non-stop to Australia, it was used as a transatlantic liner. Her career was very chaotic. She was truly a revolutionary ship that far surpassed anything else that existed at the time in terms of size and technology. It is really incredible, with its 5 funnels, 6 masts, paddle wheels and propeller. I think it is this ship that can be called the first giant liner.
I can't disagree with anything on this list. I'm thrilled to see the Lusitania here. She's been an obsession of mine since I saw a documentary about her sinking when I was 8 years old in 1966. She had facilities rarely found on land. The forerunner of all luxury cruise liners. And an epic tragedy.
Oh, Bradley. You crack me up. I love your videos and the fact that you make me laugh. Keep up the great work you're doing. PS... I agree 💯 with your list. Especially the SS France. I almost cried when I saw what was done to her in 1990. OK... Maybe I did cry. A little.
I like your voice btw - I watch your videos as I'm trying to fall asleep at night and your narration is very soothing, and on your spooky videos, your narration is perfectly fitting.
My list would be very similar, though I'd would personally substitute Rex and Île-de-France for the Michelangelo and France: Rex for her classical beauty, and Île-de-France for how beloved she was by nearly all who sailed on her.
I completely agree with you on your take with the RMS Olympic, she had such an amazing career, like smashing a U Boat for example but somehow she wasn’t turned into a museum ship or hotel like the Queen Mary.
Great video as always. I just love how you make your documentaries and the fact you dared to skip QM and instead include the Aquitania and the Olympic instead of the Titanic was just superb. Well done! One liner I hope you will "visit" in a future video is the less known pre-Normandie l'Atlantique. Her exteriors were not the best, but taking her modest size in consideration she had a stunning and grand interior. Also being the first to have an interior promenade. Sadly she, like the Normandie, had a way too short life and a tragic end. Keep up the good work :) /Jimmy
Mike Brady of Oceanliner Designs once said that Titanic "was the gateway drug" for him and that's what sparked his interest in ocean liners. It's 100% true because when I was a teenager watching James Cameron's version of Titanic, I became interested in the ship. National Geographic got me interested in Titanic before the movie, but after the movie I became very interested. Then interest in ocean liners became my pandemic hobby lmfao 😁
Gotta say, for me personally the iconic Queen Mary's still my favourite! I'm probably biased, but for me she has always had a special place in my heart cuz she's the first ocean liner I had ever heard about and she's actually what got me into martime history. Oh yeah and not to mention she's the only one I've ever seen with my OWN eyes! I mean how cool is that! There aren't any other liners on this list that you could say the same about, she's the one only one that you can still visit and board and see with your own eyes! And I think that itself beats out anything else as far as having a personal connection goes. To me that moment was when i was going on a cruise for the first time with my family, and I saw her from the Carnival terminal in long beach I was absolutely awestruck and it was a beautiful sight. And then sitting on the cruise ship all throughout the evening and watching the sunset behind her...I mean what a way to make a first Impression into the world of ocean liners than to see one of the most famous ones with your own eyes! So yeah for that reason and many more, The Queen Mary still holds that special place in my heart!
I really like your channel! Seems many ship enthusiasts like you and me all started with an interest in titanic, and then expand our horizons by learning about other ships. I’m with you on Normandie, also my favourite! Do you think Normandie would of become a hotel in a dry dock like queen mary if she survived a long career?
Many years ago, I purchased a great framed 2'x 2' aerial photo of a liner entering NY harbor--I didn't know what ship it was--I took it to a retired German ship captain who identified it as the Nieuw Amsterdam on its maiden voyage--Interesting, because my grandfather emigrated from Germany on the first Nieuw Amsterdam in 1911!
People act like the Normandie was this huge money pit but she wasn't. She covered her operating costs every year. And considering this was in the depths of the Great Depression this says a lot. She was hampered by a few things, namely a lack of a suitable running mate and less traffic going to France than Great Britain. I have no doubt had she survived and been paired with the Europa/Liberte with the Ile serving as a relief ship she would have made a fortune.
My Top 20 in chronological order of when they entered service: RMS Adriatic (1907) RMS Olympic (1911) RMS Aquitania (1914) RMS Scythia (1921) RMS Majestic (1914/1922) SS Belgenland (1914/1923) SS Ile de France (1927) SS Europa/SS Liberte (1930/1950) MV Britannic (1930) RMS Empress of Britain (1931) MV Georgic (1932) RMS Mauretania (1939) SS America (1939) MS Stockholm (1948) RMS Caronia (1949) SS United States (1952) SS Rotterdam (1959) SS France/SS Norway (1962/1980) MS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) RMS Queen Mary 2 (2004)
@@gordonwilder6813 I didn’t put either of the original Queens on my list but I did put their more modern successors, Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) and Queen Mary 2 (2004). I also put on Scythia (1921) for her long history, Caronia (1949) for her luxury, and Aquitania (1914) for both, as well as Cunard’s second Mauretania (1939), aka the little Queen Elizabeth.
I was 4 years old when our family traveled from NY to Naples on the Michelangelo. The few things I remember were the multicolored desk lights, not wanting to put on a life jackets during practice, and of course the fancy latice pattern of the smoke stacks.
I guess it makes a lot of sense that you declared esthetics as the main inner driver for your desire to sail on those icons. For me the fascination stems from how technological advances change the world. So I would start at paddle steamers like the artic, and then work my way up all the milestones in ship building so to grasp what each technological advancement meant to anyone at the time.
Nice list! You support your decisions (as to list placement) with rational and understandable reasons, regardless if some of the reasons are subjective. I don't know enough about Ocean Liners to agree or disagree but I am willing to throw my support behind your list because clearly you know what you're talking about. Thanks for the all the work that went into making this video!
This video is a year old but I am a long time sub who just wanted to remind you, you made, make and continue to make great videos, full of interesting information and told in a way that is soothing, almost like a bed time story by a shipyard master. Keep up the great work, for all our sakes 😀
Great video! It agree with you 1,000% on your choice of greatest liner of all time! I don't want to say her name here so as not to spoil it for others going down your top ten. I don't think that today's ships are near as beautiful as the ship which wins first prize on your list; she was in a class all her very own.
I was fortunate to be able to do 2 transatlantic crossings in the late 1950s, when my Dad, a naval officer, was given an assignment in Europe. The United States and its sister ship, the America, ran the northern route from New York to Southampton. The word was that the United States wasn’t all that pleasant, especially at speed. What people don’t realize is that, at speed, the propellors set up a tremendous, throbbing vibration, that can be felt throughout most of the ship. We went on American Export Lines SS Independence, a smaller ship that followed the southern route from New York past the Azores and into the Mediterranean. We experienced the same throbbing at speed on our return trip. Apparently, the Captain was outrunning some bad weather. Later, as we got closer to the U.S., he slowed down; and we just toodled along like today’s cruise ships seem to do. As you mentioned, many of the ships built in the 40s and 50s were dual purpose: passenger liners in peacetime and troop carriers in war. Part of the design brief was to be fast enough to outrun the submarines of that era.
I’m partial to the Italian liners because the Italians take art, in literally everything, from majestic ocean liners to coffee, grand ladies of the sea notwithstanding. Rex, Conte Savoia and Andrea Doria. Normandie and United States take honorable mentions.
In 1968 I had to choose between the United States, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth was the one I picked and I sailed on. Clearly the best of the those, imho. Also sailed on the Rafaello which was superb but just not in the same league as the other three. The Normandie was lost before I was born, but was always considered to be the creme de la creme.
That's an interesting story except that the Queen Mary couldn't have been one of your choices in 1968 since she was retired in 1967. It must have been an earlier year. During the years of their service the Queen Mary and United States were the most popular of the three you mentioned.
Hey everyone! This was reuploaded because a company is giving me copyright trouble over footage used in my Normandie video. Just to be safe and avoid any extra headache, I re-edited this video to remove Normandie clips that might be a problem. This video was a lot of fun and I wanted to get it back up for people to enjoy. Like I say in the video, a big part of being an enthusiast is learning more about these great ships and picking your favorites. Hope you enjoy it and let me know your favorites!
Agreed Normandy is the most beautiful, classy and technically superior to them all...gorgeous..albeit not for the tourist class like the profit making Cunard ships
Do they own the copyrights?
Hey!! When are u gping to upload back the Normandie video? I really love that one and would love to see it back 😭💖
It is normandie not normandy
I love the normandie I hated when normandie C Catch
The Normandie was an awesomely beautiful ship. She was in a class of her own.
Agreed on the Olympic over the Titanic, it would have been interesting had all three survived. Personally I have a soft spot for the QE2, she looked striking and modern at the same time as did Canberra.
She looked her best after they replaced her original stack during the repower. Going with that fatter traditional 3 band with black top design was the finishing touch on making her a beautiful liner. When I sailed aboard Norway in 87 she happened to be moored alongside us when visited St Thomas. It was so incredible to see these two Transatlantic legends in those beautiful surroundings.
QE2 was arguably the most successful ocean liner in history, carrying over 2.5 million passengers and sailing close to 6 million nautical miles during her 39 year career; her maiden voyage was on May 2, 1969, and she completed her final voyage on November 27, 2008.
It's interesting to view the deck plans and photographs of the Olympic after several refits, expanding and upgrading her tourist and tourist third class accommodations. She became even better.
@@CJODell12 I crossed on her in August 1988. She was absolutely marvelous.
Worthy of honourable mention is RMS Carpathia. Poky, old and small, thanks to her rescue of all the Titanic survivors means she had an impact on history that makes her a ship and crew that deserve to be remembered.
And her heroic race through treacherous conditions, dodging icebergs, the engine room crew caning her mercilessly to 17 knots when 13 knots was her top speed... All under the steady hand of the great Captain Arthur Rostron, really was the stuff of legend. Unlike many legends, though, it needed no embellishment. Imagine being in one of Titanic's lifeboats, wet, cold, and in shock... starting to wonder if anyone will ever come... Then you see a skyrocket on the horizon, exploding in a shower of brilliant sparks. Then another, only this time closer. The pattern continues, with each rocket being a bit closer than the last. Numb and dull-witted as you feel, logic tells you the rockets have to be coming from somewhere- it's got to be a ship. And when she appears, all lights blazing, it's likely the most beautiful ship you've ever seen.
So it's hard not to love RMS Carpathia.
@@monsieurcommissaire1628 great observation!!
It did actually become very fashionable to sail on "The Hero Ship".
Amen to that!!!!!!!!!!! should have been in the top 10!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think this list is more about the superficial qualities than their story, but the Carpathia's story certainly makes her special to everyone who cares about these ships.
I’m glad you included the Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship my grandmother sailed on for her annual Caribbean cruise. I also agree with Olympic over Titanic. I also have an affinity for Berengaria as she brought my dad & grandparents to the US and away from Nazi Germany in 1936.
I started my career as a bell boy on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam and stayed with HAL for 3 years before we were replaced with Asian crew. I have fond memories of sleeping on D deck, below the water line. It's there where I learned to work hard an met friends I still see 55 years after. She was a magnificient ship, a work of art and a pleasure to sail on. Later adventures on ss Statendam and ss Rotterdam V added to the experience and learning curve, I would'nt have missed is for anything, thanks for your What shall I call it, movie, film, documentary, whatever I loved it.
Imagine an alternate timeline where the Normandie incident never happened. Would she have still been scrapped or would she be preserved as a museum ship?
❤️
Preserved. Especially with De Gaulle as president, that boat wouldn’t be sent to the scrappers. The French were mega pissed about the Ile De France being scrapped, and also when the France was sold to NCL.
Sad to say, but she too would have been scraped.
Olympic sunk both a light ship, and a U-boat. She was launched in 1910, and scrapped in 1937.
@@johnbockelie3899 Indeed, though we weren't talking about Olympic just now. :P
Honestly, these kinda make sense. Especially Aquatania since your ancestor to actually rode it and it was one of your reasons to be so intereted in the history of these ships.
Also, the Olympic was also nicknamed Old Reliable because of her war service. And I love their reasoning for using her as a troop transport, she sailed faster than the u-boats and I think some battleships.
Had my ears pierced on the operating table in 1966 on board Michelangelo! Bet I’m the only one!
And my first ship was the gorgeous SS France in May 1962 - we were moving to Geneva Switzerland and my mother refused to put the dog on a plane - been sailing ever since! Incidentally the Kennel on the France was the most palatial ever with cuts of sirloin like humans would be lucky to get!
I’m happy to say I sailed on the United States, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and The France. TY for this… loved it.
Something tells me a Normandie reupload could be on the horizon.
I wanted to watch the vid before if was taken down :(
I can feel it
Yes
And before you know it, Its here!
I love SS France. While Normandie owns my heart and will always be my number 1, France was a truly remarkable achievement. She had one of the most gorgeous hull shapes of any ship, and was actually bloody fast. She clocked over 35 knots on her trials, and was second only to SS United States in top speed. Considering she had 50,000 less shaft horsepower than Big U, that's rather impressive. I can't help but wonder what speed she could have achieved with 250,000 shp...
There's an awesome aerial photograph of SS France on her trials where she's clearly hauling ass, looking like a giant speedboat with massive amounts of spray surrounding her. That must have been one hell of a ride. Vive la France, & vive le paquebot 'France'!
I think you and I may very well be the two people who fully appreciate the exquisitely beautiful RMS Queen Elizabeth. Why she doesn't get the recognition she deserves as one of the greatest liners of all time is beyond me. Her dramatic dash across the Atlantic in wartime grey remains legendary, and her subsequent service in WWII was the equal of Queen Mary's, although we only seem to hear about QM's. She had one if the most beautiful and balanced designs, and was lovely from every angle. It's tragic that things didn't work out in Florida, otherwise she may still be with us.
Acho o SS Normandie bem feio.
Apenas sua história e bonita.
The thing is, _United States_ never did use all of her power either. On her maiden voyage that shattered _Queen Mary's_ record, Big U was using around 60% of her available power. We will never know, what she could do. And your point about _France_ is spot on, she had the most beautiful lines of any liner ever!
I looked at the United States 🇺🇸 almost every day when I went to pick up bananas in Philadelphia on the Delaware River, I was just feet away from it ! I really hope they somehow restore it !
This channel is one of my favourites. There's something about these majestic old ships. Like many people, my interest began with the RMS Titanic disaster. The ship sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, on a cold April night in 1912. The unspeakable horror of the depths, the dreadful yet awesome power of the sea. The crashing of the waves. The hull of the wrecked ship, rusting away at the bottom of the ocean. There is a deep-seated, primal fear about it. Looking at pictures of that scene of desolation, it's enough to send a shiver down the spine. But I have to agree with Big Old Boats. The RMS Olympic was the more successful ship. A true survivor, which came through the First World War, even ramming an enemy submarine and coming out alive. Good to see the Olympic on this list.
Para mim o mais importante foi o Aquitania (Navio bonito), ele teve uma vida muito maior do que o esperado, e sobreviveu a 2 guerras.
As an avid “Titanophile”, I do agree with your choice of the Olympic. Titanic was only a slightly larger copy with a few rewrites to address passenger complaints from the Olympic, like enclosing the forward promenade decks in glass. Those windows had to be opened when Titanic’s First Class women found it difficult to enter the lifeboats from the boat deck above (another reason why modern ships place their lifeboats on lower decks). It’s one way to distinguish photos of Olympic and Titanic. (There’s actually a conspiracy theory suggesting that White Star switched the ships’ names before Titanic’s sailing). Olympic was the first and she sailed for decades and through a war. She survived her two sisters. Her fittings were scraped and I believe you can still see sections of the interior in some English hotels. Including half of the famous staircase and the infamous lounge panels.
That conspiracy theory was utter garbage and has been proven as such a long time ago, just in case you don't know. :)
@@Kaidhicksii i know. I’ve read everything about the Titanic. It’s just an anecdote about the two ships.
But the switch theory has been debunked, I believe. Because the expeditions to the Titanic wreck has found that the propellers have the yard number given to Titanic, 401, engraved to the propellers implying it is Titanic.
There's so much more different than simply the half enclosed A deck promenade though. Titanic's B deck layout was completely different from Olympics. The Olympic had a second wrap around promenade on B deck that was rarely used by passengers so they scrapped it and filled B deck with extra luxury 1st class suites including two parlour suites with private promenades. Titanic also had the cafe Parisien built to resemble a french sidewalk cafe that the Olympic lacked and only obtained years after the Titanic sank.
Dimensionally the titanic wasn’t really even marginally larger. As far as height, length, and beam they were as near identical as building practices allowed/ Titanic was something like 4 feet wider at her widest point because they extended the bridge wings out over the sides slightly on her. The gross tonnage difference was just down to changes in floor plan.
Glad you included the SS United States and Michelangelo , both ships I've been on.
Over a year and I’m finally seeing this video. It’s scary how much I agree with you. I’m also a fan of weird ass funnels! I’ve also sailed on the QE2 twice and can understand why she’s not on this list.
Lovely list, Olympic and France are my favorites.
“The Olympic accomplished the one thing her builders actually envisioned”
…going eastbound?
Such a beautiful selection
No liner has ever been more breathtakingly beautiful inside and outside than the Normandie. The aesthetic perfection of that great lady has never been replicated, not even by the French themselves.
I and a fellow hitch hiker laid our sleeping bags where we'd been let off, quite late, on a pitch black night, on a barren, gravel parking lot, October 1969, near Ft Lauderdale, FL. Waking up, there was the Queen Mary, 100 yds away, berthed alongside this wasteland, looking equally travel worn to ourselves. Streaked with rust, she was. A staggering sight before the first coffee...
That actually would have been the Queen Elizabeth, who was sold by Cunard to some Florida property developers as a tourist attraction. They went bust, and the Elizabeth was sold on to C.Y. Tung and her sad fate in Hong Kong harbour.
You picked Olympic over Titanic. That deserves a Sub.
Yes! Another video!! I know it’s a reupload, but I love your videos!
Love this channel & the videos.
Thank you for this glimpse of these *exquisite* old liners !
Best regards from Iceland
-K 🇮🇸
I sailed on the Raffaello in 1973 or 1974. My parents booked us on a Caribbean cruise out of NYC when I was a small kid. I remember how beautiful she was and it started my lifelong love of cruising.
Iceburg: "Time to sink a ship!"
Titanic: *!?*
U-Boat: "Time to sink a ship!"
Olympic: *Psychotic Laughter*
:D
Olympic: Hello there
U-boat: skibbidy bop mm da da 🔥
Yes, I VERY MUCH agree with the choice of Normandie For #1, Her interiors were the definition of beauty, The funnels are really considered, and especially that they were designed to have extra luxury for the 3rd ventilation funnel, the design of the hull, and main superstructure. Mwah!, You are the pinnacle of our community: the ocean liner community, and I wish you an amazing life.
Great video, I love the channel and everything about these old boats they were works of art. Keep the videos coming.
Thank you!
The Normandy certainly is a very good looking boat so I will agree with you boat dude 👍👍👍
You really know your ships. You made me cry when I cant see them all today. Thank you for this upload.
Without a doubt, the Aquitania has the most beautiful classical decor. For more contemporary decor, I vote for, believe it or not, the Andrea Doria.
I love the Aquitania's interior also. Just beautiful!
I love your videos! This list is impeccable. For her interiors, the Aquitania is my favourite. I have long admired her. For the exteriors, the Normandie. Thank you for another lovely video!
I await the inevitable ocean liner-troop ship conversion crossover between you and drachinifel
Keep up the good work
I totally agree with you, SS Normandie was the greatest ocean liner of her era, I also have a soft spot for the Olympic glass of White Star. AWESOME VIDEO buddy...
RMS Caronia, RMS Carpathia, SS Vaterland (later renamed and better known as SS Leviathan) were really iconic as well
Choosing Normandie as top on yur list says you kow about ships, Well done! Normandie was the most beautiful and the most luxurious liner in history
Tell whoever that company is who's giving you copyright trouble after all this time to shove it, because unless they recorded that footage themselves, I don't know who they think they are to tell you to not share videos of a famous liner that has likely been seen over and over again.
That aside, nice to see this video is back up. Not gonna say anything that I haven't already said, except that France (Norway) is now officially #4 on my Top 10 list, behind QM2, US and Titanic respectively. Once again, your list is very interesting - different from many I typically come across, but one that I fully understand and support. Really cool seeing some of the less iconic liners earning a position in the spotlight. :D 🔱
This was a lovely list! I like the unscripted natural feel of this too and I can feel your love of these beautiful stately ladies and that's even better. I look forward to your future videos 🧡
I absolutely love the Olympic, and I totally agree with what you said about her too! The only difference is that she is at my number 1 spot.
Overall this video was great! Keep it up 👍
Ooh contentious, I like it!
~Mike
Hey, it is our friend Mike Brady, from Ocean Liner Designs!
I love Olympic. If only the fools hadn’t decided to scrap the eldest child and sole survivor of her line; she would have been timeless history.
Honorable mention: SS Île de France. A great ship and beautiful design.
I always wanted to cruise on Cunard QEII. It have heard she needs refurbishment. I did do an Atlantic Crossing. With air travel getting worse, if you have time doing an Atlantic crossing is really super. Ship travel is amazing.
I really love the RMS Mauretania as my great grandmother traveled on it to Scotland in 1920 to visit family. The ships from these periods are the most beautiful works of architecture In my personal opinion. Ive always loved ships. I so badly wish I could travel in time and take some beautoful colored photography of some of these liners.
3:24 putting the glass of water on top of the engine order telegraph is a pretty sweet flex to be quite honest. But then to show it set to "Full Ahead" lol like yeah, that's cool. The Big U was fucking cool. But while were at it, _United States_ is a top 5 ship, come on now. I know it, you know it, and by god, the American people know it.
My top five
1. RMS Queen Mary
2. SS Normandie
3. RMS Olympic
4. SS United States
5. SS France (1960)
I knew Titanic wouldn't be on here when you said from the start how you were picking the line up.
Sometimes the old-fashioned look is a benefit, which allows to have a glimpse of what it would've been like to stand on the well deck aboard the Titanic. So what you said about the Queen Mary as being her flaws simply a classic look to me.
I was waiting! You picked the perfect number 1. That ship was absolutely gorgeous.
Hey! I love hearing differing opinions on these sort of things, I personally would put the Queen Mary on the top spot, as she was my introduction to ocean liners and overall maritime history. RMS Mauritania would’ve easily taken number two or three, with Olympic being up there, and I do have a soft spot for the Kaiser ships as well. Though it’s really interesting to see your list and I’ll never have anything against a differing opinion ☺️
Gotta say the same, Queen Mary's my favourite! I'm probably biased, but for me she has always had a special place in my heart cuz she's the first ocean liner I had ever heard about and she's actually what got me into maritime history.
Oh yeah and not to mention she's the only one I've ever seen with my OWN eyes!
I mean how cool is that! There aren't any other liners on this list that you could say the same about, she's the one only one that you can still visit and board and see with your own eyes! And I think that itself beats out anything else as far as having a personal connection goes.
To me that moment I saw her from the Carnival terminal in long beach I was absolutely awestruck and it was a beautiful sight.
And then sitting on the cruise ship all throughout the evening and watching the sunset behind her...I mean what a way to make a first Impression into the world of ocean liners than to see one of the most famous ones with your own eyes!
So yeah for me The Queen Mary holds that special place in my heart!
As a former cruise ship musician, I have my favorites. Leonardo da Vinci, my first ship, was one of them. I love your channel and your comments...and your voice! Thank you and keep up the good work.
This is my new favourite account, I like your narration and mix of obvious love for the subject with an occasional affectionate irreverence. Keep up the great work!
I don't know if this is off topic, but in addition to the ones you mentioned, one ship that fascinates me is the Great Eastern. It is probably the most famous ship of the second half of the 19th century. Originally designed to carry passengers non-stop to Australia, it was used as a transatlantic liner. Her career was very chaotic.
She was truly a revolutionary ship that far surpassed anything else that existed at the time in terms of size and technology. It is really incredible, with its 5 funnels, 6 masts, paddle wheels and propeller.
I think it is this ship that can be called the first giant liner.
10:55 got me squealing like a little girl, olympic is and always will be my favorite ship of all time
I can't disagree with anything on this list. I'm thrilled to see the Lusitania here. She's been an obsession of mine since I saw a documentary about her sinking when I was 8 years old in 1966. She had facilities rarely found on land. The forerunner of all luxury cruise liners. And an epic tragedy.
Oh, Bradley. You crack me up. I love your videos and the fact that you make me laugh. Keep up the great work you're doing.
PS... I agree 💯 with your list. Especially the SS France. I almost cried when I saw what was done to her in 1990. OK... Maybe I did cry. A little.
I love your videos! I wish I could go back in time and sail on every one of these great ships!
I like your voice btw - I watch your videos as I'm trying to fall asleep at night and your narration is very soothing, and on your spooky videos, your narration is perfectly fitting.
My list would be very similar, though I'd would personally substitute Rex and Île-de-France for the Michelangelo and France: Rex for her classical beauty, and Île-de-France for how beloved she was by nearly all who sailed on her.
Hear! Hear! on including Ile De France. That was one of my choices for top ten as well.
I completely agree with you on your take with the RMS Olympic, she had such an amazing career, like smashing a U Boat for example but somehow she wasn’t turned into a museum ship or hotel like the Queen Mary.
Great video as always. I just love how you make your documentaries and the fact you dared to skip QM and instead include the Aquitania and the Olympic instead of the Titanic was just superb. Well done!
One liner I hope you will "visit" in a future video is the less known pre-Normandie l'Atlantique. Her exteriors were not the best, but taking her modest size in consideration she had a stunning and grand interior. Also being the first to have an interior promenade. Sadly she, like the Normandie, had a way too short life and a tragic end.
Keep up the good work :)
/Jimmy
I'm 100% with you on all these ships. Too bad we can't go back in time and see them in person.
I wish the Hollywood filmmakers made a movie starring the "Normandie", even if computer-simulated.
Airplane flying over at the end like "haha, I'm the future."
I won't Trash Talk your List Sir ... I think it was quite Superbulistic !!!
Hats off to you I absolutely love every thing you upload on every single one you post never unsubscribe
Mike Brady of Oceanliner Designs once said that Titanic "was the gateway drug" for him and that's what sparked his interest in ocean liners. It's 100% true because when I was a teenager watching James Cameron's version of Titanic, I became interested in the ship. National Geographic got me interested in Titanic before the movie, but after the movie I became very interested. Then interest in ocean liners became my pandemic hobby lmfao 😁
The italian Rex is one of my favourites :-) And the Andrea Doria class
My favorite liner is the SS United States. I’m glad you highlighted the Olympic. The Titanic gets too much attention!
I can see how Great-Grand Dad's postcard can make you love liners!
I have a similar passion with a certain kind of bird hunting! Np postcard, though.
Gotta say, for me personally the iconic Queen Mary's still my favourite! I'm probably biased, but for me she has always had a special place in my heart cuz she's the first ocean liner I had ever heard about and she's actually what got me into martime history.
Oh yeah and not to mention she's the only one I've ever seen with my OWN eyes!
I mean how cool is that! There aren't any other liners on this list that you could say the same about, she's the one only one that you can still visit and board and see with your own eyes! And I think that itself beats out anything else as far as having a personal connection goes.
To me that moment was when i was going on a cruise for the first time with my family, and I saw her from the Carnival terminal in long beach I was absolutely awestruck and it was a beautiful sight.
And then sitting on the cruise ship all throughout the evening and watching the sunset behind her...I mean what a way to make a first Impression into the world of ocean liners than to see one of the most famous ones with your own eyes!
So yeah for that reason and many more, The Queen Mary still holds that special place in my heart!
I really like your channel! Seems many ship enthusiasts like you and me all started with an interest in titanic, and then expand our horizons by learning about other ships. I’m with you on Normandie, also my favourite! Do you think Normandie would of become a hotel in a dry dock like queen mary if she survived a long career?
I like your voice, I find it soothing and relaxing. Not quite Bob Ross but almost 😆.
Many years ago, I purchased a great framed 2'x 2' aerial photo of a liner entering NY harbor--I didn't know what ship it was--I took it to a retired German ship captain who identified it as the Nieuw Amsterdam on its maiden voyage--Interesting, because my grandfather emigrated from Germany on the first Nieuw Amsterdam in 1911!
My mother and stepfather worked aboard the US. Thank you.
My top 3 would have to be:
3. SS Normandie
2. SS France
1. RMS Britannic
An honorable mention for 3rd would be Queen Mary 2.
People act like the Normandie was this huge money pit but she wasn't. She covered her operating costs every year. And considering this was in the depths of the Great Depression this says a lot. She was hampered by a few things, namely a lack of a suitable running mate and less traffic going to France than Great Britain. I have no doubt had she survived and been paired with the Europa/Liberte with the Ile serving as a relief ship she would have made a fortune.
My Top 20 in chronological order of when they entered service:
RMS Adriatic (1907)
RMS Olympic (1911)
RMS Aquitania (1914)
RMS Scythia (1921)
RMS Majestic (1914/1922)
SS Belgenland (1914/1923)
SS Ile de France (1927)
SS Europa/SS Liberte (1930/1950)
MV Britannic (1930)
RMS Empress of Britain (1931)
MV Georgic (1932)
RMS Mauretania (1939)
SS America (1939)
MS Stockholm (1948)
RMS Caronia (1949)
SS United States (1952)
SS Rotterdam (1959)
SS France/SS Norway (1962/1980)
MS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969)
RMS Queen Mary 2 (2004)
Interesting list. Didn't the Queen Elizabeth have a rather obscure running mate called the "Queen Mary" or something like that?
@@gordonwilder6813 I didn’t put either of the original Queens on my list but I did put their more modern successors, Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) and Queen Mary 2 (2004). I also put on Scythia (1921) for her long history, Caronia (1949) for her luxury, and Aquitania (1914) for both, as well as Cunard’s second Mauretania (1939), aka the little Queen Elizabeth.
I was 4 years old when our family traveled from NY to Naples on the Michelangelo. The few things I remember were the multicolored desk lights, not wanting to put on a life jackets during practice, and of course the fancy latice pattern of the smoke stacks.
I guess it makes a lot of sense that you declared esthetics as the main inner driver for your desire to sail on those icons.
For me the fascination stems from how technological advances change the world. So I would start at paddle steamers like the artic, and then work my way up all the milestones in ship building so to grasp what each technological advancement meant to anyone at the time.
Nice list! You support your decisions (as to list placement) with rational and understandable reasons, regardless if some of the reasons are subjective. I don't know enough about Ocean Liners to agree or disagree but I am willing to throw my support behind your list because clearly you know what you're talking about. Thanks for the all the work that went into making this video!
Thank you!
EXCELLENT LIST!!! And yes. The Normandie was beyond beautiful. And yes, your voice has a special quality to it. What can I say? Anchors Away???
Your voice is so damn soothing you maniac you kill me
Bremen and Europa are wonderful examples of one of my favorite sayings
Bad people can make good things
This video is a year old but I am a long time sub who just wanted to remind you, you made, make and continue to make great videos, full of interesting information and told in a way that is soothing, almost like a bed time story by a shipyard master. Keep up the great work, for all our sakes 😀
Great video! It agree with you 1,000% on your choice of greatest liner of all time! I don't want to say her name here so as not to spoil it for others going down your top ten. I don't think that today's ships are near as beautiful as the ship which wins first prize on your list; she was in a class all her very own.
The Normandie completely deserves to be number 1. But you should have shown footages of the interior: it was a thing of beauty!
I was fortunate to be able to do 2 transatlantic crossings in the late 1950s, when my Dad, a naval officer, was given an assignment in Europe. The United States and its sister ship, the America, ran the northern route from New York to Southampton. The word was that the United States wasn’t all that pleasant, especially at speed. What people don’t realize is that, at speed, the propellors set up a tremendous, throbbing vibration, that can be felt throughout most of the ship. We went on American Export Lines SS Independence, a smaller ship that followed the southern route from New York past the Azores and into the Mediterranean. We experienced the same throbbing at speed on our return trip. Apparently, the Captain was outrunning some bad weather. Later, as we got closer to the U.S., he slowed down; and we just toodled along like today’s cruise ships seem to do. As you mentioned, many of the ships built in the 40s and 50s were dual purpose: passenger liners in peacetime and troop carriers in war. Part of the design brief was to be fast enough to outrun the submarines of that era.
The Normandie has the best lines of any ship ever.
Really enjoyed it. Thanks
I’m partial to the Italian liners because the Italians take art, in literally everything, from majestic ocean liners to coffee, grand ladies of the sea notwithstanding. Rex, Conte Savoia and Andrea Doria. Normandie and United States take honorable mentions.
Getting shot in game: Olympic
Getting shot in a cutscene: Titanic
In 1968 I had to choose between the United States, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth was the one I picked and I sailed on. Clearly the best of the those, imho.
Also sailed on the Rafaello which was superb but just not in the same league as the other three.
The Normandie was lost before I was born, but was always considered to be the creme de la creme.
That's an interesting story except that the Queen Mary couldn't have been one of your choices in 1968 since she was retired in 1967. It must have been an earlier year.
During the years of their service the Queen Mary and United States were the most popular of the three you mentioned.
Great list but in my list I include the Ile de France and the Atlantic.
the story about your great grandfather is so cool! I'm glad you have the postcard!
Olympic over Titanic for me as well. Olympic was a badass of a ship
I have a VERY soft side for the RMS Lusitania as well. It's VERY hard to explain but she is my favorite, no doubt. :)
Lusitania was stunning