Before jet travel took over, the only way to cross the Atlantic was aboard a great ocean liner, and the biggest ships became floating symbols of national pride. Some set speed records, some met tragic ends and a few survive today as hotels and museums. Here are twelve famous ocean liners that shaped the golden age of sea travel.
1. RMS Lusitania: Cunard’s record-setting greyhound
Cunard’s Lusitania entered service in 1907 as one of the largest and fastest ships in the world and quickly won the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing, as described in its service history.
The liner is best remembered for its loss in May 1915, when a German submarine torpedoed it off the coast of Ireland during World War I. The sinking shocked the public on both sides of the Atlantic and helped turn American opinion against Germany.