How is an Ocean Liner Different to a Cruise Ship? 

Hope you guys enjoyed the video, more specifically my analogies for what an Ocean liner and Cruise ship are! 😂

Mike's work really is the glue that holds the ship together in the Ocean Liner community, with his splendid art illustrations & informative videos.

“Boxy floating apartment blocks” what a great description of today’s 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!

The older ocean liners are so much prettier than the ugly, boxy cruise ships of today

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

It is a good day when another ocean liner designs video comes out

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.

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.

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.

Great video, Mike! Man you so quickly became my absolute favorite RU-vid channel!

Your channel is the absolute best when it comes to ocean liners! Keep up the phenomenal work Mike👏🏻👏🏻

Makes me glad the queen mary 2 still carrys the translantic crossing tradition its worth the 7 day trip

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 ❤

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!

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.

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.

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

the cruise ship is a bathtub and an ocean liner is just a beautiful ship

"France was renamed Norway, and went on to have an insanely successful twenty-six year long career as a cruise ship" is one of the funniest sentences without context.

Hey Mike 👋, just wanted to say I watched this video and found something you want to consider, now that Icon of the Seas is out, it meets many requirements to be a ocean liner, for one a sharp bow able to cut through waves, two lifeboats are kept generally higher on deck 6 and 7, it can reach 28 mph or 20-24 kts, and it has all the entertainment to keep passengers ready for a week at sea. ( for the lifeboat one, you have to consider ships like Umbria were only 2 decks tall so lifeboats being on deck 2 isn’t going to do anything against storms , 6 decks is pretty good height above the waterline, pls consider this comment)

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.

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!

Finally, a video that addresses the difference between cruise ship and ocean liner.

Thank you for all your hard work Mike, maybe now TikTokers will stop calling Titanic a cruise (Hey Hope is free isn´t it?)

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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 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.

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 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

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.

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. :)

As I once explained it to someone: Liners were designed for distance. Larger crews, more of the crew was dedicated to running the ship. It was not focused on making 30 stops. It might make 3 or 4 at the beginning and end to pick up/drop off passengers and cargo, but it was mostly a point A>B trip over a DISTANCE. Cruise ships are designed for stopping a lot. Stop at the tropical islands 1, 4, 6, and 9 for excursions before coming back. Or go out into the ocean for 3 days then come back. They're not designed for point A>B long distance hauling

Man every time the video is about to come to a close I wish there were 30 more minutes I could watch/listen too.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I’m from Chicago so naturally I’ve spent very little time in or around an ocean, let alone a cruise ship or ocean liner. I’ve never seen a cruise ship in person, however, I have spotted the Queen Mary 2 in the distance when I visited New York once. I was in the RV park in Jersey across the Hudson, I was able to zoom in with my phone and make out “Queen Mary 2” on the side of it. What a beauty!!! I didn’t know this was the ONLY ocean liner left in service today, that is interesting to know! She was gone by the next day I looked over there, guess she was headed back to England. I’ll be taking a cruise in September, looking forward to everything about it, the good, the bad, and the ugly, can’t wait to experience it all lol.

Always love the wealth of information you deliver in the way you do.

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! ❤

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!

When he says ocean liners were a different beast and shows the Olympic. Ole Reliable Badass.

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!!

Some cruise ships offer "Point A to Point B" itineraries similar to ocean liner crossings, but of course, it's all about maximizing the luxury vacation experience rather than traditional ocean liner seafaring. Given the chance and the time, I'd rather a weeklong transatlantic cruise than a 14-hour plane trip.

You have a very good speaking voice. Smooth, articulate, warm and clear.

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!

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.

started watching your videos a few days ago and I'm hooked. keep up the good work.👍

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 do understand the technical difference between the ships and I do understand that Queen Mary 2 sails on the north atlantic route which certainly is not the place many people would choose for a vacation. Still I would presume that nearly all of her passengers are traveling on her for the sake of traveling on her. 120-85 years ago, when ships like the Olympic or Mauretania or France crossed the Atlantic, nearly 100% of their passengers were on board not to enjoy the sailing, but because for one reason or another they had to be on the other side of the Atlantic. As said, these ships were busses. But the simple fact that today many people use QM2 to cross the Atlantic, maybe spend a day or three or five in NYC and then fly home and the only purpose of the journey is to enjoy the time aboard, maybe connected with a little sightseeing on the other side of the pond, I would call her a cruise ship - not by technical terms, but by the purpose of her sailing the ocean. Amusement, fun, burning of an excess of free time in an enjoyable fashion. Comparing her to these ugly boxes like the huge Carnival ships and the necessity to dress up in style in her restaurants I wouldn't name her a party limo. But she certainly is not a bus built to bring people from A to B as her predecessors were. My very personal opinion is that the term Ocean Liner should only used for ships that are used by business people or immigrants to travel to a destination, not for ships used by people on vacation to enjoy the journey and then to fly back home or (as some actually do) take the same ship back home immediately.

As a young teenager, we cruised on the Norway with NCL around the Caribbean, didn't know any of its history back then!

growing up on Bruny Island, still watch many cruise ships come through to Hobart

Love waking up to a new video!

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.

@OceanlinerDesigns Michael, firstly an excellent and well put together vid. As an ex Cunard officer of 38 years - 26 years on QE2 and the remainder onboard QM2, QV & QE, I just want to point out that QM2 was not capable of 33kts, even at 30kts, her top speed, was pushing the envelope with her gas turbines. QE2 could happily lift her skirts and hair along comfortably at 30-32kts and flat out 34kts, especially with a following sea. Another point with the liner/cruise ship difference I don’t believe you mentioned is the thicker hull plating and an elongated bow. QM2 also got dispensation from SOLAS to position her lifeboats much higher up than the regulation 15m at 25m due to her freeboard and lifting higher away from the waves in rough seas.

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

I like the comparison. This subject isnt something most people would recognize on the surface, so its nice to see someone commenting on it. I think they could build more "hybrid" vessels, but its not easy or cheap. For the record though, cruise ships can and have been used as oceanliners, but it is rare. Ferries are built like cruises ships, especially those used in Norway, but they are effectively cruise ships, yet they are used on routes that would qualify as lines, effectively making them ocean liners.

Alright so I study port and waterway design, and am a great fan of this channel. Today, one of my lecturers mentioned "Cruise liners" as a specific ship type, and I immediately went: the what?

Babe wake up, new ocean liner designs video is out.

Thoroughly enjoy your fine work, Mr. Brady. Thank you.

Hi Mike! Excellent video as always. 👋😎 👍🚢

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 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!!!

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. :)

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've always thought of it like this: Ocean liners are designed to operate far out to sea, cruise ships are meant to stay relatively close to shore. Cruise ships can cross the ocean, but they're bulkier, slower, less maneuverable, and are generally going to have a harder time of it, especially in rough seas. As a big guy who has a fear of flying, I wish ocean liners were still a thing. Then I wouldn't have to squeeze myself into a very uncomfortable seat for 15 hours after popping half a bottle of Xanax to keep myself from becoming a nervous wreck in order to travel overseas. I'd much rather hang out on a ship where I can walk around, sleep in an actual bed, and just chill out for a few days.

My father emigrated to Canada on the Cristoforo Colombo in 1967. The ship left from Trieste in Italy, stopping in Greece and the Canary Islands, among others. He has very fond memories of the trip, with the ship itself being the highlight.

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 RU-vid channel. Thank you, you're a great teacher 🍎

Wonderful video as always Mike! So glad I found your channel.

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!

One issue that I feel was unique to the 1880/1930 time period that shaped the economic environment of the largest liners was the one-way immigration from Europe to America. While the rich paid fortunes for their cabins, I believe that it was the 2nd/3rd/steerage class immigrants that actually enabled the liners to exist at all. And I imagine that one could get fabulous discounts going from New York to England as otherwise the ships would has returned half empty. Just a thought.

Back in 1997 I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas and I was on the bridge of the ship when we were overtaken by the Norway. I was freaking out because I had ALWAYS wanted to see her. She was actually docked in the Port of Miami right in front of our ship when we boarded and I remember just seeing a big blue wall of steel. She was a very beautiful ship, but I never really liked her funnel design...😂😂😂

My first ever Caribbean cruise as a kid was on the Carnival Carnivale, the former Empress of Britain, I don’t remember a whole lot about it but I do remember the way it looked and remembered it looking so cool.

I have fond memories of my voyage on the SS Norway. I sailed on her during a weeklong eastern Caribbean cruise in 2002. Just the knowledge that I was on one of the last real ocean liners filled me with glee the entire time.

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!

Your appreciation for oceanliners is unrivaled my friend

It's still kinda amazing that the Oasis class can haul around that massive hotel of a superstructure at 22 knots and 100k tons displacement.

My home town is where the Marco Polo was built, Saint John, New Brunswick in 1851. It's great seeing it in an Oceanliner Designs video.

One class of ships that straddle the difference are the 'Antarctic Cruise Ships'. In a lot of ways they resemble ocean-liners, as they are designed to withstand fierce antarctic weather, but in other ways they are designed as cruise ships. Would love to see a breakdown.

Just watched this is my grandpa after school, he quite enjoyed it

Before you stated your definitions, I thought this: "An ocean liner is a form of transportation meant to get between two ports as fast as possible, while a cruise ship is a pleasure craft that is meant for comfort."