Chronology of
Ocean Liners and Cruise Ships

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This document is an attempt to bring various published sources together to present a timeline about Ocean Liners and Cruise Ships.

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2009 October 30.

1835 In Edinburgh, Scotland, a company advertises seeking tourists to cruise to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. There is insufficient interest, so this potentially first ship leisure cruise is not taken. [260.106] 1840 February 6 The ship Britannia is launched by the shipbuilder at Greenock, Scotland. The ship is named by Isabella Napier, relative of the contractor. [274.7] July 4 Cunard Line 700-ton wooden paddlewheeler Britannia first sets out from Liverpool, England, bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first transatlantic crossing with a scheduled end. [5] [89.35] [150.35] [274.7] 1857 British P&O Company ship Ceylon makes the first sightseeing cruise, to the Mediterranean. [260.106] 1869 September 6 The White Star Line is founded, with 400,000 pounds sterling capital. [274.11] 1870 August 28 England's White Star Line launches the Oceanic ship; 420 feet long, 3807 tons. [274.11] 1871 March 2 White Star Line's Oceanic ship makes its maiden voyage. [274.11] 1872 May White Star Line's Adriatic sets a westward Atlantic record crossing of 7 days, 23 hours, 17 minutes. [274.11] October 15 The Netherlands-America Steamship Company's first ocean liner, the Rotterdam cargo and passenger ship sails on its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York City. The one-way voyage took 15 days. [76] 1873 January White Star Line's Baltic sets an eastward Atlantic record crossing of 7 days, 20 hours, 9 minutes. [274.11] April 1 British White Star passenger steamship Atlantic sinks in a storm off Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 585 die. [1] [71.28] April 18 In Rotterdam, Netherlands, the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij) begins operations. (later renamed Holland America Line) [76] 1876 February Inman Line's Germanic sets an eastward Atlantic record crossing of 7 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes. [274.11] June White Star Line's Britannic sets a westward Atlantic record crossing of 7 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes. [274.11] 1881 February 26 SS Ceylon begins first round-the-world cruise from Liverpool. [1] 1897 May North German Lloyd's Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse launches as the first ocean liner. Capacity is 558 passengers in first class, 338 in second class, and 1074 in steerage. At 14,300 tons this is the world's largest ship, and the first with four funnels. [260.7,17] 1898 July 4 French liner La Bourgogne collides with barque Cromartyshire, 50 die. [1] 1899 Britain's White Star line launches the Oceanic passenger liner. At 17,200 tons, the two-funnel ship is the world's largest. [260.18] 1900 June 30 Four German liners burn at Hobokon Docks, New Jersey, 326 die. [1] (month unknown) Germany's Hamburg America Line launches the Deutschland passenger liner (16,000 tons), with four stacks, and the longest ship to date. [260.19] Germany's Hamburg America Line builds the world's first cruise ship, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise (24400 tons, 407-foot length). It includes a royal suite and 119 other state rooms, accomodating a total of about 400 passengers. [260.107] 1901 Germany's North German Lloyd launches the Kronprinz Wilhelm liner. [260.19] Britain's White Star line launches the Celtic liner (20,000 tons, 2 funnels). [260.24] 1903 Germany's North German Lloyd launches the Kaiser Wilhelm II liner (19,000 tons). [260.20] Britain's White Star line launches the Cedric liner (20,000 tons, 2 funnels). [260.24] 1904 Britain's White Star line launches the Adriatic (23,800 tons, 2 funnels). [260.24] 1905 Hamburg-American Line introduces the Amerika liner. [73.31] 1906 Germany's North German Lloyd launches the Kronprinzessin Cecilie liner (19,000 tons). [260.20] The German passenger liner Kaiserin Auguste Victoria (24,500 tons) is launched. [260.24] Britain's White Star line launches the Baltic (23,800 tons, 2 funnels). [260.24] Germany's Hamburg America Line's cruise ship Prinzessin Victoria Luise runs aground on a reef off Jamaica. [260.108] 1907 February 11 Passenger ship Larchmont sinks by Block Island, 322 die. [1] December 16 Great White Fleet sails from Hampton Downs on its World Cruise. [1] 1909 January White Star liner Republic (15,000 tons) collides with Italian passenger ship Florida near New York. The Republic sends the first "SOS" radio distress call. All but four of the passengers and crew (of over 2000) are saved. The ship sinks the next day. [260.94] March 31 In Belfast, Ireland, the keel of the Titanic is laid down at Harland and Wolff Shipyard. [117.39] April The keel is laid for a new French ocean liner, later named France. [260.35] September The Lusitania ocean liner crosses the Atlantic westbound in a record 4 days, 11 hours, 40 minutes. [274.13] 1910 January Ship Cleveland begins a 110-day circumnavigation of the globe, at a cost of $650-6600 per passenger. [260.108] June The keel is laid for Hamburg America Line's ocean liner Imperator. [260.36] September The ocean liner France (23,600 tons) is launched. [260.35] October Britain's White Star line launches the Olympic ocean liner. [260.33] 1911 May White Star's Olympic ocean liner enters service from Belfast, Ireland. The ship's capacity is 1054 first class, 510 second class, and 1020 third class. [260.33] May 31 The Titanic first enters the water, with no christening ceremony. [117.39] (month unknown) Holland America Line's Deutschland ship emerges from conversion to cruise ship, now with 487 first class rooms (previously 2050 berths). New name is Victoria Luise. [260.108] 1912 April 2 Titanic undergoes sea trials under its own power. [1] April 4 The Titanic arrives at Southampton after finishing sea trials. [117.39] April 12 The Titanic departs Queenstown, Ireland with final passengers and mail, now 1316 passengers, 885 crew, headed for New York. [117.40] April 14 (11:40 PM) The Titanic, on route from Southampton to New York, strikes an iceberg 453 miles southeast of Newfoundland, 37 seconds after warning from the night watchman in the crow's nest. Six of 15 watertight compartments are breached by a 300-foot gash. [1] [117.41] [260.92] April 15 (00:05 AM) Captain Smith of the Titanic orders lifeboats to be uncovered, and for passengers to be assembled to abandon ship. [117.41] (00:15 AM) Telegraph operator aboard the Titanic sends a constant distress call "CQD" and Titanic's call letters "MGY"; then sends out "SOS". Carpathia answers the call. [117.41] (00:25 AM) Captain Smith of the Titanic orders women and children into lifeboats. [117.42] (00:45 AM) The first lifeboat from the Titanic is lowered to the sea, with 28 people, of a capacity of 65. [117.42] (2:27 AM) Titanic sinks at in North Atlantic. An estimated 1522 people die. [1] [260.92] (4:00+ AM) Carpathia rescues 712 survivors from the Titanic. 1490-1523 die. [117.43] April 20 Maiden voyage of the France ocean liner from Le Havre, France, to New York. [260.36] 1913 June Maiden voyage of Hamburg America Line's Imperator from Hamburg, Germany, to New York. The 276m, 52,100-ton ship has a capacity for 1180 staff and 4594 passengers: 908 first class, 972 second class, 943 third class, and 1772 in steerage. The ship uses four propellers, and has 83 lifeboats. [260.37] 1914 May Hamburg America Line's Vaterland ocean liner (54,000 tons) enters service. [260.38] Cunard Line takes delivery of the Aquitania ocean liner; 45,647 tons. [274.12] May 30 Cunard ocean liner RMS Aquitania, largest at 45,647 tons, sails on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City. [5] [67.21] June Germany's Hamburg America Line launches the Bismarck ocean liner (56,500 tons). [260.38] August North German Lloyd's Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sinks off West Africa, as an armed merchant cruiser. [260.20] 1915 May 7 Cunard Line's RMS Lusitania passenger liner is sunk by German submarine in the Atlantic; 1198 lives lost. One crewmember survives, who also survived the Empress of Ireland and Titanic. [1] [118.9] [260.96] November 9 Italian liner Ancona sinks by German torpedoes, killing 272. [1] 1916 November 21 White Star's Britannic ocean liner, serving as a hospital ship in the Aegean sea, hits a mine and sinks off the coast of Greece; 30 dead. [117.44] [260.34] 1917 February 3 US liner Housatonic sunk by German submarine and diplomatic relations severed. [1] 1918 June 27 German submarine U84 torpedoes and sinks Union Castle Line's passenger liner Llandovery Castle between Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Liverpool, England. The ship was serving as a hospital ship for Canadian forces. [152.18] 1920 January 11 French passenger ship Afrique sinks near La Rochelle; 553 die. [1] October Cunard Line's Caronia embarks from Tilbury, England, with a record number of passengers: 1500. [274.13] 1921 The French Line launches the Paris ocean liner (34,500 tons). [260.36] 1922 The first official around-the-world cruise is made, aboard the Cunard ship Laconia (18,000 tons), with all first-class accomodations. [260.110] 1925 July 4 Union Castle Line of England launches passenger liner Llandovery Castle at Belfast, Northern Ireland. [152.19] 1926 August 10 Union Castle Line of England launches passenger liner Llandaff Castle at Belfast, Northern Ireland. [152.19] 1927 January 6 Maiden voyage of the Union Castle Line's Llandaff Castle from London, England. [152.19] June 2 The Delta Queen paddlewheel cruiser makes its maiden voyage from San Francisco to Sacramento, California. [72.50] [75.24] June France's Ile de France ocean liner is first opened to the public, prior to its maiden voyage. [260.44] (month unknown) The Stella Polaris ship (5209 gross tons, 165 passengers) is built in Gothenburg for the Bergen Line. [73.42] 1928 July Cosulich Line's Saturnia and Vulcania Italian liners are built, each 24,000 gross tons. They operate between Italy and New York. [67.21] August North German Lloyd launches the Europa ocean liner. [260.48] North German Lloyd launches the Bremen ocean liner. [260.48] 1929 March North German Lloyd's Europa ocean liner is badly damaged in a fire. [260.48] July Maiden voyage of North German Lloyd's Bremen to New York completed in record time: 4 days, 16 hours, 42 minutes. [260.48] [274.13]

End of 1835-1929. Next: 1930. The complete timeline can be purchased in a PDF file for US$10 from the author. You can pay now directly via PayPal. When I receive notification from PayPal, I will email you the PDF file. or send me an email to request my mailing address to mail payment. 1835-1929 1930-1969 1970-1989 1990-1999 2000-2006 2007-2008 2009 A list of references to all source material is available. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History Chronology of the Walt Disney Company Ken P's Today in History

Last updated: 2009 October 30. Copyright © 2008-2009 Ken Polsson (email: kpolsson@islandnet.com). URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/cruiship/ Link to Ken P's home page.