World Famous Historic Cruise Ships

Throughout history, there have been some iconic cruise ships. The world's most famous historic cruise ships include the Queen Mary, the Titanic, the Oasis of the Seas, the SS United States, and the Carnival Mardi Gras, to name a few. These historic cruise ships have become famous for their amenities, their stories, and even their alleged hauntings.

This article is about the world's most famous historic cruise ships. Find out what makes them famous and more. Keep reading to learn about these interesting boats and if you can still see any of them today.

Why Do Historic Cruise Ships Become Famous?

Cruise ships become famous for several different reasons. They could be the first of their kind. They could be the largest when they launch. They could be the most elegant and have the best amenities.

Others may have a traumatic event somewhere in their stories. Most of us know what happened to the Titanic, for instance.

Still others may have a haunted history and reputation. The Queen Mary is a grand example of a historic cruise ship that's known for being haunted.

Regardless of the reason, historic cruise ships interest many kinds of people. Whether you're a history buff or you just like travel stories, you'll likely find the rest of this article intriguing and engaging. So, stay tuned to find out more.

The Titanic

Perhaps the most famous cruise ship of all time, the Titanic first claimed its place in history by premiering as the largest and most luxurious cruise ship ever in existence. It was sophisticated and launched in answer to a rival company's launch of the Lusitania.

The Titanic weighed a whopping 46,000 tons, was larger than any other man-made vessel at the time, and was deemed the 'unsinkable' boat.

As it turned out, the Titanic was not unsinkable and was not equipped to handle the passengers on board in the event it was sinking. There were nearly 3,300 people on board when the boat hit an iceberg. Less than 1,500 people survived the tragic disaster.

The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary is an ocean liner. It was built to take passengers from one side of the ocean to the other. Amongst its history is a time when it carried troops from Australia and New Zealand to England for service in World War II.

The Queen Mary also suffered some tragedies. In 1943, the Queen Mary nearly capsized. It rolled onto its side. The year before that it had crashed into the escorting boat that was guiding it into Ireland. It sank and 300 men died.

Toward the end of that same decade, the boat ran aground. Less than 20 years later, the Queen Mary retired to permanent mooring on the Californian coast.

Today, the Queen Mary serves as a tourist attraction to those who want to visit its museum, stay in its hotel rooms, or take its haunted tours. It's rumored to be haunted by some of those who lost their lives within its hull.

Oasis of the Seas

In 2009, Royal Caribbean cruise lines launched its brand new boat, Oasis of the Seas, on its maiden voyage. It weighs over 225,000 tons. It can accommodate 6,000 guests with 2,400 crew members to service them.

Oasis of the Seas is an entire entertainment village on water. It includes Central Park, which is a city park positioned on this large boat. It has water slides, mini golf, a splash park, surf simulators, a zip line, restaurants, bars, theaters, spa, arcades, fitness center, and so much more.

The Oasis of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world. Its presence when in port is impossible to miss as it looms over all the other ships next to it.

SS United States

The SS United States was another ocean liner. Its claim to fame is due to its origin. It was the largest ocean liner that was ever built in the United States. It's also the one that made it across the Atlantic Ocean the fastest from east to west.

The SS United States was only in service for 17 years. It was retired in 1969 but deemed a reserve ship in the event the U.S. Navy needed to call it up for service through 1978.

The Carnival Mardi Gras

The Mardi Gras was famed cruise line Carnival's first cruise ship ever. The Mardi Gras was refashioned from an ex-ocean liner.

In 1960, the Empress of Canada made its maiden voyage. Later, Carnival acquired the ship and outfitted it to be the first ship made for fun. 1972 was the beginning of an era. Carnival paved the way for other companies to enter the cruise ship industry.

The Mardi Gras served passengers for 42 years. The chapter ended in 2003 when the ship was sold for scrap.

Honorable Mentions

More cruise ships have made their marks on the world's history, too. There's the Pacific Princess that became famous from the TV show "Love Boat".

The Carnival Triumph lives in infamy with its reputation tarnished after a fire in an engine room rendered the ship powerless. It drifted at sea for four days before getting towed to port in Alabama. That cruise is forever in the books with the label "The Poop Cruise" as there was sewer water flowing freely all through the boat.

QE2, short for Queen Elizabeth 2, served as a hybrid ship for nearly 40 years. It was built as an ocean liner but also contained amenities like a cruise ship. QE2 remained in service until 2008. Ten years later it debuted in Dubai as a hotel.

Wrap Up

Historic cruise ships become famous for various reasons. Whether it be something tragic that happens to the boat and passengers, or it's the first of its kind, or there's something spectacular about the ship, several cruise ships have gone down in history as world famous.

From grand ocean liners set to cross the world, to the biggest and best ship ever to take to the water, historic cruise ships are fascinating. Who knows--maybe your next cruise could go down in history.