Best Looking Ocean liners

[Brent Holt]

What do you think are some of the best looking ocean liners? (I am referring to the exterior of the ship)
I will divide them into three time periods:

Pre-WWI: Olympic Class. These ships had almost perfect proportions, little deck clutter, and sleek lines. (The Aquitania was also good looking, but not as fine as Olympic)
Pre-WWII: Normandie. A super sleek design that still looks modern today.
Post-WW2: United States. The racer like look and two hige stacks made for an impressive looking ship.
Brent

 

[greg robertson]

I think both the 3 Cunarders Mauretania, Lusitania and Aquitania and the three WS liners, Olympic, Titanic and Britannic had beautiful exteriors. In many ways, they had yacht like lines.
Also the Normandie is a favourite sleek looking liner. In many ways the Norway (ex france) also has this sleekness.
I was never a fan of the Queen Mary and especially the Queen Elizabeth exterior which at times to me looked too ''heavy''

 

[Tracy Smith]

I like the United States' hull, but I don't like the stacks, which were too fat and plastic looking.

 

[Nathan Good]

I definately agree with your opinions on the Olympic Class Liners. They were nearly perfectly proportioned and did have a sleek appearance, particularily the Olympic. In my opinion, neither the Titanic, and especially the Britannic, never attained the same graceful appearance as the Olympic. I think the Queen Mary had a timeless appeal that is a classic example of an ocean liner. The Aquitania had a beautiful exterior, much better before they added the new wheelhouse. The continuous black hull had very nice lines. But, like Brent said above, she wasn't quite at the same level as the Olympic class in my opinion.

All the best,

Nathan

 

[Yannick KERSERHO]

Pre WW1: Olympic
Titanic
Lusitania
Pre WW2: Normandie

Post WW2: Queen Elizabeth
United States
Andrea Doria
60's: France

Today: Queen Elizabeth 2

 

[Raymond Leggs]

Olympic
Oceanic III
Mv.Doulos
SS. United states
Mikhail lermentov
sovietsky sojus
HMHS /rms Britannic
Britannic
Lusitainia mauritainia and soforth
queen mary
Oceanos
Olympic
Admiral Nakimov.

 

[Daniel Ehlers]

In my opinion, the best looking liners were:
Olympic-class
Britannic (III)
Normandie
France (III)
Ile De France
Conte Di Savoia
Rex
Possibly QM and QE...

I just didn't think that the pre-war Cunarders Lusitania, Mauretania, and Aquitania had especially beautiful exterior appearances.

 

[Alex McLean]

I think pre WW1, the Olympic class was very nice, though decemated over time. Pre WW2 was Rex and Normandie, and Post WW2 was the France.

 

[Brent Holt]

I think Pre-WWI the Olympic Class and the Lusitania/Mauretania were superb looking ships with sleek lines and well balanced profiles. The Cunard sisters just looked like Atlantic greyhounds.
I have never understood why the Aquitania is rated higher by some than the ships mentioned above in terms of appearance. Although a handsome ship, the Aquitania had a cluttered look. Her first funnel was too close to the bridge area and the new wheelhouse built shortly after she entered service spoiled the original design. The Aquitania also looked liked she had too many decks since her forecastle was not raised as it was on the Olympic class.
Aquitania's interiors were, however, outastanding and better than most of the other top of the liner ships.
In the thirties, the Normandie wins hands down in the looks department. She looks modern by today's standards. The Nieuw Amsterdam was also very nice looking.
Post WWII, the Queen Elizabeth and United States stand out as very good looking liners.
Brent

 

[Breanna E Sage]

My favorite is The Andrea Doria, and the Olympic Class Liners werent too bad.
Bree.

 

[Jim Stein]

I go for the transition period liners Germanic and Britannic

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Leonardo da Vinci was the most attractive ship operating out of NYC during my early ship spotting years. Cristoforo Colombo was also externally beautiful but had some decidedly homely interiors and did not carry off the all-white paint scheme as well as did da Vinci. Rafaello and Michelangelo were better looking in person than photos convey.

 

[Alex McLean]

I was looking over some photos of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth last night, and I have come to agree with many here - they were far too bulky and heavy looking. Are there any relics from the Queen Elizabeth on public display at the moment, or are they all in the hands of private collectors?
My best,
Alex

 

[Eric Sauder]

Alex:

Here in Los Angeles, in front of a bank once owned by C.Y. Tung, there is a pair of letters from her bow (a "Q" and an "E") as well as one of her bow anchors. There is also an identical pair of letters and an anchor in New York very near Wall Street. I saw the New York pair a number of years ago but don't remember the exact location. I drive by the ones here in LA every day on my way to and from work. I'll stop by tomorrow and get a picture to post.

I've got a few pieces of furniture and a few stateroom carpets from the Elizabeth in my collection. Somehow, they wound up on the Mary and came with her to Long Beach. I was quite lucky to acquire them at local Flea Markets, the sellers not really knowing what they had.

By the way, I've written a number of private e-mails to you over the last few months, but I never receive a reply, and the messages never bounce back. I send them to the e-mail address you post on ET. Please write to me at the e-mail address on my profile here on ET. I've got a question for you.

Eric Sauder

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

At last- a beauty contest for ships-sort of the flip side of our Ugly Ship contest of a few months back. Well, there's all kinds of beauty. For snappy. nautical nattiness and trim sporty good looks- can't beat the Rex. If it's graceful lines (this might be the Swimsuit Competition equivalent) Normandie takes the cake! Miss Congeniality- friendly and dependable -looking- well, the Old Queen Mary gets the ribbon. And for impressive longevity without a face lift- the old Mauretania and Olympic get my vote.

 

[Alex McLean]

Eric,
Thanks for the info. If you check your inbox, there should be a letter from me. I am sorry it has taken so long, I don't think any of the letters from you went to my inbox.
Anyway, it is there now.
Many thanks,
Alex

 

[Mark Baber]

There is also an identical pair of letters and an anchor in New York very near Wall Street.

I've never heard about the anchor before, Eric, but the "Q" and "E" are in a glass case on the sidewalk in front of a building on Water Street, about two blocks south of the South Street Seaport.

 

[Eric Sauder]

Hi, Mark!

You're quite right about there being no anchor in New York. I haven't seen the New York letters for about ten years so my mind must have been remembering the one in LA.

Speaking of which, here is the photo of the anchor.

Eric Sauder

 

[Eric Sauder]

And here is the "Q."

 

[Eric Sauder]

And the "E."

My apologies for the obvious watermarks on the images, but photos I've posted to ET in the past have been "borrowed" for other web sites without permission.

Eric Sauder