Hi everyone! I’m on vacation in the US at the moment :) This is a live stream from a little while ago where we ran theough my pics for the top 10 ocean liners - or rather classes of ocean liner - of all time. I hope you enjoy this blast from the past :) Back to our regular scheduled programming shortly! ~Mike
Watching Mike simply gush over his favorite ships for twenty minutes has got to be the best part of my day today. He's extremely professional but deep down it's the passion that makes this channel work and it's so openly on display in this one in a wonderful way.
Sailor: Her Kapitan, we see an ocean liner on ze Horizon! Captain: How many funnels? Sailor: four Her Kapitan Captain: gott in himmel.... * cue DooM Music *
My Mom is 90 years old and has the onset of memory loss. She and my father loved to be onboard cruise ships and yes, they did a few transatlantic crossings. I was visiting her in the retirement place where she lives and was watching this video with her. As soon as you mentioned the Queen Mary, she sat up and said I remember that ship from when I was a child. Her face lit up and she continued to tell me about a transatlantic crossing she did with my father on a Holland America ship. Proof the Queen Mary impacted various generations!
I'm actually going to go see the Queen Mary this Saturday. My mother is taking me to Long Beach for my birthday, and it will be awesome to see her after her major restorations.
That was me in high school. I would spend time after assignments scrolling through wiki and also drawing boats. I would make my own deisgns and such. Eventually, by the end, I had basically found out everything I could easily find. I researched hundreds of ships and soeant years over them. But the era is fairly short. About 100 years give or take. And not many people cared to document smaller ships. I'm more into cars now. But I miss the days when I could absorb so much information about these big metal boats
a plane which can take you across in a few hours, but is very cramped, vs a giant moving 5 star hotel which is much slower but is very spacious and a lot more luxurious
In a future where carbon emissions are forbidden, ocean liners could be viable vs aircraft. Far easier to construct a liner using alternative fuels than aircraft.
They could make a comeback under certain conditions. If they're propelled by Magnus effect rotors or electric sails they could be quite efficient, and possibly carbon-negative with some scrubbers. Light pollution is a big problem and they really could market star-cruises to people who live in cities. It's going to also need to be a party and pampering experience like a cruise ship to cater to modern tastes. If large enough they could also double as container carriers.
My mother (born in 1921) had always wanted to go on a great liner, so for their 50th wedding anniversary, my parents sailed to London on the QEII, and returned on the Concorde.
Sounds like what i would imagine to be my dream trip to be, being such an enthusiast of both. Like travelling through time, from the golden age of Ocean travel to the Golden age of Jet travel. Just the perfect dream trip for any travel or history enthusiast.
My grand mother sailed on the last revenue cruise of the queen Mary and the last Atlantic crossing of the queen Elisabeth. I have her tickets, pictures, even a note from the captain honoring her birthday on board.
hey mike! loved this video sm but i just wanted to say that when SS United States got mentioned, i remembered that there’s currently a race against time with her and that she’s getting evicted from her pier on September 12th unless the SS United States Conservancy gets the needed funds. they currently are at 100k donations and i thought that if you made a video talking about the current situation with SS United States, that the conservancy could possibly reach its goal and have her moved to a new home port purely by your reach alone. I think it’d be a great way to bring more awareness to her current state and situation because little to no media outlets are talking about this.
Yes, I saw Queen Mary 2 sauntering through the Solent on her way out of Southampton a few weeks ago - she's instantly recognisable, and unmistakeably elegant.
What are some things to look out for or to do for sure when staying on her? I wanted to celebrate our anniversary by staying on the queen Mary for a 3 day weekend. I’m an ocean liner nerd but she isn’t that into them. I’m absolutely doing the full tour but definitely curious as to what else is there
@@12pagani I grew up in Long Beach, CA so I might be able to help a little bit. The Queen is kind of off on her own, but close by you have some other ships you can check out. LA Harbor has USS Iowa, SS Lane Victory, and a few other nautical museums. San Pedro also has a few good restaurants near the port, but not much else is there. The Queen is by Shoreline Village (a bit of a tourist trap, but locals still enjoy it there) and the Aquarium of the Pacific. You can take a little water taxi (Aqualink) to get to that side. Not sure how much it costs since I haven't ridden it in over 10 years but I don't think it's expensive. Also nearby is another shopping area known as "The Pike" but no one other than tourists go there. Go down to 2nd Street in Long Beach instead. Lots more fun restaurants and shops.
@@12pagani BGerbs66 has it right. There are also ship tours you can take. We had a fun time changing our room to the "haunted deck" as it got us a better room as usually people don't want to stay on that deck. If aren't superstitious it's a good deal.
@@12paganiChampagne Brunch! Ghost Tour if it's on! Wear your most comfortable shoes and just carry your phone (long walk, lots of stairs!) Be sure to notice all the woodwork-29 kinds of wood, all exquisite!
As a little kid on a family vacation, I got to see the Queen Elizabeth in Ft. Lauderdale. I can still remember my dad saying as we drove alongside her, "Wow, this ship is about 2 tenths of a mile long!" On the same vacation, on the motel TV we watched Neil Armstrong take man's first steps on the moon. Great vacation in the summer of '69! Hey...that sounds kinda familiar.
**Love** the tunes in the background… civility and class and so appropriate for the topic. One of the best channels out there… thanks to you, friend of ours Mike Brady. So appreciate you and your excellent team.
Yeah, when Mike got to number 1 and showed, at first, the "Johan van Oldenbarnavelt" I thought I was going to have to rewind to see when I missed the Queen Mary/Queen Elizabeth because I knew they had had to have been on the list. Nice switch up, my friend Mike Brady.
These videos never get old, I absolutely love oceanliners. It never ceases to amaze me they moved these with steam! I live in Ohio and COSI in Columbus is doing a Titanic exhibition until September. I highly recommend a trip there if you aren’t too far away!
Visited there myself a few months back -- truly a breathtaking experience. It's pretty wild to say I touched a piece of Titanic, gives me chills to this day.
@@MineTwine45that was one of the first rooms and I was stuck in it because of that piece, I’m glad it’s not just me!!! I was impressed with the amount of artifacts they had, and the size of some of them. Great experience and well worth the money. I spent multiple hours in there, and honestly might go again with some family. It’s nice that we weren’t rushed thru and can spend as much time as you’d like looking and reading everything.
I actually managed to convince my parents during a family vacation to visit the queen mary, and it was wonderful. One of the most fantastic vacations I've had, ever. We walked through the whole ship, took the history tour, had coffee and a pastry at one of the cafes, saw a dance at one of the lobbies. And we were only there for a couple of hours! Definitely one of my best memories of that trip
It’s great that you interject your personal experiences. You jogged my memory about going to the Welland Canal as a child and seeing ships from all over the world navigate the locks.
Glad to see your number 1 pics......the most successful atlantic liners of all times; the most successful troopships of all time, and.....the "Queen Mary".....the most beloved ship of all time. That's not just my opinion. .....the Queen Mary was the household name. I am so lucky to have sailed on both the Mary and the Elizabeth.
It's hasn't really existed since the 1970s because ocean liners stopped being built. So that's technically, true however, a bit ridiculous to act like it's still a thing.
@@DevilSurvivor69 That's pretty much my point. She'll be the last ship to have ever held the Blue Ribband, not that there's much competition. There's only one liner left, and if in the unlikely event they build more, none of them will be built for speed.
I'm glad to see the Iconic Queen Mary at No.1, she truly does deserve the spot! And personally for me, she is literally the first and only Ocean liner ive ever actually stepped foot on, And you can still visit her to this very day! i mean how many ocean liners can say that? More than titanic or any other liner, she was the ship that had the most impact on me, in getting me into Ocean Liners and more broadly the Golden age of Ocean travel and that whole world in general. I mean nothing beats acutally seeing the real thing for the first time!
Love!!! You might have actually featured a picture of my dad (aboard the Queen Mary heading for England where he served as a medic during the war.) My husband and I visited the Queen Mary in Long Beach a couple of years ago. We were there around Halloween and we really wanted to take the "Ghosts of Queen Mary" tour, but, unfortunately, we ate so much at the Champagne Brunch (in the most beautiful room I've ever been) that it took us the rest of the day to sleep it off back at the hotel. I want to go back, since, thanks to you, I know so much more about the ship than I did when we were there. What a majestic beauty! I knew she'd be number one, of course!
When I was a young teenager living in Cowes on the Isle of White, our secondary school looked over the Solent, all the major ships that came into Southampton had to pass our school, so to speak, needless to say I never learnt a thing, except I knew all the the ocean liners by their funnels. Even though I am English, the 'United States' with her super red white and blue squatted funnel design with those lovely 'wings' just blew my mind, and the beautiful and elegant lines of the 'France' also made a huge impact on me. Yes, 'those were the days my friend'. and I hope they never end. When I was 16 my family emigrated to Australia, with 4 strapping pommy teenagers ( me being the oldest) that evidently sounded just like the Beatles to them, so us brothers could not go wrong in those days. Loved the place, and loved Queensland where we settled (Hervey Bay). P.S. we recently visited the UK for the first time in 60 years, and my school is no longer there, demolished as the site was just too valuable.
This is a partial copy paste..,but I may have some more photos/details for your wonderful channel. .... I'm a Brit who's Dad grew up between Scotland and Tanzania (nee. Congwa) and who travelled on many of these fantastic liners. In fact, my Grandpops (Mum's side) and Granny (Dad's) both traveled on the Georgic POST FIRE on their way home from Africa together before my parents met. You educated me about these ship's history before I even knew my own...and for that, sir, you have my thanks. I salute you x Edit: I would not even exist without these fantastic vessels, and your channel draws focus on that wonderful part of our past. All the love my man. Thank you one more time Mr. Brady ❤x
So many people called Titanic overrated, sure because it sank on its maiden voyage, but long operation, RMS Olympic is a testimony how well designed the Olympic Class, mainly its economical and robust engines and more durable compared to Aquitania. Queen Mary/ Qyeen Elizabeth withstand stress of WWII and became favorites, some of the oceanliner buffs may pick the Normandie for groundbreaking hull design, seductive art deco design (floating empire state) exterior design well ahead of its time.
Normandy was technically advanced for her time too. She was a steam-electric hybrid. She didn't use coal fired engines to push her; she employed oil-fired steam generators to power 4x25k electric motors, giving her a cruising speed of 38+ Knotts. Hybrid Tech in the 1930s!!!
Her service speed was barely over 29 knots. Only a handful of times, did she even average 30 knots for an entire crossing. She topped out at just over 32 knots in trials.
Very competitive list! In terms of looks I definitely would give the Andrea Doria and her sister Christoforo Colombo an honourable mention, just such aesthetically pleasing ships, but rightfully the Rex and Conte Di Savoia get the mention :)
I think Queen Mary is even more special because of her culture status as being haunted and the ability to go stay overnight aboard. My step sister was super into “ghost hunting” and stayed aboard Queen Mary. Beautiful ship
Its nice to see a fellow boat nerd like myself. My forte isn't oceanliners but I love the smaller wooden boats from late 1800's to the 1960's. The power yachts, sailing yachts, fishing boats. And theres a shite ton of them nearing the 100 year old range in my part of the world, the PNW and the west coast of British Columbia. The "little" boats that have lived impossibly long lives. One such boat that is an interesting read is the M.V Taconite. commissioned and Owned by a fella named Bill Boeing... Ya know, the plane company. Anyway lots of famous folks have graced her decks, amelia earhart, countless Hollywood stars. I did a presentation in school on her. Lol. Anyway cool stuff, your vids are really fun to watch!
That was strangely inspiring. It's the enthusiasm. It's infectious. I believe the United States isn't doing too well. I think she was being forced to vacate her berth over unpaid fees and her future was bleak. The situation broke a few weeks ago so it's ongoing. This is really sad. It's like she's the last of her class, notwithstanding caveats. She deserves better but it's going to cost.
I love people with niche intersts that can geek about them for hours on end. And thats not to say that i'm not a sucker for some nice ships, but you just know so much more about them
The navigator leading the B-17 flight that intercepted the Rex was First Lieutenant Curtis E. LeMay, later the commander of the B-29 strategic bombing of Japan in World War II, initiated the Berlin Airlift, built up the Strategic Air Command (SAC), and retired after serving as USAF Chief of Staff. In 1953, I sailed on the America with my mother to join my father who was stationed in France with the USAF. I and my wife sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 when we returned from Germany to these United States in 1983.
I totally agree with your top 10 list Mike. I love the knowledge you share in every video you made. I learn a lot of new things every time. Well done ;)
Mike, if you ever get a chance you might have fun at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island in Michigan. I know it’s not a ship but when I went I got a real feel of what it might have been like on the cruise ships during the Titanic era. I ONLY felt like that at the hotel, but the whole island is designed to take you back in time. Cars are not allowed on the island. You can only get around by bike, walking, or horse drawn carriage. What makes the Grand Hotel different than the rest of the island is you must wear formal wear after 6:30 pm. I felt like I was part of the first class when people were grouped into classes. I enjoyed it immensely.
I grew up in Bindi Bindi- Dalwallinu was our closest town. My first job after school was at the Dalwallinu wheatbins. Ive also got my first solo cruise on Cunards Queen Elizabeth in Jan 2025. Small world ❤ Hats off to you Mike, your channel is incredible 😊
My vote is the Normandie for number 1! Also, it’s fun to think that some of my ancestors came to America on the Vaterland when it was still a German ship.
In September of 1963, when I was six years old, I and my sisters and mother saw my grandparents off on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, when they left New York for Southampton. This was still a time when guests could visit as passengers settled in. I have the photograph taken (by one of, surely, the platoon of photographers that Cunard employed) of eleven of us in their stateroom (several of my grandparents friends, from northern New Jersey, also made appearances). My memory is hazy, of course, but I recall walking the promenade deck and speaking with an officer (in my mind, the captain). Afterwards we went to the observation deck of the Empire State Building to watch the ship sail off. Quite a day.
Excellent list Mike and a very interesting narrative. You mentioned the Rex and Conte Di Savoia being destroyed by the RAF during WWII. I’ve always suspected that when those two were sunk combined with Normandie’s loss in New York the directors of Cunard did a little happy dance. Behind closed doors of course…
Mike Brady, you make education fun, something I can’t completely say for school. You, Mike Brady, are heavily responsible for my interest in ships. Thank you Mike, thank you.
G'day Mike, as much as I am addicted to your carefully researched, scripted, usual videos; I love it when you do one 'off script' and 'off the top of your head'. Your well-known passion for all things Ocean Liners is always there but; in these ad-hoc videos, you let it 'off the leash' to run wild in a sea of superlative adjectives! Talking ocean liners actually brings a huge smile to your face, and voice; now that's passion. You touched upon my area of interest; military aviation of WW2. The B-17 is my undoubted favourite US bomber design; yes, it had its limitations and problems but it almost single handedly, physically destroyed much of Germany's larger cities and factories. My top favourite is the mighty Lancaster and I would have preferred to be in the B-24 in terms of survivability; but one must admit the B-17 was a cleverly conceived, hugely mass-produced leap forward in aircraft technology. Finally, I must mention that many years ago now, I was staying at a friend’s house at Point Londsdale, to get away and work on a book. During a trip down to the village shops I had the, unexpected, thrill of seeing the QE2 pass through the heads, on her way to Melbourne. No cell phones then, of course, so sadly I had nothing to take a photograph. Years later I caught her on film during her last ever visit to Hobart. I went to a lunch that day in honour of the Skipper and officers. During his speech the Captain admitted, with a nervous laugh, that, "...I almost lost her...," he was talking about a massive 'rip'(?) that sometimes makes the seaward entry to the Derwent River a highly dangerous body of water. Oh, I heartily concur with your picks for the Number One liner spots. Cheers, Bill H.
Hi Mike. Excellent video as always! I thought you might be interested to know that there are some fairly substantial bits of paneling and fittings from the Vaterland/Leviathan at the Science Museum Of Long Island near Port Washington NY. The museum is housed the Gatsby era summer home of a major Maritime Attorney. He bought the Leviathan furnishings when the ship was scrapped and had them intalled in his home. I worked at the museum years ago but recently revisited. It's a bit worse for the wear since I was last there in the '80s but still quite interesting. Hope you're enjoying your visit (here) in the US. Cheers!
I live on the Firth of Clyde and had the pleasure of witnessing her last sail by as she sailed down the Clyde past the Isle of Arran. Absolutely beautiful 😁
Whenever the topic of ships came up in my childhood, my grandma used to talk about the Queen Mary, My grandad was more into talking about the Titanic, though. Lol.
I remember the QEII sailing up the Hudson River for the first time in 1969. She was getting a lot of publicity, and a lot of people came to the dock at the bottom of 20th Street to watch. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed. She didn't have any big smokestacks, nor do I remember her having a distinctive whistle or horn. But then, I was only ten-years old. The interior shot of the Normandie reminds me of the ballroom set on "The Poseiden Andenture." Love me some Art Deco ship decor! As I've mentioned before, I remember the France's distinctive whistle/horn. It was unmistakable! I always knew when she was on the Hudson. One of the pleasures of growind up near the docks in NYC was seeing both the Queen Mary and the first Queen Elizabeth sailing on the Hudson on a regular basis.
Always a joy to hear from Mike Brady, just like many of the liners always the articulate, charming and impressionable host. I'd agree with the ranking only I'd of placed the Olympic class above the Imperator class for whilst the latter exceeded in size and speed, they didn't have the grace on appearance, rolling and reliability issues of which justified their scrapping prior to older vessels before them. The Olympic class notably Titanic for me was the best looker and with a few tweaking to match her sister Britannic with more bathroom facilities and swimming pool upgrade, would've made her a fine ocean liner during the 20s. Lusitania class another deserved place for the trio served Britain well both in peacetime and at war for whilst White Star did their contribution, Cunard epitomised Britain at sea and was the last major shipping company left to revive its pride.
Great list Mike I know your channel is ocean liner designs but I think most would agree we would love a top 10 cruise ship as well just to get your take on them since they are the children of these grand vessels.
Stayed on the QM before departing on Carnival Liberty. Before the big reno the rooms were a bit musty but it was cool to explore, and sit in that forward lounge under the bridge and have a cocktail during the sunset.
drinking a Corona watching this then at 3:18 i learnt something incredible about Peroni never have i felt insecure about my beer choice but now i am i NEED to get this beer
We made a westbound TA crossing on QM2 a few weeks ago. As a retired history teacher I wanted to experience the same mode of travel my ancestors did as well as follow in the wake of Titanic and Lusitania.
Mr. Brady, what a sense of humor! I love all ships! By the way, dreadnought was launched in 1905. My particular favorite in war ships are the old ironclads of the 1870s and 80s. I am a history girl!
Hi everyone! I’m on vacation in the US at the moment :) This is a live stream from a little while ago where we ran theough my pics for the top 10 ocean liners - or rather classes of ocean liner - of all time. I hope you enjoy this blast from the past :) Back to our regular scheduled programming shortly!
~Mike
RAHHH 🔥🔥🇺🇸🇺🇸🏈🏈
Good, I hope we get a Grand Voyage update this month.
I hope you have a great vacation!
I hope you’re finally visiting Queen Mary in Long Beach. Have a wonderful trip wherever you are!
I was thinking you might be at the Queen Mary. Have a great vacation Mike Brady. 🚢😎
Watching Mike simply gush over his favorite ships for twenty minutes has got to be the best part of my day today. He's extremely professional but deep down it's the passion that makes this channel work and it's so openly on display in this one in a wonderful way.
I’m just a nerd and proud of it 😎
Well said.
Agreed!
Reasons why these ships were iconic and celebrated would be wonderful.
Oh hey look, it's our friend, Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs!
I can appreciate this comment on each video I see from our friend mike
agreed
I have no friends
You can like your own comment. It's ok.
@@Dudley-x2c it doesn't mean anything
Titanic: AAAAH! AN ICEBERG!
Britannic: AAAH! A MINE!
Olympic: U-Boat? *You messed with the wrong ship fool*
And the Olympic got torpedoed and just walked it off! It's a huge shame they scrapped her 'cos she desrved better.
@@GemmaLB fr
@@GemmaLB to be fair, the economy was in the toilet when Olympic rammed the Nan Tucket. She didn't have any buyers, so she ended up in the scrappers.
Sailor: Her Kapitan, we see an ocean liner on ze Horizon!
Captain: How many funnels?
Sailor: four Her Kapitan
Captain: gott in himmel....
* cue DooM Music *
@@zombiedoggie2732 That's true but wasn't there a plan to have her as a floating hotel? That would have been better.
While suits aren't my thing personally, I love the class Mike brings by wearing them. A nod to a bygone era that I appreciate.
I completely agree,but I wouldn’t be too surprised if from the waist down he’s wearing old raggedy cut offs and flip flops.
Works for CNN anchors. Cheers! @@oldman975
@@oldman975 He’s an Aussie. They’re called thongs Downunder, not flip flops 🤣
P.S. And Kiwis call them jandals (Japanese sandals).
@@Zemaj What do they call actual thongs? Like, the underwear.
@@ironcito1101Budgie smugglers, daks, or grundies. Thongs are things you wear on ya feet mate.
My Mom is 90 years old and has the onset of memory loss. She and my father loved to be onboard cruise ships and yes, they did a few transatlantic crossings. I was visiting her in the retirement place where she lives and was watching this video with her. As soon as you mentioned the Queen Mary, she sat up and said I remember that ship from when I was a child. Her face lit up and she continued to tell me about a transatlantic crossing she did with my father on a Holland America ship. Proof the Queen Mary impacted various generations!
My dear old late mum actually attended her launching in Scotland as a child.
Mike's enthusiasm makes me smile 🙂
I'm actually going to go see the Queen Mary this Saturday. My mother is taking me to Long Beach for my birthday, and it will be awesome to see her after her major restorations.
I wish I was with you. Truly beautiful ship ❤
Enjoy and happy birthday
I visited it approx 20 years ago, I enjoyed it.
Happy Birthday! I hope you get to see everything. Treat yourself to lunch onboard!
Take your time and examine every detail!
Hope you get to hear the TYPHON (yes, spelled like that) WHISTLE (not horn). Thanks, Mike!
This year I genuinely can’t stop thinking about ocean liners this year , titanic specifically but it’s all fascinating
That was me in high school. I would spend time after assignments scrolling through wiki and also drawing boats. I would make my own deisgns and such.
Eventually, by the end, I had basically found out everything I could easily find. I researched hundreds of ships and soeant years over them. But the era is fairly short. About 100 years give or take. And not many people cared to document smaller ships.
I'm more into cars now. But I miss the days when I could absorb so much information about these big metal boats
I go through phases of ships and planes. Idc if it makes me sad 😂
I would love to see ocean liners make a comeback.
Honestly i would too but knowing todays economy, they would be extremely impractical because people don’t want to wait a week to cross 1 ocean anymore
a plane which can take you across in a few hours, but is very cramped, vs a giant moving 5 star hotel which is much slower but is very spacious and a lot more luxurious
In a future where carbon emissions are forbidden, ocean liners could be viable vs aircraft. Far easier to construct a liner using alternative fuels than aircraft.
Takes far too long and would be very expensive
They could make a comeback under certain conditions. If they're propelled by Magnus effect rotors or electric sails they could be quite efficient, and possibly carbon-negative with some scrubbers. Light pollution is a big problem and they really could market star-cruises to people who live in cities. It's going to also need to be a party and pampering experience like a cruise ship to cater to modern tastes. If large enough they could also double as container carriers.
Nice to see the Aquitania getting remembered. Largest ship to serve in both World Wars.
Mike's great. So enthusiastic. And like me loves the Mary, Elizabeth and Normandie. Three of the greatest liners to ever cross the Atlantic.
My mother (born in 1921) had always wanted to go on a great liner, so for their 50th wedding anniversary, my parents sailed to London on the QEII, and returned on the Concorde.
Sounds like what i would imagine to be my dream trip to be, being such an enthusiast of both.
Like travelling through time, from the golden age of Ocean travel to the Golden age of Jet travel. Just the perfect dream trip for any travel or history enthusiast.
My grand mother sailed on the last revenue cruise of the queen Mary and the last Atlantic crossing of the queen Elisabeth. I have her tickets, pictures, even a note from the captain honoring her birthday on board.
hey mike! loved this video sm but i just wanted to say that when SS United States got mentioned, i remembered that there’s currently a race against time with her and that she’s getting evicted from her pier on September 12th unless the SS United States Conservancy gets the needed funds. they currently are at 100k donations and i thought that if you made a video talking about the current situation with SS United States, that the conservancy could possibly reach its goal and have her moved to a new home port purely by your reach alone. I think it’d be a great way to bring more awareness to her current state and situation because little to no media outlets are talking about this.
A ship called "the United States" getting evicted is weirdly American
@@TransDrummer1312 true LOL
@@TransDrummer1312 Yea well not everyone worships the mighty dollar.
Yes, I saw Queen Mary 2 sauntering through the Solent on her way out of Southampton a few weeks ago - she's instantly recognisable, and unmistakeably elegant.
I stayed on the Queen Mary as a hotel. It is definitely worth the experience.
So did my aunt and uncle...I visited them at port. Truly beautiful ship
What are some things to look out for or to do for sure when staying on her? I wanted to celebrate our anniversary by staying on the queen Mary for a 3 day weekend. I’m an ocean liner nerd but she isn’t that into them. I’m absolutely doing the full tour but definitely curious as to what else is there
@@12pagani I grew up in Long Beach, CA so I might be able to help a little bit. The Queen is kind of off on her own, but close by you have some other ships you can check out. LA Harbor has USS Iowa, SS Lane Victory, and a few other nautical museums. San Pedro also has a few good restaurants near the port, but not much else is there. The Queen is by Shoreline Village (a bit of a tourist trap, but locals still enjoy it there) and the Aquarium of the Pacific. You can take a little water taxi (Aqualink) to get to that side. Not sure how much it costs since I haven't ridden it in over 10 years but I don't think it's expensive. Also nearby is another shopping area known as "The Pike" but no one other than tourists go there. Go down to 2nd Street in Long Beach instead. Lots more fun restaurants and shops.
@@12pagani BGerbs66 has it right. There are also ship tours you can take. We had a fun time changing our room to the "haunted deck" as it got us a better room as usually people don't want to stay on that deck. If aren't superstitious it's a good deal.
@@12paganiChampagne Brunch! Ghost Tour if it's on!
Wear your most comfortable shoes and just carry your phone (long walk, lots of stairs!)
Be sure to notice all the woodwork-29 kinds of wood, all exquisite!
I live in Long Beach, CA. The Queen Mary is the symbol of the City. I have had many fun Visits and overnight stays on the Ship.
I grew up in LB and my grandparents used to live in one of the condos overlooking the Queen. I spent many a night staring at her beauty.
As a little kid on a family vacation, I got to see the Queen Elizabeth in Ft. Lauderdale. I can still remember my dad saying as we drove alongside her, "Wow, this ship is about 2 tenths of a mile long!"
On the same vacation, on the motel TV we watched Neil Armstrong take man's first steps on the moon. Great vacation in the summer of '69! Hey...that sounds kinda familiar.
**Love** the tunes in the background… civility and class and so appropriate for the topic. One of the best channels out there… thanks to you, friend of ours Mike Brady. So appreciate you and your excellent team.
Yeah, when Mike got to number 1 and showed, at first, the "Johan van Oldenbarnavelt" I thought I was going to have to rewind to see when I missed the Queen Mary/Queen Elizabeth because I knew they had had to have been on the list. Nice switch up, my friend Mike Brady.
I nearly died when you announced the number 1 spot. "WHAT THE ....!" Mike you tease! Absolutely awesome video with the correct winner. 👍
These videos never get old, I absolutely love oceanliners. It never ceases to amaze me they moved these with steam! I live in Ohio and COSI in Columbus is doing a Titanic exhibition until September. I highly recommend a trip there if you aren’t too far away!
Visited there myself a few months back -- truly a breathtaking experience. It's pretty wild to say I touched a piece of Titanic, gives me chills to this day.
@@MineTwine45that was one of the first rooms and I was stuck in it because of that piece, I’m glad it’s not just me!!! I was impressed with the amount of artifacts they had, and the size of some of them. Great experience and well worth the money. I spent multiple hours in there, and honestly might go again with some family. It’s nice that we weren’t rushed thru and can spend as much time as you’d like looking and reading everything.
Honestly the Normandie interiors looks so inviting
Nice to see my photo of Queen Mary 2 departing Fremantle there! And totally agree - QE2 is a legend!!
I actually managed to convince my parents during a family vacation to visit the queen mary, and it was wonderful. One of the most fantastic vacations I've had, ever. We walked through the whole ship, took the history tour, had coffee and a pastry at one of the cafes, saw a dance at one of the lobbies. And we were only there for a couple of hours! Definitely one of my best memories of that trip
It’s great that you interject your personal experiences. You jogged my memory about going to the Welland Canal as a child and seeing ships from all over the world navigate the locks.
I love both Olympic and Majestic.
Me to
Another awesome presentation from our friend Mike Brady . Proud of you Mike 👏
Glad to see your number 1 pics......the most successful atlantic liners of all times; the most successful troopships of all time, and.....the "Queen Mary".....the most beloved ship of all time. That's not just my opinion. .....the Queen Mary was the household name. I am so lucky to have sailed on both the Mary and the Elizabeth.
Love it when Mike drops a new video
Oh wonderful, I was in need of a friend today. 😊
The United States captured the Blue Ribband in 1952 and still holds it today.
And sadly it seems she has a date with a scrapper’s torch in the near future.
She'll almost certainly never lose it
It's hasn't really existed since the 1970s because ocean liners stopped being built. So that's technically, true however, a bit ridiculous to act like it's still a thing.
@@oldman975hmm judging by your name, seems like you have a date with with the grimreeper in the near future also…
@@DevilSurvivor69 That's pretty much my point. She'll be the last ship to have ever held the Blue Ribband, not that there's much competition. There's only one liner left, and if in the unlikely event they build more, none of them will be built for speed.
I still have a photo of myself as a child standing in front of the QE2 :)
M2. Wasn’t a child but near enough.😁👍
OLYMPIC DESERVED BETTER
One of my top ten friends, Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs.
Ha!
I'm glad to see the Iconic Queen Mary at No.1, she truly does deserve the spot!
And personally for me, she is literally the first and only Ocean liner ive ever actually stepped foot on, And you can still visit her to this very day! i mean how many ocean liners can say that? More than titanic or any other liner, she was the ship that had the most impact on me, in getting me into Ocean Liners and more broadly the Golden age of Ocean travel and that whole world in general.
I mean nothing beats acutally seeing the real thing for the first time!
Love!!! You might have actually featured a picture of my dad (aboard the Queen Mary heading for England where he served as a medic during the war.)
My husband and I visited the Queen Mary in Long Beach a couple of years ago. We were there around Halloween and we really wanted to take the "Ghosts of Queen Mary" tour, but, unfortunately, we ate so much at the Champagne Brunch (in the most beautiful room I've ever been) that it took us the rest of the day to sleep it off back at the hotel. I want to go back, since, thanks to you, I know so much more about the ship than I did when we were there. What a majestic beauty! I knew she'd be number one, of course!
I was on the Queen Mary recently. Truly magnificent.
I would LOVE a big, in-depth, super-detailed video about Aquitania.
Also, WOO WOO WOO QUEEN MARY! My all-time favourite liner!
I love watching you love ocean liners almost as much as you love ocean liners!
Love your show! Please do more stories on Oceanliners that tragically sunk 🙏
Mike Brady making everyone’s Sunday a bit better with another fantastic video
When I was a young teenager living in Cowes on the Isle of White, our secondary school looked over the Solent, all the major ships that came into Southampton had to pass our school, so to speak, needless to say I never learnt a thing, except I knew all the the ocean liners by their funnels. Even though I am English, the 'United States' with her super red white and blue squatted funnel design with those lovely 'wings' just blew my mind, and the beautiful and elegant lines of the 'France' also made a huge impact on me. Yes, 'those were the days my friend'. and I hope they never end.
When I was 16 my family emigrated to Australia, with 4 strapping pommy teenagers ( me being the oldest) that evidently sounded just like the Beatles to them, so us brothers could not go wrong in those days. Loved the place, and loved Queensland where we settled (Hervey Bay). P.S. we recently visited the UK for the first time in 60 years, and my school is no longer there, demolished as the site was just too valuable.
This is a partial copy paste..,but I may have some more photos/details for your wonderful channel.
.... I'm a Brit who's Dad grew up between Scotland and Tanzania (nee. Congwa) and who travelled on many of these fantastic liners. In fact, my Grandpops (Mum's side) and Granny (Dad's) both traveled on the Georgic POST FIRE on their way home from Africa together before my parents met.
You educated me about these ship's history before I even knew my own...and for that, sir, you have my thanks. I salute you x
Edit: I would not even exist without these fantastic vessels, and your channel draws focus on that wonderful part of our past. All the love my man. Thank you one more time Mr. Brady ❤x
It’s so nice to hear Mike so happy😁
Mike: loved the way you put all these ships together in a top 10! As always, very educational and entertaining!
So many people called Titanic overrated, sure because it sank on its maiden voyage, but long operation, RMS Olympic is a testimony how well designed the Olympic Class, mainly its economical and robust engines and more durable compared to Aquitania. Queen Mary/ Qyeen Elizabeth withstand stress of WWII and became favorites, some of the oceanliner buffs may pick the Normandie for groundbreaking hull design, seductive art deco design (floating empire state) exterior design well ahead of its time.
It's our friend Mike Brady!!! 🚢
Normandy was technically advanced for her time too. She was a steam-electric hybrid. She didn't use coal fired engines to push her; she employed oil-fired steam generators to power 4x25k electric motors, giving her a cruising speed of 38+ Knotts. Hybrid Tech in the 1930s!!!
Her service speed was barely over 29 knots. Only a handful of times, did she even average 30 knots for an entire crossing. She topped out at just over 32 knots in trials.
Your excitement telling us about these beauties is infectious! Thanks for sharing.
I had a feeling you were going to slip in the Johan Von Oldenbarnevelt as a joke at #1 😂
Very competitive list! In terms of looks I definitely would give the Andrea Doria and her sister Christoforo Colombo an honourable mention, just such aesthetically pleasing ships, but rightfully the Rex and Conte Di Savoia get the mention :)
I think Queen Mary is even more special because of her culture status as being haunted and the ability to go stay overnight aboard. My step sister was super into “ghost hunting” and stayed aboard Queen Mary. Beautiful ship
Olympic was such a beauty! I wish I could’ve experienced her.
Its nice to see a fellow boat nerd like myself. My forte isn't oceanliners but I love the smaller wooden boats from late 1800's to the 1960's. The power yachts, sailing yachts, fishing boats. And theres a shite ton of them nearing the 100 year old range in my part of the world, the PNW and the west coast of British Columbia. The "little" boats that have lived impossibly long lives. One such boat that is an interesting read is the M.V Taconite. commissioned and Owned by a fella named Bill Boeing... Ya know, the plane company. Anyway lots of famous folks have graced her decks, amelia earhart, countless Hollywood stars. I did a presentation in school on her. Lol. Anyway cool stuff, your vids are really fun to watch!
I stayed on the Queen Mary!!!!!! Yeah, I brag all the time. My husband took me there on Easter Weekend 22 years ago.
That was strangely inspiring. It's the enthusiasm. It's infectious.
I believe the United States isn't doing too well. I think she was being forced to vacate her berth over unpaid fees and her future was bleak. The situation broke a few weeks ago so it's ongoing.
This is really sad. It's like she's the last of her class, notwithstanding caveats. She deserves better but it's going to cost.
Took me a second to wonder if you meant the ship or the country, and it's sad how it could apply either way.
@@GoodOldGamer Oh, the country isn't doing so well either but, we still have enough booze and porn to hopefully get through it. Wish us luck.
My favourite will always be the Himalaya. I saw her as a young child and it was love at first sight, so beautiful.
You keep going our friend, Mike Brady. Incredible work with all tings nautical history.
I love people with niche intersts that can geek about them for hours on end. And thats not to say that i'm not a sucker for some nice ships, but you just know so much more about them
The navigator leading the B-17 flight that intercepted the Rex was First Lieutenant Curtis E. LeMay, later the commander of the B-29 strategic bombing of Japan in World War II, initiated the Berlin Airlift, built up the Strategic Air Command (SAC), and retired after serving as USAF Chief of Staff. In 1953, I sailed on the America with my mother to join my father who was stationed in France with the USAF. I and my wife sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 when we returned from Germany to these United States in 1983.
I totally agree with your top 10 list Mike. I love the knowledge you share in every video you made. I learn a lot of new things every time. Well done ;)
I really enjoyed this! Great list!
My man cooperated with Brick Immortar and went on to drop this epic video
My man be going places
I agree 1000% !!
I've said it before and will probably say it again. I love your videos. I'm a maritime historian and you are teaching me new stuff. Thank you.
Mike, if you ever get a chance you might have fun at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island in Michigan. I know it’s not a ship but when I went I got a real feel of what it might have been like on the cruise ships during the Titanic era. I ONLY felt like that at the hotel, but the whole island is designed to take you back in time. Cars are not allowed on the island. You can only get around by bike, walking, or horse drawn carriage. What makes the Grand Hotel different than the rest of the island is you must wear formal wear after 6:30 pm. I felt like I was part of the first class when people were grouped into classes. I enjoyed it immensely.
I grew up in Bindi Bindi- Dalwallinu was our closest town. My first job after school was at the Dalwallinu wheatbins. Ive also got my first solo cruise on Cunards Queen Elizabeth in Jan 2025. Small world ❤ Hats off to you Mike, your channel is incredible 😊
Small world indeed! Thanks for saying hi :) I’ll have to visit some day!
These documents are very interesting to follow. So thank's very much for These all👍🙏
Oh hey it’s our Mike friend Brady from linerocean designs
Thanks!
I am working on a model of one of those early B-17 C/D models right now in 1/72 scale.
That #1 pick had me 👀 for a hot minute 😂
tyvm for another top-notch doc
My vote is the Normandie for number 1! Also, it’s fun to think that some of my ancestors came to America on the Vaterland when it was still a German ship.
I automatically thought of Hyacinth Bucket when the QEII was mentioned 😂
In September of 1963, when I was six years old, I and my sisters and mother saw my grandparents off on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, when they left New York for Southampton. This was still a time when guests could visit as passengers settled in. I have the photograph taken (by one of, surely, the platoon of photographers that Cunard employed) of eleven of us in their stateroom (several of my grandparents friends, from northern New Jersey, also made appearances). My memory is hazy, of course, but I recall walking the promenade deck and speaking with an officer (in my mind, the captain). Afterwards we went to the observation deck of the Empire State Building to watch the ship sail off. Quite a day.
Excellent list Mike and a very interesting narrative. You mentioned the Rex and Conte Di Savoia being destroyed by the RAF during WWII. I’ve always suspected that when those two were sunk combined with Normandie’s loss in New York the directors of Cunard did a little happy dance. Behind closed doors of course…
Mike Brady, you make education fun, something I can’t completely say for school. You, Mike Brady, are heavily responsible for my interest in ships. Thank you Mike, thank you.
G'day Mike, as much as I am addicted to your carefully researched, scripted, usual videos; I love it when you do one 'off script' and 'off the top of your head'. Your well-known passion for all things Ocean Liners is always there but; in these ad-hoc videos, you let it 'off the leash' to run wild in a sea of superlative adjectives!
Talking ocean liners actually brings a huge smile to your face, and voice; now that's passion.
You touched upon my area of interest; military aviation of WW2. The B-17 is my undoubted favourite US bomber design; yes, it had its limitations and problems but it almost single handedly, physically destroyed much of Germany's larger cities and factories.
My top favourite is the mighty Lancaster and I would have preferred to be in the B-24 in terms of survivability; but one must admit the B-17 was a cleverly conceived, hugely mass-produced leap forward in aircraft technology.
Finally, I must mention that many years ago now, I was staying at a friend’s house at Point Londsdale, to get away and work on a book. During a trip down to the village shops I had the, unexpected, thrill of seeing the QE2 pass through the heads, on her way to Melbourne.
No cell phones then, of course, so sadly I had nothing to take a photograph.
Years later I caught her on film during her last ever visit to Hobart. I went to a lunch that day in honour of the Skipper and officers. During his speech the Captain admitted, with a nervous laugh, that, "...I almost lost her...," he was talking about a massive 'rip'(?) that sometimes makes the seaward entry to the Derwent River a highly dangerous body of water.
Oh, I heartily concur with your picks for the Number One liner spots. Cheers, Bill H.
Hi Mike. Excellent video as always!
I thought you might be interested to know that there are some fairly substantial bits of paneling and fittings from the Vaterland/Leviathan at the Science Museum Of Long Island near Port Washington NY.
The museum is housed the Gatsby era summer home of a major Maritime Attorney. He bought the Leviathan furnishings when the ship was scrapped and had them intalled in his home.
I worked at the museum years ago but recently revisited. It's a bit worse for the wear since I was last there in the '80s but still quite interesting.
Hope you're enjoying your visit (here) in the US. Cheers!
We sailed across the Atlantic on QM2 a few years ago and it was incredible.
great list. I need to go find more videos about Normandie. She looked to have stunning interiors.
I live on the Firth of Clyde and had the pleasure of witnessing her last sail by as she sailed down the Clyde past the Isle of Arran. Absolutely beautiful 😁
Whenever the topic of ships came up in my childhood, my grandma used to talk about the Queen Mary, My grandad was more into talking about the Titanic, though. Lol.
Enjoyed this and is a great list, all such beautiful ships
I was hoping you guys would do a video like this. Thanks!
I remember the QEII sailing up the Hudson River for the first time in 1969. She was getting a lot of publicity, and a lot of people came to the dock at the bottom of 20th Street to watch. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed. She didn't have any big smokestacks, nor do I remember her having a distinctive whistle or horn. But then, I was only ten-years old.
The interior shot of the Normandie reminds me of the ballroom set on "The Poseiden Andenture." Love me some Art Deco ship decor!
As I've mentioned before, I remember the France's distinctive whistle/horn. It was unmistakable! I always knew when she was on the Hudson.
One of the pleasures of growind up near the docks in NYC was seeing both the Queen Mary and the first Queen Elizabeth sailing on the Hudson on a regular basis.
And no.1: The motor vessel Johan van Oldenbarnavelt! Made me laugh out loud! :-)
Always a joy to hear from Mike Brady, just like many of the liners always the articulate, charming and impressionable host.
I'd agree with the ranking only I'd of placed the Olympic class above the Imperator class for whilst the latter exceeded in size and speed, they didn't have the grace on appearance, rolling and reliability issues of which justified their scrapping prior to older vessels before them.
The Olympic class notably Titanic for me was the best looker and with a few tweaking to match her sister Britannic with more bathroom facilities and swimming pool upgrade, would've made her a fine ocean liner during the 20s.
Lusitania class another deserved place for the trio served Britain well both in peacetime and at war for whilst White Star did their contribution, Cunard epitomised Britain at sea and was the last major shipping company left to revive its pride.
Great video Mike. How nice to see these grand old ladies from days gone by. Love your enthusiasm, so bubbly. Wondered if you had a Peroni or two 😂
Great list Mike I know your channel is ocean liner designs but I think most would agree we would love a top 10 cruise ship as well just to get your take on them since they are the children of these grand vessels.
Fantastic video 💯💯💯
Stayed on the QM before departing on Carnival Liberty. Before the big reno the rooms were a bit musty but it was cool to explore, and sit in that forward lounge under the bridge and have a cocktail during the sunset.
drinking a Corona watching this then at 3:18 i learnt something incredible about Peroni
never have i felt insecure about my beer choice but now i am
i NEED to get this beer
Beautiful!
We made a westbound TA crossing on QM2 a few weeks ago. As a retired history teacher I wanted to experience the same mode of travel my ancestors did as well as follow in the wake of Titanic and Lusitania.
The Normandie makes the Queen Mary look like a tug boat.
In what way? They are nearly identical by all physical measures.
Look very similar. I like to call them the 'big' 3 stackers.
In your opinion maybe...she still kicked Normandie's butt when it came to speed and overall popularity.
It's hard to tear these ships apart...liners/cruisers.... truly beautiful ships. All of them. Why hate? ❤
Maybe it's personal taste here? ...or perhaps I'm wrong.
Mr. Brady, what a sense of humor! I love all ships! By the way, dreadnought was launched in 1905. My particular favorite in war ships are the old ironclads of the 1870s and 80s. I am a history girl!