Is Queen Mary 2 bigger than the Titanic? This is a question I hear very often.
Titanic is remembered by many people as the world’s largest liner – which is a title
she held in 1912 when the ship sailed on her maiden voyage. Because of the
hype surrounding the Titanic, including blockbuster movies and countless books,
articles and websites, the ship’s size is still revered to this day.
But QM2 is bigger than Titanic… MUCH bigger.
In fact, if she was in service today, Titanic would be classed
as a small-midsized ship – clocking in at a mere 46,000 tons… comparable to Fred Olsen’s Balmoral.
Compare this to the 227,000 ton Oasis Class – which make QM2 look small – and you get a
good idea how big ships have become in the last 110 years. Lets take a closer look.
Hi I am Chris Frame, I write maritime history books and lecture on cruise ships
about martime history. I also make youtube videos about maritime history and cruising.
If that is the sort of thing you’re interested in please subscribe.
When Titanic was delivered to White Star Line in 1912,
she was the largest liner in the world. The ship was the second in the Olympic
class of liners – and took the title of world’s biggest ocean liner from her sistership Olympic.
Dimensionally, Titanic and Olympic were identical. 882ft long, 92ft wide
and 9 decks above the waterline. While the two ships were almost twins, Titanic was modified
slightly to give the ship a larger internal volume – thanks in part to screens added to enclose the
first class promenade. This is actually a handy way to differentiate the two ships.
Queen Mary 2 on the other hand eclipses Titanic in every measurement.
She’s 256ft longer than Titanic, 55ft wider at her widest point
and reaches 13 decks above the waterline. QM2’s decks are taller than Titanic’s too – especially
those on deck 2 and deck 3 - and the ship spans 237ft high from keel to funnel.
QM2 is also faster than Titanic.
The elder ship utilised a combination of reciprocating engines and a single turbine
to run three propellers achieving a top speed of 23 knots. QM2 employs a combination of diesel
electric engines and gas turbines to drive four Rolls Royce pods, giving her a top speed
of around 30 knots, though her cruising speed of 26 knots is still faster than Titanic’s maximum.
So what about luxury? Titanic is remembered as the world’s most luxurious ship – so
surely her first class passengers enjoyed more luxurious surroundings than those aboard QM2?
It is true that Titanic was very luxurious for her day. First class was of a high
standard – and we’ve all seen the photos of her first class grand staircase, wide open
decks and innovative Turkish baths and swimming pool. Second class was of a high standard, and
third class was considered “of comparable style” to second class of lesser liners at the time.
But it might surprise you to realise that the luxury of Titanic was eclipsed within
a year of her entry into service. In fact, liners such as Germany’s Imperator of 1913,
and Cunard’s Aquitania of 1914 both surpassed the Olympic-class liners in luxury.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and nearly every aspect of a QM2 voyage is
more luxurious and comfortable than what you would have experienced aboard Titanic.
Take Bathrooms for example – every one of QM2’s cabins have
an ensuite – from the smallest inside room to the biggest suite – while aboard Titanic,
only a handful of select first class cabins had private facilities… everyone else had to share.
QM2 is airconditioned while Titanic was not. She offers more bars, lounges and restaurants than
Titanic did. The ship has an onboard entertainment staff – to keep passengers occupied, and a
theatre, a ballroom and a seagoing planetarium – all absent from the Titanic’s deck plans.
QM2 also offers a high percentage of balcony accommodation,
while only a few First Class cabins had their own verandah aboard Titanic.
And QM2 has no second or third class – all passengers are welcome to enjoy all
of the ship’s amenities bar a few small, select areas reserved for Grills guests.
QM2 offers a greater space per passenger ratio too.
Her 2,695 passengers enjoy a ship of 149,000 gross tons, offering a space ratio of around 1 : 55.
Titanic, on the other hand, carried 2,435 passengers. As the ship was just over 46,000 tons,
that offers a space ratio of 1 : 18.8 – considerably less than Queen Mary 2.
The last point that is often risen is fame. QM2 is considered one of the most famous ships
in the world – given her unique status as the only active transatlantic liner in the world.
But many people point out that Titanic is far more famous and better
known. This is probably true – there are so many books, articles, videos,
websites and other documents written about Titanic it would be impossible to count them!
But how many of you have heard of Imperator? Or the Oceanic?
Or Sirius? Perhaps some of you – given my audience is into ocean liners – but
I’d say the majority of people out there wouldn’t recognise those names.
So what’s my point? It is that while Titanic is the most famous ship in the world,
she is famous because she sunk. It is the tragedy
of the Titanic disaster that gave her a special place in the history books.
QM2 on the other hand is famous because she is unique – a one off ocean liner designed in
the 21st century. Nothing quite like QM2 has been attempted before or since – and despite her being
eclipsed in size and scale by numerous cruise ships – her position as the last of the great
transatlantic liners allows her to attract more attention than all of those cruise ships combined.
Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks so much for watching.
If you want to learn more about ocean liners, check out my ocean liner playlist.
And until next time, I hope to see you on board.