The bridge may have changed through the years but "I believe" she was the last four funnel ship to meet the breakers yard. What a long career, other ships should be so lucky. Thanks to "The Great Big Move" for another fine video of maritime history.
You’re right, she was the last 4 stacker In service. Mauritania & Olympic both slightly older went to the knackers a couple of years before WW2 and had the war not started and Aquitania been requisitioned as a troop ship she would probably followed a year or so later as soon as Queen Elizabeth came into service. As it happened WW2 service and following that a few years of ‘war bride services’ to Nova Scotia until 1949 kept her going way longer than her contemporaries.
@@Gramscifreedom I looked up the Arundel Castle online, her bow was also changed, along with the funnels, from a straight stem to a more modern, angular design. Have a good day.....
What eventually became her bridge was what we mariners call a "flying bridge." A flying bridge is an open air bridge above the pilot house and is often used in hot weather. Even the modern ships I served in while in the Navy had flying bridges and even old-school voice tubes made of brass. Never did get to conn from a flying bridge, but it was always there. RMS Aquitania simply housed over her flying bridge for improved visibilty. She's definately one of my favorite ships.
In the British Merchant Navy the roof of the wheelhouse was known as The Monkey Island, though I don't know why. It housed the magnetic compass to keep it away from spurious magnetic signatures if it was enclosed, and had 2 softiron spheres for compass correction. Aerials, radar and other bits of kit up there too - plus a few bronzying hammocks!
The Aquitania is a head-scratcher for me. While I really want to like her, she looked awkward from several angles and had many oddly unresolved features that make it difficult for me to see her as truly "beautiful". Her general design was basically an enlarged Lusitania, but she was also referred to as "Cunard's Olympic" because of her near-identical size, similar interior features and enhanced emphasis on comfortable behavior at sea vs. maximum speed. It's important to remember that the government construction loan and operating subsidy for Lusitania and Mauretania 10 years prior was not extended to this third big vessel. That meant Cunard needed a third ship that was more economical to build and run. So they replicated White Star's successful concept of great size and moderate speed. They should have replicated Olympic's superbly simple and elegant lines as well, but instead Leonard Peskett chose to simply scale up his Lusitania, which probably wasn't such a good idea. Her cluttered upper decks and narrowly spaced funnels were a throwback to earlier liners, and even without the goofy bridge layout, Aquitania's bulky, double-segmented superstructure made her look quite top heavy, especially on a hull which by itself appeared so slim and graceful. Clearly the bow was not only aesthetically a bit on the long side, but also functionally deficient. A raised forecastle such as Olympic had might have improved Aquitania's visual balance, but would have been even worse for visibility. Yet despite her many "quirks", she was undoubtedly one of the most successful liners of all time and beloved my many who sailed on her, so I guess it's a bit silly to criticize her in hindsight...
Actually I see more of the Mauretania in her than the Lusitania - when viewed from the front. Maury's wheelhouse/bridge was actually different than the Lusitania's.....and it too changed prior to WW1. If you compare the initial 1907 Mauretania photos (round portholes and rectangular windows mixed) you will see that they were converted to all rectangular. Additionally the area over the wheel house had railings and appear to have been sheet-metaled in at some point. IMO, the Mauretania bridge was more pronounced and less graceful than the Lusitania - which might have been a precursor for the Aquitania "tall flat wall" (see pic at 1:06). As another person mentions here, the good looking Carmania seems like more of a bridge design influence (that ultimately didn't work well on an ship that was much taller and wider). I'm not a fan of any of the Aquitania bridges variations (first one is "least worst"), and I agree that she could have been architecturally polished into a better visual product like the Olympic and Titanic were. The awful air ventilators (see 0:27) that obstructed the Mauretania's upper deck and lower funnels also appear on the Aquitania (but clearly look the worst on the Mauretania). The Lusitania was free of these unsightly giant-sized circular intakes and look far less cluttered than her stablemates -- and perceptionally taller too. She was the first 4-stacker ship made by Cunard and overall the best looking Cunarder via simplicity of design. I think the Lusitania had a great visual appeal because she looked well proportioned (especially from the bow), whereas the the Aquitania looked a bit bloated and top-heavy - something the White Star Olympic class ships did not achieve. The view of the Aquitania bridge from the bow (see pics at 0:54, and 1:59) is just unsightly. It lacks graceful Edwardian bridge/forecastle design when compared to the other 4 stackers. Aquitania has some good visual angles though - which bring out the best of her Lusitania/Mauretania heritage - unfortunately it's not all angles due to the bridge wall (positive note - Her funnels look great without all of the wired support that Lucy/Maury had). For me, Aquitania is akin to a handsome man or pretty woman who have a highly unsightly nose that detracts too much. That all being said, internally the ship was gorgeous....seemingly influenced by not only the Lusitania and Mauretania's differing appointments, but the Olympic design cues as well.
I think she got the nickname "the ship beautiful" because of her interiors. The exterior was always controversial and was just often described as "boxy". The odd decision not to have a raised forecastle made the superstructure look too big for the hull.
You also have to keep in mind that she was also being constructed as an answer to the upcoming Imperator class liners in Germany, which themselves were quite bulky and large superstructures relative to the height of their hulls. She was a product of the time. Cunard already knew that the Lusitania and then Mauretania would likely hold the speed record for the foreseeable future, so their last area to get competitive in was size and luxury. Olympic, then Titanic, and then finally Britannic were each going to be more luxurious than the last; but Imperator and her sisters were planned to be next level in comfort and style, so Cunard had to step up their game to the extreme, and with time constrictions and a race going before Imperator entered service there were some aspects of Aquitania's design that were looked over I feel. But that is just my opinion.
Great to see someone make a video about Aquitania's bridge!!! I know not many people like her for her look but I did surprisingly. The bridge is what really got my attention to her and I don't mind the design changes they did except for the last one because everytime I see it I get reminded that she was getting old at that time....
Thank you for this wonderful video! Aquitania's bridgefront evolution has always fascinated me. It was so boxy, and square. None of the swept-back grace of the Olympic class or other peer liners including fleetmates Mauretania, Caronia, or the pre-war Franconia and Laconia. She is one of my favorite liners, but her best vantage point was always a 3/4 view from the stern.
I will stand by it that the prettiest ocean liners were always the whitestar ones particularly the Olympics, but the almost utilitarian feel of the Cunard liners just have something to their look that makes them my favorite
My father came over from the Netherlands on the Aquitania in '49. I have an original post card from the ship. Never knew anything about the ship until I found the postcard and started researching.
I must say that i myself prefer the aesthetics of the original bridge, but the modified bridge is more practical. Too bad Cunard couldn't replicate the beauty White Star did with the Olympic Class...
All the ships of that time were beautiful, Aquitania is certainly in the top 5. Wish I go back in time and experience their beauty and splender, but unfortunately they are lost in time..
Thank you for this video! I really do admire Aquitania for her last great effort giving service in WWII, and I only wish that Olympic and Mauretania had been kept around for a couple more years to render similar service.
I’m pretty sure Olympic might have served into the mid 50s had she not been scrapped in 1935. She was by far in the best condition out of all the four stackers at the end of her career. She may well have played Titanic in A Night To Remember, which probably would have seen her saved from the breakers.
The overhead cover on the two sides of the original bridge did not allow officers to get readings of the suns location, so they would have to go up onto the Monkey Island above the original bridge to get such readings, and it showed the original (lower) bridge to not be as functional as it needed to be. When the new bridge was added during her 1916 annual overhaul, while serving as a Hospital Ship, it only required officers to step outside of the bridge to be out on an open air deck, so the various readings became much easier to obtain and much faster as well.
I honestly think the Aquitania is the equivalent of the Olympic-class of Cunard Line she isn't as fast as her two running mates, Lusitania and Muratania but it is probably more comfortable to ride on and when not in a hurry to cross the pond.
The Aquitania looks beautiful, but I don't think any ship will get close to the Olympic Class in terms of looks. Maybe the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, but that might be personal preference
Great video... and great ship... thanks for posting... yes her bridge was out of proportion with the whole look of the vessel towards the end of her career.
All of the controls and telegraphs on the original bridge were directly connected to all of the same equipment located one deck up. So all of the equipment on the original bridge remained in place throughout her whole life.
Thanks for this. Aquitania has always been one of my favourites and oddly enough I prefer her appearance in the interim between WWI and WWII with the little bridge. Guess I’m just used to seeing her that way.
What a tragedy this grand old lady wasn't preserved... She served in two world wars and was loved by her many many passengers. She represented the golden age of liners. And these ships weren't just for show they were work horses, plying between Europe and America, transporting millions to the new world, and thereby changing history.
1914-1950…impressive 36 year lifespan. Certainly the last example of the infamous ‘four-stacker’ design aesthetic initiated by the Germans where more funnels equalled more speed. Nowhere near as pretty as the sleek ‘Olympic Class’ ships and she certainly didn’t have the grace of the Mauretania or Lusitania either, but she was a stout and popular ship. She was probably the last major liner to sport the twin house flags of both Cunard and White Star as the final colour shots in this video show her paying-off farewell in 1950. There’s another scene not shown in this video where the two house flags are hauled down as she’s decommissioned. A sad moment, the Golden Lion shown fluttering above the White Star burgee. She was never one of my favourite ships as I disliked her overly boxy superstructure and I never understood why she was called the ‘Ship Beautiful’…apparently her interior décor was the reason. But Aquitania was the only survivor of those early Edwardians, and for that, she has to be admired.
It was definitely because of her interior that the ship garnered her nickname. All of the ship's public rooms were designed by Arthur Davis who was a part of a partnership with the Frenchman Charles Mewes who's most famous interiors included the original Ritz Carlton London and Ritz Carlton Paris restaurants and hotels. Davis and Mewes actually held two separate design commissions during the years leading up to WW1 with Davis being responsible for Aquitania's interiors and Mewes being responsible for the design of the HAPAG line's Imperator, Vaterland and Bismarck. Cunard and HAPAG agreed to a compromise where the two partners were not allowed to share their work with each other as they designed these competing ships though it is hard to imagine that the two men didn't circumvent that prohibition at some point. I've seen several photos and paintings of her her interiors and they were indeed very grand and beautiful. And while the ship's exterior did not measure up to the sleek Mauritania and Lusitania or the graceful lines of the Olympic class I think she is a better looking ship than the lumbering overstuffed Imperator class liners.
Having the distinction of outliving all of her fellow four stackers it only lent her to comparison to the newer sleeker liners of the 1930’s like Normandie, Rex, etc. Her towering, flat front superstructure was awkward looking from the very beginning, and the additional bridge enclosures and top bulwarks only exaggerated that. Later in her career alongside the new liners she looked ungainly and top heavy. As far as “Ship beautiful” though, that name was well deserved, her interiors were lovely and elegant, one of the most gracious, grandest liners to ever sail the North Atlantic.
That really wasn't a reason, as the radar had been installed in June, 1943, and her bridge wasn't enlarged until December, 1944. That enlargement was done simply to provide overhead cover for those operating the four telegraphs located outside the second bridge added in 1916.
Are those replacement "portholes" that were added to the original bridge not actually removable covers to protect the window glass in rough weather while retaining some visibility?
That was my understanding too. Lusitania never had them but Mauretania did. I don't know at what point they were created, but once installed, they seemed to be on for quite a while - rather than put only when rough seas were expected during a specific trip. They seem like visibility killers to me, but perhaps the windows broke / cracked often on these ships. Glass quality then wasn't nearly as strong as today's compounds.
My favorite of the liners that were actually built, since Oceanic III was sadly never completed. While the forward superstructure by the end of her life was strange looking, I think she was a grand lady in all the time before that, even if there were some questionable redesigns.
WHAT A GREAT OLD GIRL SAD ,,,SHE HAD A TOUGH LIFE ,, SHE SHOULDNT HAD TO GO THREW WAR LIKE HER OTHER GREAT OLD SISTERS,, HAVING THE GREAT OLD QUEEN MARY AT LONG BEACH CA,.. IT SHOWS HOW ITS THE LAST OF THE GREAT OLD OCEAN LINERS,..WE CAN STILL GO AND VISIT .....GREAT VIDEO!!!!!!
Great video as always. Poor thing! What the hell were John Brown thinking? The bridge of Lusitania built by them was magnificent. I’ve tried hard to like it, unfortunately it has a face only a mother could love. Probably the worst frontbend of a superstructure I have ever seen. Harland & Wolff would have had this sorted in a few months if they were given the opportunity.
I used to think the same way because I didn't care for the exterior proportions as much compared to many of her other contemporaries. However, I think the ship beautiful DEFINITELY applies to her interiors.
Functuality over appearance matters - I`d rather have a safe ship than a pretty one, and Aquitania didn`t look that bad, in fact quite impressive for the time.
Her interiors certainly were the reason she was called "the ship beautiful", but her exterior was always controversial. The unusual decision not ro have a raised forecastle made her look "boxy" and the superstructure looked too big for the hull. An oddly inelegant design.
They did the same thing with the Mauretania, I don't get why her bridge was always changed too Also tbh the placement of those vent thingies on the Mauretania was better than Aquitania that cluttered her decks
Honestly I always felt that Aquitania was a mashup of Lusitania, Mauretania and Olympic/Titanic. Leon Peskett (designer of all Lucy/Maury) took a trip on Olympic (1911) while working on Aquitania's plans, just to get a feel for how a larger vessel would need to be designed. I can see a fair amount of "Lusitania on steroids" (forecastle, bridge without the side extensions, funnels)....and a more visible set of funnels. But at the same time, the funnels still have a LOT of Mauretania style air intakes which are terribly distracting. Lusitania had a different and more discreet version (lower profile & black) that didn't make the funnels seem "less tall" (The size/height was the same between Mauretania & Lusitania). The sweeping grandness of the Aquitania's sides, to me, reflect the Olympic series ships from White Star....and the Olympic herself was dimensionally very close to Aquitania when viewed from port or starboard profiles. Yet the Bridge/Wheelhouse configuration always seemed a distraction to me, even though I agree with you about the first version being the best. Olympic/Titanic/Britannic did a much more polished job in that portion of the ship, but Leon headed off in another direction -- which actually was more reminiscent of the Carmania's bridge (1905) that he designed (2 funnel mini-Lusitania). Those 4 ships are quite a legacy though for Leon (Carmania, Lusitania, Mauretania and Aquitania). Each one of them is a priceless Edwardian treasure in it's own way, especially from a decorating standpoint. I would call all of them "The Ship Beautiful", as they all felt & looked liked members of the same family. Great post though!
You see, I always wondered that if they could of done something about the long forecastle (bow deck). Maybe they could have redesigned her before construction started to shorten it, or during a refit they could of removed her upper decks and re-built them; then placing them maybe 50-65FT more forward? Her stern (poop) deck; was quite short for a ship at her time, and therefore could of used being slightly longer? Despite that flaw involving her long bow; Aquitania was one of the greatest ships of the 1910's and was a much better and more unique version of Olympic, Mauretania and Titanic. I always thought, did Cunard design her based off of Olympic and Titanic's design, then add bits of Mauretania in there? I love Aquitania's interior and she was one of the best ships in my opinion, and I always thought and imagined that she was the "early version" of the R.M.S Queen Mary of 1936, I wish Aquitania was still here today so I could visit the ship beautiful and explore her marvellous decks. Her superstructure does look slightly odd and maybe a bit weird to me, however it does not change my opinion about her and I can see that her forward superstructure was modelled of Olympic and Lusitania.
think it would have been feasable to save the aquatania by the time of the 1950s like queen mary? or was she to far gone by then (ive read a piano fell through the floor at one point ). she really was the last of a bigone era
Most ships sadly have a shelf life. Eventually the elements render them pretty obsolete and a money drain to maintain. Even the Queen Mary is pretty much an inoperable rust bin in the engine room and lower decks. If a ship can serve for 30+ years that's a pretty good run.
For me I’m kinda like her Inter-war configuration though. It’s not really that bad for me. I’m not a big fan of her original arrangement with wheelhouse and open flying bridge, it’s kinda like “why don’t you guys just move an entire bridge to the top in the first place?” (Plus, that one kinda reminds me of pre 1900s ocean liner arrangement rather than 1910s liner)
Controversial take: I believe the entire concept of "enclosed bridge-wings" and elevated bridge or wheel-house would've suited the Olympic class much better than Aquitania. In fact, I think her front superstructure looked most gorgeous when she was first launched and the upper enclosement wasn't even installed.
I don't know who and why they gave this ship the nickname "Ship Beautiful" when clearly it isn't especially on the outside. The deck is cluttered with exhaust pipes and the stern deck is shorter unlike the Olympic class.
It was because of her interiors. Her exterior was always controversial. She was usually described as "boxy" looking and the superstructure looked too big for the hull.
TBH I think the last 1944 design is better than the previous one. Even though the bridge was too tall and big overall it looked proper. Like it was designed. The previous one looked like someone quickly bolted a wooden shack there. Just awful.
In my opinion (and this is just my opinion), I’ve never really appreciated the Aquitania. To me, she looked dated and obsolete from the moment she was launched. When looking at her compared to the massive German liners Imperator, Vaterland, and Bismarck, there is no comparison; those German liners were so much more impressive and stately. Even when comparing Aquitania to Olympic, she looks odd - as if she was a puffed up version of an Olympic class liner, but with a lot more clutter and unnecessary business. She didn’t have the clean lines of Olympic, and she didn’t have the impressiveness of the Imperator class liners. She looked like a bloated four funneled liner from an era that already passed. In a sense, she was too late to the party; and she looked out of place. With that said, I do have some appreciation for her. Had WW1 not broken out, and technology advanced at a slower speed, she may have looked more appropriate for her time. My guess is she still would have been a one-off, and both White Star and Cunard would have launched liners that could compete effectively with the German liners; possibly even besting them. But those German liners were such a huge leap forward, even after losing them as reparations, the Germans again pushed ship designs forward with the Bremen and Europa, while the British were touting their refitted Imperator class liners - which also looked dated by the 1920s.
She got the nickname "ship beautiful" for her interiors. Hee exterior design was always criticised. She was usually described as "boxy" and the upper decks looked way too big for the hull.
I think most agree that White Stars Olympic class were the most elegant and well proportioned ships to grace the seas. Cunard had nice ships, I love them all, but not near the beauty of White Star liners. Aqiutania was the worst of the bunch. More function than form. It was just awkward from head to toe. But one of the most successful ships to ever sail. Still love all the old liners. True ocean liners, not cruise ships.
Never understood why the Aquitania got the nick name "Ship Beautifull" while the Olympic, a much better looking ship, existed in the same time. Aquitania should've been given the nickname "Old Reliable" given that she had such an unusually long career and Olympic should've been given the "Ship Beautifull" nickname given that that the Olympic Class Liners were absolutely the most beautifull 4 funneld ships ever built. They somehow mixed those two up.
It was due to her interior spaces that she garnered that nickname and Aquitania's spaces were indeed something to behold. Olympic became Old Reliable partly because she was the only ship of her class to survive even one Transatlantic crossing and the only one to survive a collision (3 separate ones in fact). And of course Old Reliable and Olympic both start with an Ol. Many of these nicknames came from crewmembers as much as any other source and so the fancy sounding Lusitania and Mauritania became the Lucy and the Mary. The Majestic became the Magic Stick and the Leviathan became the Levi Nathan. Incidentally the Aquitania's working crew didn't call her the Ship Beautiful but instead Old Irrepressible.
Do you think Aquitania is deserving of the name "The Ship Beautiful?"
Absolutely
I wouldn't say she does
I've always had a hard time with the bridge. Almost a no for me
In terms of her interiors. Exterior-wise, the Cunarders lose not just to the Olympic class, but even the imperator-trio IMO.
Olympic does, not Aquitania.
The bridge may have changed through the years but "I believe" she was the last four funnel ship to meet the breakers yard. What a long career, other ships should be so lucky. Thanks to "The Great Big Move" for another fine video of maritime history.
You’re right, she was the last 4 stacker In service. Mauritania & Olympic both slightly older went to the knackers a couple of years before WW2 and had the war not started and Aquitania been requisitioned as a troop ship she would probably followed a year or so later as soon as Queen Elizabeth came into service. As it happened WW2 service and following that a few years of ‘war bride services’ to Nova Scotia until 1949 kept her going way longer than her contemporaries.
Are we considering Windsor Castle and The other one?
@@pagmonreal The SS Windsor Castle sunk 23 March 1943 but the RMS Arundel Castle wasn't scrapped until 1959. I missed that one.
@@jetsons101yes but Arundel Castle had only two funnels by the time she was scrapped.
@@Gramscifreedom I looked up the Arundel Castle online, her bow was also changed, along with the funnels, from a straight stem to a more modern, angular design. Have a good day.....
What eventually became her bridge was what we mariners call a "flying bridge." A flying bridge is an open air bridge above the pilot house and is often used in hot weather. Even the modern ships I served in while in the Navy had flying bridges and even old-school voice tubes made of brass. Never did get to conn from a flying bridge, but it was always there. RMS Aquitania simply housed over her flying bridge for improved visibilty. She's definately one of my favorite ships.
In the British Merchant Navy the roof of the wheelhouse was known as The Monkey Island, though I don't know why.
It housed the magnetic compass to keep it away from spurious magnetic signatures if it was enclosed, and had 2 softiron spheres for compass correction. Aerials, radar and other bits of kit up there too - plus a few bronzying hammocks!
The Aquitania is a head-scratcher for me. While I really want to like her, she looked awkward from several angles and had many oddly unresolved features that make it difficult for me to see her as truly "beautiful". Her general design was basically an enlarged Lusitania, but she was also referred to as "Cunard's Olympic" because of her near-identical size, similar interior features and enhanced emphasis on comfortable behavior at sea vs. maximum speed. It's important to remember that the government construction loan and operating subsidy for Lusitania and Mauretania 10 years prior was not extended to this third big vessel. That meant Cunard needed a third ship that was more economical to build and run. So they replicated White Star's successful concept of great size and moderate speed. They should have replicated Olympic's superbly simple and elegant lines as well, but instead Leonard Peskett chose to simply scale up his Lusitania, which probably wasn't such a good idea. Her cluttered upper decks and narrowly spaced funnels were a throwback to earlier liners, and even without the goofy bridge layout, Aquitania's bulky, double-segmented superstructure made her look quite top heavy, especially on a hull which by itself appeared so slim and graceful. Clearly the bow was not only aesthetically a bit on the long side, but also functionally deficient. A raised forecastle such as Olympic had might have improved Aquitania's visual balance, but would have been even worse for visibility. Yet despite her many "quirks", she was undoubtedly one of the most successful liners of all time and beloved my many who sailed on her, so I guess it's a bit silly to criticize her in hindsight...
The forward superstructure is way more reminiscent of Carmania than Lusitania.
Actually I see more of the Mauretania in her than the Lusitania - when viewed from the front. Maury's wheelhouse/bridge was actually different than the Lusitania's.....and it too changed prior to WW1. If you compare the initial 1907 Mauretania photos (round portholes and rectangular windows mixed) you will see that they were converted to all rectangular. Additionally the area over the wheel house had railings and appear to have been sheet-metaled in at some point. IMO, the Mauretania bridge was more pronounced and less graceful than the Lusitania - which might have been a precursor for the Aquitania "tall flat wall" (see pic at 1:06). As another person mentions here, the good looking Carmania seems like more of a bridge design influence (that ultimately didn't work well on an ship that was much taller and wider).
I'm not a fan of any of the Aquitania bridges variations (first one is "least worst"), and I agree that she could have been architecturally polished into a better visual product like the Olympic and Titanic were. The awful air ventilators (see 0:27) that obstructed the Mauretania's upper deck and lower funnels also appear on the Aquitania (but clearly look the worst on the Mauretania). The Lusitania was free of these unsightly giant-sized circular intakes and look far less cluttered than her stablemates -- and perceptionally taller too. She was the first 4-stacker ship made by Cunard and overall the best looking Cunarder via simplicity of design. I think the Lusitania had a great visual appeal because she looked well proportioned (especially from the bow), whereas the the Aquitania looked a bit bloated and top-heavy - something the White Star Olympic class ships did not achieve. The view of the Aquitania bridge from the bow (see pics at 0:54, and 1:59) is just unsightly. It lacks graceful Edwardian bridge/forecastle design when compared to the other 4 stackers.
Aquitania has some good visual angles though - which bring out the best of her Lusitania/Mauretania heritage - unfortunately it's not all angles due to the bridge wall (positive note - Her funnels look great without all of the wired support that Lucy/Maury had). For me, Aquitania is akin to a handsome man or pretty woman who have a highly unsightly nose that detracts too much.
That all being said, internally the ship was gorgeous....seemingly influenced by not only the Lusitania and Mauretania's differing appointments, but the Olympic design cues as well.
Then it's time to accept the fact that it always was and always will be ugly. (Except for the first class smoking room, that was amazing)
I think she got the nickname "the ship beautiful" because of her interiors. The exterior was always controversial and was just often described as "boxy". The odd decision not to have a raised forecastle made the superstructure look too big for the hull.
You also have to keep in mind that she was also being constructed as an answer to the upcoming Imperator class liners in Germany, which themselves were quite bulky and large superstructures relative to the height of their hulls. She was a product of the time. Cunard already knew that the Lusitania and then Mauretania would likely hold the speed record for the foreseeable future, so their last area to get competitive in was size and luxury. Olympic, then Titanic, and then finally Britannic were each going to be more luxurious than the last; but Imperator and her sisters were planned to be next level in comfort and style, so Cunard had to step up their game to the extreme, and with time constrictions and a race going before Imperator entered service there were some aspects of Aquitania's design that were looked over I feel.
But that is just my opinion.
Great to see someone make a video about Aquitania's bridge!!! I know not many people like her for her look but I did surprisingly. The bridge is what really got my attention to her and I don't mind the design changes they did except for the last one because everytime I see it I get reminded that she was getting old at that time....
Thank you for this wonderful video! Aquitania's bridgefront evolution has always fascinated me. It was so boxy, and square. None of the swept-back grace of the Olympic class or other peer liners including fleetmates Mauretania, Caronia, or the pre-war Franconia and Laconia. She is one of my favorite liners, but her best vantage point was always a 3/4 view from the stern.
I will stand by it that the prettiest ocean liners were always the whitestar ones particularly the Olympics, but the almost utilitarian feel of the Cunard liners just have something to their look that makes them my favorite
My father came over from the Netherlands on the Aquitania in '49. I have an original post card from the ship. Never knew anything about the ship until I found the postcard and started researching.
Its Friday, and The Great Big Move posted a new video on Aquitania…its a great start to my weekend!
Its been awhile my friend, glad to see that you're back!
Agreed!!!
I must say that i myself prefer the aesthetics of the original bridge, but the modified bridge is more practical. Too bad Cunard couldn't replicate the beauty White Star did with the Olympic Class...
@@Ei_NoAgreed! The olympic class might have been more astically pleasing, but aquitaina still looks good!
All the ships of that time were beautiful, Aquitania is certainly in the top 5. Wish I go back in time and experience their beauty and splender, but unfortunately they are lost in time..
Thank you for this video! I really do admire Aquitania for her last great effort giving service in WWII, and I only wish that Olympic and Mauretania had been kept around for a couple more years to render similar service.
I’m pretty sure Olympic might have served into the mid 50s had she not been scrapped in 1935. She was by far in the best condition out of all the four stackers at the end of her career. She may well have played Titanic in A Night To Remember, which probably would have seen her saved from the breakers.
Last of the four-stackers, served through both world wars without any misfortune. In my mind very deserving of "The Ship Beautiful".
The overhead cover on the two sides of the original bridge did not allow officers to get readings of the suns location, so they would have to go up onto the Monkey Island above the original bridge to get such readings, and it showed the original (lower) bridge to not be as functional as it needed to be. When the new bridge was added during her 1916 annual overhaul, while serving as a Hospital Ship, it only required officers to step outside of the bridge to be out on an open air deck, so the various readings became much easier to obtain and much faster as well.
I personally never found Aquitania very attractive either, although the original configuration of the bridge definitely looked the best
I honestly think the Aquitania is the equivalent of the Olympic-class of Cunard Line she isn't as fast as her two running mates, Lusitania and Muratania but it is probably more comfortable to ride on and when not in a hurry to cross the pond.
The Aquitania looks beautiful, but I don't think any ship will get close to the Olympic Class in terms of looks. Maybe the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, but that might be personal preference
She was literally built as a respond and direct competitor to the Olympic Class.
Great video... and great ship... thanks for posting... yes her bridge was out of proportion with the whole look of the vessel towards the end of her career.
It certainly seems to me to have been a beautiful ship. Definitely! Thank you for the video!
i dont know why, but i think the aquitania is the most beautiful ship, inside and out. her blocky superstructure and lavish interiors give her charm
So if the bridge was moved upwards, what happened to the original bridge? Was it left as is or was it converted into something else?
All of the controls and telegraphs on the original bridge were directly connected to all of the same equipment located one deck up. So all of the equipment on the original bridge remained in place throughout her whole life.
Thanks for this. Aquitania has always been one of my favourites and oddly enough I prefer her appearance in the interim between WWI and WWII with the little bridge. Guess I’m just used to seeing her that way.
Thank You for this presentation. There were many things about the Aquitania I never knew.
What a tragedy this grand old lady wasn't preserved... She served in two world wars and was loved by her many many passengers. She represented the golden age of liners. And these ships weren't just for show they were work horses, plying between Europe and America, transporting millions to the new world, and thereby changing history.
1914-1950…impressive 36 year lifespan. Certainly the last example of the infamous ‘four-stacker’ design aesthetic initiated by the Germans where more funnels equalled more speed. Nowhere near as pretty as the sleek ‘Olympic Class’ ships and she certainly didn’t have the grace of the Mauretania or Lusitania either, but she was a stout and popular ship. She was probably the last major liner to sport the twin house flags of both Cunard and White Star as the final colour shots in this video show her paying-off farewell in 1950. There’s another scene not shown in this video where the two house flags are hauled down as she’s decommissioned. A sad moment, the Golden Lion shown fluttering above the White Star burgee. She was never one of my favourite ships as I disliked her overly boxy superstructure and I never understood why she was called the ‘Ship Beautiful’…apparently her interior décor was the reason. But Aquitania was the only survivor of those early Edwardians, and for that, she has to be admired.
It was definitely because of her interior that the ship garnered her nickname. All of the ship's public rooms were designed by Arthur Davis who was a part of a partnership with the Frenchman Charles Mewes who's most famous interiors included the original Ritz Carlton London and Ritz Carlton Paris restaurants and hotels. Davis and Mewes actually held two separate design commissions during the years leading up to WW1 with Davis being responsible for Aquitania's interiors and Mewes being responsible for the design of the HAPAG line's Imperator, Vaterland and Bismarck. Cunard and HAPAG agreed to a compromise where the two partners were not allowed to share their work with each other as they designed these competing ships though it is hard to imagine that the two men didn't circumvent that prohibition at some point. I've seen several photos and paintings of her her interiors and they were indeed very grand and beautiful. And while the ship's exterior did not measure up to the sleek Mauritania and Lusitania or the graceful lines of the Olympic class I think she is a better looking ship than the lumbering overstuffed Imperator class liners.
Having the distinction of outliving all of her fellow four stackers it only lent her to comparison to the newer sleeker liners of the 1930’s like Normandie, Rex, etc. Her towering, flat front superstructure was awkward looking from the very beginning, and the additional bridge enclosures and top bulwarks only exaggerated that. Later in her career alongside the new liners she looked ungainly and top heavy. As far as “Ship beautiful” though, that name was well deserved, her interiors were lovely and elegant, one of the most gracious, grandest liners to ever sail the North Atlantic.
I might be wrong, but wasn't the main reason for the final expansion of the upper bridge for the installation of a radar unit?
That really wasn't a reason, as the radar had been installed in June, 1943, and her bridge wasn't enlarged until December, 1944. That enlargement was done simply to provide overhead cover for those operating the four telegraphs located outside the second bridge added in 1916.
Raised bridge necessary, yes, ludicrous, no.
Great information, thanks.
Personally I like the raised bridge, it gives it that starship bridge feel
Are those replacement "portholes" that were added to the original bridge not actually removable covers to protect the window glass in rough weather while retaining some visibility?
Yes, they were removable covers that protected the glass windows behind them.
That was my understanding too. Lusitania never had them but Mauretania did. I don't know at what point they were created, but once installed, they seemed to be on for quite a while - rather than put only when rough seas were expected during a specific trip. They seem like visibility killers to me, but perhaps the windows broke / cracked often on these ships. Glass quality then wasn't nearly as strong as today's compounds.
This is something I was wondering about, so I was glad to find this video!
My favorite of the liners that were actually built, since Oceanic III was sadly never completed.
While the forward superstructure by the end of her life was strange looking, I think she was a grand lady in all the time before that, even if there were some questionable redesigns.
Nice to see you back .
WHAT A GREAT OLD GIRL SAD ,,,SHE HAD A TOUGH LIFE ,, SHE SHOULDNT HAD TO GO THREW WAR LIKE HER OTHER GREAT OLD SISTERS,, HAVING THE GREAT OLD QUEEN MARY AT LONG BEACH CA,.. IT SHOWS HOW ITS THE LAST OF THE GREAT OLD OCEAN LINERS,..WE CAN STILL GO AND VISIT .....GREAT VIDEO!!!!!!
Great video as always.
Poor thing! What the hell were John Brown thinking?
The bridge of Lusitania built by them was magnificent.
I’ve tried hard to like it, unfortunately it has a face only a mother could love.
Probably the worst frontbend of a superstructure I have ever seen.
Harland & Wolff would have had this sorted in a few months if they were given the opportunity.
Aquitania was a fussy wedding cake compared to the lovely proportions of Olympic/Titanic. IMO
I used to think the same way because I didn't care for the exterior proportions as much compared to many of her other contemporaries. However, I think the ship beautiful DEFINITELY applies to her interiors.
Fun fact: Her funnels are all different spaces between!
The ship's final late 1940's configuration was the best looking imo
They should've kept both the original bridge and the upper one in my opinion. that looked really good
You're back
I love this tall profile. It gives me a sensation of safe by rogue wawes
I liked the original bridge design..
white star liner designerss: ".......LOL"
I wish Aquitania was saved, it had a more likely chance of being preserved unlike Mauritania which was during the great depression.
Functuality over appearance matters - I`d rather have a safe ship than a pretty one, and Aquitania didn`t look that bad, in fact quite impressive for the time.
Its great hear from you
Her interiors certainly were the reason she was called "the ship beautiful", but her exterior was always controversial. The unusual decision not ro have a raised forecastle made her look "boxy" and the superstructure looked too big for the hull. An oddly inelegant design.
They did the same thing with the Mauretania, I don't get why her bridge was always changed too
Also tbh the placement of those vent thingies on the Mauretania was better than Aquitania that cluttered her decks
I have always wondered why her bridge was changed overtime
Honestly I always felt that Aquitania was a mashup of Lusitania, Mauretania and Olympic/Titanic. Leon Peskett (designer of all Lucy/Maury) took a trip on Olympic (1911) while working on Aquitania's plans, just to get a feel for how a larger vessel would need to be designed. I can see a fair amount of "Lusitania on steroids" (forecastle, bridge without the side extensions, funnels)....and a more visible set of funnels. But at the same time, the funnels still have a LOT of Mauretania style air intakes which are terribly distracting. Lusitania had a different and more discreet version (lower profile & black) that didn't make the funnels seem "less tall" (The size/height was the same between Mauretania & Lusitania). The sweeping grandness of the Aquitania's sides, to me, reflect the Olympic series ships from White Star....and the Olympic herself was dimensionally very close to Aquitania when viewed from port or starboard profiles.
Yet the Bridge/Wheelhouse configuration always seemed a distraction to me, even though I agree with you about the first version being the best. Olympic/Titanic/Britannic did a much more polished job in that portion of the ship, but Leon headed off in another direction -- which actually was more reminiscent of the Carmania's bridge (1905) that he designed (2 funnel mini-Lusitania). Those 4 ships are quite a legacy though for Leon (Carmania, Lusitania, Mauretania and Aquitania). Each one of them is a priceless Edwardian treasure in it's own way, especially from a decorating standpoint. I would call all of them "The Ship Beautiful", as they all felt & looked liked members of the same family.
Great post though!
You see, I always wondered that if they could of done something about the long forecastle (bow deck). Maybe they could have redesigned her before construction started to shorten it, or during a refit they could of removed her upper decks and re-built them; then placing them maybe 50-65FT more forward? Her stern (poop) deck; was quite short for a ship at her time, and therefore could of used being slightly longer? Despite that flaw involving her long bow; Aquitania was one of the greatest ships of the 1910's and was a much better and more unique version of Olympic, Mauretania and Titanic. I always thought, did Cunard design her based off of Olympic and Titanic's design, then add bits of Mauretania in there? I love Aquitania's interior and she was one of the best ships in my opinion, and I always thought and imagined that she was the "early version" of the R.M.S Queen Mary of 1936, I wish Aquitania was still here today so I could visit the ship beautiful and explore her marvellous decks. Her superstructure does look slightly odd and maybe a bit weird to me, however it does not change my opinion about her and I can see that her forward superstructure was modelled of Olympic and Lusitania.
think it would have been feasable to save the aquatania by the time of the 1950s like queen mary? or was she to far gone by then (ive read a piano fell through the floor at one point ). she really was the last of a bigone era
I think the piano story is likey a myth.
Most ships sadly have a shelf life. Eventually the elements render them pretty obsolete and a money drain to maintain. Even the Queen Mary is pretty much an inoperable rust bin in the engine room and lower decks. If a ship can serve for 30+ years that's a pretty good run.
OG is the best, problems or otherwise
I like the final way it was.
Out of all nine pre war super liners I love Aquitania's interors the most.
But I have to say that prefer Olympic in terms of exterior appearance.
Wholesome
Her post ww2 appearance is the best, change my mind.
For me I’m kinda like her Inter-war configuration though. It’s not really that bad for me. I’m not a big fan of her original arrangement with wheelhouse and open flying bridge, it’s kinda like “why don’t you guys just move an entire bridge to the top in the first place?” (Plus, that one kinda reminds me of pre 1900s ocean liner arrangement rather than 1910s liner)
I will always love Aquitania even though she has that thick forehead :)
But not as thick as yours. 😅✌🏻
@@Boeing.797 its genetic :)
@@OceanlinerDesigns I want to know what else is thick. 😁
Her name is unique and due for use again.
Controversial take: I believe the entire concept of "enclosed bridge-wings" and elevated bridge or wheel-house would've suited the Olympic class much better than Aquitania. In fact, I think her front superstructure looked most gorgeous when she was first launched and the upper enclosement wasn't even installed.
maybe jutting wings would had helped balance it out? The wings on the og look very small....
yeah, a little tall but seeing things is important
I don't know who and why they gave this ship the nickname "Ship Beautiful" when clearly it isn't especially on the outside. The deck is cluttered with exhaust pipes and the stern deck is shorter unlike the Olympic class.
It was because of her interiors. Her exterior was always controversial. She was usually described as "boxy" looking and the superstructure looked too big for the hull.
TBH I think the last 1944 design is better than the previous one. Even though the bridge was too tall and big overall it looked proper. Like it was designed. The previous one looked like someone quickly bolted a wooden shack there. Just awful.
In my opinion (and this is just my opinion), I’ve never really appreciated the Aquitania. To me, she looked dated and obsolete from the moment she was launched. When looking at her compared to the massive German liners Imperator, Vaterland, and Bismarck, there is no comparison; those German liners were so much more impressive and stately. Even when comparing Aquitania to Olympic, she looks odd - as if she was a puffed up version of an Olympic class liner, but with a lot more clutter and unnecessary business. She didn’t have the clean lines of Olympic, and she didn’t have the impressiveness of the Imperator class liners. She looked like a bloated four funneled liner from an era that already passed. In a sense, she was too late to the party; and she looked out of place.
With that said, I do have some appreciation for her. Had WW1 not broken out, and technology advanced at a slower speed, she may have looked more appropriate for her time. My guess is she still would have been a one-off, and both White Star and Cunard would have launched liners that could compete effectively with the German liners; possibly even besting them. But those German liners were such a huge leap forward, even after losing them as reparations, the Germans again pushed ship designs forward with the Bremen and Europa, while the British were touting their refitted Imperator class liners - which also looked dated by the 1920s.
She got the nickname "ship beautiful" for her interiors. Hee exterior design was always criticised. She was usually described as "boxy" and the upper decks looked way too big for the hull.
I prefer the final form.
Same.
Aha, been wondering about this for a while!!
like why doesnt queen mary have 4 funnels
Because technology had moved on by the time the Queen Mary was built
Aquitania not AKWTANIA
This doesn't make any sense. What are you trying to say?
More and more days Year after year the bridge will change
Too many vents
goodstuff
Nah fr, fuck Zodiac Signs, what's your favorite Aquitania bridge design?
🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁LION c LIKE No. 594
🎉
I really wish she's been saved but I understand she was in VERY bad shape after the war.
I think most agree that White Stars Olympic class were the most elegant and well proportioned ships to grace the seas. Cunard had nice ships, I love them all, but not near the beauty of White Star liners. Aqiutania was the worst of the bunch. More function than form. It was just awkward from head to toe. But one of the most successful ships to ever sail. Still love all the old liners. True ocean liners, not cruise ships.
She should have been saved being one of the few ships to survive both wars
And titanic name the unsinkable ship
Never understood why the Aquitania got the nick name "Ship Beautifull" while the Olympic, a much better looking ship, existed in the same time. Aquitania should've been given the nickname "Old Reliable" given that she had such an unusually long career and Olympic should've been given the "Ship Beautifull" nickname given that that the Olympic Class Liners were absolutely the most beautifull 4 funneld ships ever built. They somehow mixed those two up.
It was due to her interior spaces that she garnered that nickname and Aquitania's spaces were indeed something to behold. Olympic became Old Reliable partly because she was the only ship of her class to survive even one Transatlantic crossing and the only one to survive a collision (3 separate ones in fact). And of course Old Reliable and Olympic both start with an Ol. Many of these nicknames came from crewmembers as much as any other source and so the fancy sounding Lusitania and Mauritania became the Lucy and the Mary. The Majestic became the Magic Stick and the Leviathan became the Levi Nathan. Incidentally the Aquitania's working crew didn't call her the Ship Beautiful but instead Old Irrepressible.
Her exterior was always controversial, and usually described as "boxy". It was for her interiors that Aquitania got the "ship beautiful" name.
Yes i Am beatiful
The titanic is. Better
Hmmmm.... Insufficient visibility and space for command operations? The IJN knows how to solve that problem!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagoda_mast