One of the questions readers often ask is, “How big was she?” While the size of a ship isn’t always part of the story, it’s helpful to have a quick reference for some of the best-known vessels. These figures are rounded and intended as a handy guide rather than a detailed specification sheet.
| Ship | Year | Length | Gross Tons | Service Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic | 1912 | 882 ft | 46,328 | 21–22 knots |
| Olympic | 1911 | 882 ft | 45,324 | 21–22 knots |
| Britannic | 1915 | 883 ft | 48,158 | 21–22 knots |
| Lusitania | 1907 | 787 ft | 31,550 | 25 knots |
| Mauretania | 1907 | 790 ft | 31,938 | 26+ knots |
| Aquitania | 1914 | 901 ft | 45,647 | 23 knots |
| Queen Mary | 1936 | 1,019 ft | 80,774 | 28.5 knots |
| Queen Elizabeth | 1940 | 1,031 ft | 83,673 | 28.5 knots |
| SS United States | 1952 | 990ft | 53,330 | 35+ knots |
| SS Île de France | 1927 | 791 ft | 44,356 | 23.5 knots |
As impressive as these numbers are, they only tell part of the story. A ship’s size never determined her place in history. Some of the most famous ships were not the largest or the fastest, but they were remembered because of the people who sailed aboard them and the stories they left behind.