Travel in the Land of Long Ago: The SS France of 1912

YouTube ^ | 10-17-2018 | iluvcamaros

[NRx]

In April 1912 a beautiful four-funnel liner arrived in New York City at the completion of her maiden voyage. This was, obviously, not the RMS TITANIC. She was the proud new flagship of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique -- the SS FRANCE. At approximately 24,000 tons with a service speed of 23.5 knots she was not a record breaker in size or speed. However, at this moment she was still the 4th largest and 3rd fastest liner in service. More importantly in the era of the "floating palaces" she was designed in the image of the most iconic palace in the world -- the Château de Versailles. Until now the great transatlantic rivalry was between Britain and Germany. For the French Line this large, fast, and opulent liner was the opening salvo in a succession of vessels -- the FRANCE, PARIS, and ILE-DE-FRANCE -- that would culminate 23 years later in perhaps the greatest liner of all time: the SS NORMANDIE. On 15 April 1935 the glorious SS FRANCE would leave Le Havre for the shipbreakers. Her great successor, NORMANDIE, would begin her maiden voyage from the same port on 29 May 1935.

[Robert A Cook PE]

From Wikipedia.

Despite this, she was not a commercial success and relied partly on government subsidy to operate.[8] During service as the flagship of the CGT, she made 139 westbound transatlantic crossings from her home port of Le Havre to New York. Normandie held the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing at several points during her service career, during which the RMS Queen Mary was her main rival.

During World War II, Normandie was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed USS Lafayette. In 1942, the liner caught fire while being converted to a troopship, capsized onto her port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88, the site of the current New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Although salvaged at great expense, restoration was deemed too costly and she was scrapped in October 1946.[9]

[RayChuang88]

But yet, those ships are tiny compared to today's cruise ships. Even the transatlantic crossing Cunard Queen Mary 2 is larger than the SS France, and France would be completely dwarfed by Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.

[NRx]

And yet, I’d rather sail on her than any modern cruise ship.

[RayChuang88]

I don’t know—modern cruise ships have sophisticated systems to drastically reduce the motion that can cause seasickness.

[jalisco555]

I find the modern behemoth cruise ships to be breathtakingly ugly.

[Gamecock]

During World War II, Normandie was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed USS Lafayette. In 1942, the liner caught fire while being converted to a troopship, capsized onto her port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88, the site of the current New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Although salvaged at great expense, restoration was deemed too costly and she was scrapped in October 1946.[9]

[Oratam]

The bronze doors of Normandie were salvaged.

They grace Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights.

[RayChuang88]

The issue is that the really big cruise ships more emphasize carrying capacity than flat-out speed. As such, they don't need to look sleek like the old steamships from the first half of the 20th Century. A ship like Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is designed to keep every guest busy during the days at sea.

[kiltie65]

We immigrated here in 1952 and crossed on the Ile de France. It was a lovely ship, and I adored every inch of it at age 11. The Captain was having his portrait painted, and myself (a Scot) and a French girl got to take tea with him while he had to sit for the artist in the afternoons. He gave both of us colored ribbons with Ile de France on them (that the sailors wore on their caps). Lovely experience, except he kissed us on each cheek and the lips each time, which is the norm for the French but certainly wasn’t for a Scot. I didn’t tell my mother in case she would stop the afternoon teas.

[DanielRedfoot]

“Astinishing Tales of the Sea”, Awesome, thats Cosmo Kramers book.

[cpdiii]

What a beautiful floating palace she was.