# was Titanic larger/smaller/comparable to your typical Carnival cruise ship today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118 "2012-04-18T03:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/41 "2012-04-22T12:33:02Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > ??? A long standing superstition amongst sailors is that changing a ship’s name will bring bad luck, bad luck on the ship and its crew. That and bringing bananas on board 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/42 "2012-04-30T13:53:21Z")
Yet another plan to build a _Titanic_ replica - doubt it will be commercially viable after the initial novelty: [http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/australia-titanic/index.html?hpt=hp\_t3](http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/australia-titanic/index.html?hpt=hp_t3) ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/43 "2012-04-30T15:45:30Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > A long standing superstition amongst sailors is that changing a ship’s name will bring bad luck, bad luck on the ship and its crew. That and bringing bananas on board 🙂 And women. Don’t forget women. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/44 "2012-04-30T16:52:04Z")
Fun related fact: Maersk is building [a bunch of ships that will be bigger than anything else](http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/037af008-3dbf-11e0-ae2a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1tXkWQLet) (other than a half dozen scrapped supertankers). > [@Princhester](#): > > This question could be answered on a number of dimensions, but broadly the Titanic was large for its day but not large by today’s standards. Not just large for its day; it was by (almost?) any measure the largest ship afloat in its day. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/45 "2012-04-30T17:10:26Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > If you are “ship superstitious” you should, absent blissful ignorance about name change practices in the 21st century, think that most ships should be aground or sunk. They change ships names right left and center, they allow women on board…is nothing sacred anymore!!!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/46 "2012-04-30T18:30:18Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > They change ships names right left and center, they allow women on board…is nothing sacred anymore!!!😃 I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you - I was breaking mirrors on my new yacht. Hey, look, a black cat! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/47 "2012-04-30T19:27:20Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yet another plan to build a _Titanic_ replica - doubt it will be commercially viable after the initial novelty: [http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/australia-titanic/index.html?hpt=hp\_t3](http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/australia-titanic/index.html?hpt=hp_t3) It’s a running joke in Belfast that tourists turn up expecting to see the Titanic. They at least have a museum now, the last time I was in the “Titanic Quarter” there was just the [pump house and dock](http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Titanic-s-Dock-and-Pump-House-Belfast-P10577). They’re cool and all but I’d say some people would have felt let down if they visited with Titantic on their mind. Supposedly there’s a Thai restaurant nearby, I’ll leave it up to you to figure out it’s name. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/48 "2012-04-30T19:35:35Z")
How did Titanic compare the the original Queen Mary? I stayed on the QM in Long Beach, in the Eisenhower Suite. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/49 "2012-04-30T19:40:28Z")
Looks like the _Queen Mary_ was a good bit bigger: > **[Titanic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rms_titanic)** > > RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time.\[a\] It remains the deadliest peacetime sinking of an ocean liner or cruise ship. The disaster drew public attention, p... > **[RMS Queen Mary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary)** > > The RMS Queen Mary is a retired British ocean liner that sailed primarily on the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard-White Star Line and was built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. Queen Mary, along with RMS Queen Elizabeth, was built as part of Cunard's planned two-ship weekly express service between Southampton, Cherbourg and New York. The two ships were a British response to the express superliners built by German, Italian and French companies in the late 192... ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/50 "2012-04-30T20:20:26Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yet another plan to build a _Titanic_ replica - doubt it will be commercially viable after the initial novelty: [http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/australia-titanic/index.html?hpt=hp\_t3](http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/asia/australia-titanic/index.html?hpt=hp_t3) Yeah, I heard that earlier on BBC radio. I don’t see why it can’t be successful. Sure, it’s relatively small by modern cruise ship standards but it will be updated in all the ways that really matter (diesel engines, welded instead of rivets, and a completely modern below the waterline). I hate cruises but as a wee bit of a Titanic buff, I would love to sail on her. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/51 "2012-05-01T01:49:18Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > . . . I would love to sail on her. It’s supposed to be a replica, so take thermal underwear, an ice pick and your own lifeboat. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/52 "2013-02-27T23:09:01Z")
Here’s more on the planned replica _Titanic_: [Come Aboard! Here's What The 'Titanic II' Will Look Like, Inside And Out : The Two-Way : NPR](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/27/173043463/come-aboard-heres-what-the-titanic-ii-will-look-like-inside-and-out) ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/53 "2013-02-27T23:48:32Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Interesting trivia I didn’t know until recently: The Titanic was carrying 1,317 passengers on the maiden (and last) voyage, but it was actually designed to accommodate 2,566 passengers. To quote [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic#Passengers): > > So the disaster could have been much worse. Don’t know if I’m reading that wiki page wrong or something, but it seems to me contradictory. At the top it says there were 2,224 passengers of which 1,502 died. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/54 "2013-02-27T23:59:07Z")
I just finished a good book about the SS United States-last liner built in the US-and the best! She was faster than any of the British Cunard liners, and more modern than anything sailing the Atlantic. Unfortunately, she came into service just as high speed jet planes were coming along…and so lost a ton of money. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/55 "2013-02-28T00:07:51Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Don’t know if I’m reading that wiki page wrong or something, but it seems to me contradictory. At the top it says there were 2,224 passengers of which 1,502 died. There was 908 crew. The 2224 was the total on board, pax + crew. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118/56 "2013-02-28T02:53:55Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I just finished a good book about the SS United States-last liner built in the US-and the best! She was faster than any of the British Cunard liners, and more modern than anything sailing the Atlantic. Unfortunately, she came into service just as high speed jet planes were coming along..and so lost a ton of money. Was it this? The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Va. gave it a good review. > **[A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build...](https://www.amazon.com/Man-His-Ship-Americas-Architect/dp/1451645074)** > > A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States \[Ujifusa, Steven\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-titanic-larger-smaller-comparable-to-your-typical-carnival-cruise-ship-today/619118.md?page=2)