White Star and Titanic, What Could have Been
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SsgtC
Banned
Mainly liner service to Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Japan via Suez. Other than freight on their liners, White Star has exited the freight business. With containerization, they decided it would be too costly to build new dedicated container vessels and new liners. At the moment, White Star is waiting to see how P&O does with cruising in the Pacific before committing to it there. If P&O does well, then White Star will probably send a cruise liner or two there in the summer season on a trial basis before committing to it.
With the Titanic class being converted to Cruise Lines I hope the last of the great Transatlantic Liners, Mauritania is retained somewhere as a museum piece reminder of the 'glory days' of the liners. Perhaps Disney buy her for that Long Beach theme park they where developing?
Did the French keep Normandie as a hotel/museum since she was such a source of national pride and a unique piece of Art Deco design?
Did the French keep Normandie as a hotel/museum since she was such a source of national pride and a unique piece of Art Deco design?
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SsgtC
Banned
The Titanic class are still Ocean liners. They only received some behind the scenes structural work in case White Star needs to redeploy them as cruise liners in the winter. At the moment though, they are still in liner service year round.
Mauritania was scraped after she was retired. Normandie is tied up in Philadelphia. She was sold too an American firm who wanted to use her as a hotel, but they've since gone bankrupt. She's awaiting a final decision on her fate.
Mauritania was scraped after she was retired. Normandie is tied up in Philadelphia. She was sold too an American firm who wanted to use her as a hotel, but they've since gone bankrupt. She's awaiting a final decision on her fate.
SsgtC
Banned
Eventually yes. Lol. I've got a few ideas for the next update, just haven't gotten around to actually writing it yet
SsgtC
Banned
She is currently in service along with her sister, SS America. United States Lines is one of only three lines in the world still offering year round liner service. Though she's also getting long in the tooth and plans are being made for her replacement with a new cruise-liner. The new ship will be named MS Constitution.
An underexplored and fantastic topic; the focus and scope of the timeline is perfect to boot.
Normandie as the Queen Mary Hotel of this timeline?
A whole Walt Disney Art Deco style Seaworld park - maybe replacing EuroDisney?
SsgtC
Banned
The original plan was to have her permanently moored in New York at the Chelsea Piers (before the bankruptcy Pier 54 was the leading candidate). The ship is still mostly whole. She actually steamed to NYC under her own power. But once the plan collapsed, she was towed to Philadelphia and has been tied up at Pier 82 since
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XIX
SsgtC
Banned
Following the launch of the Georgic, Harland and Wolff announced a major expansion and renovation of their shipbuilding yards. The two slipways where most of the yard's major ships were built, including the original Olympic and Titanic, were to be taken out of service and converted into a large shipbuilding hall. The new hall would be capable of building ships up to 1,200 feet long, 250 feet wide and 280 feet tall measured from the keel to the top of the exhaust stacks.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, United States Lines announced a large construction plan including the replacement of United States and America. The new Constitution class cruise liners would contain several radical features. The biggest change was one that passengers, and indeed most of the crew, would never see. The ship's propulsion was to be a new type of diesel electric drive. The diesel engines would be housed in the ship, while the electric motors would be housed in pods beneath the hull. United States Lines had introduced podded propulsion using a Z-Drive with their previous class of mid-sized liners, the President Roosevelt class. The new design was expected to provide a massive increase in efficiency and a corresponding reduction in maintenance required.
The first of the two planned Constitution class cruise liners was to be built by Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The second, due to space constraints at Newport News, would be built at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The decision to build the ship at Fore River was made after United States Lines purchased American Export Lines in 1974 and became highly impressed with the quality of the vessels built by Fore River for the line, namely the liners Constitution and Independence. Despite being impressed with the vessels, both liners would be retired in 1979 as they were approaching 30 years of age and could not compete with newer ships.
Additionally, orders were placed with Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi for three new dedicated cruise ships. These new ships were to be 704 feet in length, 94 feet wide, draw 22 feet of water, contain 11 decks, 9 of which would be accessible to passengers and would be capable of 22 knots. The passenger capacity would be approximately 1,500 with another 550 crew members on board. The first ship of the new class, to be christened MS President Washington, was expected to be in service sometime in 1982.
Back in Europe, the shipping industry was going through turmoil. With multiple smaller lines falling victim to increasing oil prices combined with older, outdated ships. In Germany, Norddeutscher Lloyd announced the acquisition of Hamburg America Line. Though the intention was to keep both lines as separate operating entities, an interline agreement would be put in place to ship cargo on either company's vessels. All passenger services however would be operated by Norddeutscher Lloyd.
In 1980, Swedish American Line, in the midst of financial difficulties, was acquired by the Norwegian shipping line Anders Wilhelmsen & Company. The combined lines were renamed Royal Caribbean Cruises while the SAL ships Kungsholm, Stockholm and Drottningholm were renamed Sun Viking, Nordic Prince and Nordic Empress. The renaming coincided with the ships' conversion to full time cruise ships.
At the end of 1981 the Greek Line and the Italian Line announced their own merger. The combined company would be renamed as Mediterranean Shipping Company and would be headquarter in Rome. Unlike the new Royal Caribbean Cruises, the combined Greek and Italian Lines would not be renaming their ships. However, the combined lines announced that two new ships would be ordered from the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. These two vessels were to be named Olympus and Rex. Both ships would be approximately 600 feet long, 85 feet wide and contain 8 decks. The two new vessels were expected to enter service in 1984 in what was hoped to be the start of a fleet renewal program.
For White Star, this meant that the business environment in which they operated would be more challenging than ever. However, a new opportunity was about to come their way. In 1983, a year after the Georgic entered service they were contacted by a an American businessman who wanted to explore a joint venture. The businessman's name was Roy Disney.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, United States Lines announced a large construction plan including the replacement of United States and America. The new Constitution class cruise liners would contain several radical features. The biggest change was one that passengers, and indeed most of the crew, would never see. The ship's propulsion was to be a new type of diesel electric drive. The diesel engines would be housed in the ship, while the electric motors would be housed in pods beneath the hull. United States Lines had introduced podded propulsion using a Z-Drive with their previous class of mid-sized liners, the President Roosevelt class. The new design was expected to provide a massive increase in efficiency and a corresponding reduction in maintenance required.
The first of the two planned Constitution class cruise liners was to be built by Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The second, due to space constraints at Newport News, would be built at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The decision to build the ship at Fore River was made after United States Lines purchased American Export Lines in 1974 and became highly impressed with the quality of the vessels built by Fore River for the line, namely the liners Constitution and Independence. Despite being impressed with the vessels, both liners would be retired in 1979 as they were approaching 30 years of age and could not compete with newer ships.
Additionally, orders were placed with Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi for three new dedicated cruise ships. These new ships were to be 704 feet in length, 94 feet wide, draw 22 feet of water, contain 11 decks, 9 of which would be accessible to passengers and would be capable of 22 knots. The passenger capacity would be approximately 1,500 with another 550 crew members on board. The first ship of the new class, to be christened MS President Washington, was expected to be in service sometime in 1982.
Back in Europe, the shipping industry was going through turmoil. With multiple smaller lines falling victim to increasing oil prices combined with older, outdated ships. In Germany, Norddeutscher Lloyd announced the acquisition of Hamburg America Line. Though the intention was to keep both lines as separate operating entities, an interline agreement would be put in place to ship cargo on either company's vessels. All passenger services however would be operated by Norddeutscher Lloyd.
In 1980, Swedish American Line, in the midst of financial difficulties, was acquired by the Norwegian shipping line Anders Wilhelmsen & Company. The combined lines were renamed Royal Caribbean Cruises while the SAL ships Kungsholm, Stockholm and Drottningholm were renamed Sun Viking, Nordic Prince and Nordic Empress. The renaming coincided with the ships' conversion to full time cruise ships.
At the end of 1981 the Greek Line and the Italian Line announced their own merger. The combined company would be renamed as Mediterranean Shipping Company and would be headquarter in Rome. Unlike the new Royal Caribbean Cruises, the combined Greek and Italian Lines would not be renaming their ships. However, the combined lines announced that two new ships would be ordered from the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. These two vessels were to be named Olympus and Rex. Both ships would be approximately 600 feet long, 85 feet wide and contain 8 decks. The two new vessels were expected to enter service in 1984 in what was hoped to be the start of a fleet renewal program.
For White Star, this meant that the business environment in which they operated would be more challenging than ever. However, a new opportunity was about to come their way. In 1983, a year after the Georgic entered service they were contacted by a an American businessman who wanted to explore a joint venture. The businessman's name was Roy Disney.
SsgtC
Banned
Probably a no to the Falklands. This world, overall, is very different. For one, there was no "Red Scare" to push the United States to back right wing dictatorships. As long as the governments of the countries in the Western Hemisphere more or less do what the US wants, they get left alone. Obviously, they don't really mess with Canada, but they don't really need to. Ottawa backs Washington probably about 70-75% of the time just because of the economic ties between the two countries. While in Latin America, regimes like Peron's in Chile or the Junta in Argentina never came to power.
For the Falklands specifically, the issue over their sovereignty was resolved peacefully in 1973 with the United Kingdom recognizing Argentinian sovereignty over the islands with the UK holding a 99 year lease on them with four 99 year options.
May as well activate all four 99 year options now as there is no way the locals want to be separated from the Crown! lol
I think it was in 1999 or 2000 (ish) that a poll was held on the subject. It came back something like 99.9% in favour of the UK, with an error percentage of 2%..... 101.9% for staying then! lol Funniest thing was that the Argentinean nationals on the Falklands all voted for the British Crown as well!
SsgtC
Banned
Sorry, but no. That's not a name White Star ever used. I'll have to double-check my fleet list for all the names currently in use, but there will be some changes coming for the line
How will COVID19 effect white star? Will there be an outbreak on a white star liner?
SsgtC
Banned
The timeline isn't even close to 2020 at this point. I believe it's still in the 80s at the moment
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