Trans RINA, Vol 156, Part C1, Intl J Marine Design, Jan –Dec 2014
dressing rooms, and stewards provided silver service five and six-course meals. The standard of luxury on Pan American's Boeing 314s has rarely been matched on air transport since then until recently; they were a form of travel for HNWIs. By the end of the 2nd World War the establishment of the global network of airfields enabled land based aircraft
increased range and speed.[4] In 2012 Singapore Airlines upgraded their
to establish dominance, with their luxury seating by announcing the new
’super-first’ class on the Airbus A380 double decker. The fully enclosed private suites, which embody the ‘golden age’ of flying boats in the thirties and forties, have been designed by yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste. Each suite has a full-sized bed and leather seat, with full multimedia configuration. The two middle suites can be further transformed into doubles for couples [5].
1.1 LUXURY, TRANATLANTIC SUPERLINERS AND THE BLUE RIBAND
Ocean liners were the primary mode of transatlantic travel for over a century, from the mid-19th century until they began to be supplanted by airliners in the late 1960s. In addition to passengers, liners carried mail and cargo. Ships
contracted to carry
In 1933, the Italian 51,100-ton ocean liner Rex with a time of four days and thirteen hours, captured the westbound Blue Riband. In
1935,
French liner
Normandie used a revolutionary new hull design and innovative turbo-electric transmission to take the Blue Riband from the Rex. Due to poor economic conditions, the British government amalgamated the Cunard Line and White Star Lines. The newly merged company launched the liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mary held the Blue Riband in 1936-37 and from 1938-52. In the period after the Second World War the United States, the fastest transatlantic liner ever built, beat the record of the Queen Mary in 1952 [6].
The Normandie is considered to be the greatest of the superliners due to the innovative technical design and luxurious interiors. The concept of Normandie was developed in the "Roaring Twenties" as a next generation vessel for upper-class Americans tourists who travelled to Europe for alcohol-fuelled fun during prohibition. She was designed to represent France in the nation-state contest of the great liners and was built
in a French Royal Mail used the
designation RMS. Liners were also the preferred way to move gold and other high-value cargoes. The period between the end of the 19th century and the Second World War is considered the "golden age" of ocean liners. Since the 1830s, passenger liners had been competing for the Blue Riband prize for the fastest North Atlantic crossing. In 1907, Cunard introduced the Lusitania and Mauretania. The Mauretania won the Blue Riband and held it for 20 years. In 1910, White Star Line launched Olympic the first of three 45,000 plus gross ton liners, the others were Titanic and Britannic. These ships were almost 15,000 tonnes larger and 30 m longer than the Lusitania and the Mauretania. The rapid growth in ocean liner size outpaced the shipping regulations. In 1912, the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, with more than 1,500 fatalities. A factor contributing to the high loss of life was that there were not enough lifeboats for everyone. After the Titanic disaster, regulations were revised to require all ocean liners to carry enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew. In addition, the International Ice Patrol was established to monitor the busy North Atlantic shipping lanes for icebergs [6].
Until the 1920s, most shipping lines relied heavily on emigration
for passengers. This market States, resulting in many sector
significantly declined due to a limit on immigration into the United
ships being
reassigned to cruising. Despite the harsh economic conditions, a number of companies continued to build larger and faster ships. In 1929, the German ships Bremen and Europa beat the speed record set by the Mauretania 20 years earlier with an average speed of almost 28 knots. The ships reached these high speeds while maintaining economical operating due to the technical innovations of bulbous bow and steam turbines.
shipyard using French parts. An early form of radar was installed to prevent collisions with objects ahead such as Titanic had suffered. The
luxurious interiors were
designed in Art Deco and Streamline Moderne style. The majority of the public space was assigned to first-class passengers, including the dining room, first-class lounge, grille room, first-class swimming pool, theatre, and winter garden. The interiors were filled with grand perspectives, spectacular entryways, and long, wide staircases. First-class suites were given unique designs by select designers. The most luxurious accommodations were the Deauville and Trouville apartments, featuring dining rooms, baby grand pianos, multiple bedrooms, and private decks [7].
The first-class dining hall was the largest room afloat. At 93 m it was longer than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, stood 14m wide, and towered 8.5m high. The room could seat 700 at 157 tables, with Normandie serving as a floating promotion for the most sophisticated French cuisine of the period. As no natural light could enter it was illuminated by 12 tall pillars of Lalique glass flanked by 38 matching columns along the walls. Illuminated by chandeliers hung at each end of the room, the visual spectacle of the lighting resulted in the Normandie being referred to as the "Ship of Light" A popular feature was the café grill, which would be transformed into a nightclub. Normandie also had indoor and outdoor pools, a chapel, and a theatre which could be converted between a stage and cinema. As the majority of the public space was assigned to first-class passengers, the Normandie was perceived as a vessel for HNWI. In contrast, the Queen Mary had an equal emphasis on decor, space and accommodation in second and tourist class as it had in first class. Thus accommodating the growing American tourist travel trend of second class and tourist class sectors during the 20's and 30's. This became a major income stream for shipping companies at
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©2014: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects
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