SS Normandie was a French ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire, France, for the French Line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT). She entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat, crossing the Atlantic in a record 4.14 days, and remains the most powerful steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship ever built.
Colorized photo of the Normandie at sea, c. 1935-1936
Adolphe Cassandre's famed 1935 depiction of the Normandie
Vladimir Yourkevitch working on design of the Normandie
Normandie under construction, 1932
An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes. Only one ocean liner remains in service today.
As of 2024[update], RMS Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in service
RMS Lusitania arriving in New York in 1907. As the primary means of trans-oceanic voyages for over a century, ocean liners were essential to the transportation needs of national governments, business firms, and the general public.
In 1838, Sirius was the first ship to cross the Atlantic using continuous steam power.
The first voyage of SS Great Western (1838)
![As of 2024[update], RMS Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in service](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Queen_Mary_2_Boston_July_2015_01_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-Queen_Mary_2_Boston_July_2015_01_%28cropped%29.jpg)
