Ships of Destiny Episode 1 : Mаiden voyage

The last programme in the series on the history of ocean-going liners. With passenger aeroplanes in the ascendant, liner companies responded to dwindling demand in the sixties by building larger and more extravagant ships. It was an audacious move but a highly successful one and major operators still compete to build the biggest and best liner. Today, cruisers are expanding into fully-fledged entertainment centres.
Part 1: Maiden Voyage
Maiden Voyage begins with by looking at the initial move away from traditional sail ships and the development of the first ocean-going steam powered ships and the the subsequent formation of the major cruise lines P&O and Cunard. As the years pass we see how the rivalry between Germany and Britain intensified with Germany's launching of the world's first superliner, the Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse in 1897, a four-stacker that went on to capture the much coveted Blue Riband from Britain. We see how the Britain responded with the production of two of their own giant liners, Mauretania and Lusitania, ostensibly to win back the Blue Riband and dominance of the North Atlantic passenger trade. Maiden Voyage also focuses on the building and and subsequent sinking of the Titanic, whilst also providing an insight into the events leading up to World War One.