Launched as the world's largest moving object, at the time, the RMS Olympic set the records for size and opulence. Launched after the Lusitania and Mauretania, the Olympic class ships were designed for size, comfort, and amenities instead of impressive speed. Cruising at a modest 21 knots, the RMS Olympic could sail between Europe and America on a 6 day schedule.
Surviving several crashes throughout her career, the Olympic had been nicknamed "Old Reliable" by the time she was retired.
Of the three Olympic class ships - Olympic, Titanic, and Brittanic - the RMS Olympic proved to be the longest lasting and most successful ship.
A First of Three Titans
After a fresh infusion of capital by now owner JP Morgan, the White Star Line partnered with their preferred shipyard, Harland and Wolff, to design and build three impressive liners. Developed practically without a budget, the Olympic was designed with no expense spared.
New technologies were perfected and implemented, such as radio, reuse of escaped steam from the traditional expansion engines to provide power via a low pressure turbine to turn the center propellor.
During the launching of the Titanic, many spectators assembled on the newly completed Olympic to celebrate the launch, and ironically saw how the new ship would look when complete.
Collisions, Strikes, and Safety
Piloting the worlds largest ship quickly was realized to be no easy task, even with tug boats helping. The Olympic was involved in several collisions over her extended career.
The first collision happened in the fall of 1911, when the Olympic and HMS Hawke were traveling parallel. The Olympic made a starboard turn, and the way the ship turned was not expected by the captain of the Hawke, and the two ships collided. The Hawke, a ship designed to sink other ships by ramming them, did considerable damage to the Olympic, causing a significant repair to be made.
Later in the Olympic's career, the ship was cruising towards the United States, and came too close to the Nantucket Lightship, causing a collision to happen and caused the light ship to sink.
Olympic during WWI
At the beginning of the war, the Olympic along with a remaining few liners still provided transatlantic service. Mostly American's escaping Europe, these passages were tense: extra drills, blacked out portholes, mounted guns for protection.
Soon after, it was decided to use the Olympic for troop transport services. Mostly traveling between Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada to various ports in the UK, the Olympic could travel with over 6,000 troops aboard.
In the waning months of the war, the Olympic spotted a U-Boat on the surface, and in a brief encounter, rammed the submarine and caused enough damage that the crew decided to scuttle the submarine and await rescue.
Gorgeous interiors on display Today
The Olympic ended up being released from naval troop transport service and returned to civil service. After a refit to receive several crucial safety upgrades and engine improvements, the ship would be powered by oil, not coal moving forward.
Sailing as the flagship of the White Star Line for over a decade alongside the RMS Majestic, formerly SS Bismarck of Germany, the RMS Olympic gained the nickname Old Reliable.
After another decade of service, White Star merged with Cunard, and slowly the older ships were decommissioned. At the end of the Olympic's career, both the Mauretania and Olympic were in Southampton before scrapping one last time.
Many of the furnishings of the Olympic were auctioned off before the ship was recycled, and can be found at various establishments to this day.
RMS Olympic Ship Facts
Tonnage:
45,324 GRT
Length:
882' - 9"
Beam:
92' - 9"
Draft:
34' - 9"
Number of Decks:
9
Cruising Speed:
21 Knots (24 mph or 38 km/hr)
Max Speed:
24.2 Knots (28mph or 45km/h)
Line:
Shipyard:
Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Port of Registry:
Liverpool
Maiden Voyage:
June 11, 1911
Years in Service:
1911-1935
Current Status:
Retired after 24 years of service, and scrapped in Scotland
RMS Olympic Ship Frequently Asked Questions
What was the RMS Olympic?
The RMS Olympic was a British ocean liner of the White Star Line, built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast. She was the first of three Olympic-class ships, followed by the Titanic and the Britannic. She sailed for 24 years, from 1911 to 1935.
When was the Olympic built and launched?
Her keel was laid on 16 December 1908, and she was launched on 20 October 1910. She was completed on 31 May 1911. Her maiden voyage began on 14 June 1911, from Southampton to New York.
How big was the Olympic?
She was 882 ft 9 in (269.1 m) long and 92 ft 9 in (28.3 m) wide. At 45,324 gross tons when she entered service, she was the largest ship in the world until the Titanic arrived. A 1913 refit raised her tonnage to 46,439.
How fast was the Olympic?
Her service speed was about 22 knots. She averaged 21.7 knots on her maiden voyage. She was built for size, comfort and reliability rather than speed, and she burned about 650 tons of coal a day, against roughly 1,000 tons for the faster Lusitania and Mauretania.
How many passengers did the Olympic carry?
She could carry about 2,435 passengers with a crew of about 950. Her first crossing carried 1,313 passengers (489 First Class, 263 Second Class and 561 Third Class).
What was the difference between the Olympic and the Titanic?
The Titanic was slightly bigger at 46,329 gross tons, and both ships were about 882 ft 9 in long. Titanic had some changes to her interior and decks, such as an enclosed forward section of the A Deck promenade and the Café Parisien. These changes to Titanic were derived from feedback from passengers on the Olympic. They were otherwise close sister ships.
What happened when the Olympic collided with HMS Hawke?
On 20 September 1911, the Olympic collided with the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Hawke in the Solent. The Olympic flooded two compartments but returned to Southampton under her own power, and no one died. The Admiralty court found the Olympic at fault, blaming suction from her large hull. Her repairs took about six weeks at Belfast and delayed work on the Titanic.
Did the Olympic try to rescue the Titanic?
Yes, she heard the Titanic’s distress call on 14 April 1912 and headed toward her at full power. She was too far away to help, however. The Carpathia reached the scene first, and the Olympic was told that no further help was needed.
What did the Olympic do in World War I?
She was requisitioned in 1915 as a troopship and carried up to 201,000 troops and other personnel during the war, earning the nickname “Old Reliable.” On 12 May 1918 she rammed and sank the German submarine U-103 in the English Channel. U.S.S. Davis rescued 31 of the submarine’s crew.
What was the Nantucket Lightship collision?
On 15 May 1934, in heavy fog off the coast of Massachusetts, the Olympic struck and sank the Nantucket Lightship LV-117. Seven of the lightship’s eleven crew died.
Did the Olympic sink?
No. She survived the Hawke collision, wartime service and the 1934 lightship collision, and she was withdrawn from service on 12 April 1935. In 24 years she made 257 round trips, carrying about 430,000 passengers.
What happened to the Olympic after 1935?
She was sold for £97,500 to Sir John Jarvis and was broken up in stages. She reached Jarrow in October 1935, where her upper works were demolished, and her hull was towed to Thos. W. Ward’s yard at Inverkeithing in September 1937 for final demolition.
Can you see anything from the Olympic today?
Yes. Her first-class lounge fittings and part of her aft Grand Staircase are at the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, England, see photos above. Other fittings were auctioned in November 1935 and survive in various places.
Last edited: October 2026