But travelling this way used to be less of a family affair, and more of a glamorous way to travel in style.
Now a new exhibition at the V&A reveals the true luxury behind the liners of years gone by.
‘Ocean Liners: Speed and Style’ opens at the London museum on 3rd February, and will allow visitors to explore “the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner on an international scale”.
Over 250 objects will be on display, from paintings to fashion, film and posters to give visitors a feel of the romance of travelling by liner.
The most infamous liner of all time is the Titanic, and a panel fragment from the first class lounge will return to the UK for the first time for the exhibition.
It is not the only doomed liner to have artefacts feature, as the Lusitania, which sank in 1915, provides one of the most opulent items.
A stunning diamond and pearl tiara, which was saved from the sinking ship, will be on display.
The tiara was commissioned from Cartier in 1909 by the Canadian banker and shipping magnate Sir Hugh Allan, as a gift for his wife Marguerite, who survived the shipping disaster.
Royalty also gets a nod, with The Duke of Windsor’s sumptuous 1940s Goyard luggage on display in Europe for the first time since leaving the Windsor Estate.
The exhibition is sponsored by Viking Cruises, and their chairman, Torstein Hagen, said of the collaboration with the V&A: “A Viking journey is all about exploration and discovery, and we are committed to providing culturally enriching experiences to our guests, both on board our ships and on shore.
“We are very pleased to work with the world’s leading museum of art and design and performance, and to partner on this very exciting exhibition celebrating ocean travel, past and present.”
Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “I’m delighted that this dazzling exhibition, the first of its kind to explore the international design and cultural impact of the ocean liner, will be the V&A’s first major exhibition of 2018.
“This seminal show will reveal hidden design stories of some of the world’s most luxurious liners, from the Titanic to the Normandie and QE2.
“We have collected ship-related objects and ephemera for well over 100 years, and now have a startlingly brilliant collection of ocean liner material, making us uniquely placed to present this exhibition. I’d like to thank our sponsors, Viking Cruises, for their generous support in helping us stage this ambitious show.”
Ghislaine Wood, exhibition curator, said: “The great age of ocean liners has long passed but no form of transport has been so romantic or so remarkable. Three years in the making, this exhibition will show how liners have shaped the modern world in many ways.”
Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, sponsored by Viking Cruises, at the V&A from 3 February – 17 June 2018 vam.ac.uk/oceanliners
