There's a certain romance about life on the ocean, and so much of our modern world was built off the back of sea-faring vessels. From Tudor warships and Viking longboats to the extraordinary ocean liners that defined a golden age of travel, it's fair to say that without some of these historic ships we might not be where we are today.
Read on to discover the most famous ships, replicas and floating hotels around the world...
The original 17th-century Mayflower was an icon of American history, sailing the first pilgrims from England to the New World (today's United States) in 1620. She sailed from London, stopping off in Southampton to meet the Speedwell, a smaller ship, and continue across the Atlantic.
The Speedwell never made it thanks to a recurring leak, and the Mayflower picked up the ship's stranded passengers in Plymouth and made the voyage alone. She landed in Massachusetts and the immigrants from Britain and Holland made the Plymouth colony, the second such settlement in the USA.
The original vessel is long gone, likely sold off as scrap after her many voyages in the 1600s. Today, though, you can visit the Mayflower II – a full-scale replica of the tall ship built in Brixham in Devon, England and sailed across the ocean in 1957. The replica was fully restored for 2020 as part of the 400-year anniversary celebrations and it's now one of the main attractions at the Plimoth Patuxet living history museum.
The oldest commissioned warship in the world, HMS Victory was the flagship of the fleet that British naval commander Horatio Nelson sailed to defeat the French and Spanish at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Launched in 1765, she served for an unusually long time, leading the British fleet in the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary War.
She was placed in dry dock for repairs in 1922 and first opened to the public six years later. Extensive damage was caused by bombing in World War II, and after another major repair she was finally placed into the custodianship of the National Museum of the Navy, and is open to the public again in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard. She is still a commissioned warship, known as the Flagship of the First Sea Lord.
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One of the largest and last battleships ever built by the US Navy in 1941, the USS Wisconsin is vast. The ship was awarded five battle stars for her service in World War II and a combat action ribbon for the Korean War. She can now be visited in Norfolk, a waterfront city in southeastern Virginia, which is home to the world’s biggest naval base.
A visit to the USS Wisconsin is fascinating. You can buy a general admission ticket to explore the outdoor deck and main interior spaces, like the galley and ship's library, or book a more in-depth guided tour led by enlisted volunteers or retired officers. Overnight stays are possible too, giving you time to explore Virginia’s second-largest city, which is a hidden highlight thanks to the fantastic Chrysler Museum of Art and the lovely riverside Virginia Zoo.
An important vessel in the histories of France, Britain and the United States, L'Hermione is a replica of the 1779 frigate of the same name that achieved fame in 1780 for carrying French general the Marquis de Lafayette across the Atlantic to rejoin the struggle against the British during the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette was a key friend and ally of George Washington during the war, and was crucial to the French-American alliance that defeated the British and secured US independence.
The original boat sank in 1793 on the rocks off Le Croisic near Nantes, eventually spurring an attempt to reconstruct the historic ship in the 1990s. Around 2,000 oak trees were felled to bring its three masts and 144-foot (44m) frame back to life, and in 2015 the vessel triumphantly replicated its original voyage across the Atlantic. L'Hermione is currently in dry dock in Bayonne for repairs, after which it will return to its usual home in Rochefort, where the original ship was built in the 18th century.
Moored on the south side of the River Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast is the last remaining ship of her type. Launched in 1938, the battle cruiser saw active service for 25 years, including during World War II, before opening as a tourist attraction in 1971.
HMS Belfast is run by Imperial War Museums and all nine of her decks are open for you to explore by clambering up and down ladders. Exhibits present the personal stories of those who served aboard, while new interactive exhibits and multi-sensory experiences keep children entertained. HMS Belfast is open daily.
Constructed in 1906 as a steel lightship (a vessel that acts as a mobile lighthouse), the Alexander von Humboldt took the unusual step of gaining masts and sails much later in life. After an 80-year career that included being sunk and raised in the North Sea in the 1950s, she was repainted green, given distinctive green sails and relaunched as a sailing training ship in 1988. In her new occupation she covered 300,000 nautical miles, crossed the Atlantic 10 times and rounded the tip of South America twice.
It was as a sailship that she was christened the 'Alexander von Humboldt', and that she gained fame by starring in an advertising campaign for German beer brand Beck's. She was finally decommissioned in 2011, and found a cosy mooring at the Bremen shipyard where she'd been constructed more than a century before. Today she's a floating 38-bunk hotel and restaurant that often hosts private events.
Scott and Shackleton’s RRS Discovery was constructed on the very spot where it stands today, built specifically for scientific research in some of the world's most extreme environments. The last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in the UK, Discovery was launched in 1901 and, a year later, the coal-fired steam and sail engine carried the British National Antarctic Expedition on its first trip to explore the Antarctic.
Visit now and on board you can explore how Scott and his crew lived, ate and survived on their epic voyages. The ship sits in the middle of the excellent Discovery Point visitor centre, where there are galleries, films and over 150 artefacts on display relating to their expeditions. Major preservation works are currently ongoing on the ship, but it remains open to visitors, who will be able to witness traditional heritage shipbuilding skills in action.
This massive aircraft carrier was the largest ship in the world until 1955, and has been described as one of the largest moving objects ever made by humans. Built as a floating runway for the US Army's fighter jets, the Midway was commissioned at the end of World War II and played a part in several modern conflicts, including the Vietnam and Gulf Wars.
Now a museum ship in downtown San Diego, you can explore more than 60 exhibits in the hangar and on the flight and lower decks. See over 30 restored aircraft, and try out the flight simulators or join a self-guided tour. It's even possible to stay overnight on the ship, where you can bed down in traditional Navy bunks and enjoy breakfast on board.
Looks aren't everything, and this splendid Swedish warship is proof. The intricate, impressive vessel sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, getting no further than a busy shipping lane outside Stockholm harbour in Sweden. In 1961 she was salvaged with her hull almost entirely intact, and today she lies in a museum, waiting to be admired by visitors.
The Vasa Museum is in the Royal National City Park on Djurgarden island in Stockholm, and since the ship was salvaged, it has welcomed more than a million visitors a year. The specially-built masts on the museum’s roof have become part of Stockholm’s skyline, mirroring the height of the originals.
The Royal Yacht Britannia is one of Scotland’s most visited tourist attractions, welcoming almost 400,000 people each year to its decks, and its allure is obvious. Who doesn’t want a nose around the late Queen’s favourite mode of transport?
Until it was taken out of service in 1997 it was the floating palace of British royalty. Ordered the year Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952, Britannia sailed more than a million nautical miles during her 44 years in service, carrying the royals around the world for official tours and holidays.
And, of course, the Royal Yacht Britannia was the height of luxury too. Now moored in Leith, Edinburgh, you can see the staterooms, crew quarters and bridge, all before catching your breath with a brew on the Royal Deck Tearoom to get a taste of travelling like a royal.
The USS Constitution was instrumental in the creation of modern America as we know it today. In 1794, the newly united states ordered the building of six new warships to form a brand-new navy, and the Constitution was one of them.
Built at Hartt's Shipyard in Boston's North End, the Constitution launched in 1797. She served in several engagements but is most famous for seeing action in the War of 1812, defeating four British warships.
This three-masted heavy frigate, known as Old Ironsides, is the oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. Visit her at Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard and take a tour on board. A separate museum, the USS Constitution Museum, sits opposite the ship and offers family-friendly and hands-on exhibits, plus the chance to see artefacts from telescopes to trunks.
Nicknamed 'the white swan of the South Atlantic', this elegant cargo ship was built in 1961 to complete long and arduous crossings between South America and Germany. She conveyed vast shipments of coffee, cotton, cocoa, beef, cooking oils and more before retiring in the late-1980s and becoming a museum ship. Though she's dwarfed by the gargantuan container ships of the modern age, the Cap San Diego was huge for her day, the last and largest of a series of six fast cargo passenger liners constructed in Hamburg.
Today, the Cap San Diego has been part of the scenery at the Hamburg docks for the better part of four decades, although she's still seaworthy and leaves the harbour several times a year. The vessel claims to be the largest seaworthy museum ship in the world, and visitors can tour her lodgings, lower decks and vast engine room. More unusual offerings include overnight stays in the former captains' quarters, comedy nights and a high ropes course.
The first English expedition to circumnavigate the globe, the Golden Hind sailed between 1577 and 1580 with Elizabeth I’s favourite Sir Francis Drake at the helm. Now, the ship occupies a special place in the British imagination as a symbol of the nation’s seafaring history. It was also an expedition of plunder and, on his return, Drake had so much treasure aboard that just the Queen’s share was more than the national debt.
While you can't visit the complete original vessel, there's a full-size, sailable reconstruction containing pieces of the ship's galleon in London, on the south bank of the Thames. On board the Golden Hind you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of life aboard a Tudor ship through its compelling exhibitions. There’s another full-size replica (pictured) in Brixham Harbour in Devon, near the tourist town of Torquay.
The Mary Rose is an icon of British history – a carrack-type warship built for King Henry VIII that remained his favourite ship. She first set sail in 1511 and served for 34 years before meeting her end in mysterious circumstances during the Battle of the Solent. In 1982, the Tudor ship was dramatically raised and put on display in Portsmouth.
Today, an excellent museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which was built around the ship, allows visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the lower and main decks of this amazing Tudor time capsule through floor-to-ceiling glass. The museum also boasts an immersive 4D theatre experience, where visitors can see what it was like to dive the Mary Rose and bring it up to the surface. There are 19,000 artefacts to see too.
You can buy a one-day ticket for just this single attraction, a 12-month pass to three attractions at the dockyard or unlimited access to all attractions for a year. A guided tour is available as an add-on.
Built in Barrow-in-Furness in northwest England between 1899 and 1900 and serving in the Russo-Japanese War, the Mikasa is a fascinating step back to another era on the seas. This 120-year-old vessel is very special indeed. Older ships, such as the Mikasa, were rendered obsolete when HMS Dreadnought was launched in 1906 and today the Mikasa is the only surviving pre-dreadnought battleship in the world, as well as one of the Japanese Imperial Navy’s few surviving boats from the time.
Named after Mount Mikasa in Nara, Japan, she was decommissioned in 1923 and is now a museum ship in Yokosuka, in Kanagawa prefecture. Visitors can see the radio rooms and main artillery and explore the admiral's living and eating quarters aboard the bridge. The upper deck, main deck and central exhibition room are all on display too.
A true testament to Victorian ingenuity, the SS Great Britain was designed by the greatest British engineer of the age, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and first launched in 1843. The passenger steamship, which sailed the transatlantic service between Bristol and New York, was cutting-edge for its day. Called 'the greatest experiment since the Creation', she would influence modern shipping and help shape the future of travel for decades to come.
The ship was converted into a cargo vessel and remained in use as a storage ship until 1933, before being left to rust after a failed rescue mission. But in 1970 a landmark salvage effort brought her back to life. She was returned to the original Great Western Dockyard in Bristol, and now sits as an engaging museum in the city's historic harbour, with her passenger cabins and dining halls restored to their original glory.
Formerly known as the Viking Ship Museum, the highly anticipated Museum of the Viking Age will be home to three fabulously fascinating ships, the Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune, when it reopens in 2027. Beautifully crafted and preserved, all three were seagoing vessels before they were brought onto land to be used as burial mounds. When they were discovered, each was found with grave gifts, from everyday objects to religious artefacts.
The trio of Viking ships have found a final resting place on the Bygdoy Peninsula, a serene, forested area packed with maritime history that’s easily accessible by boat or bus from Oslo city centre. While the scale of these ships might not be quite as magnificent as others on this list, their age is impressive. The Tune and Gokstad were in use around AD 900, while the Oseberg dates to AD 820.
This beautiful ocean liner offers a glimpse into the glamour of a bygone era. Built by the Cunard Line, the Queen Mary was the company’s flagship vessel, sailing the North Atlantic route and serving in World War II until she was retired in 1967.
She represented a ground-breaking technological achievement, earning the Blue Riband on her maiden voyage. But she was also the height of luxury and one of the grandest ocean liners ever built, which made her popular with British royalty and Hollywood film stars.
She continues her life of glamour permanently moored in Los Angeles’ Long Beach as a hotel and attraction. Visit for the day and enjoy the many exhibits, or join a Glory Days Historical Tour and go behind the scenes of the Queen Mary. You can also stay in one of its many gorgeous Art Deco staterooms or even take advantage of the onboard spa.
Launched in Dresden in 1900, the paddle steamer Kaiser Wilhelm – named after the then-emperor of the then-German empire – is still paddling away up and down the River Elbe a century and a quarter after its first voyage. The ship is the oldest paddle steamer in Germany and has been for more than 50 years, but still completes a busy timetable of river cruises every spring and summer.
Run entirely by volunteers – including a stoker, deckhands and galley staff – the steamer carries up to 270 passengers per trip, spread across the upper and lower decks. Fired by hard coal just as it ever was, the ship has nevertheless modernised just enough to offer on-board catering. Its main mooring is at Lauenburg, where there is also a maritime museum.
Another iconic luxury liner built by Cunard, the 963-foot-long (293m) Queen Elizabeth 2, or QE2 as she's better known, set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in May 1969, with crowds of well-wishers (pictured) waving her off. In her 39 years at sea, the QE2 completed 806 Atlantic crossings and 25 trips around the world, racking up millions of nautical miles as a cruise liner and, for a brief stint, a troopship in the Falklands War.
In 2007, the QE2 was sold to Dubai government investment company Istithmar World for £78 million ($100m). Despite standing for almost a decade untouched in the Mina Rashid marina after initial refurbishment plans were shelved, work on transforming the QE2 into a luxury static hotel finally began in 2017.
Just a year later, the 13-deck venue welcomed its first visitors. The monumental destination offers heritage tours where you can glimpse original rooms and artefacts from its time at sea. It's in good company too, as nearby attractions include the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the Gold Souk.
The last tea clipper built in Britain in 1869, the Cutty Sark was the fastest too. Weighing in at 963 tonnes, she sailed the equivalent of two-and-a-half times the distance to the moon and back through all manner of storms and high seas during her years of service.
Essentially a cargo ship, her maiden voyage was to Shanghai, China where she carried 1.3 million pounds (600,000kg) of tea back to London. Now part of the Royal Museums Greenwich in London, the Cutty Sark has been open to visitors for 67 years.
You can walk beneath the hull, see the captain’s table, take the ship’s wheel and climb the rigging. Greenwich has a wealth of museums worth taking in, such as the Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, the Queen’s House and the Painted Hall, all part of the Old Royal Naval College. The most appropriate way to get there is down the Thames on the Clipper ferry service.
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