The Transatlantic Liners
As more and more Americans began taking annual vacations from their occupations those of the upper classes began to take more and more of their vacations by traveling to Europe. By the mid-1930s air travel was available by airplane and by airships, but the preferred method of traveling for a European vacation, or for business, was by the great transoceanic liners operated by British, French, German, Italian, and American shipping companies. The competitors built their ships to outdo the others in terms of speed, luxury, and prestige. The crossing may have been the beginning (or end) of the vacation, but for some it was the most luxurious part.
The Northern Atlantic route was the most critical for the profits of the liners. Liverpool and Southampton were part of this route, connecting with New York, and Hamburg in Germany and Le Havre and Cherbourg in France all used the North Atlantic route. The liner which held the fastest time in crossing was awarded the Blue Riband, and traveling on the ship so honored was another sign of prestige. There was a Blue Riband for the crossing in each direction. Ships which did not hold the award stressed their superior accommodations for passengers during the crossing.
All of the liners were built to carry immigrants but changing immigration laws in the United States forced many of their operators to increase the number of cabin spaces for second and third class to attract more customers. This made the possibility of a European vacation more affordable for middle class Americans, though the time involved in crossing would have used up most of their available time. Up to World War II a European vacation was for Americans of wealth with sufficient leisure time at their disposal. Throughout the 1930s the cross Atlantic travel business was brisk.
Once in Europe the vacation possibilities included tours of the Scottish Highlands and the great country houses of England. Visitors to the continent could view the sights of Paris or Berlin, then one of the most popular cities of Europe despite the rising Nazi Party. The Orient Express beckoned to those wishing to see what was then referred to as the Orient (Turkey). Many wealthy Americans made what was known as the Grand Tour in imitation of wealthy English, visiting the great capitals of Europe and other cities famed for their contributions to western culture and science.
The transoceanic vacation by ship did not survive the Second World War. A brief revival in the 1950s faced stiff competition from the airlines, and the idea of arriving at one’s destination quickly supplanted the idea of the trip itself being a large part of the vacation. Travel by air took on even greater panache as the jet engine increase the speed of travel even further and transatlantic jet service killed the ocean liners. The airlines used the idea of luxury connected with speed in their services in advertising and air travel to Europe, and across the United States, added yet another term to the lexicon – the jet set.