When the Titanic was built in 1912 she was the largest and most technologically advanced ship of her day. The original Queen Mary was launched in 1936 and the Queen Mary 2 was built later in 2003.
I have recently disembarked a cruise onboard the Queen Mary 2.
The Queen Mary 2 is currently the only ocean liner in the world still in operation.
Both ships set sail almost 100 years apart so there are some considerable differences between the two.
How did the Titanic Compare to the Queen Mary 2?
At A Glance:
- The Queen Mary 2 is 28% longer than Titanic
- She is 46% wider.
- She has over three times the horsepower of Titanic
- She is able to travel 30% faster than Titanic.
- The Queen Mary 2 has an additional 4 passenger decks compared to the Titanic.
Improvements in shipbuilding and design mean that not only can shipbuilders build larger ships but also ships that can sail faster.
Onboard safety also improved greatly with many changes being implemented after the sinking of the Titanic.
Queen Mary 2 vs Titanic – Length Comparison
| Cruise Ship | Length (Meters) | Length (Feet) |
| Titanic | 269m | 883ft |
| Queen Mary 2 | 345m | 1131ft |
The Queen Mary 2 is 28% longer than the Titanic. This is based on the length of the cruise ship as parallel to the waterline.
Some parts of the ship do technically protrude further than at the waterline, such as the aft section of the Titanic.
If you were to compare the length of the Titanic and Queen Mary 2 to the current cruise ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet, the Titanic would be the shortest.
The Queen Mary 2 had a length similar to that of the Voyager-class cruise ships for Royal Caribbean, built between 1999-2003.
Queen Mary vs Titanic – Width (Beam) Comparison
| Cruise Ship | Width (Meters) | Width (Feet) |
| Titanic | 28m | 92ft |
| Queen Mary 2 | 41m | 134ft |
The Queen Mary 2 is 46% wider than the Titanic.
The beam of a cruise ship is the width of the cruise ship at the widest point. It’s usually measured where the hull meets the waterline.
Queen Mary 2 vs Titanic – Height and Deck Comparison
| Cruise Ship | Height (Meters) | Height (Feet) | Decks |
| Titanic | 53m | 174ft | 9 |
| Queen Mary 2 | 71m | 236ft | 13 |
The Queen Mary 2 is 34% taller than the Titanic but she includes an additional 4 passenger decks.
The largest cruise ship currently in operation is 75 meters (248 feet) high.
Building tall cruise ships limits the destinations which a cruise ship can travel to. Some large modern cruise ships are unable to sail to some ports due to bridges.
Queen Mary 2 vs Titanic – Gross Tonnage Comparison
| Cruise Ship | Gross Tonnage |
| Titanic | 46,000 |
| Queen Mary 2 | 151,000 |
The Queen Mary 2 has almost three times the gross tonnage of the Titanic.
The gross tonnage of the Titanic is smaller than any modern cruise ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet but the gross tonnage of the Queen Mary 2 is similar to many modern ships.
Queen Mary 2 vs Titanic – Horsepower and Speed Comparison
A ship’s horsepower is the amount of power provided by the engines, one horsepower is equivalent to 746 Watts.
| Cruise Ship | Horsepower | Maximum Speed |
| Titanic | 46,000 | 23 knots (26 MPH) |
| Queen Mary 2 | 160,000 | 30 knots (35 MPH) |
The Titanic had three engines. Two four-cylinder steam engines and one steam turbine. Each steam engine provided 15,000 horsepower and the steam turbine provided 16,000.
The Queen Mary 2 has four boiler rooms and two gas turbines. The combined horsepower was 160,000 which gave the Queen Mary 2 3x as much power as the Titanic.
The Queen Mary 2 is able to sail 30% faster than the Titanic at full speed. Typically, the Titanic sailed at a little over 21 knots (24 MPH).
Modern cruise ships still usually have a maximum speed of between 25-30 knots.
Both Ships Had/Have 3 Main Anchors
The Titanic had 3 primary anchors, one on the left, one on the right and one in the centre. The ship also had two kedging anchors (lighter anchors).
The Queen Mary 2 has 3 anchors.
To learn more about cruise ship anchors, check out this post:
Cruise Ship Anchors – Function, Size, Weight, and Uses
Queen Mary 2 vs Titanic – Ship Ownership
The Titanic was built for the White Star Line. The White Star Line merged with Cunard Line in 1934 to form the Cunard-White Star Line. The Queen Mary was built for Cunard. The White Star name was dropped in 1947 when Cunard acquired White Star’s Shares.
Cunard owned 62% of the company and White Star Line 38%. Cunard bought out White Star Line in 1947 creating the Cunard brand that we know and love today.
Is The Queen Mary 2 The Sister Ship to The Titanic?
The Queen Mary 2 is not the sister ship to the Titanic. She was built for Cunard line 91 years after the Titanic was launched.
Cunard Line was part-owned by the White Star Line, the company which built Titanic, so the Queen Mary 2 could be described as a much much younger relative, possibly a grandchild.
To learn more about how Titanic compares to modern cruise ships, including how the ship compares to the Royal Caribbean and Cunard fleets check out this post:
Titanic vs a Modern Cruise Ship Fleet – Comparison with Photos!
Find out more about the transatlantic crossing I took on Queen Mary 2 here:
Before You Go
Titanic had very separate areas for different classes of passengers. Does that still go on now? Find out here:
Do Modern Cruise Ships Have First Class? (History, Premium Areas – Cruise Line Guide)
Find out why ships are referred to as “She” here:
The Real Reason Ships Are Called “She” – Language, History, and Myth
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