RMS Adriatic was a British ocean liner operated by White Star Line, notable as the largest, fastest, and most luxurious of the "Big Four" ships, though not the world's largest passenger vessel. Built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, she was launched on September 20, 1906, and completed on April 25, 1907. She measured approximately 222.2 meters in length, 23 meters in beam, and had a draft of 16 meters, with a gross tonnage of 24,541 tons and a net tonnage of 15,638. Her engineering featured quadruple-expansion steam engines driving two propellers, rated at 1,720 NHP, capable of achieving an average speed of 17 knots, aided by more powerful machinery than her sister ships. Adriatic's superstructure was distinguished by a white-painted hull with a red base, buff-colored funnels topped with black, and four masts supporting lookout nests and wireless cables. Her interior was renowned for its luxury, including a Jacobean-style first-class dining room with a stained-glass dome, oak-paneled lounges adorned with stained-glass windows, an expansive smoking room with mahogany and stained-glass panels, and an Adam-style reading and writing room. She was also the first liner equipped with Victorian-style Turkish baths featuring a large plunge pool. Passenger capacity varied over her career, initially accommodating around 425 first-class, 500 second-class, and 1,900 third-class travelers, later adjusted to suit cruising and wartime needs. Adriatic’s service began with the Southampton to New York route, making her maiden voyage in May 1907 under Captain Edward Smith. She later operated primarily between Liverpool and New York, serving both as a passenger liner and wartime troop transport during World War I. During the war, she also carried provisions and served as a troop ship from 1917 to 1919, with a notable fire incident in 1918 caused by oil barrel explosions. Post-war, Adriatic was refitted multiple times, transitioning to cruise services in the 1930s. She set a speed record in 1925 on the New York-Liverpool route, completing the crossing in just over 7 days. Her later years saw her repurposed as a more economical "cabin class" and tourist cruise ship, but declining demand and increasing competition led to her final voyage in September 1934. Following the merger of White Star with Cunard, Adriatic was deemed surplus, and she was sold for scrap, arriving in Osaka in 1935 to be dismantled. Her career exemplifies the evolution of early 20th-century ocean liners from luxurious transatlantic vessels to versatile cruise ships, reflecting technological and economic shifts in maritime travel.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.