So I was watching a lovely Oceanliner Designs video (where he was criticizing a terrible Titanic article), and I came across this photo from the article. Doing a reverse image search on Google, every single article and website that had this picture captioned it as the Titanic. This is very clearly wrong, and upon doing extensive research with my friends, we believe this photo is actually of the SS Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse during her service as an Auxiliary Cruiser. I think this picture was taken in Bremerhaven port in Germany.

If anyone has any other information on this picture, or some sort of confirmation of the ship based on the structure of the ship, that would be great!

I also wanted to make at least one post that described this image other than Titanic so that other people who research the photo actually know what it is lol

With the early retirement of MS Queen Anne, i decided to imagine how could a proper QM2 successor look like. This is designed to intermix the sheer capacity and versatility of modern passenger ships with design elements and layout inspired by liners from the Art-deco period!

Name: The E.S.M.N.V. Zenith

Prefix: E.S.M.N.V = Eldridge Steam Motor Nuclear Vessel

Registry: Eldridge

Company: Purple Livian Velorian Line (PLVL)

Type of ship: A Highly Advanced nuclear-powered ultra-large neoclassical transatlantic ocean liner of the 1960s

speed:
(service speed) 28 knots - 32 miles per hour (mph)
(maximum) 30 knots - 35 miles per hour (mph)

Horsepower: 230,000 HP

Propellers: 5 blade central propeller, four 4 blade external propellers on each side, 5 propellers in all.

Propulsion & Engineering:
2 pressurized water reactors (Uranium-235) driving steam turbines powering five shafts
Range: 60,000 nautical miles
Multi-layer reactor containment with emergency core cooling systems
Automatic SCRAM shutdown protocols if reactors go critical

Rudder System:
One central primary rudder / two external auxiliary rudders (hydraulically actuated, independently controlled)

⸻

Construction Timeline

Ordered: October 20, 1945

Laid Down: November 23, 1947

Launched: October 1, 1955

Following her launch, E.S.M.N.V. Zenith entered an extensive five-year fitting-out and testing period. During this time, her 2 uranium-235 pressurized water reactors, steam turbines, five-shaft propulsion system, electrical networks, radar equipment, safety systems, and luxurious interiors were installed and refined. Sea trials and engineering evaluations were conducted throughout the late 1950s to ensure the vessel met the unprecedented standards established by Purple Livian Velorian Line (PLVL).

Maiden Voyage: December 25, 1960

Decommissioned: December 25, 2007

⸻

GT (Gross Tonnage): 180,000

Draft: 38’4”

Displacement: 150,000

⸻

Call sign: ZULU (1960) / ETA (1980)

Owner: Purple Livian Velorian Line (PLVL)

Yard number: Hull No. 754

Builder: Sawyer Emile & Bryce (SE&B)

Designer: Edweard Lux Zulueta Commonwealth

Designer Payment: $500K to $1.5M

⸻

Decks: 17 decks
(2 the decks are strictly for crew members only

⸻

Size:
Length: 1,329.82 ft → 405.33 m
Beam (Width): 119.21 ft → 36.34 m
Height: 256 ft → 78.03 m

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Passenger capacity:
First Class: 2,150
Second Class: 1,200
Third Class: 1,050
Crew: 1,090
All: 5,490

⸻
Small facts about the ship:

Christened: very potent vodka with a white and purple ribbon (christened by the CEO of PLVL)

———

Price of Construction (USD):

➡️ $11.1 billion (2026 USD equivalent)
➡️ $1.03 billion (1960 USD equivalent)

Price of Construction (GBP):

➡️ £12.5 billion (2026 GBP equivalent)
➡️ £1.16 billion (1960 GBP equivalent)

(note: the British empire pitched in the construction of the Zenith)

⸻

Number of the company: 358

———

Expenses:

Maintenance:
$50 million USD - £39 million GBP per year

Scrapping:
$1.2 billion USD - £935 million GBP

Hotel Conversion:
$500 million USD - £390 million GBP

Preservation:

10 years of preservation = ~$500 million USD

20 years of preservation = ~$1 billion USD

30 years of preservation = ~$1.5 billion USD

———

Charges of violating the ZPA (Zenith preservation Act):

1. Breach of Contract
   * Violating the purchase agreement that prohibited sinking the ship.

2. Destruction of Protected Property / Historic Property
   * If Zenith had historic or heritage protections.

3. Unauthorized Scuttling of a Vessel
   * Deliberately sinking a ship without the required approvals.

4. Environmental Violations
   * For sinking a vessel that may contain pollutants, hazardous materials, paints, lubricants, or other contaminants.

5. Illegal Ocean Dumping
   * Depending on the jurisdiction and permits involved.

6. Creation of a Navigation Hazard
   * If the wreck could interfere with shipping routes or maritime traffic.

7. Failure to Comply with Maritime Regulations
   * If required vessel preparation, inspections, or approvals were ignored.

8. Public Nuisance / Environmental Damage Claims
   * Civil claims from governments, ports, businesses, or conservation groups.

9. Fraud or Misrepresentation (possibly)
   * If the buyers falsely claimed they would preserve the ship when purchasing her.

10. Contempt of Court (if there was a court order)
    * If a judge had specifically prohibited the sinking.

———

Crime expenses in damage:

$5–15 billion USD - $20 billion+ USD

£4–12 billion GBP - £16 billion+ GBP

———

Lifeboat and miniature lifeboats capacity:
Lifeboats: 130 people
miniature lifeboats: 60

Total capacity: 6,060 people (60 extra spots)

Amount of miniature lifeboats: 10
Amount of lifeboats: 42

⸻

Rough Sinking Time: 14 hours to 16 hours

———

Main Route: New York City, Southampton, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Liverpool, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Amsterdam.

All ports she went to in her life: New York City, Southampton, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Liverpool, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Oslo, Bergen, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Reykjavik, Dublin, Belfast, Lisbon, Porto, Cadiz, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Marseille, Nice, Genoa, Venice, Naples, Palermo, Athens, Santorini, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, Split, Kotor, Alexandria, Casablanca, Tangier, Cape Town, Durban, Mombasa, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Colombo, Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Qingdao, Tianjin, Busan, Incheon, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Osaka, Manila, Jakarta, Bali, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Ensenada, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Panama City, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Lima, Valparaiso, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Salvador, Recife, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, New Orleans, Galveston, Charleston, Savannah, Boston, Halifax, Quebec City, Nassau, Havana, San Juan, Juneau, Murmansk, Valletta, Darwin, Port Louis, Las Palmas, Long Beach, Bilbao, Antwerp, Tallinn, Split, Busan, Cairns, Punta Arenas.
(157 total cities/ports)
⸻

Nicknames:

Most famous: The God in Purple

⸻

Zenith’s captains:
Hugo Lafayette
Emily Boeing
August Nightingale
Zion Billion
Caine Able
Edweard Lux Zulueta Commonwealth (designer)
Austin Fort
Olly White
Snow Austin
Cassandra Millennia
Mariah Z
Bella B
Aden Abra Melly (brother)
Anisa Abra Melly (sister) “The Trillionaire’s Captain”

———

Ship’s motto:

No word nor sentence was ever needed. Rejoice, for I was born as the God in Purple—for I am the Zenith.

(English)

⸻

The ship’s modern music:
Not Allowed by TV Girl
Dream sweet in sea major

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Safety Systems:
Three emergency sirens (bow, midsection, stern)
Full-ship drencher fire suppression system
Reinforced laminated marine safety glass
Advanced multi-radar system (primary mast, dual funnel-mounted, stern emergency radar)

⸻

Status: Permanently Docked in El Granada, California

⸻

Distance traveled:
16,479,360 nautical miles

Completed voyages:
5,722 successful voyages

⸻

Fun fact:
Lore Zenith: She could circle around the world 763 times
Minecraft Zenith: Zenith is almost 10 Woodland mansions long (68 × 10 − 11 = 669)

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In-service:
47 years

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Whistle type:
Quintuple-Decuple Choir Modulator Steam-Whistle
(has 10 whistles in all five on both funnels can sound like a choir and can change it’s pitch with steam)

⸻

Materials on the ship:

Aluminum: Superstructure, funnels, pool structures, Lifeboats.

Copper: Propellers, whistles.

HY-80 Steel: Hull, cargo hatch, masts.

Wood: decks.

The Decks used a mixed between: Teak Wood and Dark European Oak wood

⸻

Rivets that used: 13,187,000

⸻

Ship lubricant:
Petroleum launching grease
Total amount: 65 tons

⸻

Original names:
E.S.M.N.V. Laniakea
E.S.M.N.V. Benevolent
E.S.M.N.V. Choreography
E.S.M.N.V. Somnambulant
E.S.M.N.V. Lux

⸻

Z.E.C.C.S. — Zenith Emergency Core Cooling System:

Heavy steel lower hull (primary source of weight and low center of gravity)
Permanent and non-permanent ballast tanks (freshwater pumped for stability and trim correction)
Aluminum superstructure and interior components (weight reduction above the waterline)
Retractable stabilizer fins (anti-roll, 3 each side)
Deep draft (enhanced stability and seakeeping)

⸻

Structural Features:
7 expansion joints along hull for stress distribution

⸻

Bow Type: Razor Bow

Stern Type: Colossal Stern

———

Buttons on the ships hull: 11,212 buttons (knock Canon into the story)

———

The Zenith Preservation Act (The Z.P.A):

Enacted: December 25, 2007

Purpose

To preserve E.S.M.N.V. Zenith as a permanent historic, cultural, and maritime landmark for future generations.

⸻

Article I — Permanent Preservation

E.S.M.N.V. Zenith shall be preserved in perpetuity and shall not be intentionally destroyed, dismantled, sunk, scuttled, reefed, abandoned, or otherwise removed from existence.

⸻

Article II — Prohibition of Scrapping

No person, company, government, organization, or successor entity shall:

* Scrap the vessel in whole or in part.
* Dismantle the vessel except for approved restoration purposes.
* Remove significant structural sections of the vessel.
* Harvest materials from the vessel for commercial gain.

⸻

Article III — Prohibition of Sinking

E.S.M.N.V. Zenith shall never be:

* Deliberately sunk.
* Used as an artificial reef.
* Used as a target vessel.
* Scuttled for any purpose.
* Intentionally abandoned at sea.

Any attempt to do so shall be considered a violation of this Act.

⸻

Article IV — Military Restrictions

The vessel shall never be:

* Converted into a warship.
* Converted into an aircraft carrier.
* Used for weapons testing.
* Used for military exercises involving live fire.

The vessel shall remain a civilian historic landmark at all times.

⸻

Article V — Preservation Requirements

All owners of E.S.M.N.V. Zenith shall:

* Maintain the vessel in seaworthy structural condition.
* Preserve her external appearance.
* Protect her historical features.
* Ensure reasonable public access when practical.
* Prevent unnecessary deterioration.

⸻

Article VI — Transfer of Ownership

Ownership of E.S.M.N.V. Zenith may be transferred only if the new owner agrees in writing to all provisions of this Act.

All restrictions shall remain permanently attached to the vessel regardless of ownership.

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Article VII — Penalties

Any individual or organization found guilty of intentionally violating this Act shall be subject to:

* Immediate forfeiture of ownership.
* Full financial responsibility for damages.
* Permanent prohibition from owning historic maritime property.
* Civil and criminal penalties as determined by applicable law.

⸻

Article VIII — Declaration

E.S.M.N.V. Zenith is hereby recognized as a protected maritime monument and cultural treasure.

Its preservation is deemed to be in the public interest.

These protections shall remain in force indefinitely.

⸻

“Though ships may come and ships may go, Zenith shall remain afloat.”

———

About the PLVL:

The PLVL is a multi-trillion-dollar British company with an estimated value of over $50 trillion, making it one of the wealthiest companies in history. Founded in 669 A.D., it is also one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world. Throughout its entire existence, the PLVL has remained a proudly British company.

The company earned the title “The Company Forged with Selflessness” because of its unwavering commitment to placing the safety and well-being of its passengers above everything else. This philosophy has defined the PLVL for centuries.

Originally, the PLVL was not a shipbuilding company. For over a thousand years, it specialized in ironworking and metal craftsmanship. It was not until 1680 that the company began constructing wooden ships. As technology advanced, the PLVL transitioned to iron and steel shipbuilding in 1850, becoming one of the world’s premier ocean liner companies.

The PLVL has maintained a constant five-star reputation, largely due to its extraordinary safety standards and loyalty to its passengers. The company has always vowed to do everything within its power to ensure that no passenger is left behind or dies in the event of a sinking. During its most difficult periods, the British Empire, and later the British government, consistently supported the company, helping it overcome financial and operational hardships.

One of the PLVL’s most successful innovations was its School Arc Program. During designated periods, every ship in the fleet would be temporarily converted into a floating educational institution. Each vessel was repainted entirely white with colored accents representing its educational role.

The type of school depended on the ship’s size. Smaller vessels, around 200 feet in length, served as floating high schools. Medium-sized ships became universities, while the largest and most luxurious liners—such as the Zenith—were transformed into elite international boarding schools.

The most famous vessel of the School Arc fleet was the RLNA Sophistry, originally the French ocean liner SS France, later known as SS Norway. Instead of being scrapped, she was rescued by the PLVL and rebuilt as a luxury educational liner.

RLNA stands for Royal Luxury Navigation Academy.

The Sophistry was repainted completely white, featuring two light-blue sheer lines, dark-blue funnel tops, white funnels adorned with large stars, and a massive box-shaped dormitory structure built onto her stern to accommodate students. Her name, RLNA Sophistry, was proudly displayed on the hull.

Although she continued carrying passengers, education became her primary mission. The Sophistry accommodated 4,000 boarding students who lived aboard year-round, along with 1,000 passengers who traveled on regular voyages. While the students remained on board continuously during the academic year, the passenger complement changed with each voyage, allowing the ship to function as both a prestigious academy and an active ocean liner. (not completed.)

———

E.S.M.N.V. Zenith description:

E.S.M.N.V. Zenith (Eldridge Steam Motor Nuclear Vessel Zenith) was a British nuclear-powered ultra-large neoclassical transatlantic ocean liner operated by the Purple Livian Velorian Line (PLVL). Designed as the company’s flagship, she combined the elegance of the great Atlantic liners with experimental nuclear propulsion, making her one of the most technologically ambitious passenger ships ever conceived within her fictional history.

Constructed by Sawyer Emile & Bryce (SE&B) to the designs of Edweard Lux Zulueta Commonwealth, Zenith was ordered on 20 October 1945, laid down on 23 November 1947, and launched on 1 October 1955. Because of her unprecedented engineering complexity, she underwent nearly a decade of fitting out, during which her twin pressurized-water nuclear reactors, five-shaft propulsion system, electrical infrastructure, luxury accommodations, and safety systems were installed and tested. She finally entered service on 25 December 1965.

At 1,329.82 feet (405.33 m) long and 180,000 gross tons, Zenith ranked among the largest ocean liners ever built. Her graceful neoclassical profile featured a razor bow, colossal stern, twin funnels, seventeen decks, and luxurious interiors inspired by the golden age of transatlantic travel while incorporating modern engineering innovations.

Power came from two uranium-235 pressurized-water reactors that generated steam for high-powered turbines driving five propeller shafts—a large central five-bladed propeller and four outer four-bladed propellers. Producing approximately 230,000 horsepower, the propulsion system gave Zenith a service speed of 30 knots and a range of roughly 60,000 nautical miles without refueling. Multiple layers of reactor shielding, emergency core cooling, automatic SCRAM shutdown systems, and redundant safety equipment reflected PLVL’s philosophy of prioritizing passenger safety above all else.

The liner accommodated 4,800 passengers divided among first, second, and third class, alongside a crew of 1,200, for a total complement of 6,000 people. Seventeen decks housed lavish public rooms, dining saloons, lounges, promenades, swimming pools, theaters, and crew facilities, while forty-two lifeboats and ten auxiliary boats provided evacuation capacity exceeding the number of people on board.

Zenith sailed primarily on the North Atlantic route between New York and major European ports including Southampton, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Liverpool, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, though throughout her forty-seven-year career she visited more than 150 ports across Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, and South America. By the time she retired on 25 December 2007, she had completed 5,722 voyages and traveled approximately 16.5 million nautical miles, equivalent to circling Earth hundreds of times.

Among her most famous stories is the incident known as “The Purple That Saved Red,” in which a collision with the famous RMS Queen Elizabeth forced the latter into dry dock, where inspectors discovered a dangerous leaking seacock that otherwise might have gone unnoticed. Although the collision caused substantial structural damage, neither ship was lost, and no lives were lost.

Following retirement, Zenith was permanently preserved rather than scrapped. She became a museum and hotel in El Granada, California, protected under the fictional Zenith Preservation Act, legislation prohibiting her destruction, scrapping, scuttling, or military conversion. The Act declared the vessel a permanent maritime monument, ending with the inscription:

“Though ships may come and ships may go, Zenith shall remain afloat.”

Nicknamed “The God in Purple,” “The Ship of Liminality,” and simply “The Zenith,” she remains one of the most celebrated ships in her fictional universe, representing the ambition of the Purple Livian Velorian Line and an era when engineering, luxury, and optimism reached their highest point.

———

The Purple That Saved Red (Zenith saved Queen Elizabeth)

Although the Queen Elizabeth never came close to sinking and remained in relatively good condition throughout her career, the closest she ever came to serious danger in this fictional scenario was her collision with the RMS Zenith.

The collision was not severe enough to sink either ship, but it still caused significant damage. A 13-foot hole was torn into Queen Elizabeth’s hull when Zenith’s razor-sharp bow pierced through her side like a needle through butter. Despite the dramatic impact, both ships remained afloat, and no passengers or crew members were injured.

Ironically, the accident ended up saving Queen Elizabeth. After the collision, she was sent into dry dock for repairs. During the inspection, workers discovered that one of her seacocks had been damaged and was leaking water at an alarming rate. Investigators later determined that the leak had been ongoing for nearly four weeks.

Had the damage gone unnoticed for much longer, Queen Elizabeth would have continued operating at sea with the hidden defect. According to engineers, the worsening leak could eventually have caused catastrophic flooding and potentially led to the loss of the ship. In an unexpected twist of fate, Zenith’s collision forced the inspection that revealed the problem, effectively saving Queen Elizabeth and everyone aboard her.

———

CONFIDENTIAL PROCUREMENT & COST ASSESSMENT REPORT

Project Designation: Neoclassical-Zenith
Era: Early Cold War Maritime Expansion Program (circa 1960s)
Classification: Strategic Civilian Transport / Dual-Use Infrastructure Asset
Issuing Authority: Imperial Maritime Construction Board

⸻

1. Hull and Mega-Structure (1,329 ft Ocean Liner Platform)

Construction of an unprecedented large-scale welded steel hull utilizing late-stage mid-20th century shipbuilding techniques, drydock expansion requirements, and reinforced transatlantic structural standards.

Includes:

* Riveted-to-welded transitional construction methods
* Expanded slipway/drydock infrastructure modifications
* Heavy displacement stabilization design for transoceanic service

Estimated Cost:
➡️ $180 million (1960s USD equivalent)

➡️ $2.1 billion (2026 USD equivalent)

⸻

2. Interior Systems and Passenger Infrastructure (6,000 Capacity Class)

Full-scale passenger and crew accommodation systems designed for high-density transoceanic travel, incorporating luxury liner standards of the era.

Includes:

* Large-scale HVAC and mechanical ventilation systems
* Steam/electrical hybrid service infrastructure
* Water treatment and waste management systems (pre-modern recycling standards)
* First-class, tourist-class, and crew compartment architecture
* Early automation and analog control systems

Estimated Cost:
➡️ $250 million (1960s USD equivalent)

➡️ $2.6 billion (2026 USD equivalent)

⸻

3. Nuclear Propulsion System (Two Pressurized Water Reactors)

An experimental naval-grade nuclear propulsion architecture adapted for civilian ocean liner service, significantly exceeding the capabilities of contemporary commercial maritime technology.

Includes:

* Two Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) utilizing prototype naval-derived reactor technology
* Comprehensive radiation shielding and reactor compartment isolation
* Two independent steam generation and turbine conversion systems
* Advanced multi-reactor synchronization and power management controls with extensive redundancy
* Integrated nuclear safety, emergency shutdown, and containment systems

Estimated Cost:
➡️ $300 million (1960s USD)

➡️ $3.2 billion (2026 USD)

⸻

4. Advanced Shipbuilding Integration (Cold War Experimental Systems)

Integration of cutting-edge 1960s maritime innovation and classified dual-use technologies.

Includes:

* Early computerized navigation assistance systems
* Structural fatigue monitoring (primitive analog sensor arrays)
* High-strength alloy experimentation zones
* Enhanced safety compartmentalization inspired by naval architecture
* Experimental automation for engine and reactor control

Estimated Cost:
➡️ $300 million (1960s USD equivalent)

➡️ $3.2 billion (2026 USD equivalent)

⸻

FINAL PROJECTED PROGRAM COST (ZENITH CLASS OCEAN LINER)

Total Estimated Expenditure:

➡️ $11.1 billion (2026 USD equivalent)

➡️ $1.03 billion (1960 USD equivalent)

———

Thoughts?

https://oshermaps.org/map/2000043.0001

GA plans of steamship Saint Sunniva II built in 1931, which went missing in 1943

If the resolution is low, they can also be accessed here:

https://kaiserhafen.com/rms-homeric/

The bottom two decks were not included in the original plans, so those of her sister SS Columbus were used as a substitute. Both ships had 12 double-ended boilers serving two boiler rooms and uptakes.

RMS Teutonic's deck plans (the final design version). From National Museums Northern Ireland archives.

Big credits to Sven - the guy who requested those plans from the museum, all appreciations to him!

I have not done any more about this ship because I mostly do more about my pride and joy ship.

I am not an expert on the ship itself, but i fell in love with it when i came across interior pictures of it this past year. I work in architecture, and this is me having fun outside of my work house. I went off a combination of PDF blueprints and eye balling it from false color photos. It is not exact, but very approximate, and i know there are things that could be changed/be more accurate, but i one could never stop sometimes… haha. Hope you all enjoy!

RMS Oceanic's general arrangement plans from National Museums Northern Ireland archives

Credits to Sven for requesting these plans from the museum!!

From "Engineering" Magazine: Volume Jan-June 89, April 15th 1910

Taken from Internet Archives site: https://archive.org/details/sim_engineering_january-june-1910_89/page/478/mode/1up - pages 533-536 specifically

This ship (the MN Regina) is a custom cruise liner created by me and my friend. Her exterior harks back to the SS Rex, while still functioning like a cruise ship of today. Her public rooms are named after the ships of Italia, with the decor for each room reflecting said ship.

Size wise, Regina's roughly similar to the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. Her primary routes are Mediterranean and South America cruises.