Could You Survive a Victorian Ocean Cruise on SS Great Britain?

[@HistoryHit]

So, if you had the chance, would you go back in time to the Victorian period to experience a voyage on SS Great Britain? 🤔

[@EgXP]

As fascinating as you've made this video, I'm sorry to say I wouldn't 😅. Still, a brilliant watch, all the same!

[@carag2567]

Not a sea voyage. I've spent my entire life living on an island and I've been on enough boats. But I would certainly travel back to the late Victorian period just to wear the clothes and to see how people were marveling at innovation and industry.

[@jeremycox2983]

Yes from England to New York

[@johannebaker9730]

Absolutely

[@brandeni1785]

I would pass. I get seasick easily.

[@podunkcitizen2562]

Ben Franklin made eight crossings over the Atlantic between America and Europe. They took anywhere from 40 to 90 days each. That meant he likely spent over one year of his life at sea. He wondered why it was always quicker to go to Europe than to return to America. He figured out the affects of the Gulf Stream and mapped them.

[@podunkcitizen2562]

@Pleb Three different sources I saw said it took at least six weeks. By the 1830s a ship made the crossing in a recod 21 days.

[@podunkcitizen2562]

@Pleb With changes in technology, the crossing might have been quicker than in 1750 to Franklin's last sailing in 1785.

[@avalondreaming1433]

Fascinating. I didn't know that.

[@frequentlycynical642]

It wasn't due to the Gulf Stream as much as the prevailing Westerlies.

[@jayg1438]

​@BigAdriatic Ben Franklin was not traveling to Europe in the Victorian period...

[@YesYouAreAbsolutelyCorrect]

In 100 years that'll be "Could You Survive a Spirit Airlines flight?"

[@sophbookers9580]

😂😂😂

[@kellyharper367]

😂🎉

[@JoaoPessoa86]

short answer: no

[@spooksbukowski63]

We have Ryan air were I live 😂

[@johnnytower6169]

I remember all the big guys in the navy suffered, not a bad place for a short lad

[@loriscook5231]

I’m a kiwi, my relatives from the 1850’s to 1913 all travelled from Scotland or England to NZ. They would have all travelled steerage, so great to see what life at sea was like. Two teenage brothers worked for their passage in 1900. They looked after horses for the army going to fight in the Boar war in Sth Africa. After the horses were delivered they had to dismantle the stables and scrub the hold ready to hold goods on the return trip. None ever went back, it was truely a new start for them all, they all did well in their new lives.

[@phillipecook3227]

Fascinating. We can only imagine what it was like for these people - and 000s of others - who probably had never traveled far from their birthplace to undertake a 4 month sea voyage and then arrive in a strange new land never to return home. Have you identified individual relatives who arrived into Melbourne? Is here anything preserved in Melbourne from that period like Ellis Island in New York?

[@Mej111]

My relatives went to nz around that time too! They didn’t leave until my parents and I moved to the US

[@MikeWood]

Did any of your relatives come over in the Euterpe? It is now a museum ship in San Diego called the Star of India. My Great Great Grandfather was the captain for about 10 years in the 1870s. Putting in to places like Dunedin. Made many trips in the other direction than the SS Great Britain, going around the tip of South America.

[@setharp]

At least you have the history of your family. My family came to the US- we think- in the 1740's. We have no clue how.

[@jaymac7203]

Its such an interesting video 🧐 lol

[@vectravi2008]

It's amazing to see how this ship has been restored. I remember when it was in the Falkland Islands. It was very nearly past saving. Well done to all those who saved this ship for future generations

[@evalevy2909]

How did they get it back to England? On another ship?

[@vectravi2008]

@@evalevy2909 yes....brought back on a large ocean going barge towed by tugboats

[@francesaggarwal22]

What a wonderful renovation. I saw it when it first came to the UK , and it was a rusty hulk.Such a beautiful ship.

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Wait, this is the original? She fared better than her bigger younger sister the SS Great Eastern...

[@fionablaikie6422]

This was wonderful! My great grandfather travelled to Australia from Scotland on the SS Great Britain aged 19. Have visited the ship in Bristol several times through its restoration. This means so much. Have shared it with the family. Can't thank you enough!

[@HistoryHit]

Really glad you enjoyed!

[@amaritineenthusiast]

@@HistoryHit The real question is: Did his Great-Grandfather enjoy it?

[@RegulareoldNorseBoy]

@@amaritineenthusiast His....? Fiona Blaikie is a girls name

[@amaritineenthusiast]

@@RegulareoldNorseBoy o h, oops

[@johnjoseph3667]

The number of adverts is overbearing. Stopped watching and disliked.

[@dinahjackson8146]

I really ENJOYED this ! 😊 As a young girl, I traveled 4 times by ship to England from USA... THANK GOD, it was in the fifties and GREAT FUN !!! 😀 My mom and I went on the 2 QUEENS... ELIZABETH and MARY... BEAUTIFUL LADIES they were ! 😘😘😘😘😘

[@mikefly562]

We really have it easy today...London to Sydney in a 787-9 with food, movies, internet, and comfort in less than 1 day of travel. it's so awesome that this ship is so beautifully preserved!

[@cplcabs]

I think I would prefer to sail on this ship than risk going on a Boeing 787...or Boeing anything really

[@AverageAlien]

@@cplcabs utterly deluded

[@cplcabs]

@@AverageAlien oh really? So did you know that the FAA has told Boeing to halt deliveries of the 787 due to issues with the fuselage? Apparently not. How many 787s does this affect that have already been delivered?

[@AverageAlien]

@@cplcabs Not a single 787 has ever crashed or caused a single fatality, it is one of the safest aircraft in history

[@AverageAlien]

@@robertcottam8824 Mate you ok

[@Doraemon-o8f]

This is how KZbin should be used for! Taking us around the world and showing how things were, while the viewers discover the unknowns. Brilliant documentary 👏

[@gabsofine]

I loved this video and all the details and real accounts. It's amazing to think of someone who has hardly ever left their own town suddenly sailing across the world

[@carag2567]

The real accounts from the diaries of actual passengers really sold it. This was an exceptionally well done video. And then having those accounts read by voice actors?! Oh my stars! 🤩

[@barbarak2836]

I have more respect than ever for my ancestors who made the journey from Germany, Poland, and Belgium to the United States. These were all working people, so I am sure they had to travel in steerage.

[@EmmaCruises]

I loved this, it's so funny to hear about the guests complaining about the drinks prices being too high and that they couldn't bring their own drinks, that's a very common complaint now too on cruises. Nothing changes really! Well, happy to say the accommodation and food has...

[@Kubulek17]

imagine the difference between this and the Olympic class liners of the 1910s, must've been a breathtaking change

[@Black-Rat]

Before the outbreaks of WW1, maybe I'd be tempted to consider, possibly yet but unlikely, during WW1, depends on which one of the two remaining sister ships, but beyond that, forget it... I'm not in a hurry to blow up and die in a mine field...

[@CleoPhoenixRT]

Yes! I was thinking the same thing. They were eating beef stew, and staying in rooms on par with first class with their own sink! I didn't quite understand it before but it makes more sense now.

[@Kubulek17]

@@CleoPhoenixRT swimming pools, restaurants and cafes, a piano on board, running water and toilets. I always read how most didn't have running water in their homes yet had a hot tap in their cabins on the titanic

[@Adolphification]

even the third class of olympic class was way more luxurious than the first class of SS great britain, LOL

[@callummclachlan4771]

And then you compare them to nowadays. Even though Ocean Liners are basically extinct now. Long distance ferries are probably the closest (Denmark to Iceland for example). Even the cheapest tickets would have blown the minds of 1st class people back then.

[@Iskandar64]

This was brilliant, I visited the SS Great Britain maybe 15 years ago and did the audio tour. I still think it was the best historical immersive experiences I have ever had. And this presentation was excellent too.

[@CleoPhoenixRT]

I can see why third class on the Titanic still felt so luxurious! Also, I couldnt imagine getting tipsy on a ship that size, it's hard enough not to stumble on leveled ground. Lol I enjoyed every minute of this, I wish it could be a series on various eras of ships.

[@pandamilkshake]

Talking about size, what about the size of those beds? They are so extremely thin.

[@chgr4674]

Titanic was the first ship where 3rd class had sinks in the cabins

[@CleoPhoenixRT]

@@chgr4674 lavish!

[@TS-1267]

... OH AYE?

[@alyssajenaway3781]

My ancestors made this same sort of trip to Australia and kept a log of the journey. They lost 3 of their 4 children on the trip from illness and his wife almost died too. It's a very sad read and amazing to see how the experience would have looked for them in this video. He commented a lot about the views from the deck as well as the weather. An interesting point he discussed was how each family in steerage was allowed to bring their box up to the deck only once on the trip to obtain fresh clothes and take anything out, and clothes washing was only done once each up on the deck as well. Other interesting points to note was that he commented that they all had jobs, and also discusses equipping their cabin with hooks to hang utensils and cups on the wall.

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

Thank the gods , you made it.

[@MeherScholar]

You all did such a wonderful job, and the hosts have such a friendly spirit, I loved listening to them. This was truly enjoyable to watch.

[@jaymac7203]

Yes it was. 😊 Extremely interesting 🤔 It never occurred to me the shenanigans they'd get up to over a couple of months all judging each other etc lol

[@amaritineenthusiast]

@@jaymac7203 Yeah usually you just think about the living conditions, not stuff like the boredom and the socialising stuff.

[@demon36900]

.io

[@stoker1931jane]

26:25 loved how the tour guides, the ship's interpreters, introduced a whole set of new issues/problems/ideas that I (and probably more viewers) had never considered of ever thought about before. Truly very enlightening👌🏻- loved watching this video (the time just flew by✌🏻).

[@DanasDiary.]

I just love the way people used to write. With so much symbolism, metaphors and care given to every word ☺️

[@Anglo_Saxon1]

Yes your absolutely right.We have a beautiful language.Unfortunately it no longer gets used either correctly,or to its full potential.

[@shikkithefirst5393]

You'd be surprised how much care is given to texting/informal written chatting. The subtle nuances required to convey tone and implied meaning that's usually a given in spoken language is unparalleled. So while text speech sounds way less fancy compared to victorian letters it is no less nuanced and filled with symbolisms. Just think emojis and smileys. They don't convey their literal meaning, but symbolise implied tones and references. Fun fact: it's a whole field of study and if tou wanna learn more i highly recommend "because internet" by gretchen mccoulloch. If you just wanna feel superior to others because of they way you write, then by all means stay being a prescriptivist.

[@IEatChickenAlmostDaily]

Because they had to spend months stuck on a ship with little real entertainment.

[@DanasDiary.]

​@@shikkithefirst5393 I agree, I think it would be very interesting to learn more about more recent written language, especially seeing that I use it every single day. Thank you for adding a recommendation. But by no means am I wanting to insinuate that I feel superior to others, especially since I use written language in form of texting every day myself. Just by complimenting one thing doesn't mean I am putting another thing down. I simply thought the language sounded beautiful and didn't comment on todays written language in my original comment at all. But I do get why you thought I was implying that todays language is less beautiful, that just isn't the case, it is simply different and because I myself never really hear old written English I wanted to comment on how beautiful it sounded, that's all - there was no hidden meaning or agenda. This was an appreciative comment so it is a bit of a shame that it is taken the wrong way.

[@DanasDiary.]

@@IEatChickenAlmostDaily Haha that is probably true.

[@tebec3624]

Watching this on Christmas Eve and feeling soooo grateful that I did not have to endure that journey nor the “food”. I felt dizzy just watching this. Definitely made me thank God for my blessings!

[@krystaldispatchbetttymcgin7702]

The reenactors are so charming. What a lovely tribute to a time and its people!

[@nuanced202]

Been on this ship.. the thing that blew me away the most is the way they recreated the smells of each section. One manquinne was sea sick in the cabin. Head in a bucket. The smell of vomit was very strong and accurate. I hated it, but the fascination of realism made me keep going back for more. The kitchens smelt of freshly baked bread. I even got to climb into one of the very small cabin beds. Bristol, I shall be coming back 😅

[@johannebaker9730]

This Great ship was lying in Stanley harbour Falklands for many years before being restored. Great video thank you. I’m in the Falklands at the moment and the wee museum here would love this. 😊

[@jillwanlin9558]

That was great fun! Great insight into what a voyage would have been like for both upper and lower class. I can understand why people left their country to seek out a better life. I’m sure it sounded like a great adventure. But I have heard other accounts at the shock of the conditions lower class people had to endure. And for months on end it must have been hell. But we also know that many did succeed in making a better life for themselves. Love the two young men in this series. Thanks again! 🙏🇨🇦

[@carag2567]

20:50 Natalie's costume is so SPOT ON ACCURATE for the 1840s I am distracted in the best way possible 😍 Not even paying attention to what they're saying, something about fruit? I'd forgotten the year of the SS Great Britain's maiden voyage by this point so when I saw her enter in this outfit, understanding that it could be no earlier than 1837, I guessed 1840ish. It was 1841. This is the kind of commitment to history that takes my breath away! When others are so passionate about telling the story authentically right down to the tiniest of details. Absolutely marvelous! 👏👏👏

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

From what I recall all the stuff on there is based on the 1850s

[@carag2567]

@@Ukraineaissance2014 Literally 1841.

[@envitech02]

Natalie looked exactly like Jodie Foster in Anna and the King.

[@fouracrefamily9801]

Absolutely!

[@aaronhughes2951]

I’m 6’5 and did a tour of the boat years ago, there is no way I would have survived3 months , even in first class 😂

[@nikolibolokov4521]

I'm also 6ft 5 .Aaron don't do what I did.. dont put a pull up bar on your hallway doorway. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@jimajams7080]

It's a ship!

[@denzjp]

@@jimajams7080 clever observation...

[@raraszek]

You realise European men were shorter in that century than today's average. You're very tall by anyone's standards.

[@jayleigh4642]

I was under the impression due to poor diet people didn’t get to be 6ft + in those days? Of course I couldn’t be completely wrong in which case it would have been dreadful being so tall in such a confined space 😵‍💫

[@RavenGent]

This is excellently done and using diaries and passengers helps give a more insight into what the journey aboard the SS Great Britain was all about. Plus the dressing up enhances it even more, as a undergraduate of History I also practice some Victorian dress up to show people what people wore on daily basis and for special occasions.

[@iceprincess7674]

Thanks! This is one of the most fascinating, indepth, and engaging shows I've come across on KZbin, keep up the great work!

[@jonathanbailey1810]

I went 'aboard' in 2020 as it was two friends' 60th birthdays (same day!). As it was under Covid semi-restrictions only small numbers allowed on at a time. I took the opportunity to hop into a bunk. I'm 5'4" and 9 stone. I was really squashed, couldn't roll over, and had to be levered out by my friends!

[@brontewcat]

This really shows how luxurious the Titanic was. The steerage passengers on the Titanic had better accommodation than the first class on this ship. It really makes me appreciate how hard it was for many of my ancestors to get here. Although a lot of my ancestors had much more cramped and difficult passages including being weighed down by chains. I had two ancestors on the Second Fleet, which was almost but not quite as bad as for the slaves being shipped across the Atlantic on the Middle Passage.

[@tacodias]

To be fair the Titanic was 67 years younger that the SS GB… that’s a substantial gap during that age. If you look at the Boeing 707 and look at planes 67 years younger, you’d be looking at balloons…

[@joshuathomas8529]

@@tacodias Not quite you would be looking at the Sop with pup or open cockpit biplane bomber. Sound about the right comparison. Still the SS Great Britten would have been amazing compared to the sail ships that my ancestors came across from England to the United States on.

[@tacodias]

@@joshuathomas8529 the Boeing 707 had its first flight in 1954. 1954-67=1890. The Wright Brothers flew for the first time in 1903…

[@brontewcat]

@@tacodias I understand that - but that is the point about how ships developed and what was considered luxurious became standard within decades. Actually I think the cabins on the Titanic were way beyond steerage on most ships at the time of the Titanic, as in steerage a lot of passengers did not have cabins.

[@joshuathomas8529]

@@tacodias If your comparing the progress of avation to the progess of ships their are leaps and bounds different if you want to get technical. The frist time a man left the earth for the skies was in 1783. Baloons made very small progress untill after the internal combustion engine. If ships made the same level of progress that plain did we would be traveling the stars buy now. In a space of less than 50 years we went from the Wright flyer that did not cover the lenght of a 747 in its first flight to the B-36 that could fly from the U.S to France and back with out stopping.

[@LoganLavery]

That was luxury compared to what my great grandmother, her parents and siblings endured the year before in steerage on the ‘London’. The voyage to Wellington lasted 4 months and several passengers and a crew member died. The ship’s surgeon kept a regular journal of the voyage and a book called ‘No Simple Passage’ has been written about the voyage since.

[@NegativeAccelerate]

Yeah, during the famine, the ships were called "coffin ships" since most ppl on the ships died. Yet a ticket to get on the ship would be worth far more than those people's houses.

[@StephBer1]

My ancestors traveled from Ireland to Australia in 1848, refugees from the Potato Famine, not actual farmers, but the famine affected everyone. I'm not sure which ship they were on but they were from different counties in Ireland so would not normally have met. The girl was 18 and traveled with a brother and 2 sisters, while the man was 25 and traveled with a mate. They fell in love in steerage during the voyage, and married a year after reaching Australia, when he could "provide for a wife". Seeing the cramped quarters in this video, I'm amazed that anyone anyone in steerage could fall in love! The thing I always thought surprising about them were their names - Nicholas and Alexandra, like the ill-fated Russian Tsar and Tsarina. Great video.

[@paulalwayslearning8573]

That was enthralling and the two that worked on board were great hosts. Loved this, thank you.

[@elizabethhannah4704]

Thank You for a very immersive, accurate and interesting "voyage". We really have nothing to compare to the experiences and lives these people endured. They really were tough.

[@j-c4709]

I'd have happily endured the upper class

[@clairek.3634]

Thank you for sharing this. I'd always heard how much more luxurious the Titanic was than ships of its period, but I didn't have much to compare it to.

[@Finallybianca]

Knowing that Some relatives came to New York on this ship in steerage it really makes me appreciate their journey.

[@howler6490]

The "swing-back " bench was a feature of the trams in Glasgow when I was a wee boy. When a tram reached terminus, the driver simply went to the other end and started off again.Folk could choose how they wanted to travel..

[@robertcottam8824]

Blackpool trams were the same.

[@markwilliford5319]

We owe a great deal of gratitude to past generations - especially the Victorians, for giving us the life we enjoy today - especially the toilet.

[@kjw1856]

Awesome historical reenactment! I particularly appreciated the period costumes, and prepared food items and menu/rations. The competing perspectives at end of voyage exposes very different, personal “experiences” between steerage and 1st class - shown literally side by side - was effective and quite sad.

[@mrs.g.9816]

Fascinating! The ship has been beautifully restored, and I enjoyed the "tour", getting a sense of time travel. I also loved that you all donned period dress. It was really raw that the rich guy excluded the poor guy from the cricket game. Class discrimination "just isn't cricket"!

[@andrewrobinson5837]

The nifty invention at 22.20 of the swing over back for the chairs is still a feature in transport today. Public trains in Sydney NSW use them even today.

[@heru-deshet359]

Excellent presentation. Rarely do I get riveted watching from beginning to end without speeding through.

[@HistoryHit]

Thank you!

[@Luluxxxx]

Fascinating documentary. Thanks for the upload. I visited SS Great Britain many times as a child but didn’t really appreciate the whole story of the ship until this programme. Fascinating detail into what would have gone on on such a long voyage. And the sunny weather in Bristol when it was filmed reminds me what a wonderful city it is ! (Used to live there when at university)

[@hypercomms2001]

I live in Melbourne. I remember seeing the SS Great Britain in Bristol. Amazing ship, but a tough voyage by our standards.

[@lessieh1050]

Thank you for bringing this experience to life. To survive such a voyage in steerage, folks had to be hearty, determined, and darn lucky😳.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Excellent documentary - Brunel was certainly a stand out Genius along with Thomas Telford, Robert Stevenson et all

[@ArceneStorms]

I have been to the SS Great Britain twice, and it has been a really cool experience. I adored the passenger cards that we could get, along with the Being Brunel museum and the immersive experience that was touring the ship. I wouldn't be able to survive on a voyage, though.

[@joshuamoxham-smith2149]

Amazing content! A million times more exciting than History Channel

[@shinnam]

But no ancient aliens.... 🤗

[@emilaslan8452]

Love British History channels. So much better - intelligent , quiet, up to the point, profound - than American cheap "dramas".

[@NeuroDeviant421]

Did 20 year old "doctors" of the Victorian Era sound like 50 year old physicians today?

[@cgmason7568]

Smoking

[@madamedemonsieur]

That was my first thought - "Couldn't they have found a twenty-something to read that bit?" 😄

[@justanotherdamnerd4434]

I was able to board the SS Great Britain on a school trip- really amazing to see it all being used for this!

[@jamesfrost7465]

Amazing this ship and the HMS Victory is still in existence. Dry docking them is the reason they are still with us. I'm a old school sailor and now a modelshipwright for a museum 28 years now. Some of the cures and food sailors had to endure is a test of sanity and what a human body can take. I'm currently building a new display with about 20 Ocean Liners. At this moment I am building a model of the Great Western, the worlds first true Ocean Liner built for passenger service. 1838!!! She made 64 crossings of the Atlantic!!! The Oriental Star is next. Wonderful job on this video. Terriffic wardrobe. Thank you. If I may add, in my opinion as a life long sailor, 63 years, professional model ship builder 28 years, (some of the largest model ships in the world) and nautical museum curator 28 years. The finest ship design I've ever seen is, the Golden Hind. She is perfect and you mates have a replica of her!!! That little rascal sailed around the World in 1577-78. Then Captain Drake was knighted Sir Francis Drake. Theres one to do a video about. Imagine spending two years aboard that!

[@Andronichus]

Really interesting to hear your experience and current occupation. Kicking myself a little as I used to work in Southwark near the river and cut across the Millenium bridge by foot a few times into the City. Walking down the river Southbank mostly is possible except for a couple of places where it forces you inland; I guess if I'd looked hard it likely was the Hinde dock. Pity, as the trip back to London is so expensive now.

[@pterrypower5140]

I really enjoyed this! To see and hear the accounts of folks on the journey made it come to life. Well done! Thank you

[@HistoryHit]

Thanks so much!

[@jj-if6it]

I'd love some kind of luxurious Titanic-like boat journey one day, but for now I feel grateful I can fly from Australia to the UK in around 24 hours! Back when my parents were my age, it usually took many months on a boat.

[@jimisi7424]

Fair play. That was both extremely well made and fascinating. Nice work!

[@frydemwingz]

That first class ticket would totally be worth it just for the peace and quiet. Trust me, that's the best thing you can get on a ship after many months at sea. I was on a modern destroyer and the 3rd rate areas actually didnt look too bad for space, but you still dont even have access to a place to chill and calmly shave and wash up in the morning. that makes all the difference, even above good food. I dont care what anyone says. I was happy with white rice and canned fruit all day long, I just wanted a place to read and relax.

[@ImNotaRussianBot]

I agree. I would gladly pay for two tickets to have the whole room to myself. But those thin walls and all those people just feet away would bother me. I'd definitely bring a book for each anticipated day of travel along with some games and art supplies.

[@gardengeek3041]

Thank God someone had the sense to preserve this great ship. Especially when we consider that not a single one of the flying boats from PanAm's Clipper fleet was saved for posterity.

[@endokrin7897]

Great video! Very hands-on and visual (instead of reciting boring facts and figures) I go crazy if I'm couped up indoors for a day during bad weather; I shudder at the thought of spending 3 months onboard! Even two weeks (voyage to New York) would be torture. Everything was so different back then. 🙄🤨 I suppose they were used to it and had a different mindset. But it seems like torture.

[@pcka12]

The fact that Great Britain is still with us proves what an amazing ship she is!

[@Starphot]

My ancestors from my father's and mother's side came to America from the late 1600's to mid 1700's as far these records go. Could you imagine the types of ships and lading was before the 19th century? We did have a restricted zone aboard my aircraft carrier called "Officer's Country" where enlisted and the lower commissioned officers were not allowed unless they had business there. Of course there were also the restricted security areas attributed to a military vessel as well. Small US naval vessels didn't have "Officers Country" as some that are on first name basis depending on the CO. I found that out while on shore patrol, returning a drunken sailor to his little tin can one night.

[@sharathjogada0809]

Thanks

[@gromit8023]

Having celebrated our wedding on the ss greaylt britoan. Murder mysteries amd sea shanties nights I can say the ship and staff are amazing ! :D

[@qap7]

The more and more I learn about living conditions in the really not so distant past I am very grateful of the living standards that we have today.

[@queensapphire7717]

I’m Irish, Steerage is our middle name. My dad in law (German) came over in boat in the early 50s (Austria to NY), in steerage accommodations, and he told me he was constantly surrounded by vomit and stink on any given day, during the entire trip, due to so many people getting seasick and the god awful food.

[@Alejojojo6]

You are american no irish lol. Having irish ancestry doesnt make you irish. Also in 1950 people didnt travelled like they did in this video. This was in 1850... over 100 years before he indeed travelled.

[@cplcabs]

@@diaryofahaphazardhousewife Its strange that you yanks have this identity crisis going on. You are proud to be from the US, but not so proud so have to add a nationality of Irish, German, Scottish, English etc. What is that about? I knew one yank whose great great grandparents or something were Irish when they went to the America's, so he was about as Irish as the Great wall of China. However, he thought he was as Irish as a Leprechaun. He went to Ireland once, bought a flat cap and wore it proudly all the whilst supporting the terrorists the IRA but didn't really know why. I took the micky out of him mercilessly because as well as thinking he was Irish, he was as dense as a piece of lead but then he was an ex Military Policeman.

[@robertcottam8824]

​​@@cplcabs To be honest, old boy, although I'm English, I'd never admit it in your presence, particularly abroad where folk might think that we have something in common. My family and I usually switch to French in the unwelcome presence of braying English folk from the lower middle classes. Don't know much about union flag-waving lumpenproletariat. Don't care to, either. Be nice to Americans. They're usually nicer than your sort.

[@cplcabs]

@@robertcottam8824 well, I am betting you are a self hating Brit who welcomes the destruction of British culture and probably take to the knee. Your choice, thankfully people like you are in the minority. Having dealt with a lot of people from the US, I am nice to them and yes many of them are nice, but that doesn't detract from the comment that you responded to and indeed your comment to me is very much off topic, so pretty much pointless.

[@EggandChris]

​@@robertcottam8824absolute cobblers

[@barrydysert2974]

This episode should absolutely be called Absolute History! ABSOLUTELY !:-) 🙏💜⚡️

[@Studio23Media]

Those benches blew my mind 🤯

[@solinvictus4367]

22:10 The bench flipping is around at least in the US (probably in other places but just never experienced it). Many trains in the US have the ability to flip the seat backs so you can sit in traditional rows or have four seats face each other

[@geraldstiling3735]

The restoration from corroded hulk to a wonderful ship is nothing short of miraculous🚢

[@tylerhaines8662]

Great Video. The mid 19th century often feels overlooked, when so much progressed during that time. I learned a lot.

[@robertknowles2699]

David R. MacGregor 's 'Fast Sailing Ships' emphasis is on Sail rather than social comparison if comfort. I admire builders of time you mention , but Plimsoll Line displacement mark gave an improved chance of survival for Merchant ship carrying Passenger , animals, and crew serving them.

[@mizstories9646]

I'd like to see those state rooms. The ones that were a little better than the normal first class rooms. I want to know if they were bigger and/or nicer. It could be that they are exactly the same and were only considered better because of where they were. Also, I'd like to see the captains quarters.

[@amaritineenthusiast]

The captain's quarters is actually in their other video about *working* on the ship, it might actually be smaller than the Saloon Class cabins. It only had a bed really.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

As an American Civil War reenactor, this is right up our alley. Wonderful vid and a nice look at normal life outside of a military context.

[@Kira-Namida]

"Bristol Docks, at high tide, gazing out across the ocean wide. When up pops a bloke in a stovepipe hat, says 'I'll do you a steamship to sail over that'" 🎩🎶

[@Calvbread]

History Hit is an absolute gem 💎

[@HKTimbo]

The Hong Kong star ferry has those reversible benches. Kind of caught on….😄. Very interesting to see how we traveled mid 18 hundreds 👏🏻👏🏻

[@scronx]

Love this and the entire cast! Bravo!!

[@nobilesnovushomo58]

Imagine never going on a boat before and finding out about seasickness on a trip that’s going to last you six months.

[@ianmason8713]

That was excellent. Made even better because you managed not to call each other "Mate" every 20 seconds.

[@tristinhoriquelme7303]

My ancestor did It. They left Zurich, walk on the bare foot to Amsterdam and then Sail to Brazil. (2000 left 400 passei away) Arrival in Brazil they walk UP Hill 50 Miles to Friburgo. No portuguese até ALL Just German speaker. That was hard.

[@jesseandersen9762]

I'm really enjoying this.... it took me a while to realize first class and steerage had different hosts

[@London-Lad]

The blond dudes a heart throb.

[@renesagahon4477]

They both are honey 😛!🥂

[@DJL78]

More of these two! ❤❤❤

[@elihernandez330]

Absolute hell. Imagine living even as a rich person back then.

[@michaelkubis7573]

Stumbled across this video by accident. Very glad that I did. I definitely want to learn much more about this ship.

[@womanofsubstance8735]

It is no wonder that so many of those who survived steerage did so with a lovely case of scurvy unless they could smuggle some fruit and veggies aboard. Of course, most people in those days would not have known the importance of fruit and vegetables. The 2-plus weeks from England to the US would not have been bad, but the trip to Australia might have been a little rough. My mom's people came in steerage from Ireland, and my dad's people came, some by ship around South America, and some by ship from Germany then by wagon train to the West coast of the US. It would have been rough by today's standards, in any case.

[@andream9470]

They mention the lime juice provided when talking about 3rd class rations. How well it really worked....anyone's guess.

[@Psychol-Snooper]

Scurvy had been understood for almost a hundred years before this ship's keel laying.

[@outlawbadge1]

Love the old sailing ships and seeing what it could have been like staying onboard. Wow 9:30

[@jakecavendish3470]

Looks a hell of a lot healthier and safer than Ryan Air

[@keapixhoudini6263]

My mum's first, founding ancestors travelled from England, out to NZ on a ship like this called the The Lock Fleet, quite a well known ship coming to NZ from UK, this was 1890sish. Brave, desperate people, hoping for better in life

[@kariannecrysler640]

I love how tall you boy’s are compared to the shipways & beds. Guess shorter was standard then lol

[@renesagahon4477]

Two healthy looking lads that’s for sure

[@thierrypauwels]

The knucklebones! I remember when I was a child that they played it at school. Pretty much the way you showed it. And they were not made of bones any longer, but had pretty much the same shape.

[@tradward]

$5000 for an 80 day cruise across the globe in first class standard of the day is a pretty good deal in today's economy if you ask me.

[@khmerdetours6123]

i own and operate a 100 year old riverboat that was built as a cargo boat in the 1920s and did the Vietnam into Cambodian run, up the mighty Mekong River she is 120ft long of a steel construction, we do over night stays on board, and she is very basic , however now we have solar powered and modern toilets and en-suited cabins, but still some folks complain as they want 5 star only hehe but we love her..

[@HaurakiVet]

Sheet luxury. People of my ancestors generation sailed (not steamed) three months to get to NZ. No bunks, just partitioned areas along each side of the ship about the size of a double (not queen or king) bed. These were one per family. Down the centre of the ship was a long table with bench seating for eating and any task needing a table. Somehow two of my forebears met and felling love under such conditions and married upon arrival in NZ (forget all that garbage about captains having the power to marry, just another Hollywood myth). A long way for a new life with virtually no hope of ever seeing relatives in UK ever again. Tough people.

[@marierowe5969]

Done the Xmas Victorian day and had Xmas lunch on her ...can't praise it enough .best place .

[@jonahsebalius5012]

I imagine one day far in the future someone will make videos about the horrors of long distance travel in small cars lol

[@cmtippens9209]

We have an exhibit similar to this on a replica of the Mayflower, which is in Plimoth (Plymouth) Harbor in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It, too, was more inclined to those shorter in stature. My (then) husband was 6' 2" tall and for most of the tour was hunched over at the shoulders. The Victorians had it easy compared to the Pilgrims. Of course, lots of time to make improvements on traveling by ship between 1620 and the Victorian era. 😊

[@neskire]

This really puts things in perspective. I would rather fly from the UK to Australia (which I did some years ago) in less than 24 hours than sail on this ship for 2 months. And yet I have friends and relatives who say that flying from the US to New Zealand (where I now live) would take too long and would be a great hardship!🙄

[@thomfiel]

I visited the SS Great Britain in Bristol. It's not far from Bath. If you're visiting Britain's west country, these are two places not to be missed.

[@billkallas1762]

How often were the coal fired boilers used for propulsion? Was it possible to re-coal on the way to Australia?.....Sailing to NYC was probably done under power, most of the way.

[@ambermay7032]

My dads side of the family came to Australia in the 1850's from England and Ireland. They weren't convicts, just people looking for a better life. His mother's grandparents as adults, and his father's parents as kids, one that may have been by himself.

[@neogeo1670]

remember people where alot shorter than us today... that why the bed where smaller and much else... its all about how much better we eat: For British men, the average height at age 21 rose from 167.05cm (5ft 5in) in 1871-75 to 177.37cm (5ft 10in) in 1971-75 10 years later thats a significant number all due to better nutrition

[@robertknowles2699]

Yep, it's interesting to compare forbearers's origin and opportunity to eat, whether rural or not-so-rural.

[@2DogsVlogs]

Wow, what they have done too that ship is amazing. Last time I was on the ship it was used for storage. You walked down into the hull and all you saw was a big open space with big holes through the steel. Only floor was the steel deck. Never knew it originally had multiple levels.