​A scene at Princes Landing Stage, Liverpool depicting two cabin liners on the Canadian service. In the foreground is the Albertic, which joined the White Star Line fleet in April 1927. She began life as the Norddeutscher Lloyd's München but she was transferred to the British Government under the Versailles reparation arrangements before beginning commercial service. Initially operating as the Ohio for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, she was transferred to the White Star Line fleet after Lord Kylsant's acquisition of the company earlier that year.

The Albertic, suitably renamed in White Star style, initially served on the Liverpool service for less than a year. During this time, she was the largest steamer operating on the Canadian service. In March 1928, she joined the Megantic in inaugurating a fortnightly service between London, Le Havre, and New York, later extended to Canada. She returned to the Liverpool service from May 1930. This photograph might have been taken during either of her stints on this route.

Behind her sits one of the 'Mont' class steamships of the Canadian Pacific Line; Montclare, Montrose, or Montcalm. These three sisters had been a critical addition to the company's cabin class service from the early 1920s. Originally built as 'cabin' and 'third' class only ships, they were reconfigured to include tourist-third cabin in 1927. For passengers travelling between Europe and Canada, there was a range of choice in cabin liners across different shipping lines, offering steady and comfortable passage at moderate fares.

​At Christmas 1905, a glittering embossed postcard arrived at the residence of Madame Cornel of Paris. It depicts the great White Star Liner RMS Celtic. The sender must have been known to her, because it is not signed. The message simply reads "good day, but very tired. Received your letter this morning". This is an American-made postcard. Perhaps the sender chose a festive view of the ship on which they had just travelled, or perhaps it was simply the nearest card to hand. If they had just made a crossing, who knows what has taken them to New York in the Christmas season.

If they had just crossed on the Celtic, they had the pleasure of travelling on the third largest ship afloat. Indeed, the 'Big Four' of the White Star Line collectively still held the size record on the North Atlantic, although RMS Baltic would be exceeded by SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria the following spring. This is 21 years before Celtic and Cedric will serve as 'cabin liners', still in their early days offering the finest and most spacious first class accommodations at sea.

Cabin Liners wishes you a warm and wonderful Christmas, and the very best wishes for 2026!

This photograph​ depicts a familiar scene off the Scottish coast in the late 1920s, as RMS Transylvania of the Anchor Line steams past Greenock, taking her to the Firth of Clyde and out on her transatlantic crossing to New York. This photograph is dated 25th August 1928. This particular passage leaving Glasgow on 25th August was fairly busy. The Scotsman newspaper reported that she was leaving at the height of the tourist season for returning American travellers. Among her more than 1,400 passengers were some officials of the USA Olympic team along with around 140 supporters. The 1928 games had been held in Amsterdam, and the Team themselves had already returned directly aboard SS President Roosevelt on 19th August.

Sometimes a collector finds interesting links across time. ​This is a piece of sheet music which was published by the prominent New York based music producers Leo Feist in 1913. The song “He’s on a boat that sailed last Wednesday” appears to have specifically commissioned by the Cunard Steamship Company to promote R.M.S. Mauretania. By the beginning of the First World War, Leo Feist were one of the seven largest music firms in the world and part of New York’s famous “Tin Pan Alley” collection of music producers and songwriters who dominated the popular music scene from the 1880s until the late 1930s.