Olympic-class ocean liner so, the "Olympic"-class ships were built to surpass rival Cunard's largest ships, "Lusitania" and "Mauretania", in size and luxury. "Olympic", along with "Titanic" and the soon to be built "Britannic", were intended to be the largest and most luxurious ships to operate on the North Atlantic, but not the fastest, as the White Star Line had already switched from high speed to size and luxury. The three vessels were designed by Thomas Andrews and Alexander Carlisle. Construction of "Olympic" started in December 1908 and "Titanic" in March 1909. The two ships were built side by side. The construction of "Britannic"
Olympic-class ocean liner minelayer submarine in a barrier off Kea in the Aegean Sea during World War I. "Olympic", the lead vessel, had a career spanning 24 years and was retired in 1934 and sold for scrapping in 1935. Although the two younger vessels did not have successful careers, they are among the most famous ocean liners ever built. Both "Olympic" and "Titanic" briefly enjoyed the distinction of being the largest ships in the world; "Olympic" would be the largest British-built ship in the world for over 20 years until the launch of in 1936. "Titanic"s story has been adapted into many books