With its release from government duty finalized, the Queen Elizabeth finally set out on its maiden passenger voyage to New York on Oct. 16, 1946. It was a hugely popular and glamorous ship that was frequented by many famous people. Eventually safer and quicker airline travel across the Atlantic put ships like the Elizabeth out of business. And despite switching to cruises in 1963 and undergoing major renovations in 1965, it made its final Atlantic crossing on Nov. 5, 1968. Elizabeth’s reign as largest passenger ship ever ended in 1997 when Carnival launched the 101,000-ton cruise ship Destiny.
