Cruise Ships

Liners are long, clean ships, and a model lives or dies on the things that are hardest to fake: a straight waterline, even rows of portholes and balconies, correctly hung lifeboats and funnel markings that match the real ship.

Classic liners and modern cruise ships

The section covers two quite different tastes. Classic ocean liner models, Titanic foremost among them, appeal to collectors and to anyone drawn to the era of transatlantic travel, with riveted plating, multiple funnels, promenade decks and period fittings. Modern cruise ship models appeal to passengers who want a reminder of a particular ship, and to travel agencies and cruise businesses using a model as a counter or reception piece.

Construction

Hull and superstructure are built in timber and finished by hand, with glazing cut and set into window openings rather than painted on. Repeating detail, balcony rails, davits, stanchions and deck furniture, is produced so it stays consistent across the length of the ship, which is what makes a liner model read correctly from a distance. Hulls are finished with a crisp division between topside colour, boot topping and antifouling.

Where these models go

• Private collections, often of a ship the owner sailed on
• Travel agency, cruise specialist and tour operator counters and receptions
• Offices and boardrooms in shipping and maritime businesses
• Gifts marking a first cruise, an anniversary voyage or a retirement at sea

Sizing

Liner models are longer than most people expect, because the real ships are long and thin. Check the stated length against the shelf or counter before ordering, and bear in mind that a case adds a few centimetres on every side.

Common questions

Do you sell Titanic models?

Yes. Titanic is our most requested liner and appears in more than one size. Wooden kit versions are listed separately under model ship kits.

Are the funnel colours accurate to the operator?

Yes, models are finished in the livery the ship carried. If you need a specific ship in a specific fleet livery that we do not list, that is a custom commission.

Do these need a display case?

They benefit from one. Davits, rails and mast detail are fine and awkward to dust, and a case keeps the paintwork clean.