RMS Etruria was a transatlantic ocean liner built by John Elder & Co of Glasgow, Scotland in 1884 for Cunard Line. Etruria and her sister ship RMS Umbria were the last two Cunarders that were fitted with auxiliary sails.[2] Both ships were among the fastest and largest liners then in service. Etruria was completed on 10 March 1885,[3] twelve weeks after Umbria, and entered service on the Liverpool – New York route.
Etruria had two large funnels that gave the outward impression of great power. She had three large steel masts that were barque-rigged. Another innovation was that she was equipped with refrigeration machinery, but it was the single-screw propulsion that would bring the most publicity later in her career.
The ship epitomized the luxuries of Victorian style. The public rooms in First Class were full of ornately carved furniture and heavy velvet curtains hung in all the rooms, and they were cluttered with bric-a-brac that period fashion dictated. These rooms, and the First Class cabins, were situated on the Promenade, Upper, Saloon and Main Decks.