Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Timeline of largest passenger ships" in English language version.
Royal William largest launched 1831.
At the time of her launch, the "British Queen" was the largest vessel afloat
By August, the Normandie, having increased her tonnage, was again the World's Largest Liner
The French Transatlantic liner Normandie (71,300 tons) was the world's largest ship when built, and, although surpassed by 1942 by the British liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in tonnage, was still the longest vessel afloat at 1,029 feet overall.
France, since 1972 the largest passenger ship in the world...
In 1995, Princess Cruise Line's Sun Princess became the largest ship at 77,000 tons. In 1996, Carnival Cruise Lines launched the 101,353 ton Carnival Destiny.
In March 1841 the liner, SS President, then reputedly the largest steamship in the world, disappeared without trace in the vast tracts of the still wintry Atlantic, sometime after leaving New York en route for Liverpool. The SS President was the first steamship to founder on the transatlantic run and there was universal lamentation for the 136 crew and passengers.
At the time of her launch the City of New York was the largest passenger steamer afloat.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)....arrangements are made for fitting up fast vessels such as the "Mauretania" and "Lusitania" with a number of 6-in...guns for service as merchant cruisers in time of war, when they would be used as ocean-going scouts, or for the protection of trade routes