She was the second of a quartet of ships over 20,000 tons, dubbed the Big Four, and was the largest vessel in the world at the time of her entering service.

Requisitioned as an auxiliary cruiser in World War I, Cedric carried out patrol missions until 1916, but her large size was detrimental to her assigned role.

At the end of the 19th century, White Star Line decided to build large ships at moderate speed, in order to take advantage of the area of comfort and regularity while achieving fuel economy.

[3] In 1901, at 20,904 GRT and 13,449 NRT, RMS Celtic was the first liner to surpass the size record set in 1860 by SS Great Eastern.

[10] Delivered on 31 January 1903, Cedric made her maiden voyage on 11 February between Liverpool and New York City; and she was then the largest liner ever built.

On 15 March 1905, when a measles epidemic raged aboard, the she was caught in a storm that damaged her, took her bell, shook the furniture, causing panic among passengers.

The president of the White Star, Bruce Ismay, asked that the liner be detained in New York so that the surviving crewmembers of Titanic could return to the United Kingdom sailing on her.

[10] At the start of the World War I, Cedric was one of the ships that were requisitioned and converted into armed merchant cruisers, along with Celtic, Teutonic and Oceanic.

From 20 April 1917 to 18 March 1919, she served under the Liner Requisition Scheme and transported fuel oil for Royal Navy ships in addition to troops.

Other teams of police and firefighters were needed to save the victims and bring the blaze under control, while the damage was estimated at $25,000.

[4] Immigration laws in the United States no longer allowed as many third-class passengers to be carried as they did at the turn of the century in a cost-effective manner.

[19] On 30 September 1923, Cedric collided with Cunard Line's RMS Scythia in Queenstown harbour in dense fog.

[20] On 26 December 1924, she was again the victim of a fire affecting a large shipment of Peruvian cotton aboard; the ship was not damaged, but the cargo was lost.

[23] Titanic survivor Robert Williams Daniel, a banker who frequently travelled to England on business, returned to New York from Liverpool aboard Cedric, arriving on 4 December 1912 to learn of the death that day of his friend and fellow Titanic survivor Archibald Gracie IV, whom he was to visit while in New York.