She and her sister ship RMS Etruria were the last two Cunard express ocean liners that were fitted with auxiliary sails.

Umbria was launched by the Honourable Mrs. Hope on 25 June 1884, with wide press coverage, because she was the largest ship afloat, apart from Great Eastern, which by that time was redundant.

Shortly afterwards, the dispute with Russia was settled and Etruria was returned to the North Atlantic service, but Umbria was retained for a further six months as a precaution.

[3] In 1887, Umbria gained the prestigious Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic between Europe and North America.

She reached Sandy Hook on 4 April, in 6 days 4 hours and 12 minutes, averaging a speed of 19.22 knots (35.60 km/h; 22.12 mph) and covering a distance of 2,848 nautical miles (5,274 km; 3,277 mi).

On 10 November 1888, Umbria was outward bound from New York when she collided with and sank the Fabre Line cargo steamship Iberia near Sandy Hook.

On 30 December, the steamship Manhanset reported again that Umbria did not require assistance and that she was carrying out repairs to a broken shaft.

Her main engines were stopped immediately, and Umbria drifted helplessly in gale-force winds and a heavy sea.

Later that day, at 8:15 pm, the steamship Bohemia had agreed to tow the ship to New York but, around 10 p.m., the line broke in the severe storm and visibility was nil.

When the excitement had died down the recriminations started, which ended when Cunard prepared a statement explaining why Gallia had continued on without assisting Umbria.

At 9 a.m. on 28 June 1896, Umbria left her New York pier at the foot of Clarkson Street on the North River.

She remained stuck all day until the combination of a flood tide and the efforts of seven tugs managed to free her from the wreck, to the cheers of the Yale rowing crew who were aboard Umbria on their way to take part in the Henley Regatta.

On 9 May 1903, the New York City Police Department received a letter that said a bomb had been loaded aboard Umbria.

The letter said the bomb had been intended for the White Star Line's RMS Oceanic, but that the bombers had changed their minds because there were a large number of women and children aboard that ship.

When the box was lifted back up and opened, it was found to have 100 lb (45 kg) of dynamite attached to a crude timed fuse.

The letter that the police had received also explained that the bomb plot was the work of the Mafia, whose aim was to destroy the British shipping interest in the port of New York.

However, because of mishaps to, first, Etruria and then to RMS Lucania, which was temporarily laid up and later caught fire, Umbria had a reprieve until 1910.

She arrived in the Mersey for the last time on 4 March 1910 and, as soon as her passengers had disembarked, work began on dismantling all her fixtures and fittings.

[3] The ship is featured briefly in the last several episodes of the third and final season of the 2014 horror-drama television series Penny Dreadful.

When the characters Sir Malcolm Murray, Ethan Chandler, and Kaetenay are returning to London from the United States, they are travelling aboard Umbria, as is clear from the vessel's appearance, and the name on a life-preserver on the ship.