Editing SS Imperator (section)

==Cunard service as ''Berengaria''==
[[File:RMS Berengaria US Navy.jpg|thumb|RMS ''Berengaria'']]
[[File:Stern view of RMS Berengaria, 1921.jpg|thumb|''Berengaria'' underway after conversion from coal to oil burning boilers, 1921.]]

The ship arrived at Southampton on Sunday 10 December 1919 and then proceeded to [[Liverpool]] for what was planned to be a quick overhaul (he was scheduled to leave on his first voyage for the new owners on 10 January 1920). Upon inspection, the ship was found to be in poor condition. During dry-docking on 6 January, it was found that the ship's rudder had a piece missing and the propellers were suffering from erosion on their leading edges. These issues were attended to while the ship was refurbished with items borrowed from the Cunard vessels [[SS Transylvania (1914)|''Transylvania'']] and ''Carmania''.<ref name="liners_page">{{cite web|url=http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/imperator.asp|publisher=Ocean-Liners.com|title=''SS Imperator / RMS Berengaria''|year=2009|access-date=2009-01-11|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131020025/http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/imperator.asp|archive-date=31 January 2009}}</ref>

Due to the extent of the work that had to be carried out, ''Imperator'' remained at Liverpool until 21 February and during this time the company's annual dinner was held on board before the ship returned to service on the North Atlantic.<ref name="liners_page"/> On 2 March 1920, the ship left New York, taking nine days to reach Southampton. During the voyage, ''Imperator'' developed a severe list that was found to be caused by a faulty ash ejector. Cunard decided that the ship was in need of a major overhaul and she was withdrawn from service.<ref name="liners_page"/>

Sir [[Arthur Rostron]] of the RMS ''Titanic'' passenger rescue fame and former captain of {{RMS|Carpathia||2}} took command of ''Imperator'' in July 1920. The following year both ''Imperator'' and ''Aquitania'' were sent to [[Armstrong Whitworth|Armstrong Whitworth shipyard]]s to be converted from coal firing to oil.<ref name="liners_page"/>

The ship was renamed after the English queen [[Berengaria of Navarre]], wife of [[Richard the Lionheart]], in February 1921. The name deviated from the usual Cunard practice of naming ships after [[Roman provinces]], but still retained the "-ia" suffix that was typically seen with other Cunard ships at the time.

In September 1925, a security alert at sea was triggered when the Cunard company offices in New York received a message stating there was a bomb aboard ''Berengaria''; the vessel was then 1,200 miles out from New York, bound for Southampton. The ship was searched although the passengers and most crew were not informed about the reason. A fire drill was held just before the supposed time of detonation, so passengers could be placed close to their lifeboat stations without arousing suspicion. The bomb threat failed to materialize.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bomb hoax on the liner Berengaria |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/sep/26/archive-bomb-hoax-liner-berengaria |newspaper=The Manchester Guardian |date=25 September 1925 |access-date=10 October 2011}}</ref>

On 11 May 1932, ''Berengaria'' ran aground in the [[Solent]]. She was refloated an hour later.<ref name=Times120532a>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Berengaria aground |date=12 May 1932 |page=11 |issue=46131 |column=C }}</ref>

In May 1934, ''Berengaria'' was again in the headlines when she ran aground on mud banks at [[Calshot Spit|Calshot]] on the Solent. She was pulled free by four [[Tugboat|tugs]] from Southampton. The vessel suffered no damage and the incident did not affect her sailing schedule.<ref name="liners_page"/><ref name="ccp">{{cite web |url= http://www.chriscunard.com/berengaria.php |work=Chris' Cunard Page |title=Berengaria |access-date=2010-02-17}}</ref>

Despite her German heritage, ''Berengaria'' served as flagship of the Cunard fleet until replaced by her sister ship, {{RMS|Majestic}} (also German: ex-''[[SS Bismarck]]''), in 1934 after the merger of Cunard with [[White Star Line]].<ref name="ccp"/> In later years, ''Berengaria'' was used for discounted [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]-dodging cruises, which earned her jocular nicknames like ''Bargainaria'' and ''Boringaria''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Layton |first1=J. Kent |year=2013 |chapter=Imperator/Berengaria |title=The Edwardian Superliners: A Trio of Trios |edition=2nd |publisher=Amberley|oclc=851154660}}</ref>

Toward the end of her service life, the ship suffered several electrical fires caused by aging wiring, and Cunard-White Star opted to retire her in 1938. She was sold to [[Sir John Jarvis, 1st Baronet|Sir John Jarvis]], who had also purchased ''Olympic'', to provide work for unemployed shipbuilders in [[Jarrow]], [[County Durham]].<ref name="ccp" /> ''Berengaria'' sailed for the [[River Tyne]] under the command of Captain George Gibbons to be [[Ship breaking|scrapped]] down to the [[waterline]]. Due to the size of the vessel and the outbreak of the Second World War, the final demolition took place only in 1946.