SS Belgenland was a transatlantic ocean liner and cruise ship that was launched in Belfast, Ireland in 1914 and scrapped in Scotland in 1936. She was renamed Belgic in 1917, reverted to Belgenland in 1923, and renamed Columbia in 1935.

Throughout her career the ship was owned and operated by the International Mercantile Marine Company or its subsidiaries. IMM ordered Belgenland as a new flagship for its Belgian-based Red Star Line, but the First World War delayed her completion. Germany occupied Belgium in the First World War, so IMM had Belganland completed in 1917 as a cargo ship, transferred to the UK-based White Star Line and renamed Belgic. In 1918 she was converted into a troop ship.

In 1922 the ship was at last fitted out as a passenger liner. In 1923 she was transferred back to Red Star Line and her name was changed back to Belgenland. From 1924 onward she made her name making annual cruises around the World, leaving New York in November or December and returning in April the next year. She pioneered cruise ship visits to destinations including Bangkok and Bali, and steamed almost 250,000 miles without defect.

In 1927 IMM transferred Belgenlands ownership to the UK-based Frederick Leyland & Co, but kept Red Star Line as her managers. In 1935 IMM transferred her ownership to the US-based Atlantic Transport Line, renamed her Columbia, and made Panama Pacific Line her managers.

In 1930–31 Belgenland took part in successful tests of a long-range ship-to-shore radiotelephone. The Great Depression led IMM to cease her cruises around the World from 1931 and reduce her transatlantic crossings. That year she made six-day cruises and one-day trips from New York. In 1932 she made short cruises and at least one transatlantic crossing. In 1933 she made a Caribbean cruise and at least one transatlantic crossing. In 1934 she made European cruises from England, and then was laid up.

As Columbia in 1935 the ship ran Caribbean cruises: four in spring to the West Indies, and then four in summer to Panama and Venezuela. By autumn she was laid up again, and in 1936 she returned to Britain to be scrapped.

Belgenland was by far the largest ship Red Star Line ever owned. In her heyday she was the largest liner in transatlantic service between Antwerp and New York, and the largest liner to cruise around the World. As Columbia she was the largest ship then registered in the US.

Harland & Wolff built Belgenland. She shared the same hybrid propulsion system as several other H&W liners of her era including and . However, she was unique, with no sister ship. She had a reputation for stability in the worst North Atlantic weather, and for reliability.

Belgenland had strong links with Belgium, although she was never registered there. Her more notable passengers included Eleanor Roosevelt in 1929, Douglas Fairbanks in 1931, and Albert Einstein in 1930 and 1933.

Building IMM ordered Belgenland in March 1912 from Harland & Wolff, who built her on slipway number 1 as yard number 391. She was laid down before the First World War, but by the time she was launched on 31 December 1914 the war had been under way for four months. Work on her was suspended to let H&W concentrate on more urgent war-related work. As the Central Powers' U-boat campaign depleted Allied shipping, the need for replacement ships increased, and H&W resumed work on Belgenland. She was completed as a troop ship on 21 June 1917 and renamed Belgic.

H&W planned Belgenland to have three funnels and two masts, and a passenger superstructure of several decks. For war service, however, she was completed as a cargo ship with two funnels and three masts, and without the two upper decks of her planned superstructure. The extra mast enabled her to have more derricks, with which to handle cargo more quickly. She was one of a number of ships that had been planned as liners but were part-completed at that time as cargo ships. H&W completed the similar but smaller with one funnel and almost no superstructure, to serve as the wartime cargo ship Orca.

Belgics registered length was , her beam was , her depth was and her draught was . Her holds included space for of refrigerated cargo. As built, her tonnages were and .

Belgic was one of a series of H&W steamships that were propelled by a combination of reciprocating steam engines and a steam turbine. She had three screws. A pair of four-cylinder triple expansion engines drove her port and starboard screws. Exhaust steam from those engines powered one low-pressure turbine that drove her middle screw. H&W had used this arrangement first on Laurentic for White Star Line, and most notably on the three s. Between them, Belgics three engines were rated at a total of 2,653 NHP or 18,500 ihp and gave her a speed of .

A photograph of the ship being fitted out in Belfast between 1915 and 1917 shows "Belgenland, Antwerpen" on her stern as her name and intended port of registration. However, German forces had captured Antwerp in October 1914. Hence when she was completed in 1917, Belgenland was transferred to White Star Line, renamed Belgic and registered in Liverpool. Her United Kingdom official number was 140517 and her code letters were JQDG.

Belgic 1917–22 White Star Line ran Belgic between Liverpool and New York under the direction of the UK Shipping Controller. On 11 August 1918 U-155 tried to attack her, but was unsuccessful.

Later in 1918 Belgic was refitted as a troop ship. She had berths for 3,000 troops, but on one voyage she carried 3,141 and on another she carried 3,400. She repatriated Allied troops after the Armistice of 11 November 1918. On 16 January 1919 she reached New York carrying 3,267 members of the American Expeditionary Forces. They included 240 men and 36 officers of the 49th Infantry Regiment, and some members of the 367th Infantry Regiment and 13th Aero Squadron. On 16 August 1919 Belgenland left Liverpool carrying 3,400 servicemen home to Halifax, Nova Scotia and New York.

By the middle of 1920, IMM was investigating recurrent instances of cargo disappearing from its ships. Disappearances had been happening for about two years, and cargo worth about $5 million appeared to have been stolen. When Belgic docked at Pier 16 on the North River in New York at the beginning of July 1920, White Star Line officials found that cloth worth about $60,000 was missing from her cargo.

On the night of 2 July two NYPD detectives and three of IMM's own in-house detectives put Belgic under observation. At about 0200 hrs they saw several men descending her gangway carrying bundles of linen, tweed and other cloth. The detectives drew their revolvers and confronted the men. The men threw their bundles either ashore or into the water and fled back aboard.

The detectives pursued the men aboard, and along the ship's companionways. The men were armed, and exchanged fire with the detectives. In total about 30 shots were fired. Other members of the crew tried to impede the detectives. Detectives chased one fugitive to the end of the pier, where he jumped into the water. An hour's search failed to find him, and he was presumed drowned.

12 members of Belgics crew were arrested and taken ashore. Four of her engine room crew were suspected of stealing broadcloth worth about $1,000. They were charged with grand larceny and remanded for trial. The other eight were firemen who were charged with disorderly conduct and were released.

From April 1921 Belgic was laid up in Liverpool, awaiting refitting. In March 1922 she returned to Belfast for Harland and Wolff to refit her as an ocean liner.

Belgenland 1923–35

Harland & Wolff increased her superstructure to four decks, including a wide promenade deck that had a low rail and was enclosed with a glass screen, to give passengers an unobstructed view of the sea when seated in their low deckchairs. Another glass screen separated her ballroom and first class dining saloon instead of a bulkhead. Other passenger comforts included a children's playground and an open air gymnasium. Third class public accommodation included space for dancing and a veranda café.

Belgenlands first class dining saloon could seat 370 diners. 180 were at two-seat tables, and the remainder at four- and six-seat tables. Off the main dining saloon were private dining saloons, available for families or private entertaining. Forward of the dining saloon was a palm court with a grand piano. The ship had its own orchestra, which gave concerts in the palm court. Second class accommodation had a dining saloon with small tables, a loung, and a library.

The New York Times claimed that the ship was fitted out with berths for 2,700 passengers, including 400 in first class. Other sources state that she had berths for 500 passengers in first class, 500 second class and 1,500 third class. However, as a result of the Emergency Quota Act that the United States Congress passed in 1921, and the Immigration Act of 1924 that followed it, Belgenlands third class accommodation was never fully used. Eventually the third class cabins on the after part of 'D' and 'E' decks were permanently closed down, and the third class cabins on 'D' deck amidships starboard were turned into catering department accommodation. The only third class cabins kept in passenger use were amidships on 'E' deck and amidships on the port side of 'D' deck. On the forward part of 'C' deck, what had been the third class smoking room was converted into a laundry.

H&W converted the ship from coal burning to oil, increased her funnels to three as originally planned, and reduced her masts to two. Wireless direction finding was added to her navigation equipment. After the refit, her tonnages were reassessed as and . Her original name Belgenland was restored, but she remained registered in Liverpool.

1923 transatlantic season

Belgenland returned to service in 1923. Her transatlantic route was now between Antwerp and New York via Southampton. Cardinal Mercier, Primate of Belgium, blessed her before she made her first departure from Antwerp as an ocean liner on 4 April. On her first voyage she carried only 260 passengers, including 86 in first class. She reached New York on 14 April, and left on 18 April on her return voyage to Antwerp. On 11 July she left New York for Antwerp carrying 290 passengers in first class. On 10 November 1923 she reached Ellis Island carrying 1,257 European migrants to the US, including 278 from the USSR.

1924 Mediterranean cruise

In May 1923 the British travel agency Thomas Cook & Son announced that it would charter Belgenland for a Mediterranean cruise. Despite her capacity for 2,500 passengers, Thomas Cook set a limit of 500, and secured bookings for 420. Belgenland began the cruise on 19 January 1924, leaving New York for destinations including Palestine and Egypt. Passengers would have the option to see archæological sites including the Tomb of Tutankhamun, whose recent discovery in November 1922 had inspired great popular interest in Egyptology.

1924 transatlantic season By spring 1924 the Scheldt had silted up too much for Belgenland to reach Antwerp safely. Red Star Line temporarily changed her European terminus to London. In 1924 her route included calls at Cherbourg as well as Southampton, plus Halifax, Nova Scotia from June to October, and Plymouth on eastbound voyages only. The Scheldt was dredged, and on 7 August Belgenland resumed sailings to Antwerp.

When Belgenland left New York for Antwerp on 9 October 1924 her ports of call were to be Plymouth and Cherbourg. On 20 November she ran aground on a mud bank in the Scheldt. She was briefly dry docked for her hull to be inspected, found to be undamaged, and continued her voyage to New York.