well a lot of people are seemly haters to the ship.....
Firstly, I just want to say that I don't hate the people who bought the ship; nor do I begrudge you spending the money on it, and I hope it makes all who sail in them very happy with your purchases. It's not for me, and I understand that.
I do dislike the ship as a piece of design, in game and out though; It's just
big. It doesn't really enhance the game world as it sails around, I don't find myself looking at one and thinking "This is a work of Sosarian art"... it's just so dull visually; I was hoping it would be scaled up, a true Titanic of a ship, or at least mount the two remaining cannon that are hidden in the artwork (see UOGuide)... but it's just a stretched, plain ship. It reminds me of those tacky limos you see driving around town centres at night; bigness for bigness' sake, whilst I cringe at the people inside.
It has very little practicality either; a paint job is about all you can expect to see, and whilst it would be nice to mount a Parrot deed aboard and take some of my feathered friends for a yo-ho-hoing, as nature intended, beyond that most of the purchases will be made for nothing more edifying than showing off the owners disposable income.
No different from any other rare, you may say. True. And on Europa, Kingsley's ship is part of a fine naval tradition, yes. If I see them aboard it, as I shuttle about chasing fish, I'd raise my Dread Pirate Hat to the crew. However, if I saw one in a PvP setting, I'd laugh me black guts out; I'd just get my Ork ship, sail alongside and use the cannon bonus knowing you can't get all those other cannons to bear on me. Remember, that you could scuttle boats in Trammel at launch too. And that it doesn't even have decay-protection in it's bug-fixed form however would give me pause for unease all the same... that's a lot of stretched-hostages to fortune you're giving there. And I wonder what the repair costs are like? These are things no other rares collector has to worry about, and it saddens me to know that the same "no item replacement" rule is going to cover these items all the same.
So... yes, I really don't like these boats, I'm sorry. The Britannic Ship is quite the opposite of a floating symbol of virtue, and gives very little that might inspire them. Again, I do however hope that those who have one get much pleasure from it. I just wish they'd given you, and by extension, those who will sail by you a lot more bang for your buck if we
must go down this path.