ocean liner
Noun: A very large passenger ship designed for regular, scheduled voyages across oceans or seas between specific ports.
An "ocean liner" refers specifically to a large ship built to transport passengers on transoceanic routes. It emphasizes scheduled service, size, and the purpose of carrying people (as opposed to cargo) over long sea distances. * The Queen Mary 2 is a famous modern ocean liner that crosses the Atlantic. * Before commercial air travel, the primary way to cross the Atlantic was by ocean liner.
- They booked a stateroom on an ocean liner sailing from Southampton to New York.
- The museum exhibit showcased the golden age of the great ocean liners.
- Is that vessel a cruise ship or an ocean liner? The key difference is its regular route and seaworthiness.
- "Liner": Often used as a shortened, informal form of "ocean liner."
- He worked as a chef on a liner for twenty years.
- The term is sometimes used historically or nostalgically to distinguish traditional transoceanic passenger ships from modern cruise ships, which are designed primarily for leisure voyages that begin and end at the same port.
- Liner (n.): A common abbreviation for "ocean liner."
- Passenger Liner (n.): A synonym that explicitly states the ship's purpose.
- Cruise Ship (n.): A related but distinct type of passenger ship designed for vacation voyages, often calling at multiple ports in a region, rather than for scheduled point-to-point ocean transport.
- Passenger ship
- Passenger liner
While "ocean liner" and "cruise ship" are both large passenger vessels, they are not perfect synonyms. An ocean liner is built for strength and stability in rough, open-ocean conditions on a fixed schedule (e.g., transatlantic crossings). A cruise ship is built for comfort and amenities on typically calmer, coastal or regional itineraries focused on leisure.
- a large commercial ship (especially one that carries passengers on a regular schedule)