Definition

1. Noun:
   • A ship built to carry passengers: A large vessel designed and constructed primarily for transporting people across water, rather than cargo. These ships often provide accommodations, amenities, and services for travelers.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The luxury passenger ship will depart for the Caribbean at noon.
  • Before the era of commercial aviation, the primary way to cross the Atlantic was by passenger ship.
  • Safety regulations for a passenger ship are more stringent than those for a cargo vessel.

Advanced Usage

• As a specific type within maritime categories: The term distinguishes vessels by their primary function. A "passenger ship" is legally defined by the number of persons it can carry (typically more than 12) and is subject to specific international safety codes, like SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea).

Variants and Related Words

• Liner (n): Often used synonymously, especially for large passenger ships operating on a regular schedule or line.
  • The ocean liner was a famous mode of transatlantic travel.
• Cruise ship (n): A specific type of passenger ship whose voyage itself is the vacation, featuring extensive leisure facilities.
  • The cruise ship offered multiple restaurants, pools, and a theater.
• Ferry (n): A passenger ship, often also carrying vehicles, making short, frequent trips across a body of water.
  • We took the passenger ferry to the island.

Synonyms

• Liner: A large commercial ship, especially one carrying passengers on a regular route.
• Packet ship: (Historical) A ship originally employed to carry post office mail packets and later also carrying passengers.

Related Phrases

• Passenger manifest: The official list of passengers aboard a ship.
  • The captain checked the passenger manifest before departure.
• Passenger capacity: The maximum number of people a ship is certified to carry.
  • The new vessel has a passenger capacity of over 5,000.

Related Idioms

• Like a passenger ship in a storm: Used metaphorically to describe something large, crowded, and difficult to maneuver or manage.
  • Trying to get consensus in the large committee was like steering a passenger ship in a storm.

Noun

1. a ship built to carry passengers