ocean liner

As of 2026, RMS Queen Mary 2 is the only ship built as an ocean liner still in service, though as a cruise ship. An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship that was primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). The Queen Mary 2 is the only active ocean liner in 2026, serving with Cunard Line.

The category does not include ferries or other vessels engaged in short-sea trading, nor dedicated cruise ships where the voyage itself, and not transportation, is the primary purpose of the trip. Nor does it include tramp steamers, even those that carry limited numbers of passengers. Some shipping companies refer to themselves as "lines" and their passenger ships, which often operate over set routes according to established schedules, as "liners".