Passenger Ship
Passenger ships are a class of space ship primarily intended for carrying large numbers of civilian passengers between planets or star systems. There are effectively two kinds of passenger ship: point-to-point transports that serve short, high volume routes (called passenger transports and luxurious cruise liners that act more like towns or cities in space, capable of travelling across the galaxy (called passenger liners). Both types of passenger ship have been critical in making the colonisation of the galaxy possible, following colony ships in delivering additional colonists to new worlds.
Passenger transports are the most common kind of passenger ship, with the smallest of them barely larger than Class-A shuttles. The small end of these ships are most commonly used to transport workers to intrasystem stations, such as mining outposts and research facilities on uninhabited planets. They are also commonly used to ferry residents of habitats between orbitals. These ships are inherently limited in range, as they lack the ability to maintain passengers for long periods of time. Instead, they focus on sheer capacity, fitting in as many passengers as they can. Many of these ships are not fitted with hyper drives, particularly those built in systems with many distant settlements (such as the Sol System).
Passenger liners are designed for long-term comfort and high endurance. These ships are in some ways the opposite design philosophy to passenger transports, carrying a smaller number of passengers a longer distance. Liners are almost exclusively FTL-capable, as the economics of short-range luxury voyages make less sense. Following the initial colonisation rush of the early 23rd century CE, liners have also taken on the role of being the primary kind of passenger ship heading to distant colonies from core worlds, as they have the onboard facilities and amenities necessary to support a long-term stay. Unlike passenger ships, which typically have a simple layout of rows of seats, passenger liners have individual cabins or dormitories that offer more privacy to their passengers. They include full canteens or dining areas, entertainment, and other necessities. The largest and most luxurious passenger liners have onboard theme parks, casinos, parks, and even suburban neighbourhoods.
Passenger transports are the most common kind of passenger ship, with the smallest of them barely larger than Class-A shuttles. The small end of these ships are most commonly used to transport workers to intrasystem stations, such as mining outposts and research facilities on uninhabited planets. They are also commonly used to ferry residents of habitats between orbitals. These ships are inherently limited in range, as they lack the ability to maintain passengers for long periods of time. Instead, they focus on sheer capacity, fitting in as many passengers as they can. Many of these ships are not fitted with hyper drives, particularly those built in systems with many distant settlements (such as the Sol System).
Passenger liners are designed for long-term comfort and high endurance. These ships are in some ways the opposite design philosophy to passenger transports, carrying a smaller number of passengers a longer distance. Liners are almost exclusively FTL-capable, as the economics of short-range luxury voyages make less sense. Following the initial colonisation rush of the early 23rd century CE, liners have also taken on the role of being the primary kind of passenger ship heading to distant colonies from core worlds, as they have the onboard facilities and amenities necessary to support a long-term stay. Unlike passenger ships, which typically have a simple layout of rows of seats, passenger liners have individual cabins or dormitories that offer more privacy to their passengers. They include full canteens or dining areas, entertainment, and other necessities. The largest and most luxurious passenger liners have onboard theme parks, casinos, parks, and even suburban neighbourhoods.
Length
50-5,000m
Complement / Crew
5-10,000 crew
Cargo & Passenger Capacity
50-100,000 passengers
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