5. Passenger vessels

Nowadays, most merchant ships are built to carry cargo, but a few still carry passengers. In comparison with cargo vessels, passenger ships are fewer in number and type. The number of passenger ships has been greatly reduced, because of competition from air transport.

The traditional passenger ship is the passenger liner.

Liners sail on one and same route according to a timetable. Ocean liners used to be the most popular from this type. A common element of architecture was the steps-like superstructure. Ship design included spacious saloons, sports halls, swimming pools and many other facilities. Nowadays, liners are no longer used and are replaced by ferries.

Cruise ships - Their purpose is to take tourists to journeys. As a matter of fact, cruise ships are liners with size and load draft allowing them to enter almost every port. Cruise ships are usually white-painted multi-decked vessels sailing at an average speed of 20-22 knots. Ramps at the stern make boarding of passengers easier. Also, machinery noise is brought to minimum for the convenience of passengers. Restaurants, bars, casinos, discos, swimming pools, fitness centers and shops make cruise ships look like a real resort complex. Although the airplane has largely replaced the ocean liner for transoceanic travel, vessels for carrying passengers for short distances over water have become increasingly important. Passenger coastwise vessels - not large inland-going ships which sail close to the coast between two or more ports; their seats for passengers vary from 40 to 600. Into this category fall two other types of ships - the hydrofoil and the hovercraft (air cushion vehicles).

Hydrofoils provide high-speed transportation over relatively short distances. These vessels are mounted on foils (wings that skim near the surface of the water). The hull remains completely out of the water, greatly reducing the drag caused by water resistance. Hydrofoils can reach speeds greater than 80 knots.

Air cushion vehicles also provide fast trips for short distances. Such vehicles are also called hovercraft or ground effect machines. Air cushion vehicles have a powerful horizontal fan that produces a strong, continuous thrust of air between the vehicle and the water or ground beneath it. The craft, which is driven by airplane-style propellers, rides on this cushion of air and can do almost 70 knots.

Yachts - crafts, propelled either by sail or by power, used for recreation.

Ferries - designed to carry wagons, vehicles and passengers by serving as a bridge between two ports, located at the opposite ends of rivers, bays, canals, etc. Ferries usually have two control panels - one at the bow and one at the stern. There are also huge gates called hatchways to provide fast loading and unloading. This type of ships is divided into train ferries, combined train and car ferries and combined passenger and car ferries. The latter type of ferry is also used as a foreign-going vessel for tourism, just like cruise ships. As a matter of fact, both look much the same from the outside but ferries have car decks in addition. Besides, ferries of today are used as suitable places for conducting conferences and symposiums aboard.